Darkness magic shapes shadows into tendrils, destructive barriers and solid forms used for restraint, movement and attack. Eira gained it after claiming the spiral shard, and Lythariel taught her to control it.
Control and practice
Darkness magic uses power distinct from ordinary Essence, and normal Essence cores cannot supply it. Mental control is essential: uncontrolled darkness can corrupt and consume its wielder. Casters can also sense other darkness mages over long distances.
Lythariel trained Eira to steady her thoughts before returning to Irrathis. Their practice combined shaping tendrils, lifting rocks, running and physical strength exercises. Repeated casting left Eira trembling and mentally exhausted; Lythariel continued the physical work after the magical exercises.
Movement requires a different use of force from lifting or attacking. A tendril anchored to a tree or rock pulls the caster forward. Too much force can uproot the anchor, while a slipping grip or badly timed release can send the caster tumbling. Eira learned to use a gentle pull and guide her momentum rather than simply drag objects toward herself.
Forms and limits
Tendrils can strike, bind, lift and carry people, including injured allies. Casters also shape darkness into waves, fog and dense masses. These forms can be destructive or hold something without destroying it, depending on their use.
A disintegration barrier destroys incoming material and magical attacks. Eira used one to consume a fireball in Irrathis's tournament. During the Cataclysm, she used it to clear falling debris. She and Lythariel expanded their barriers into fields against its shockwave. Sustained defense strained them, and Eira collapsed from exhaustion. Strong attacks can drive a caster backward even while the barrier remains in place.
Lythariel can draw in surrounding corruption and turn it into vegetation with life magic. The restoration of living ground depends on that accompanying magic. Her early demonstration left her too exhausted to stand.
Eira's use
Eira's first uncontrolled tendrils destroyed umbral stalkers outside the Temple of No Return. Later, at the Soltheris border, her power overwhelmed the armies of Aurion and Xarion. The destruction turned into new growth across the battlefield, but Eira could not control the release and collapsed when it ended.
Darkness magic shapes shadows into tendrils, destructive barriers and solid forms used for restraint, movement and attack. Eira created both the school and Lythariel through the spiral shard. The two women also wielded life magic, which enabled them to restore corrupted ground.
Control and practice
Darkness magic uses power distinct from ordinary Essence, and normal Essence cores cannot supply it. Mental control is essential: uncontrolled darkness can corrupt and consume its wielder. Casters can also sense other darkness mages over long distances.
Lythariel trained Eira to steady her thoughts before returning to Irrathis. Their practice combined shaping tendrils, lifting rocks, running and physical strength exercises. Repeated casting left Eira trembling and mentally exhausted; Lythariel continued the physical work after the magical exercises.
Movement requires a different use of force from lifting or attacking. A tendril anchored to a tree or rock pulls the caster forward. Too much force can uproot the anchor, while a slipping grip or badly timed release can send the caster tumbling. Eira learned to use a gentle pull and guide her momentum rather than simply drag objects toward herself.
Forms and limits
Tendrils can strike, bind, lift and carry people, including injured allies. Casters also shape darkness into waves, fog and dense masses. These forms can be destructive or hold something without destroying it, depending on their use.
A disintegration barrier destroys incoming material and magical attacks. Eira used one to consume a fireball in Irrathis's tournament. During the Cataclysm, she used it to clear falling debris. She and Lythariel expanded their barriers into fields against its shockwave. Sustained defense strained them, and Eira collapsed from exhaustion. Strong attacks can drive a caster backward even while the barrier remains in place.
Lythariel can draw in surrounding corruption and turn it into vegetation with life magic. The restoration of living ground depends on that accompanying magic. Her early demonstration left her too exhausted to stand.
Eira also used darkness magic in Victor's experiments with steel constructs in Ashenford, supplying magic to animate the devices. Shaped tendrils could serve as tools as well as weapons.
Origins
Eira created darkness magic through the spiral shard. When its power threatened her life, she released power into Lythariel, giving her life and rewriting Xalmyrra's memories around her. Lythariel's remembered past and the records that treated the school as older belonged to that alteration.
Silas had lived in Xalmyrra before the change and remembered no darkness magic. He explained the creation to both women; Tianlei also identified Lythariel as part of the shard given life. Her strength came from the power Eira had released, rather than the long training described by her remembered history.
Darkness magic shapes shadows into tendrils, destructive barriers and solid forms used for restraint, movement and attack. Eira created both the school and Lythariel through the spiral shard. The two women also wielded life magic, which enabled them to restore corrupted ground.
Control and practice
Darkness magic uses power distinct from ordinary Essence, and normal Essence cores cannot supply it. Mental control is essential: uncontrolled darkness can corrupt and consume its wielder. Casters can also sense other darkness mages over long distances.
Lythariel trained Eira to steady her thoughts before returning to Irrathis. Their practice combined shaping tendrils, lifting rocks, running and physical strength exercises. Repeated casting left Eira trembling and mentally exhausted; Lythariel continued the physical work after the magical exercises.
Movement requires a different use of force from lifting or attacking. A tendril anchored to a tree or rock pulls the caster forward. Too much force can uproot the anchor, while a slipping grip or badly timed release can send the caster tumbling. Eira learned to use a gentle pull and guide her momentum rather than simply drag objects toward herself.
Forms and limits
Tendrils can strike, bind, lift and carry people, including injured allies. Casters also shape darkness into waves, fog and dense masses. These forms can be destructive or hold something without destroying it, depending on their use.
A disintegration barrier destroys incoming material and magical attacks. Eira used one to consume a fireball in Irrathis's tournament. During the Cataclysm, she used it to clear falling debris. She and Lythariel expanded their barriers into fields against its shockwave. Sustained defense strained them, and Eira collapsed from exhaustion. Strong attacks can drive a caster backward even while the barrier remains in place.
Lythariel can draw in surrounding corruption and turn it into vegetation with life magic. The restoration of living ground depends on that accompanying magic. Her early demonstration left her too exhausted to stand.
Eira also used darkness magic in Victor's experiments with steel constructs in Ashenford, supplying magic to animate the devices. Shaped tendrils could serve as tools as well as weapons.
Origins
Eira created darkness magic through the spiral shard. When its power threatened her life, she released power into Lythariel, giving her life and rewriting Xalmyrra's memories around her. Lythariel's remembered past and the records that treated the school as older belonged to that alteration.
Silas had lived in Xalmyrra before the change and remembered no darkness magic. He explained the creation to both women; Tianlei also identified Lythariel as part of the shard given life. Her strength came from the power Eira had released, rather than the long training described by her remembered history.
Eira's severed connection
Eira formed a disintegration blade and cut off the hand bearing her spiral mark to sever her connection to the shard. The cut spilled no blood, but she immediately lost both darkness and life magic. Lythariel retained her powers and continued restoring corrupted land in Valrindor.
Darkness magic shapes shadows into tendrils, destructive barriers and solid forms used for restraint, movement and attack. Eira created both the school and Lythariel through the spiral shard. The two women also wielded life magic, which enabled them to restore corrupted ground.
Control and practice
Darkness magic uses power distinct from ordinary Essence, and normal Essence cores cannot supply it. Mental control is essential: uncontrolled darkness can corrupt and consume its wielder. Casters can also sense other darkness mages over long distances.
Lythariel trained Eira to steady her thoughts before returning to Irrathis. Their practice combined shaping tendrils, lifting rocks, running and physical strength exercises. Repeated casting left Eira trembling and mentally exhausted; Lythariel continued the physical work after the magical exercises.
Movement requires a different use of force from lifting or attacking. A tendril anchored to a tree or rock pulls the caster forward. Too much force can uproot the anchor, while a slipping grip or badly timed release can send the caster tumbling. Eira learned to use a gentle pull and guide her momentum rather than simply drag objects toward herself.
Forms and limits
Tendrils can strike, bind, lift and carry people, including injured allies. Casters also shape darkness into waves, fog and dense masses. These forms can be destructive or hold something without destroying it, depending on their use.
A disintegration barrier destroys incoming material and magical attacks. Eira used one to consume a fireball in Irrathis's tournament. During the Cataclysm, she used it to clear falling debris. She and Lythariel expanded their barriers into fields against its shockwave. Sustained defense strained them, and Eira collapsed from exhaustion. Strong attacks can drive a caster backward even while the barrier remains in place.
Lythariel can draw in surrounding corruption and turn it into vegetation with life magic. The restoration of living ground depends on that accompanying magic. Her early demonstration left her too exhausted to stand.
Eira also used darkness magic in Victor's experiments with steel constructs in Ashenford, supplying magic to animate the devices. Shaped tendrils could serve as tools as well as weapons.
Origins
Eira created darkness magic through the spiral shard. When its power threatened her life, she released power into Lythariel, giving her life and rewriting Xalmyrra's memories around her. Lythariel's remembered past and the records that treated the school as older belonged to that alteration.
Silas had lived in Xalmyrra before the change and remembered no darkness magic. He explained the creation to both women; Tianlei also identified Lythariel as part of the shard given life. Her strength came from the power Eira had released, rather than the long training described by her remembered history.
Eira's severed connection
Eira formed a disintegration blade and cut off the hand bearing her spiral mark to sever her connection to the shard. The cut spilled no blood, but she immediately lost both darkness and life magic. Lythariel retained her powers and continued restoring corrupted land in Valrindor.
Resistance to spell disruption
Lythariel's darkness barrier stopped a red spellblaster projectile fired by Eliona, protecting Virel from a weapon that disrupted other spells. Raphael recognized this as a failure of the spell corruptor against darkness magic.
Darkness magic shapes shadows into tendrils, destructive barriers and solid forms used for restraint, movement and attack. Eira created both the school and Lythariel through the spiral shard. The two women also wielded life magic, which enabled them to restore corrupted ground.
Control and practice
Darkness magic uses power distinct from ordinary Essence, and normal Essence cores cannot supply it. Mental control is essential: uncontrolled darkness can corrupt and consume its wielder. Casters can also sense other darkness mages over long distances.
Lythariel trained Eira to steady her thoughts before returning to Irrathis. Their practice combined shaping tendrils, lifting rocks, running and physical strength exercises. Repeated casting left Eira trembling and mentally exhausted; Lythariel continued the physical work after the magical exercises.
Movement requires a different use of force from lifting or attacking. A tendril anchored to a tree or rock pulls the caster forward. Too much force can uproot the anchor, while a slipping grip or badly timed release can send the caster tumbling. Eira learned to use a gentle pull and guide her momentum rather than simply drag objects toward herself.
Forms and limits
Tendrils can strike, bind, lift and carry people, including injured allies. Casters also shape darkness into waves, fog and dense masses. These forms can be destructive or hold something without destroying it, depending on their use.
A disintegration barrier destroys incoming material and magical attacks. Eira used one to consume a fireball in Irrathis's tournament. During the Cataclysm, she used it to clear falling debris. She and Lythariel expanded their barriers into fields against its shockwave. Sustained defense strained them, and Eira collapsed from exhaustion. Strong attacks can drive a caster backward even while the barrier remains in place.
Lythariel can draw in surrounding corruption and turn it into vegetation with life magic. The restoration of living ground depends on that accompanying magic. Her early demonstration left her too exhausted to stand.
Eira also used darkness magic in Victor's experiments with steel constructs in Ashenford, supplying magic to animate the devices. Shaped tendrils could serve as tools as well as weapons.
Origins
Eira created darkness magic through the spiral shard. When its power threatened her life, she released power into Lythariel, giving her life and rewriting Xalmyrra's memories around her. Lythariel's remembered past and the records that treated the school as older belonged to that alteration.
Silas had lived in Xalmyrra before the change and remembered no darkness magic. He explained the creation to both women; Tianlei also identified Lythariel as part of the shard given life. Her strength came from the power Eira had released, rather than the long training described by her remembered history.
Eira's severed connection
Eira formed a disintegration blade and cut off the hand bearing her spiral mark to sever her connection to the shard. The cut spilled no blood, but she immediately lost both darkness and life magic. Lythariel retained her powers and continued restoring corrupted land in Valrindor.
Resistance to spell disruption
Lythariel's darkness barrier stopped a red spellblaster projectile fired by Eliona, protecting Virel from a weapon that disrupted other spells. Raphael recognized this as a failure of the spell corruptor against darkness magic.
This resistance does not make her defenses invulnerable. Zain's later prismatic attacks cracked her enclosing barrier and steadily depleted her power, forcing her and her allies to retreat.
Seralyth
Aurion used his spiral shard to restore Seralyth, giving her darkness magic that she had not possessed before. She used tendrils to carry a companion through the air and slow their descent, and to restrain an enemy mage. After his defeat, she helped enclose him in barriers as his leaking Essence threatened an explosion. She also wielded life magic and joined the work against corrupted land.
At the Valrindor Council, Seralyth demonstrated both schools and pledged her assistance wherever darkness needed to be fought.