By Request: Paying for Training

Tia of Fantasy Debut (http://fantasydebut.blogspot.com/) brought up an important question a few days ago: How do people pay for magia training?

The short answer: They usually don't.

The long answer: Since magia can be sensed and used by almost anyone, and training is needed to be a good spellcaster, said training is usually offered freely. In the rural areas, either the town Seer or a resident mage will do the training, sometimes in exchange for food.

In the middle class areas (such as Telrain), magia training is a proper subject in the school system (effectively replacing science). Those that can't wield magia for whatever reason use the period as a study hall or as training in their desired trade.

The upper class has several options open to them--they can undergo private lessons with a master mage at their house (for a fee), take free training along with everyone else, or enroll in a magia academy (which has a hefty price for tuition, room, and board, as well as a selective entrance process.) Some academies will also admit those of the lower classes, complete with a number of scholarships to ease the financial burden on those that aren't quite well off.

Hope this answers your question!

Concerning magia users...

Our first question on magia users themselves:

Is there a numerical limit to the number of wizards in the world? Why?

If we define wizard as a magic user in general, then no; there is not--any being can potentially use magia because the Twelve Stones constantly generate it.

If we define wizard as a high powered wielder of magia, then yes, there is a sort of limit--only 144 wizards (the twelve Holders (guardians) of the Twelve Stones, and each Holder's twelve attendants) have access to the very high powered spells--the kinds that can wreck havoc on the world if put in the wrong hands. Potential candidates go through a rigorous application process that includes a written exam, a spellcasting demonstration, an interview, and a quest determined by the Holder (if the candidate is applying for an attendant), or the High Seer (if the attendant is applying to be a Holder), among other things

The rules of magia, day 15

Last question on this topic:

What is the price magicians pay in order to be magicians?

In order to harness magia properly, a wielder usually undergoes several years of training to hone their skills and learn to manage magia induced fatigue.

My next set of questions have to do with magic users themselves

The rules of magia, day 14

Can the ability to do magic be forcibly taken away? If so, how and by whom?

Yes, but only when it is found that someone is using magia improperly. It is usually done by the Seer, by casting the spell Mystical Bane, a Spirit elemental spell that forms a magical lock around the target's heart, trapping the magia inside and preventing it from being sensed

The rules of magia, day 13

Can the ability to do magic be lost? If so, how -- overdoing it, "burning out," brain damage due to fever or a blow, magical attack, etc.?

While an innate power cannot be lost naturally, influencing powers can shift, making a person lose the ability to cast magia of one element, and gain the ability to cast magia of a new element (that still compliments their innate power)

The rules of magia, day 12

Does a magician's magical ability or power change over time -- e.g., growing stronger or weaker during puberty, or with increasing age? Can a magician "use up" all of his/her magic, thus ceasing to be a magician? If this happens, what does the ex-magician do--die, retire, take up teaching, go into a second career?

When someone's magia first awakens, it is not very strong--as the wielder grows and keeps using it, it will grow stronger.

Magia can never be used up, as the Twelve Stones are constantly generating it.

The rules of magia, Day 11

Are certain kinds of magic practiced solely or chiefly by one sex or another? By one race or culture or another?

Magia is practiced among both genders, but herbalism and potion making were traditionally female jobs untill around 200 years ago, when the rulers of the 5 races began recognizing male herbalists and apothecaries.

Likewise, all five races are able to use all three kinds of magic.

The rules of magia, Day 9

How much is known about the laws of magic? How much of what is "known" is wrong (as Aristotle's ideas about human anatomy were wrong, but accepted for centuries)?

Different races have different levels of understanding about how magia works, but what magia cannot do is universally agreed on. The elves and fairies rely on magia more in their cultures, so they are usually the ones that discover new spells and new ways to use it. All known information about magia, including all named spells and accepted uses, is compiled into a compendium each year--although it has been known to be updated more often when a major breakthrough is discovered.

It was once thought only a certain number of the Twelve Stones could be wielded, but this was quickly disproved when elven scholars found that all twelve elements were possible to wield. The spell list is constatly being revised as new spells are found and those that no longer work are removed (which it was thought there was only a certain number of spells. The ability to wield magia through weapons and other objects is also a recent development, as it was once thought that instruments were the only objects capable of channeling magia.

The rules of magia, Day 8

Does practicing magic have any detrimental effect on the magician (such as being addictive, slowly driving the magician insane, or shortening the magicians life-span)? If so, is there any way to prevent these effects? Are the effects inevitable in all magicians, or do they affect only those with some sort of predisposition? Do the effects progress at the same rate in everyone?

Since magia requires expending a little of your own energy with every spell, if you use too much magia too quickly (how much this limit is differs from wielder to wielder), you will tire from magia-induced fatigue, which require the wielder to rest for a while before using magia again. While you cannot die from using magia, it is possible to exhaust yourself to the point where you could die (which would require a long rest period)

There are charms that either reduce the symptom's severity or stop it from occuring altogether that are readily bought for a reasonable price, but the best way to prevent the fatigue is using your magia responsibly.

Everyone that can wield magia suffers from magia induced fatigue as some point or another, but how quickly symptoms set in depends on how long the patient has used magia, and is calculated under the presumption the user is casting spells without a rest. A new mage's apprentice might feel the first symptoms in twenty minutes if casting constantly, while a wizard that has casted magia for years might not feel the first symptoms for 2 or 3 hours. Keep in mind that physical fatigue and magia induced fatigue are two diferent things.

The rules of magia, Day 7

Can two or more wizards combine their power to cast a stronger spell, or is magic done only by individuals? What makes one wizard more powerful than another--knowledge of more spells, ability to handle greater quantities of mana, having a more powerful god as patron, etc.?

Two (or more) people can combine spells to create a new spell, but the individual components have to be cast by the people combining powers. They then have to name the combined spell in order to command the different magias to combine into the new spell.

A Singer's power level is determined by the number of spells they know, how long they have been wielding magia, and how much magia they can handle before magia fatigue sets in

The rules of magia, Day 6

How long does it take to cast a spell? Can spells be stored for later, instant use? Do spells take lots of long ritual, or is magic a "point and shoot" kind of thing?

Depending on how strong a spell you want to cast and the material of what you're channeling the magia through, the charge time is around 3-10 seconds. While most magia wielders choose to channel it through an instrument, magia is mainly a "point and shoot" matter. An "instant" version would be to wield a spell through a weapon--just name the spell and it will be cast

A Sampling from "Gemsinger" 's Spellbook

Here's a few examples of spells you might expect to see in "Gemsinger":


1. Lava Ring

Element: Fire

What it does: This spell surrounds the target with a circle of flames that burns whatever touches them. It can also be used to protect the caster and their allies.


2. Sapphire Calling

Element: Holy

What it does: One of a family of gem summoning spells, this summons a sapphire for the user to cast one Holy spell of their choosing, even if they don't have Holy magia within them. To do this, they name the spell they want to cast, and the appropriate magia is channeled through the stone. This is one way that magia users can safely wield an elemental outside of what they can normally wield.


3. Dark Spheres

Element: Darkness

What it does: Sends orbs of darkness energy at the target for damage.


4. Crystal Shields

Element: Ice

What it does: Creates a shield around the caster and his/her allies for a short time.

The rules of magia, Day 5

What does one need to do to cast a spell -- design an elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mix the right ingredients in a pot? Are there things like a staff, a wand, a familiar, a crystal ball, that are necessary or useful to have before casting spells? If so, where and how do wizards get these things?

All one needs to cast a spell is a suitable object to channel the magia through, usually a musical instrument or a weapon. (both of which are readily availiable around the world To cast a spell using an instument, the caster must name the spell, (you know you've named a spell when your instrument or weapon glows in the color of the element you're going to cast) then play a song--this song can be anything from random notes to special songs designed especially for this purpose. That said, not every form of music is magical--just playing something without naming a spell won't do anything.

If you're using a weapon to wield magia, just point at the target and name the spell. After a brief charging time (anywhere from 3-10 seconds, depending on how strong your spell is and the material your weapon is made of)

The rules of magia, Day 4

How does a magician tap magical power? Does becoming a magician require some rite of passage (investing one's power in an object, being chosen by the gods, constructing or being given a permanent link to the source of power, successfully summoning a demon, etc.) or does it just happen naturally, as a result of study or as a part of growing up?

Since every being potentially has the power to wield magia, discerning those that can requires the master mage to cast the spell Gem's Knowing (which allows the caster to see what elementals lie in the target's heart.) What colors they see (if any) determines which elements the target can safely wield. Knowing this, a Gemsinger's heart, when revealed this way, will glow exceptionally bright with all twelve colors of magia.

Magia can awaken in a person as early as four or five years old, but the person's innate power (the element tied to their birth month) is the first one to appear, usually before they begin school (five-seven years old). If I lived in Sekiya, my innate power would be Holy magia; for example

The rules of magia, Day 3

Where does magic power come from: the gods, "mana" (cf. Larry Niven's Warlock stories), the personal will-power of the magician, etc.? Is it an exhaustible resource?

Magia comes from the Twelve Stones, which are physical manifestations of the elements created by the High Goddess Meikon. (and correspond to the twelve birthstones of the Earth calendar) They are constantly generating this energy, so it never runs out.

The rules of magia, Day 2

Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they distinguished?

Yes, albeit a very slight one--miracles are defined as something happening that magia would not be able to do normally, such as bringing someone back to life.

Let the worldbuilding begin!

To begin the world building questions, let us first examine the rules of magia in detail. Some of these answers may sound familiar if you've read my early notes.

1. What things can magic not do? What are the limits of magical power?

Magia can do a great many things, but there are a few things it cannot do:

--Bring the dead back to life (unless the Seer found the person was still needed on the mortal plane.)
--It cannot be used for evil purposes against another being (so no casting a status effect on a being unless you are in danger or the target is an evil being)
--It shouldn't be used to manipulate the weather or to travel through time

The limits of magia I have touched on before, but let's review them:

--You can only wield so many elements safely (three for humans, dwarves, and avris; and six for elves and fairies) Only one being can safely wield all twelve elements--the Gemsinger. If you were to try and wield an elemental you couldn't wield, one of two things would happen: the spell would misfire or not work at all or it would drain your energy even faster than normal.

--Magia is a very concentrated form of energy, so it usually needs to be channeled through something (typically an instrument, but this can also be a weapon or another object) to bring the energy level down to a level safe enough to be controlled. That said, it is possible to wield magia through one's voice, but it would tire the wielder out faster because they would have pure magia flowing through them, and most being's bodies cannot handle the energy of pure magia.

--Every time you cast a spell, you expend some of your own energy. The rate this happens depends on how long the user's been wielding magia (so a new mage's apprentice would tire very quickly, while a wizard that has wielded magia for years would need to cast spells constantly for several hours before the first signs of magia fatigue set in). Although you cannot die from using magia, you CAN exhaust yourself to the point where you could die. Fortunately, resting for a little while will recharge your energy. Physical fatigue and magia fatigue, however, are not the same thing.

Tomorrow: Miracles and magia

More questions coming

In addition to the 30 days of character questions, I'm also hoping to refine the worldbuilding by answering questions from http://www.larseighner.com/world_builder/index.html

Of course, some of these will likely be repeats of what I've already shown you.

School in Sekiya

Until about age 13, kids go through a traditional school setting (homework, teachers, projects, papers, tests, and the like), but depending on what their ultimate career path is, they will also receive a little training in that path in addition to the typical math, basic magia (the equivalent of science), and history. Once they turn 14, they go to learn a trade. Fairies bypass this altogether and use their training in a trade as their schooling.

Miresa's and Bradlin's typical school day when they were younger, would then look like this:

8 AM: School begins

8:15 AM: History
9 AM: Basic magia (those that couldn't wield magia, like Bradlin, would either use this period as a study hall, or as basic training in their desired trade)
9:45: Math

10:30: Recess

11:15: Literature (an equivalent to an English class)

Noon: Lunch

1:00: Writing
1:45: Music
2:20: Specialized class (for Miresa, this is sword training)

3 PM: School ends

Elven, dwarven, and avri schooling would be a sort of block schedule, with more time devoted to different subjects depending on the day.Galia's typical school day would look like this:

8:00: School begins

Block 1: History (1:30)
Block 2: Math (:50)
Block 3: Basic magia (1:30)

Lunch

Block 4: Physical arts (equivalent to a PE class) (1:00)
Block 5: Fine arts (in Galia's case, this was a music class) (:50)
Block 6: Literature (:45)

roughly 3 PM: School ends

Most cities will have a school building with a staff of teachers, but the more rural areas will be taught by the local Seer. With the exceptions of fairies (they receive their schooling by training for a trade, and therefore do not need a traditional classroom), schooling is readily availiable, even for the poor. In the case of Miresa, Bradlin, and Galia, their homes are large enough to support a proper school building and a staff, but not small enough to be taught by the local Seer.

The Sekiyan Family and Other Things

--Families

Most families in Sekiya tend to be two parents and at least one child. In the case of longer lived races, such as elves and avris, extended family members may also be present (eg. grandparents, aunts, uncles, and the like.) If one parent dies, an extended family member may take over the missing role. (as in Bradlin's case, when his grandfather stepped up to provide a male role model for him when his father disappeared. If both parents were to die, the child(ren) would be sent to what extended family they have, or to someone willing to take them in.Fairies, on the other hand, do not have family per se, as they are born from special flowers called lifeblooms--but they do consider other fairies they know (or their Other, if the fairy is a Wingblade) as their family. Newborn fairies are looked after by the Lifebloom Watch--fairies charged with guarding the various gardens of lifeblooms that are scattered through the fairy realms--until they reach the human age of two or three, when they are adopted by the guildmistress of their desired trade. Unlike humans, fairies at this human age are much more mature than their human age might indicate.

--Continents of Sekiya

Contrary to what I've shown you so far, Sekiya actually has more than one continent--the one I've been showing you so far is the eastern continent. As the story goes on, you'll be seeing three more (but they will be revealed as the story goes on).

--The High Goddess Meikon

The most revered being on Sekiya, and the creator of the Twelve Stones of Power; Meikon is at heart a benevolent deity--but she will not hesitate to strike down any that clearly have no regard for other living beings. She initially confined all the evil beings of the world to a continent all their own--a continent filled with suffering and despair--but the demons found a way to escape and spread to the most remote corners of the world (including the Onyx Crags), where they receive instructions from the demon lord Catva, who is confined to the Realm of the Blackvoid for all time.Meikon is often depicted as a young woman with a slender build clad in a jewel-studded set of light armor holding a flute (presumably casting Holy spells with it). This instrument is seldom seen among the mortal plane, except when a Gemsinger awakens or when she (rarely) takes the form of a mortal to observe her creations.