Overview
Resonance magic is a magic school based on vibration, frequency, sound, and resonant force. Xolterra is the origin of resonance and aether magic, and its pink and yellow essence has a songlike quality. Thalcoris has a strong blend of resonance and aether magic. In Aurivallis, resonance is part of public religion, government, healing, and combat through the city's divine and resonance mages, the Temple of Resonance, and the moon priestesses.
Applications
Resonance magic creates shockwaves, soundwaves, vibrating bubbles, resonant barriers, and waves of force. Cassian uses it for combat shockwaves and harmless musical bubbles. Aelius uses resonance alongside fire and plasma magic; the heat draws opponents' focus, and the resonance does deeper damage.
Resonance can form barriers and reinforce healing. Aelius forms a resonance barrier, and Arinella casts luminous resonance waves to reinforce Cassian's shields. Arinella uses divine magic to rebuild Cassian's body, then uses a controlled resonant vibration to restart his reformed heart.
Resonance can disrupt gravity waves, combat spells, and essence-powered machinery. Aelius disrupts gravity waves with resonance shockwaves. Resonance stones are communication artifacts developed through resonance magic and technology, giving Thalassai a long-distance command network.
Spells
Resonance Wave
Resonance wave is a resonance-magic technique released as waves or shockwaves of vibration, sound, and resonant force. Resonance shockwaves, waves of resonance magic, and repeated resonance waves use the same vibration-and-force technique. Skilled users can shatter objects, damage enemies, disrupt spells and engines, reinforce shields, or make sound exert battlefield-scale pressure.
The technique usually creates vibrating air, sound, pressure, light, or force moving outward from the caster. Casting actions include clapping hands, striking the air, singing, and resonant vocalization. Clear resonance-wave examples involve resonance magic or a resonance-magic user.
Orin's largest known resonance wave shatters a nearby skyship, shakes an enemy fleet, weakens the fleet's essence engines, and injures his own ears. Cassian uses resonance shockwaves and combat waves against opponents, Aelius pairs resonance waves with plasma and disrupts gravity waves, Arinella reinforces Cassian's shields with luminous resonance waves, Jin scatters earth and stone with a shockwave, and Splin releases a wave of resonance magic through a resonant croak.
Users and Regions
Resonance users include Orin, Cassian, Arinella, Aelius, Jin, Amaril, and Splin. Cassian and Amaril are divine and resonance mages, Arinella is a divine and resonance mage from Aurivallis, Aelius combines resonance with plasma and fire, Jin can use resonance alongside aether and elemental magic, and Splin's croaks can release resonance magic.
Resonance is common in Thalcoris and less common in Thalassai. Magical affinity is partly innate. A mage's natural affinity gives their strongest results. Studied schools from other affinities remain weaker.
In Thalcoris, resonance carries political and religious force: the moon priestesses sing with resonance magic in public spaces, making song part of public worship and authority.
History
Orin created resonance magic. An early Orin-signed record calls Xolterra's pink and yellow essence songlike and names it resonance magic. Later Thalcoris preserves the school's regional distribution.
Resonance magic is established across Thalcoris and Thalassai-aligned circles. Aurivallis has powerful divine and resonance mages, Thalassai seeks more resonance specialists from Thalcoris, and resonance stones develop from unreliable experiments into usable command and coordination artifacts.
Limits and Risks
Resonance strength depends on affinity, training, control, and the user's available essence. Large attacks can harm the caster or bystanders: Orin's immense wave injures his own ears, and nearby allies have to shield themselves from the sound. Powerful resonance also carries social risk in Thalcoris, where beautiful public songs can carry coercive moon magic.
Secrets and Mysteries
Xoh'Metztli's control over Thalcoris relies on songs, voices, and mental spells that use resonance. Cassian reads the resonance spell woven into Arinella's thoughts, reaches Meliora in the Temple of Resonance, and breaks the control by killing Meliora before destroying the goddess's essence.