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Archive / Lore / Unique Magic

Unique Magic

magic

Unique magic comprises personal abilities that do not fit readily into the established magic schools. These abilities include unusual forms of perception and an exceptional understanding of machinery.

Abilities

  • Eira. She can map buildings and the Essence signatures of people around her. This perception remained after she lost nearly all her Essence.
  • Thalvian. His unusual understanding of machinery enables him to design Essence-powered devices, including an orrery that gathers Essence for other mages to use.
  • Svanhild. She senses magic through smells, recognizes familiar people and detects lies.

Training

At the academy in Brighthaven, Isaac taught a class for unusual magic. Vianna was assigned to it when the school could not identify her attunement.

Unique magic comprises personal abilities that do not fit readily into the established magic schools. These abilities include unusual forms of perception and an exceptional understanding of machinery.

Abilities

  • Eira. She can map buildings and the Essence signatures of people around her. She can also see and open hidden doors. This perception remained after she lost nearly all her Essence.
  • Thalvian. His unusual understanding of machinery enables him to design Essence-powered devices, including an orrery that gathers Essence for other mages to use.
  • Svanhild. She senses magic through smells, recognizes familiar people and detects lies.
  • Barachiel and Aurelia. Their copy magic lets them reproduce other mages' spells.

Training

At the academy in Brighthaven, Isaac taught a class for unusual magic. Vianna was assigned to it when the school could not identify her attunement.

Some unusual abilities can be taught. Isandriel taught Khoradyn balance magic, although he had never encountered anyone else who could learn it.

Unique magic comprises personal abilities that do not fit readily into the established magic schools. These abilities include unusual forms of perception and an exceptional understanding of machinery.

Abilities

  • Eira. She can map buildings and the Essence signatures of people around her. She can also see and open hidden doors. This perception remained after she lost nearly all her Essence.
  • Thalvian. His unusual understanding of machinery enables him to design Essence-powered devices, including an orrery that gathers Essence for other mages to use.
  • Svanhild. She senses magic through smells, recognizes familiar people and detects lies.
  • Barachiel and Aurelia. Their copy magic lets them reproduce other mages' spells. Barachiel could imitate Michael's ice magic without mastering its use.
  • Arcanis. He sees connections between objects and Essence, helping him understand materials and improve devices. This sight does not by itself make him skilled at ordinary spellcraft.

Training

At the academy in Brighthaven, Isaac taught a class for unusual magic. Vianna was assigned to it when the school could not identify her attunement.

Some unusual abilities can be taught. Isandriel taught Khoradyn balance magic, although he had never encountered anyone else who could learn it.

Unique magic comprises personal abilities that do not fit readily into the established magic schools. These abilities include unusual forms of perception and an exceptional understanding of machinery.

Abilities

  • Eira. She can map buildings and locate people around her. Her sensing outlines powerful mages through gaps, rather than directly feeling their Essence. She can also see and open hidden doors. This perception remained after she lost nearly all her Essence.
  • Thalvian. His unusual understanding of machinery enables him to design Essence-powered devices, including an orrery that gathers Essence for other mages to use.
  • Svanhild. She senses magic through smells, recognizes familiar people and detects lies.
  • Barachiel and Aurelia. Their copy magic lets them reproduce other mages' spells. Barachiel could imitate Michael's ice magic without mastering its use.
  • Arcanis. He sees connections between objects and Essence, helping him understand materials and improve devices. This sight does not by itself make him skilled at ordinary spellcraft.

Training

At the academy in Brighthaven, Isaac taught a class for unusual magic. Vianna was assigned to it when the school could not identify her attunement.

Some unusual abilities can be taught. Isandriel taught Khoradyn balance magic, although he had never encountered anyone else who could learn it.

Origins

Lothar

Lothar gave Arcanis his ability to see the world's patterns and instructions when Arcanis was a child. Lothar retained his existing magic but could no longer create more advanced spells beyond those he already knew. He later gave Barachiel the ability to learn spells almost instantly. Afterward, Lothar could no longer copy another mage's spell merely by watching it, though the magic he already knew remained.

Imperial technology

The Malverand Intergalactic Empire developed particles that respond to a user's wishes and grant minor abilities useful for their work. These include speaking to plants, knowing when food is perfectly cooked and seeing perfect angles. Having little or no Essence is practically a prerequisite for using this technology. Particles leaked into the other Valrindor, where some abilities exceeded their intended functions.

Eira's perception works through these particles and is based on ancient divine sensing. It becomes more detailed where particles are abundant; in the empire, they also serve communication and shielding systems connected to its main core. Her childhood experiences fit their response to wishes. Eira thought the same technology likely explained Thalvian's abilities. The empire used related technology to reproduce magical spells as origin magic.

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