The grand auditorium was a magnificent display of magical architecture. Hundreds of hand carved seats surrounding the central platform. The walls towering into the sky and supporting a dome of dazzling glass. Along the masonry were huge screens of scrying glass. There were no lights in the room, yet somehow it stayed illuminated at all times. A natural glow permeating the air. Even now, enchanted brooms, cloth, and cleaning golems carefully prepared the room for its first class. Time was short, and the headmasters wanted it to be perfect.

The central bell rang and the doors opened. The cleaners vanished in a puff of smoke as students flooded the interior. The fledgling spellcasters filled with a sense of awe. Since arriving at the academy, the wonders of magic were on full display. The wealth, the power, and the wonder etching itself into their minds. Many rushed to the front seats, trying to get the best view for the lecture. While excitement was in the air, many knew the price of failure. Families had spent their entire fortune in hopes of having a professionally trained mage. Even getting accepted was an accomplishment, the students undergoing various tests before being shipped out. But that was the easy part, the school was ruthless in its lessons. Many knew the rates of failure, on average only 3% of incoming students would make it. In the first year alone, nearly 80% would be sent home. Already alliances were being made, those of the upper class trying to make pacts with other powerful families. Unfortunately for them, magic didn’t care about upbringing. Only how much you were willing to sacrifice to learn.

The academy was brutally efficient at identifying those with significant talent. The various instructors went extra hard in the first years. They wanted to break the students, grueling trials, testing friendships, and making it a living hell. A simple three mark system led to expulsion, three mistakes and they were gone. Some would say it was cruel, but it was a necessary evil. The magics taught created powerful casters, those that graduated could shape the paths of nations. Furthermore, magic was inherently vicious. A rebound could cause catastrophic damages to not only the caster, but the world around them.

Even those of high level were not immune to the backlash. Last year the head of dreamwalking disappeared in the wondrous realms. His students left scrambling through his notes and writings trying to glean any information they could. They’d organize search parties in an attempt to find his wayward soul and return it to the physical realm, but so far not even a scrap remained. It was a chilling reminder to never take casting lightly. The aether praised sacrifice and humility, while punishing those who refused to acknowledge the dangers. Only when a student demonstrated the intelligence, wisdom, and fortitude required would the headmasters allow them to transition to the next level. If they couldn’t accomplish it in one year, they were sent home as failures.

As the chatter reached its crescendo, the faculty door slammed open. Two massive slabs of ivory with an intricate carved design representing the school’s mascot. A raging beast with five heads, a dragon, lion, human, horse, and snake. Each head fighting with one another. The meaning of the creature was lost from the passage of time, but it was the symbol of this grand academy. A loud boom silenced the students, the echoing sound lingering in the air as the instructor approached the stand.

Stepping onto the podium activated the room's magic. All across the walls, the scry-glass sparked to life. Each one displaying a life feed of the podium and the professor at the center. His wrist flicked and a board appeared in the air. Glancing up, he shifted his fingers and adjusted the glass to zoom in on his display. Without even acknowledging the class, he began his first lesson. The worlds “Intro to Magic” Appearing on the board.

“Magic is a fundamental force permeating our world. While none have found the origin, there are many theories on how it arose. For now, we will be focusing on the fundamental ways we can harness these ethereal powers for our own benefit. I am sure each of you has an aptitude for a certain path. The classes you have chosen and the skills developed are powerful, but a crutch to your studies. Here we learn true magic, here we create the skills, here you will become [Archmage]’s and not some [Hedgewitch].” He said “witch” with a disgusted tone.

“While the Will may have blessed you with talent, here we mold you for greatness. A [Fire Mage] may only know a few basic spells, but a [Archmage of the Flame] shall create his spells.”

He paused and began writing on the board.

SYMPATHY

Sympathetic was one of the most basic forms of mana manipulation. At its foundation, it formed a connection between two objects. Yet, for its simplicity led it to being widely used across classes and allowed for a greater flexibility. Furthermore, due to its ease of use, it was integrated into a lot of modern technologies. Many ended up stumbling upon Sympathy without even realizing it. They’d learn little tricks or techniques to make projects easier. However, those that delved into the path of Sympathy were some of the most creative mages around. Only limited by their mana and creativity.

“As a demonstration” He pointed at an over-eager student sitting in the front row.

His lips moved, but there was only silence. Pulling out a small rock, he lifted it into the sky. Instantly, the student's chair was sent flying into the air. His screams of terror echoing in the room as he struggled to hold onto the side.

“Strike one!” The professor flicked his hand, and an X appeared imprinted on the uniform.

“A true mage is prepared for any surprise! To lose composure is to unleash wild magic, even in the most extreme situations you remain calm. Two more and you are expelled”

He lowered the rock and the chair returned to its place. The terrified man tried to calm himself and focus on the lecture. He knew the teachers were crazy and this was only the start. However, for all the showmanship. A hidden lesson was already taught. It was an insidious method of identifying the most studious of students. A slight grin crossed the instructor’s face as he saw who caught on. He memorized their faces as those would be the ones he’d personally tutor.

To the bulk of students, they were either awestruck or terrified by the display of power. Completely missing the most important part of the lesson–his lips. He had just given them their first sympathetic incarnation, their first glimpse of skill-less spellcasting. While their words were lost, the smart ones memorized the shapes. Hopefully, they’d be able to decipher the spell back in their dorms.

“As you can see, Sympathy is far faster than any other form of non-skill based magic. However, overuse can quickly drain your mana pool resulting in exhaustion. Now let’s go over the basics.” He put the rock away and returned to the board.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

In theory any two objects could be linked. In practice…not so much. Identical objects of weight, size, and material were nearly perfect transfers. Meanwhile living objects were much harder to manipulate. As such, the best use of this magic involved matching materials before creating a link. For example, if one wanted to move a boulder, then link it with a stone. To fell a tree, link it with wood. Due to such requirements, it wasn’t difficult to identify a mage of Sympathy. The users tended to carry a large variety of materials on their person at all times.

“While fast and flexible, the primary drawback to sympathy is what we call work” He turned back to the students

“Sympathy, in theory, is one of equal exchange. For me to lift the…screamer’s chair, I had to expend mana equal to the force to raise it. However, in practice, it required quite a bit more than that due to my choice of material. You!” He pointed and another student was called to the podium.

“I have linked these two objects to the chair. Please move each”

All were watching as the first-year reached for the stone. He gripped the cool material and tried to lift it into the air. Immediately he felt his shallow pool rapidly dwindle. Yet, he could only make the chair wobble in response.

“Hmm good try, but let's not pass out on our first day. No marks, but focus on expanding your mana reserve” He critiqued and gestured to the piece of wood.

The student nodded and tried a second time. This time he was able to make the chair levitate slightly, before halting.

“Well, you tried…” The professor sighed it seemed like they were getting worse each year.

“Still not a total failure, as you can tell the wood to wood connection was far stronger than wood to stone. Now to truly maximize efficiency, it is best to have a piece of the connected object.” He pulled out a small splinter and placed it onto the sample.

“One more time please” and the student did so.

Even with skill exhaustion, he was able to lift the chair nearly a foot off the ground. He held the spell for nearly 5 seconds before his arm gave out. The professor shooed him away and continued.

Sympathy wasn’t limited to movement, all forms of connections could be made. By heating one object, you could ignite another. Furthermore, you could make sympathetic chains to external sources. This was how [Magical Engineers] and their variants created mechanical monstrosities. By linking their materials to mana batteries, waterwheels, or any other device that could “work” they could transfer it into their creations. If efficiency wasn’t an issue, they could transform types of work into others. Heat could be turned to movement, movement into light, light into cold, and more. Once again, the only true limit was the creativity of the spellcaster.

He watched in amusement as they frantically took notes on this lecture, but there was still a lot to cover. He waited for one student to stop writing before continuing onto the next top. Wiping the board of his notes, a grin crossed his face as heard their cries.

Rituals

“Rituals are an ancient form of magic closely related to the divine. While a god’s power is a separate entity from the aether, we mages can still make use of the style. At first we thought magic was untamable. Something that had to be forced with our own mana and bound with our will. However, we were only partially correct. Magic IS wild, but it can pick up…how do I put this…impressions. It might be easier just to show.”

Reaching into his bag, he placed a series of candles along the desk. Each one carefully aligned in a spiral pattern. He took his time measuring the distance between each one, adjusting them in minute ways. Satisfied, he took a series of herbs and formed connecting lines between the objects. Finally, he lit the wicks and began his incarnation.

“I’ll give you thirty seconds to memorize this setup.” He waited briefly as the students frantically noted down the ritual.

Once time was up, he carefully extinguished the flames one at a time. Pausing to say the next part of the ritual before pinching his fingers together. Sweat formed on his brow as he carefully concentrated on the display. With the last step down, he snuffed out the final light and the entire room was plunged into darkness. This wasn’t just a normal nightfall, it was the absence of all. Both light and sound were gone. Nobody could tell how long it lasted before the candle relit and the world returned to normal.

“The benefit of ritualistic magic requires nearly zero mana to perform. By tapping into the woven tapestry, the effect spontaneously occurs. Additionally, The ritual of darkness has been performed for thousands of years. This constant imprinting allows us to cast the spell with relative ease. Additionally, because rituals only require a particular set of steps; you can create effects far above your standard level. Of course, that is easier said than done. Those that lean into the [[Ritualist]] classes have a much easier time of it. Whether it be substituting materials for mana, the effect naturally stronger due to their bonds with the tapestry, or even gaining skills that allow them to cast a spell but save it’s effects for later. Lastly, the underlying current seems to be appeased by showmanship. Using higher quality materials and adding a bit of flair will enhance its effect.”

He knocked over the candles and pointed to another student.

“You, please perform the ritual as demonstrated”

The whole auditorium turned to the student. This was clearly a setup and they wanted to see his reaction. Grabbing his notes, he shuffled down the steps to the podium.

“Do not worry about the incantation, I’ll chant it for you. Just set up and perform the actions please”

He did his best to replicate the professor's ritual, carefully setting up the candle arrangement, laying out the herbs, and snuffing out the light. Holding his finger at the final flame, he felt the magic begin to take hold. IT was an exhilarating feeling and one he savored briefly.

“Go on” And he felt a hand on his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he extinguished the light.

The world fell into darkness once more and he cheered out.

“HAH I DID IT!” — only to be met with some stifled laughter.

“Do not laugh at a fellow student or I’ll have you volunteer for the next!” He shouted, it was disgraceful. The best lessons usually came from failure.

“Now, while rituals are powerful. To disgrace the aetheric webway leads to more intense backlash than the other paths of magic. Thankfully, the rebound of darkness is self-blindness.” He felt the student begin to panic.

“Calm down or do you want a mark? Backlash is common in our line and you must be willing to deal with the consequences. Hopefully you made a friend to take notes for you” He turned back to the board and continued to write.

Rituals are inherently linked to complexity. The more flair and steps, the more powerful the effect. While clerics and those of various cults only need to please their fickle gods, ritualists are attempting to imprint order into the aether. Some are so intense, it requires hundreds to meet at precise times. Hired dancers, alchemists, masons, and more all working together to generate a single effect. Each consistent repetition is easier than the last. In fact, the first casting of darkness required 7 towns instead of 7 candles. The path dedicated to finding ways to reinforce their magic in the world. Out of all the paths it encouraged the most collaborations and could produce the strongest effects of any. However, it required tons of preparation and commitment to make any progress at all.

“Moving on, I think curing your blindness is a perfect use of our next section."