Magic

Magic stems from the Essence Weave, an ethereal expanse coinciding with the physical world. It binds everything together through its strands, and mages and other users of magic have learned to pluck at these invisible strands. Each race has their own of dealing with magic. Dwarves cannot use magic directly, but can engrave enchantments through runes into items that are imbued with magic from the Essence Weave. While orcs can use magic, doing so is fatal to them. The elves and serpents have a natural inclination and connection to the Essence Weave. The elves specifically have a talent for speech weaving, also known as vocamancy.

Using magic draws on a mage's inner power, their Essence. It is a well that refills, but draining it too much leads to Essence Fatigue - a fraying of their connection to the Essence Weave. Although difficult, a careless mage could even trigger a Mage-Rupture Event if they push themselves too hard.

Domains of Magic

Arcane Weaving

Illusomancy

Illusion magic is more than just a parlor trick. Illusomancers can conjure visions so realistic that the target would believe they could touch them, and even make them think that they are. Illusomancers need to be sharp and understand how people think as they must play on what their target expects to see.

Life Weaving

Life weavers have a special connection to the living world. They can heal wounds not just on the body but in the soul. They can bring dead gardens back to life and restore entire forests. Their deep connection to nature also allows them to commune with it to a limited extent.

Vocamancy

Vocamancers weave magic right into their words as they speak. The rhythm, tone, and the intention behind their words all matters. They can bend wills, shape thoughts, and change the course of events with only a few choice words. However, stronger vocamancy isn't easy and it only works if the target isn't expecting it and doesn't have their guard up. If they even think that someone is trying to influence them, the vocamancy loses all power.

Celestial Weaving

Aethermancy

Aethermancers are the stargazers of the world. They have their hands tangled in the fabric of reality and can sense the subtle energies around them. Aethermancers can harness currents and move things seemingly without effort. They can even feel a connection to the stars at night. However, most aren't social and many constantly seek out more knowledge on improving their connection to the stars.

Chronomancy

Chronomancers have a connection to the temporal currents of the Essence weave. With their magic, they can peek at shadows of what has been and listen to whispers of what is to come. Their visions are not always clear though and are up to interpretation, and in their guidance chaos is often found.

Spectral Weaving

Spectral weaving is a rare and incredibly dangerous form of celestial weaving. Users of spectral weaving, known as shadowcasters, can speak to those in the afterlife with ease - sometimes even physically entering the afterlife themselves. However, shadowcasters often encounter spirits in their work and not all are friendly. Demons especially prey upon novice shadowcasters, leading them astray and possessing or trapping them.

Elemental Weaving

Aeromancy

Aeromancers can control the air - within a minute they can turn a soft breeze into a tornado and vice versa. Many larger cities often employ a handful of aeromancers to combat tornadoes for that exact reason. Experienced aeromancers can levitate and a very few can fly, but it is difficult to maintain concentration and more often than not results in death.

Geomancy

Geomancers can shape the earth itself. With enough practice and concentration, a geomancer could theoretically build and collapse entire mountain ranges. More often than not, though, geomancers can be found shoring up a natural defense on the coast or helping survivors out of a cave-in.

Hydromancy

Magic flows through hydromancers like the ripples of water that they manipulate. Hydromancers can command single raindrops to small storms, and enough of them together can quell hurricanes - something that Rivelgin invests in regularly.

Pyromancy

Pyromancers are walking forges - they can summon fires that can melt just about anything. While some blacksmiths do actually employ pyromancers for that purpose, most pyromancers are found in militaries or help with controlled forest burns to prevent more dangerous wildfires.

Rune Weaving

Rune weavers carve runes into item that imbue it with a direct line to the Essence Weave itself. The symbols are conduits for everything in the world - fire, earth, ancient wisdom, willpower. Dwarves especially have a knack for rune weaving and are the most common exporter of enchantments, but any race is able to do it.

Each rune has its own story and power, some may provide unyielding strength while others provide protection. Creating a rune-inscribed artifact demands respect and precision, and the rune weaver must know exactly what they are aiming for. It must be clear in their mind before they even begin to chisel.

A rune's strength is determined by the material that it is engraved in. The rune weaver must listen closely to the hum as they engrave and determine if it is the resonance that they are aiming for. Their hand and mind must also be steady - one stray slip or thought could turn the mightiest sword into little more than a butter knife. Once carved, the rune must be awakened, in which the latent energy of the rune is activated and a connection to the Essence Weave is established.