Happy WBW! - If Your World Has Magic Users, Can Anyone Use Magic Or Is It Something They Are Born With?

Happy WBW! 🧙 - If your world has magic users, can anyone use magic or is it something they are born with?

Happy Worldbuild Wednesday! Thank you so much for the Ask, @pluttskutt!

Happy WBW! 🧙 - If your world has magic users, can anyone use magic or is it something they are born with?

Oh, boy, do I have an answer for this! In my main WIP, The Last Wrath, magic - and therefore multiple forms of spellcasting - is something integral to the continent of Agrannor, where the story takes place.

Let's start from the beginning:

In the dark fantasy world of TLW, the lands of Agrannor, magical talent is a very varied concept.

For Mageborn (humans born with magical blood): They are born with pure magic in their blood, which means they have a natural connection to the ancient magic sources that once flowed freely throughout the lands. Those spellcasters are much more powerful and innately talented than any human sorcerer can ever hope to be naturally. Also, they are rather different from humans in many cultural traits, but also in their physical appearance (eye color, hair color, etc.), especially when it comes to the striking Mageborn "runic markings" that naturally occur the more a mage practices their power. Their magic comes from within them and rarely requires the assistance of external means. Since their magic is an inherent part of their blood - something they're born with, they can use their magic without the need for casting runes (though some, more tricky, spells require the use of rune casting) and usually have a connection with a specific type of magic they use to power their spells

E.g. You can be a Nightshaper, a mage who harnesses their magic from the power of the night - the darkness, the stars, the moon, the cold, etc - to cast their spells. In TLW, Vallerius Zyndrosar is a Nightshaper mage.

You can be an Icebringer, a mage who harnesses their magic from the power of winter - the ice, the wind, the stillness, etc - to cast their spells. In TLW, Cyprian Naras is an Icebringer.

You can be a Naturemorph, harnessing your powers from nature itself - from plants to stone, the very dirt you walk on and the heartbeat of earth, etc. In TLW, Myrah Faron is a Naturemorph.

Among many other types of mages.

For the Non-Magical People of Agrannor: Humans are not born magically talented, having little to no natural connection to the ancient magic sources (though some have what is called a "magical affinity" which means they have a slight connection the the Sources, and more chance to succeed should they choose to follow that path). They can, however, become sorcerers or wizards. In Agrannor, a sorcerer relies on an external source of magical powers (usually an artifact, a magically imbued runic weapon, potions or an artificial rune-engraved tattoo/marking) to harness and use magic, and it will never be a natural part of them like it would be for a mage.

Usually, in Agrannor, most of the magic for said artifacts is harnessed from natural sources, such as magical crystals, or magically rich environments, without causing harm to anyone. A talented sorcerer can have a magically imbued tattoo/marking engraved in their skin - usually in their arm - giving them free access to their trained powers anytime they need them. Zephyr Tellian is the most notable human sorcerer in Agrannor, born in the Fallen Kingdom of Eldon, Zephyr was a remarkably magically-talented child, with a strong magical affinity, and got his runic mark early on from the Eldonian Order of Sorcerers, before being forced to flee the fallen kingdom. Yuna Thyren is also a sorcerer in TLW, and her powers come from her runic weapons - crafted by herself - and her mystical heritage.

UNFORTUNATELY - There is a darker side of (some) Human Spellcasting (which some villains in TLW seem to fall under): Recently, some human sorcerers started wanting more power than their artificial magic (artifacts, potions, markings, etc) ould give them. In the Morosyn Empire (one of the regions of Agrannor), the Temple of Radiance enforces the Radiant Hunts, which capture mages to harness the magic from their blood - a cruel and vile initiative that is deeply despised outside of the Morosyn lands. Such Hunts also go after Elves, Faeborn (Faeries), and Merfolk, basically targetting anyone talented enough (according to the Temple's doctrine, the more powerful the spellcaster, the more power can be harnessed from their blood). The Bloodharvest Rituals always kill the captured mages, but the Temple doesn't care - as long as it gets what it is looking for. Such is the reality for many magically talented people in the Morosyn Empire. Most of the Imperial human sorcerers often use this cruel system to become more powerful through artificial magic created from the Bloodharvest. most of the Imperial army is equipped with advanced weaponry powered by the magic harvested from the crooked hunts.

Another important distinction:

Pure Magic - the magic carried by the Mageborn and the other sentient magical species of Agrannor. Being something they're born with, it is completely natural and stems from the nature around them and the ancient sources.

Artificial Magic - The magic used by most of the human sorcerers and magic warriors in Agrannor. It can have two origins:

It can be harvested from nature (usually from some of the sources itself) - Taken from the ancient natural sources, this magic is usually carefully collected from the environment and used to power the sorcerer's runic tattoos, artifacts/amulets/runic weapons, and power-inducing potions. Being derived from pure magic, it is usually good and does not harm others in the process it takes to achieve it.

Blood Magic - Also known as "vile magic", artificial blood magic is the one harnessed from actual people, a practice enforced by the imperial Temple of Radiance. It gives the user a much more dangerous and raw power, creating much more deadly runic weaponry. Due to its cruel and despicable origins, causing inexcusable harm to innocent people, it is an inherently evil form of artificial magic.

Dark/Corrupted Magic - Dark magic is a form of natural/Pure magic, derived from the corruption of the natural ancient magic sources and of magical phenomena around the continent. The corruption of magic is caused by the actions of the Secret Court (an ancient order of corrupted sorcerers who seek to rewrite the world in blood), and is extremely dangerous, unstable, and deadly. It also causes the existence of Fallen Ones - mageborn, faeborn, elves, etc - who are born with the natural magic already tainted by darkness, for the source with which they were connected was corrupted before their birth.

For other sentient (non-human) magical races in Agrannor - Elves, Merfolk, Vampires/Dhampirs, and Faeborn are all born with an inherent connection to the magic around them, being made from it, and have to train their spellcasting skills like any mage seeking to improve their innate abilities.

There are magical academies and orders that exist to train magically talented people - be it mages or sorcerers - and all of them have different approaches to the learning/teaching process and what kind of spellcasters they'll train.

NOTE:

The Secret Court - Formed during the Ancient Wars - a vast conflict that tore the continent apart millennia before the current story even takes place - they sought to learn how to control and utilize the strangely occurring dark magic phenomena around them, creating the most dangerous form of magic that would late serve as their weapon of war against the continent. Even after their perceived defeat by Dawn Knight Abavven Ashiren, all those years ago, they continued working from the shadows - corrupting the ancient sources and twisting the minds of the weakwilled - until their return in the current age of Agrannor. Anyone can become a member of the Secret Court, if tainted by dark magic, and become just as - if not more - powerful than any untainted mage. Dark magic twists the very nature of a being, becoming one with them. It is an extremely vile and dangerous practice that is outlawed - for good reason - in all regions of Agrannor.

So, in short:

Mageborn - humans born with a natural magic affinity to the ancient sources of magic in nature.

Sorcerers - non-magic humans who use artificial means to gain access to magical powers.

Blood Sorcerers (and Hunters) - non-magical human spellcasters who harness their powers from the blood of magically talented individuals. A cruel and unforgivable practice.

Other Sentient Magical Species - Elves, Faeborn (faeries), Vampires & Dhampirs and Merfolk. Non-human species who are naturally born with a connection to magic.

Fallen Ones - mages (or other sentient magical species) who are born with dark magic powers, because the magical source they or their parents were connected to was corrupted unknowingly before their birth. An accidental aftermath of the unholy work of the Secret Court, they can be good people, though their powers often consume them.

The Secret Court - Dark Sorcerers and Mages who choose to use corrupted/tainted magic as their source of magical power. Also unforgivable.

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday!

In the world of your WIP, what is the family structure that is considered "typical"? Why? As for the MCs in the story, would their family be considered atypical or different in any way, or do they come from a background considered "standard" in the world of your WIP?



ty for the great question!! klairva (the city of clocked out) is unique in that, since so much of it is already randomized and sort of "patchwork" - family structure is also varied, and many different types are common throughout the city. in the residential apartment areas, i'd say it's most common to have some combination of parent(s)/guardian(s) + kid(s) within each apartment room. also depends on socioeconomic status - richer neighborhoods will see more "nuclear" families with 2 parents + 2 children whereas the poorer neighborhoods will have all types of eclectic structures (single grandparent + 3 kids, an adult couple + their 2 friends, adult siblings + their baby niece, etc etc). mostly due to the frequent occurrence of adults "clocking out" due to running out of time on their watch. it's also more common to find households with more people in poorer neighborhoods than richer ones.

in lola's case, her family was: her mom, her dad, and her sister, peri. this was pretty normal for her neighborhood of snakesborough, if not somewhat uncommon, since both parents were alive. buuut her dad does clock out before the story begins soo... that definitely made her family structure more "typical" for the area LOL

I am transitioning from Google Docs, after the whole AI situation, and moving my work to Scrivener. Still have a long way to go until all my works are downloaded and out of Docs.

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday!In the world of your WIP, what is the family structure that is considered "typical"? Why? As for the MCs in the story, would their family be considered atypical or different in any way, or do they come from a background considered "standard" in the world of your WIP?

Happy late WBW, Mystic!

OOOO I love this question!

In the world of your WIP, what is the family structure that is considered "typical"? Why?

Cue the sighs from anyone who reads any answer I have to anything: it varies lol. Humans keep with the typical, nuclear family structure that we are familiar with. Dwarves also have this but grandparents and extended family are a lot more involved with the nuclear family than in human families. As such, Dwarves have very caring relationships with each other and will live in the same neighborhood or town as their relatives. It should also be added, that the nuclear families of these two include same-sex or otherwise queer relationships!

Lizardfolk tend to have really big families, esp if the man of the house has multiple wives. Children are often looked after by their mothers and nannies exclusively, fathers only become involved around ikismal prep season. Seeing extended maternal extended family is not normal, since women move to their husband's hometown to support his clan and raise their kids.

Elves are communally raised once they get past a certain age. This is because their numbers tend to be on the smaller side and they want to prevent all sorts of infighting with each other so they want to socialize their kids as much as possible. It's common for children to call anyone older than them mother or father even if they aren't biologically related.

As for the MCs in the story, would their family be considered atypical or different in any way, or do they come from a background considered "standard" in the world of your WIP?

Mariel: Typical but despite this, her upbringing is atypical because of her circumstances.

Axtapor: Typical for a nobleman of the Empire but he doesn't like it.

Fay: Atypical. Her family was extremely impoverished and her parents were not very good parents so she was mostly left to fend for herself.

Wilkes: Atypical. He was orphaned and before that, his birth mother ran away from her husband's home with him.

Happy WBW!

I saw all of the cool, different magic users in your main WIP. How do they interact with each other? Are their hierarchies? Are some magicks seen as evil? Are some seen as better or more powerful than others?

Happy (late) WBW! Thank you so much for the Ask, @anoelleart!

This is such an interesting and compelling set of questions!

Let's start from the beginning:

(About the Magic Users in The Last Wrath:)

How do they interact with each other?

In Agrannor, the relations between different kinds of magic users are as varied as they are unpredictable (and sometimes conflict-heavy in some cases).

Mageborn and Non-Human Magic Users (Elves, Faeborn, Vampires/Dhampirs, and Merfolk) - The most harmonious of interactions between magic users, since they're basically the same (with the exception of Mageborn being human and the others being of every other humanoid, sentient species in Agrannor). They view each other as equals - because they mostly are - and hold many similar beliefs and cultures. e.g. For example, a Mageborn (human) would treat an Elf magic user the same way they would treat another (human) Mageborn.

Mageborn and Human Sorcerers - This is where things get tricky. Most mages usually see Artificial Magic (the one extracted from nature and bound to artifacts by runes) as lesser and a waste of time, while Sorcerers usually see Pure Magic of the mages as too unpredictable and untamed. Still, they might get along and even learn some things about magic from one another, with some Mageborn and normal sorcerers even becoming friends for life.

Mageborn tend to see Artificial Magic as fake and surface-level, and Sorcerers tend to see mages as untrained and too wild.

Things get tricky when it comes to Blood Sorcerers - the ones who use Blood Magic to imbue their artifacts with Pure Magic harvested from the blood of mageborn and non-human magic users. Given the vile nature of how blood magic is harvested, Mageborn people rightfully see Blood Sorcerers as monsters, and some Blood Sorcerers only see Mageborn as fuel to their artifacts. It's pretty brutal.

Sorcerers and Non-Human Magic Users (Elves, Faeborn, Vampires/Dhampirs, and Merfolk) - It is pretty similar to the relations between Mageborn and Sorcerers, though - due to recent events and conflicts - Non-Humans are much more afraid of sorcerers (even the benign, artificial magic users) than mages are.

Normal Magic Users (Mageborn, Non-Humans, Sorcerers) and Dark Spellcasters - The deliberate use of dark magic is overall a heinous crime in Agrannor, especially with the nearing approach of the War of Prophecy and the return of the Secret Court. All regular magic users see Dark Magic as a dangerous, vile creation - and they would be very right. Dark Spellcasters are often villainous and twist/corrupt regular magic into dark magic, which makes it much more volatile and has serious repercussions.

Note:

FALLEN ONES - Those Mageborn who come into the world with their magic already tainted by darkness - due to the corruption of their bonded magic source - are outcasts from society, even though they cannot control their powers and are not to blame for them. Some, due to being shunned and rejected by something they can't control, become bitter and resentful, abiding by the perceived "nature" of their powers, while many others choose to become good and prove the world wrong by using their powers for good. Still, they are generally not very welcome by any of the other users.

Are there hierarchies?

Yes and no. There are hierarchies within the groups, with the most talented magic users often reaching the position of High Mage or Arch Sorcerer in their respective groups and orders. This is also true within sorcery academies, with the lower-ranking sorcerers being Apprentices, the middle-ranking ones being Mentors, and the highest-ranking ones, as mentioned above, Arch Sorcerers. Mageborn societies are indeed more lenient and less hierarchical, with magic being seen as a part of the person's nature and their identities, and not something that should be only seen as a career.

Within Non-Human communities, the strength of one magical ability can be life-defining, especially within Merfolk tribes - which are led only by the strongest and most apt who compete for a ruling position - and Elven cities - where the wisest and most magically talented individuals can rise to the ruling Council of Elders.

Are some magicks seen as evil?

Yes, as mentioned before in this post. Dark Magic and Blood Magic are both vile forms of magic (though one stems from the corruption of pure magic, while the other is pure magic harnessed from the blood of another person), which are seen as heinous and blasphemous by most of the other magical users. Mageborn, Non-Humans and normal Sorcerers tend to see those two forms of magic as the worst possible crime one can commit. Even the non-magical Human Kingdoms (especially in the Free Realms and the Borderlands) outlaw and look down upon Dark Magic, and prefer to stray from Blood Magic whenever possible.

Within the human territories of the Morosyn Empire, especially in areas where the Temple of Radiance is most prominent, Blood Magic is the most common and most endorsed form of magic, causing other - regular - magic users in their lands to have their lives put in terrible danger.

Are some seen as better or more powerful than others?

Objectively, pure magic is more powerful and intuitive than most artificial forms of magic, requiring little training to reach its potential, and being present with its users at all times - since it is a part of them. But regular Artificial Magic can be just as powerful if the user is willing to put in long hours of training and a lot of effort - though it will never be as intuitive and will always require the casting of runes to be precise. The use of Blood Magic was - unfortunately - created to try and make artificial magic more powerful and allow its users to reach their "potential" immediately, but it has serious drawbacks.

The legendary Sunscryer mage (someone who carries the full power of the sun - with both its beauty and eldritch horror) is by far the most powerful type of Mageborn that can exist and their magic is often the purest form in existence as well. Sunscryers are incredibly rare and often appear once in many centuries and even millennia. In TLW, Julyan Ashiren is the living Sunscryer.

Dark Magic is something untamed and of untapped potential, spreading as easily and unstoppably as a wildfire in a dry forest, and it can cause dreadful danger to both its users and the world around them. It is, by far, the most dangerous form of magic in existence.

I hope this answers your Ask probably! I loved your questions and had a lot of fun writing the answers!

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