The Canon Energies

[Swgrclan 2633]

 

A list of currently canon magical essences is necessary to define a variety of magical arts in LoTC lore, so therefore, I have devised a list and a means to organize them. In total, there are [undetermined number]; Mana, Lifeforce, Genus (unofficial), Aengudaemonic Energy, Spiritual Energy, Souls, Ectoplasm and Taint. These terms are defined as thus:

Mana

[Outdated, refer to https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/151276-✓-the-states-of-mana/]:

The enigmatic, underlying energy of the cosmos which seems to occupy the mortal worlds in abundance, and specifically mortals themselves. Mana is only used as a means to achieve magical feats -- this means it’s expenditure encompasses all magical arts that exist and will exist under the premise that it is a “background fuel”, or essentially the fuel to enable magical acts or processes which therefore may also use additional forms of magical essences as fuel, such as Necromancy, Aengudaemonic magics or Fi’ magic. Mana is also only reserved for the self; so the Mana of one individual cannot be passed to another and therefore used by whatever means devised.

Lifeforce

[https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/133593-necromancer-lore-the-exegesis-of-lifeforce/]:

Known as the raw essence of all life, Lifeforce exists as a strange, mistual black quintessence which confines itself within all organic matter within the mortal worlds. It acts as both the upkeep and life and a form of autonomous moderation of life itself in the fact that every organ, every limb and every aspect of organic life is powered and willed by the obscure reign of Lifeforce itself. Like Mana, it may be considered a Creator-fabricated essence; however, Lifeforce is only confined in the mortal worlds themselves, and cannot be made by outerlying forces such as Aenguls, Daemons or Spirits - only controlled. As an essence of a magical art, Necromancy (and moreover life manipulation) is subject to Mana in order to be controlled and used, for the act of life manipulation or control itself is a magical process and therefore powered by the fuel of Mana.

Genus

[Outdated, refer to https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/151276-✓-the-states-of-mana/]:

Found hidden in the blood of mortals, Genus is a magical essence that, as explained by the “archdragon” Malghourn, is what allows mortals to cast magic; that which enables Mana itself to be used, in order for Mana to allow magical acts to occur. It is essentially a catalyst, and it’s application in Blood Magic is why the dark art is called as it is; found within the blood, it must be taken from it via it’s thievery from others, making the arcane-empowering magic a most macabre and condemning one. Within mortals, Genus is naturally dormant in the fact that a majority of the Genus within mortals only partially act upon the enabling of Mana use in order to keep the magical power of the caster from exploding in his very face. It is by extracting Genus from blood, and thereafter “awakening” it from it’s dormancy, that it may be applied to spells of all magics, therefore amplifying them a great deal. This ranges across all forms of magic, in theory; both dependent on the function of the magic which uses Mana, as well as the source of the magic itself.

Aengudaemonic Energy

[citation of reference needed]:

The power channeled from Aenguls and Daemons can only be defined as the embodiment of variety; the rise of endless Aenguls and Daemons makes rise to endless forms of immortal magics, with examples standing as the Aengulic arts (of Tahariae, Xan, Aerial) which often exist as the control of light or heavenly powers which bear differing purposes, or the Daemonic arts (of Iblees [Undead]) which often embody great aspects of change such as destruction or ruination, or other such chaotic powers. As Aengudaemons, or immortals, may fabricate any form of magic that adheres to the laws of the mortal worlds and therefore grant them to mortals, Aengudaemonic Energy may be relayed to take any shape - even replicating separate arts themselves, like Necromancy, of which Iblees himself had heralded before the second generation magic’s creation. However, just like arcane magic must be funneled through a connection to the Void with the use of Mana, those who are deemed the champions of Aenguls or Daemons must too bear a similar connection to their heavenly lords and expend Mana in order to utilize Aengudaemonic Energy to shape their patron’s given powers.

Spiritual Energy

[citation of reference needed]:

Spiritual Energy is akin to Aengudaemonic Energy in the fact that the Spirits of the Spiritual Planes act as higher beings able to forge a connection with mortals, and therefore relay their powers through them. Interestingly, as the Spirits are the unruly creations of the Daemon Apohet, one may assume Spiritual Energy bears direct relation to Aengudaemonic Energy -- as if the Spirits were mimicking the method in which Aenguls and Daemons relay their blessings to chosen mortals. The use of Spiritual Energy through a connection to the Spiritual Planes demands the expenditure of Mana.

Souls

[https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/133892-superior-inferior-and-lesser-souls/]:

Not exactly able to be defined as a fuel for magic, mortal souls are an ethereal, abstract form of magical essence which bears the imprint of the mortal they belong to - from knowledge to identity and unknown aspects beyond. Little use has been found in the soul beyond that of two dark arts - namely Soul Puppeteering and high-elven Fi’ magic, which utilizes the soul for means to either torment victims or to steal the Mana from casted magic in order to nullify the magic itself. To use the little understood essence of souls demands the expenditure of Mana - even when they are used to steal the Mana from the magic of others.

Ectoplasm

[Outdated, refer to https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/151276-✓-the-states-of-mana/]:

 

Acting as the corporeal essence of spectral entities of various forms, Ectoplasm is quite literally a soup of lifeforce and mana, often seen condensed into fragile structures in order to embody ghosts, gravens or other such undead beings. The uses of Ectoplasm are thin, but those whom call themselves Mystics have devised an art which enables them to hold reign over the spectral world, with Ectoplasm acting as their primary means to utilize their ethereal arts.

Taint

[citation of reference needed]:

Unable to be defined as one sole form of essence, “Taint” is a dark presence in which a variety of powers encompass. Otherwise known as corruption or blights, taint may take differing forms but often involve one loosely-relatable aspect; chaos. Able to be shaped from a majority of dark arts (Necromancy, Setherien’s Boon, Iblees’ Boon, Shade Magic and likely more), Taint or corruption often embodies havoc and heralds the doom of that which it touches - eroding the land, destroying the flesh, and even corrupting the souls of mortals, turning them into shadowed husks of what they once were.

These forms of magical energy act as the primary means to cast a variety of magical arts in the mortal worlds, and with extensive knowledge of them I have fashioned a system of magical organization aimed to make understanding types of magic easier. The system is thus; all magics are pulled under three types, of which are known as Arcane, Deific and Mortal. I will elaborate them, as followed;

Arcane; All that which derives from the power of the Void, and directly uses Mana alone in order to utilize connections to the Void and therefore draw upon it in order to practice elemental evocations and other such “temporary” powers. Arcane magic is considered the first of magical types to exist, and is foremost the most neutral of any, for it stands sole and independent in itself, drawing from the Void which bears no master. Arcane is also known as Voidal Magic.

Deific; All that which derives from the power of deities, or higher beings beyond the veil of the mortal worlds. Deities are various in form and the magic types that fall under Deific are often based on Spiritual and Aengudaemonic Energies, as both the Aenguls, Daemons and Spirits are beyond the mortal worlds and therefore disconnected from them, demanding a connection to their planes in order for their arts to be accessed. Other magics identified as Deific before, such as Setherien’s Boon, are false-Deific, for those such as the wyrm Setherien were able to simulate power-granting processes and connections akin to Spirits and Aengudaemons, but was a mortal being himself upon the mortal planes, giving away a mortal power he made with knowledge of the mortal worlds’ intricacies; therefore deeming his false-Deific, or by sheer definition Mortal. Deific is also known as Aengudaemonic Magic.

Mortal; All that which encompasses power from the mortal or material planes, of which often utilizes essences in these material planes in order to fabricate often independent, often darker or macabre forms of magic. Among the Mortal arts are Necromancy (Lifeforce control), Blood Magic (Genus/blood control), Mysticism (Ectoplasm control) and Fi’ Magic (Soul control) just to name a few. Other types, namely Deific, often play into Mortal powers, as Aengudaemonic Energy is capable of achieving the same kind of control that Mortal powers may themselves. Mortal magic may also play into the Arcane type, particularly for Fi’ Magic which makes use of souls in order to steal Mana from a specific magic that is being cast in order to send it back into the Void.

With all canonized magical energies and magical archetypes established, here is an example of how magic as a whole would be organized:

Arcane;

• Fire Evocation

• Water Evocation

• Air Evocation

• Earth Evocation

• Electrical Evocation

• Arcane Evocation

 

• Telekinesis

• Alteration (Enchanting, Transfiguration, Wards)

• Conjuration

• Illusion

• Mental Magic

• Cognitism

 

Deific;

• Druidism (Nature’s Communion, Nature’s Healing, Control of Nature, Blight Healing, Shapeshifting) [The Aspects; Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Nemiisae(?)]

• Shamanism (Elemental, Latauman, Witchdoctor, Farseer) [The Spirits]

• Divinism (Paladinism [Xan], Clericism [Tahariae], Ascended [Aerial])

• Muun’Trivazja [Metztli]

• Undeadism [Iblees]

• Runesmithing [?]

 

Mortal;

• Necromancy

• Blood Magic

• Mysticism

• Soul Puppetry

• Harbinger’s Boon

• Fi’ Magic

• Shade Magic

• Frost Witch Magic