A couple of days had passed in Lordstone, and Kaelem took the time to unwind after what felt like a hectic couple of weeks. He had discovered his talent as a mage, started his training with Selkor, fought with goblins, left his hometown of Ashbarrow for the first time, became a mercenary, found a party, and then faced off against a Death Knight and lived to tell the tale.
To say he had been exhausted would have been an understatement. So, while Selkor was away and the party were also resting and going about their business, Kaelem took the time to explore Lordstone and do as little as possible.
He was staying in an inn near the guild hall, Selkor had rented a room for the two of them. It wasn’t anything special - actually it was quite quaint. But it was comfortable, away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets in Lordstone.
Selkor had also left him some ‘homework’ - a book about magic and runes. The book went into detail on various elements and schools of magic, but it also explained the various runes required to cast certain types of spells. So far Kaelem had used elemental magic and a basic shield, however the further into the book he got - the more versatile he realized magic truly was.
Kaelem sat by the window with the book, flipping through the first few pages as he smirked to himself, recalling Selkor’s warning when he gave him the assignment. “It’s important you know the basics first, before you decide to blow up the inn…”
Taking Selkor’s warning to heart, he decided he would spend the day going through the book “The Foundations of Magic”.
The first couple of chapters were around magic in general, explaining what he already knew. Magic was an energy, it fueled life and existed in everything. It was in the air we breathed, it linked the synapsis in the mind to give living creatures thought. Magic was as much of a natural force as gravity.
The next part of the book went into Elemental Magic, discussing how magic was able to channel and manipulate the elements. The basic elements were Earth, Fire, Water and Air. Each of the basic elements had their own personality. Fire: intense and volatile, responding to those with strong passions and tempers; Water: adaptable and flowing, suiting those who were quick witted and malleable; Earth: stable and grounded, favoring those who were calm and patient; and finally Air: elusive and swift, being perfect for those who stayed on their toes and were nimble.
The basic elements were the foundation to all elemental magic, but more complex magic combined those elements into more advanced elements. For example Fire and Air in the correct ratio could combine to make smoke whereas Water and Air could be combined to create ice. The ratios between the core elements and which corresponding element(s) they were combined with decided the resulting element.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Kaelem traced his fingers over an illustration of a mage, combining fire and air runes to create lightning magic. Elemental Magic wasn’t just about commanding the elements, it was about understanding their balance and how they interacted with each other. Drawing on their essence rather than forcing them into submission yielded far better results.
Next was Arcane Magic, magic in its purest form, untainted by the elements. It tapped directly into the energy of the universe, bending reality to the spellcaster’s will. It was versatile and powerful, but because wizards had an affinity to a certain element or type of magic, it was the most difficult to master. Usually a wizard would have to cleanse the magic of their natural affinity, using an opposing power which was unique to each spellcaster.
He understood now, whereas someone who was naturally intune with fire magic could release a fire spell without much emphasis on converting their magic to fire. Kaelem was naturally intune with arcane magic, he didn’t need to cleanse his magic of an opposing power - instead he could utilize it to his advantage. Casting a bolt of raw magic would be as natural as someone with an affinity to fire casting a firebolt.
Arcane magic was used for creating neutral shields, teleporting and there had been archmages who were known to manipulate the fabric of time and space. However because of its very nature it was the most dangerous, casting a teleport spell that hadn’t properly been cleansed of elemental magic could have adverse effects for example. Without a deep understanding of the elements and of magic itself, overusing arcane magic had been known to lead to madness.
Next was Psions, magic that affected the mind, a subtle and complex school. Targeting the psyche to influence thoughts, emotions and perceptions. Entangling the mind in fear, conjuring illusions and reading thoughts. A dangerous school of magic that could easily cross the lines of morality, used unjustly for control and coercion.
There were a couple of chapters dedicated to Summoning magic, calling forth powerful entities from worlds beyond. A skilled summoner is capable of binding monsters and spirits to aid them. Forming contracts and bonding with otherworldly creatures led to powerful bonds between the summon and its summoner, it was also key in creating familiars. Selkor had noted that Summoning magic was not without its risks, without a contract you weren’t guaranteed to summon a specific being - and not all creatures were easily controlled.
The book devoted chapters to other types of magic as well. Transmutation which took the structure of something and turned it into something else entirely. This was done by converting the magic in something to something else entirely. Enchantment which imparts a long lasting spell or effect on something, this could be to enhance an item or for protection. There was also Divination which allowed the spellcaster insight into the past, present and future. Glimpsing through the walls of time and space to predict potential outcomes.
As the day went on, Kaelem eventually took a break from the book. Having learned enough theory for the day, he wanted to put some of it into practice. Recalling the rune Vex used in her Light magic, he copied it. Pairing the rune with the one for “Distort” which he had learned from the book. He then decided to imprint the spell into a piece of parchment that was lying unused in the room.
Successfully enchanting it to distort light, he placed it next to the window and noticed that the sunlight no longer illuminated the room. As if blocked by an invisible curtain it couldn’t break through, Kaelem smiled to himself. The possibilities of magic were truly astonishing.
He recalled a line from the book: “Magic is a pathway to discovery, each rune traced and each spell cast brings one closer to uncovering not just the mysteries of the world, but those within oneself.”
With a renewed sense of purpose, Kaelem stashed the book beneath his bed, feeling a tingle of excitement. He was eager to go out and cast the most unusual rune combinations he could think of. But at the same time, he understood that the allure was exactly what Selkor had warned him about - magic can easily consume its spellcaster if it was used irresponsibly.
As his thoughts drifted, he was alerted by a sudden knock at the door. He wasn’t expecting any visitors today.