Natural Magic: a mystic resource

This post is Part 4 of a series to augment the Magic of the Known World available for free download. Start with Part 1 here.

This and other mystic resources are gathered in my Magic Directory for you to explore.

Find more worldbuilding content in my Codex Directory.

The properties of magic from Part 1 of this series let scholars group all the different magics of the Known World into the Magic Codex, a functioning taxonomy of magic.

This post corresponds with Magic Codex Chapter 4 - Natural Magic.

The natural magic class is comprised of magics that can come naturally to an individual. These magics arise instinctively in children and are mastered by repetition. While natural magics can be developed infinitely, inception and study change when a person's limit point is reached. Individual limits vary per person and are more generally defined by race.

Check out the Magic of the Known World for more resources!

The three branches of natural magic are elemental, sensory, and special magic, each of which contains a number of purviews. An individual has natural access to certain purviews, but not to others. Purviews outside of these natural aptitudes can still be studied as foreign magics, described in Magic Codex Chapter 5.

Every race has a standard pair of two purviews for each branch of natural magic, resulting in three total pairings and six total purviews for individuals of that race. The stronger power in a given pairing is known as the prime magic, while the weaker power is the called the latent magic.

In my Tales of the Known World saga, every race has a standard prime magic for each pairing, though individual deviations are not uncommon. Latent magics can range in strength, from as strong as the prime magic itself, down to barely present or even undetected.

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Download the complete Magic Codex:

The Known World is rife with magic. Over time, scholars have compiled all these magics and magical effects into a comprehensive taxonomy. For more about the role and inner workings of magic, check out the complete Magic Codex above.

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Within the codex, the term elemental magic is located at (3.1.1) and is defined as:

elemental magic (N) A magic that grants powers over an element, and that creates effects upon or using that element.

The term elemental magic is the branch for magics that manipulate an element to create effects (as in, Faeries have strong elemental magic, or, One purview of elemental magic is water magic).

There are six known purviews of elemental magic, four of which fall into the natural magic class and two of which fall into the foreign magic class. The four natural magic purviews are air, water, earth, and dark magic, which form the following standard pairings for different races:

RACE	PRIME	LATENT
Faerie	Air	Water
Mer	Water	Air
Human	Earth	Dark
Elf	Earth	Air
Nymph	Earth	Water

Air magic involves controlling the air, healing through the respiratory system, and crafting leathers and other preserved goods through curing factors like air humidity and convection.

Water magic involves controlling water, healing through the circulatory system, and crafting glassware and other goods fashioned while molten or liquid.

Earth magic involves controlling the soil, healing through the musculoskeletal system, and crafting gems and other stones by manipulating subterranean pressure.

Dark magic involves creating and controlling flames and electricity, healing through the nervous system, and crafting flame or lightning into physical objects like swords or gates.

Unique among the known purviews, dark magic can also arise as an additional latent magic in any user who has turned, described in Magic Codex Chapter 9. Therefore, anyone known to wield dark magic is thought of as evil, regardless of his actual alignment and personality.

For more about these magics, see Chapter 4 of the Magic Codex available above.

Check out the Magic of the Known World for more resources!

Within the codex, the term sensory magic is located at (3.1.2) and is defined as:

sensory magic (N) A magic that grants powers over a sense, and that creates effects upon or using that sense. Also: sense magic

The term sensory magic is the branch for magics that manipulate a sense to create effects (as in, Light magic is a purview of sensory magic, or, Nymphs tend to have weak sensory magics). It is also called sense magic (as in, Humans have strong sense magics).

There are seven known purviews of sensory magic, five of which fall into the natural magic class and two of which fall into the foreign magic class. The five natural magic purviews are scent, flavor, light, sound, and touch magic, which form the following standard pairings for different races:

RACE	PRIME	LATENT
Faerie	Scent	Flavor
Mer	Flavor	Light
Human	Light	Sound
Elf	Sound	Touch
Nymph	Touch	Scent

Scent magic involves controlling scented particles released into the air or water, healing through the sense of smell, and crafting incense and oils through the manipulation of scent.

Flavor magic involves controlling the flavorful particles within solids and liquids, healing through the sense of taste, and crafting foods and drinks through the manipulation of flavor.

Light magic involves controlling the reflection and refraction of light as it travels, healing through the sense of sight, and crafting mirrors and prisms through the manipulation of light.

Sound magic involves controlling vibrations as they travel through matter, healing through the sense of hearing, and crafting resonance chambers for musical instruments or buildings through the manipulation of sound.

Touch magic involves controlling the texture and consistency of objects, healing through the sense of touch, and crafting textiles and furniture though the manipulation of texture and consistency.

For more about these magics, see Chapter 4 of the Magic Codex available below.

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Download the complete Magic Codex:

The Known World is rife with magic. Over time, scholars have compiled all these magics and magical effects into a comprehensive taxonomy. For more about the role and inner workings of magic, check out the complete Magic Codex above.

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Within the codex, the term special magic is located at (3.1.3) and is defined as:

special magic (N) A magic that grants powers over a special metaphorical sense, and that creates effects upon or using that metaphorical sense.

The term special magic is the branch for magics that manipulate a special metaphorical sense to create effects (as in, Special magic runs strong in the elves, or, Plant magic is a purview of special magic).

There are five known purviews of special magic, all of which fall into the natural magic class. The five natural magic purviews are intent, the Gift, animal, metal, and plant magic, which form the following standard pairings for different races:

RACE	PRIME	LATENT
Faerie	Intent	Plant
Mer	The Gift	Animal / Intent *
Human	Animal	The Gift
Elf	Metal	Animal
Nymph	Plant	Metal

* Uniquely, the standard pairing for mers differs by phenotype. Blue mers have animal magic as their latent talent, and green mers have intent magic as their latent talent.

Intent magic is metaphorically the nose for trouble regarding the intentions of others. It involves discerning and influencing people's motivations and intentions, whether hidden or overt.

The Gift is metaphorically the sight into the future that lets a user scry for visions or enter a trance for prophesy. For more information about the role and inner workings of prophesy, see the Prophesy Appendix.

Animal magic is metaphorically the tongue of the beasts allowing communication between people and animals. It involves discerning and influencing the hearts of nearby animals.

Metal magic is metaphorically the ringing of the sword that emanates from a blacksmith's anvil. It involves discerning and influencing the metals within objects, ores, and open veins in the earth. Users can also craft alloys with desired properties, and craft objects using a forge or a furnace.

Plant magic is metaphorically the touch of the earth that graces those who commune with nature. It involves discerning and influencing the surrounding plant life and the various uses of those plants. Users can also craft potions with desired properties, and craft threads textiles using a spindle or loom.

For more about these magics, see Chapter 4 of the Magic Codex available above.


That's it for this post! Up Next: The four branches of foreign magic...

For the complete Magic Codex, enter your email above.

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Classes of Magic: a mystic resource

This post is Part 3 of a series to augment the Magic of the Known World available for free download. Start with Part 1 here.

This and other mystic resources are gathered in my Magic Directory for you to explore.

Find more worldbuilding content in my Codex Directory.

The properties of magic from Part 1 of this series let scholars group all the different magics of the Known World into the Magic Codex, a functioning taxonomy of magic.

This post corresponds with Magic Codex Chapter 3 - Classes of Magic.

The inception, study, and limit properties determine the class of a given magic.

Check out the Magic of the Known World for more resources!

Within the codex, the term class is located at (3.0) and is defined as:

class (N) A classification that divides magics into one of three modes of expression in and by magic users.

In my Tales of the Known World saga, the word class refers to the primary classification of magic, which defines magics by their style of arising in users, their method of improvement, and their capacity to improve indefinitely (as in, A magic's class determines its user base, or, There is a whole class of magic that anyone can study).

All three of a magic's properties determine its class. Specifically, class depends on the facet of inception dealing with how a magic arises in new users, as well as the facet of study dealing with how a magic user improves his ability. The limit of a magic also influences its class.

The three major classes of magic are natural, foreign, and deep magic.

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Download the complete Magic Codex:

The Known World is rife with magic. Over time, scholars have compiled all these magics and magical effects into a comprehensive taxonomy. For more about the role and inner workings of magic, check out the complete Magic Codex above.

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Within the codex, the term natural magic is located at (3.1) and is defined as:

natural magic (N) A magic that arises instinctively in children and is mastered by repetition. Also: talent, inborn magic, beast magic

The term natural magic is the class for magics that can come naturally to an individual (as in, This natural magic is elemental, or, Different races have different natural magics). A natural magic is often called a talent (as in, She has a talent for air magic, or, Speaking with animals is an effortless talent).

As defined by its inception property, a natural magic arises instinctively in young children, wielded unconsciously as a reaction to circumstances. As defined by its study property, a natural magic is also developed by feel or intuition and mastered through simple practice and repetition.

As defined by its limit property, a natural magic's inception and study change when the limit point is reached. A magic user's intuitive repetition is no longer enough, and the user must shift into studying deliberate techniques to continue progress. Once past its limit point, however, a natural magic can be developed infinitely.

Note that the limit property of a natural magic does not actually define the limit points of a given person's magics. Individual limits vary per person and are more generally defined by race. For instance, faeries can usually delve far into their natural air magic, but merfolk tend to have very shallow limits on air magic.

Check out the Magic of the Known World for more resources!

Within the codex, the term foreign magic is located at (3.2) and is defined as:

foreign magic (N) A magic that arises intentionally in students of magic and is mastered through focused techniques. Also: skill

The term foreign magic is the class for magics that must be studied before they can be wielded (as in, Teleportation is a foreign magic, or, Anyone can study foreign magics). A foreign magic is sometimes called a skill (as in, He has a skill for healing, or, She has fire magic skills).

As defined by its inception property, a foreign magic arises intentionally in students of magic, better known as mages, who must deliberately cast their spells. As defined by its study property, a foreign magic is also developed by thought or analysis and mastered through rigorous focus and technique.

As defined by its limit property, a foreign magic's inception and study are halted when the limit point is reached. A magic user's studying and deliberate techniques will no longer drive the magic's development, and the user cannot make further progress. However, a magic user may die of old age before his limit point is reached, in which case his magic's progression is never halted.

As with natural magics, the limit property does not actually define the limit points of a given person's magics. However, with foreign magics, individual limits vary widely per person, and there are no general standards for a given race. For instance, a faerie studying earth magic has no idea where her limit point may fall, and she will only discover it when her earth magic plateaus and ceases to improve.

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Download the complete Magic Codex:

The Known World is rife with magic. Over time, scholars have compiled all these magics and magical effects into a comprehensive taxonomy. For more about the role and inner workings of magic, check out the complete Magic Codex above.

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Within the codex, the term deep magic is located at (3.3) and is defined as:

deep magic (N) A magic that arises through the secret language Ryunic and is mastered both by repetition and through focused techniques.

The term deep magic is the class for magics that rely on a secret language for casting (as in, Only a rosen knows the Ryunic to cast deep magic). This class is typically conflated with the deep magic autonomy; all magics within the deep magic autonomy fall into the deep magic class, and no magics outside of the deep magic autonomy fall into the deep magic class.

As defined by its inception property, deep magic arises intuitively in those who have learned the Ryunic language, better known as rosen. As defined by its study property, deep magic is also developed through simple practice and repetition. In these ways, the deep magic class is akin to natural magic.

Unlike natural magic, however, deep magic is never wielded as an instinctive reaction to circumstances, and it cannot be mastered by instinct alone. Instead, much like foreign magic, the rosen must cast their spells deliberately, and deep magic can only be mastered through rigorous focus and analysis.

Uniquely, deep magic has no limit point, and therefore has truly infinite potential. Deep magic spells and effects are impossible to classify, and as such, they are omitted from the remainder of the traditional magic taxonomy. Instead, deep magics are considered arcana, described in Magic Codex Chapter 8.


That's it for this post! Up Next: The three branches of natural magic...

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The D'jed Mountains: a map for Awakening

This post is Part 7 of a series to augment the Atlas of the Known World available for free download. Start with Part 1 here.

This and other TotKW maps are gathered in my Map Directory for you to explore.

Enjoy!

The D'jed Mountains

Roof of the world and home of the elves.

Geography and Climate

In Chapter 5 of Awakening, the D'jed Mountains form the spine of Allana, dividing the Kalrein Forests of the west from the Sutek Desert of the east. The mountain range bends eastward from the Draconan Mountains to form The Guard, a minor range separating the Sutek from the Glavi Forest to the north.

The highest altitudes in the Known World are found within the D'jed, and its tallest peaks are snowy year-round. After the spring meltwater retreats down the River Tang, the valleys of the D'jed bloom with life.

This region also borders the Front Rishi and the Back Rishi, of the Plains of Rishi.

Flora and Fauna

The hardy meadows of the D'jed feed a number of animals specially adapted for the high mountain elevations. Insects swarm the valleys in spring and summer, and gray eagles soar in the thin air between mountain peaks, hunting smaller birds and blackfoot hares. Silver ibex wander the rocky slopes above the treeline, where the top predator is the great snow leopard, an elusive cat rarely seen by denizens. Wild dragons nest in the rocky reaches of the high mountains, but even these masters of flight avoid the tallest ridges.

People and Dress

Like most elves, the people of the D'jed are tall and willowy, with dark hair and eyes. However, their pale skin and short pointed ears distinguish them from other elf races. Due to a long-standing blood-feud with the faeries of Kalrein to the west, many towns along the western Blade and Cleft of the D'jed pay bounty for the severed right ear of a faerie. Mountain elves dress simply in warm furs and hide moccasins, though in summer the men wear lighter linen robes, and the women don thin woven dresses dyed bright colors.

Native Magic

Special magic is the most prominent elf ability, and mountain elves are renowned for their metal magic, with traces of latent animal magic as well. The elves of the D'jed are famous for their blades, which are mined, smelted, and forged with their metal magic. Though their elemental powers are fairly weak, the mountain elves are the strongest elemental mages of all the elf races. Their earth magic is decent, and their latent air magic is rather poor. With barely detectable sound and touch magics, mountain elves make the worst sensory mages of all the elves.

Check out the Magic Codex of the Known World to learn more.

Cultural Values and Traditions

The mountain elves of the D'jed value piety and loyalty as the highest virtues. Religious faith and magic are a huge part of daily life, especially for blacksmiths and other skilled trades. Silver and gray are the colors of magic, and the mountains are seen as holy gifts from the deity Mother, full of precious metals to be mined and smelted. Caves are viewed as sacred entrances into these mountains, and temples are often built at the mouths of caves. As the ancestral homeland of all elves, the D'jed is the oldest territory of the Allanic Empire, and the mountain elves make loyal citizens. Families are tight-knit and often live together in large dwellings that house adult siblings, their spouses and children, as well as grandparents and great-grandparents. Generally even-keeled, the mountain elves pay little mind to the behavior of others, but grow incensed at the mention of Kalreini faeries or the blood-feud between their clans.

Age is measured in years, with the new year falling on the winter solstice of the ancient merfolk calendar, which the empire adopted long ago. Adulthood is reached through expertise rather than age, and girls are considered women once they experience first blood. Boys come of age when they prove themselves in a skilled trade, usually as a blacksmith, though the more remote villages will find a successful hunt sufficient. Adults are expected to contribute to their family unit, which entails consistent use of their proven skills to generate income, as well as taking a spouse and producing children to assist with household tasks.

Warriors and Guardians

A warrior infantry patrols the western border of the D'jed against the Kalreini faeries with whom they feud. These warriors are outside the regular system of mountain life, and they have little contact with the rest of the mountain elves. Children with strong combat skills are encouraged to hone their abilities, and upon coming of age, they may choose to journey westward to join one of the border garrisons. There, they serve to guard and protect the D'jed from the bloodthirsty faeries until the day they die. Older warriors often refrain from active patrol, instead training the newest arrivals to prepare them for skirmishes.

Languages

The ancestral elvish tongue of Ka'e is only spoken in the most remote villages of the D'jed. Modern elves view it as archaic, and their language has been replaced by Allanic, the official tongue of the empire. However, the Allanic Empire retained the Ka'e alphabet as its official writing system. The angular runes of Ka'e have expanded to include symbols for Allanic sounds absent in the old elvish tongue. Mountain Allanic sounds a bit more formal than the dialect of the plains elves, with a stricter grammar and less gesticulation than their cousins to the south.

Check out the Language Codex of the Known World to learn more.

Characters from The Known World

In the book Awakening, the plains elf Kingard resides in an ancient temple deep within the sacred mountains of the D'jed.

A legendary hero from centuries past, Kingard whiles away his immortality in a derelict cavern, awaiting the dark time when he will need to save Allana again.

His call to action launches a race to save a young shape-shifter from imperial forces.

Kingard guides the innocent fugitive through the heart of the empire to quest for a distant glade. Only there can he unleash the power of the magic city A'lara to save the land from evil.

That's it for this post! Up Next: Farmland of elves and gryphon riders...

Download the Atlas of the Known World here, or start your adventure below.

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Portent VII of Awakening: a riddle in rhyme

In the novel Awakening, there are 23 portents fortelling the events of the unfolding saga.

Start with Portent I here.

These and other riddles in rhyme are gathered in the Portents Directory for you to explore.

Enjoy!

So came the girl to island warm
Where Dynde met her island form
And cast the net in gifted grace
For gifted girl with Mother's face

She wises slow by ocean's creed
The years she learns cannot succeed
The golden tongue is given sure
Though spoken out cannot endure (I)

For once she breathes the gifted word
Her death before due time ensured
The learned girl at ocean's shore
To Hells and back through deathly roar

When all has turned to dust and grief
The screaming death comes truly brief
By master's hand so banished there
To roam the master's master's fief

Yet Mother's grace protects her soul
While vessel lingers hurt but whole (II)
Made keeper grim of howling gate
The darkness comes to pay her toll. (III)


Can you decode the future Tales of the Known World?

Share your interpretation!
Comment below with your take on this portent.

This is one of the first prophesies I ever wrote! It is quoted two places in Awakening - in the first scene of Part 3, and in the last scene of Part 4. The portent comes to pass in three stages, and doesn't culminate until Book 3.

Do you know who the gifted girl is? And what do you think is her destiny?

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Download the Prophesy Appendix:

The merfolk culture is built on the prophetic Gift. Nearly all men produce a portent every twenty days, and they devote their lives to interpretation. For more about the role and inner workings of prophesy, check out the Prophesy Appendix above.

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Alongside every prophesy is an attribution block. This block contains a byline giving the name of the person who said the prophesy, and a dateline giving the day the prophesy was first said. Here is the attribution for this portent:

Valyo Nkwnoh Dynde XV
2:2:1:3/10, 8:1:2 IX
V:I 3:2:4:7/10, 8:2:2 IX
V:II 2:2:2:2/5, III:IX
VA:III

The portent attributed here references multiple events that come to pass in sections called tatters. An additional tatter dateline has been added to the attribution for each tatter, noting the date when that segment of the portent will come to pass.


That's it for this post! Up Next: When lost through sight of death untold...

For the Prophesy Appendix, enter your email above.

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