There are multiple categories of mages that are universally agreed upon, being: the wizard, the sorcerer, the cleric, the druid, the warlock, and the bard. This book will detail the wizard and touch on the sorcerer. This book is for areas below the 2nd level of Leyline. There are multiple categorizations of magic, there, of course, are the elemental systems–of which–the old Kaltzaan system is the most widely recognized, being divided into: Earth, Fire, Water, Ice, Air, Force, Necrotic, Life, Lightning, Sound, Arcana, and Psychic. Most spells can be categorized within one of these elements, but it isn’t perfect, a different system that has become quite popular in more recent years is the school system. Which is divided into: Evocation, Conjuration, Abjuration, Necromancy, Enchantment, Transmutation, Illusion, and Divination, additionally, there are two schools that some iterations use and are becoming more popular, but are the subject of much debate, those being: Graviturgy and Chronurgy. It must be noted that there is no system that can fully categorize all spells.
Nicholas’ eyes wandered to the boy sitting next to him, reading his own tome, many of his peers had immediately set off trying to read the book, however, many found it too tedious.
“Nick?” The boy snapped Nicholas away from his thoughts.
“Yes, Bruno?”
Bruno looked at Nicholas and then at the book once more. “Are you really going to read the entire introduction?”
“Did you not?” Nicholas’ brow furrowed.
“No, I’m already on the seventh chapter.”
“I- I don’t think that’s the best idea.” Nicholas’ eyes widened
“I agree, but Silas has already read the whole thing, and everyone else is skimming through it instead of actually reading it, so I don’t want to fall behind.”
“Really? Silas has already read the whole thing?”
“Yeah, well that’s what everyone is saying anyways.”
“I guess it makes sense, he doesn’t really have to help his family with chores or anything, and he doesn’t have to apprentice anywhere either.”
“And he’s rich,” Bruno added.
“And he’s rich,” Nicholas sighed, “I think I’ll read the whole thing, Mr. Keffler says to do it right or not at all.”
“And Mr. Keffler is a grumpy old fart with no kids. Well, good luck anyways,” Bruno shut his book. “I’ve gotta go help my dad with the farm, see you at Mr. William’s house.”
“I won’t be there actually, my parents are letting me take a few weeks off of apprenticing so I can learn more about magic.”
“I wish man, my pa says not to get my hopes up cus’ magic is for geniuses and rich kids.” At that moment Nicholas held a newfound appreciation for his parents' willingness to let him do more than inherit the farm.
“Yeah, that sounds like him. See you around Bruno.”
“See ya ‘round.”
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“A month, it’s been a month, Dad,” Nicholas said.
“Well, magic is hard, son. Don’t you think I’d be going around blowing up monsters and the like if it were that easy?”
“I know, but I’ve made no progress, I haven’t even manifested a magical effect.”
“Well, that’s probably normal.”
“Then why has Silas already learned four different minor incantations? Why has Bruno already manifested a magical effect? Why have Alara and Chris already started drawing energy? They haven’t even read the book properly for gods’ sakes!” Nicholas
“Son, I know you’re upset, why don’t you go clear your head with some busy work and think it through?”
“Alright, Dad.” Nicholas agreed reluctantly.
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“Watch where you're swinging that thing you brat!” Keffler said, narrowly ducking under an iron bar.
“Sorry! Sorry, Mr. Keffler, I’m just a little out of it,” Nicholas sighed. Looking at the man he had worked for so many times before, his large and imposing figure was only heightened by his defined muscle and grey beard.
“So?” Keffler lifted a large hammer, his arms bulging. He swung it at the red-hot metal plate, the sound rocked the workshop, “It doesn’t matter if ya got something nagging at ya in the back of your mind, ya still got work to do-” he lifted the hammer once more “-Work on through I always say. Now get back to work ya brat! And quit calling me Mister, it makes me feel old, dammit!”
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“Yes, sir!”
The morning had passed by in a flash and it was time to break for lunch.
“Sir?”
“What d’ya want ya brat?” Keffler said, wiping his hands with a rag.
“Well-” Nicholas hesitated.
“Well, what? I haven’t got all day!” Keffler said, putting the rag down and looking Nicholas in the eye.
“I’m- I’m having issues with learning magic is all,” Nicholas said, grasping his left arm with his right.
“What, ya want me ta give ya the day off? Maybe when ya learn magic… er,” he stroked his beard, “I s’pose that sayings moot now, but ya get the point.”
“No! No,” Nicholas stammered, raising his arms out in exclamation, “I was just wondering if you had any advice.”
Keffler’s eyes widened and his mouth drooped into a frown, “Boy, do I look like some kinda wizard to you?”
“Well, no sir.”
“Then why in the hells do ya think I’d have advice about magic?” Keffler raised his eyebrow high.
“You usually have advice is all, my Dad still uses sayings he heard from you some twenty-odd years ago.”
“Good, at least one of my damn apprentices listened to me.” Keffler’s frown deepened, “But I don’t got any advice for ya.”
“I think anything could help at this point Mr. Keffler, I haven’t made any progress at all,” Nicholas said, shuffling from side to side in anticipation.
“Quit calling me mister ya damn brat! Alright, if you’re gonna keep bugging me about it, how about this, magic, well, wizards at least, are these big academic types yeah? Well I reckon it’s like that, ya just keep going at it till it’s all stuck in your head and the like, like math, or reading.”
“So, just keep working at it until it works? That’s not really advice sir, that's what I’ve been doing.”
“Fine! It’s like a fucken’ forge then, every part has its own purpose and it doesn’t work if even one part fails, every forge has its own kinks you gotta learn, does that work? Will you shut the hells up now? Yeah? Good, now get back to work ya brat, that rich bastard up on the hill-” He pointed up at the manor on the hill outside the village, “-needs nails and I need myself a new barrel of ale!” Barked Keffler.
“Yes sir!”
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Nicholas prepared himself, the forge advice Mr. Keffler had given hadn’t been very good, but it had gotten his brain going again, maybe it wasn’t him that was the issue, he just needed the environment or the ambient mana to be better. Thinking on this concept Nicholas realized he would need to venture into the forest, it was dangerous out there, that was why Mr. Williams was so well equipped, he had to be ready to fight monsters while he was out hunting.
Nicholas readied his hunting knife at his side and wore the padded armor Mr. Williams required everyone who apprenticed under him to wear, even a mundane animal was liable to claw out your guts. Of course, Mr. Williams had no idea Nicholas was doing this, he would never approve of it, nor would Nicholas’ parents. No, to their knowledge, Nicholas was with Bruno.
Nicholas took his first step out and shivered as the safety of the barrier left him, a feeling that persisted no matter how many times he left. He swallowed his hesitation and pushed on, further going along the path that lead out of his home until the village was beyond the horizon. Nicholas climbed to the safety of a tall tree, somewhat off the path, and recalled the instructions in his tome.
The origin of a Wizard’s power lies in the mana that pervades the world, wizards harness this energy. However, unlike druids, wizards are unable to directly influence this energy, they first need a catalyst, some wizards use external sources of mana to do this, such as wands or staffs, other wizards use only mana-infused ingredients, this can make a spell far more powerful, but this method takes far more time, resources, and is usually not suited for a combat scenario, this is why wizards are taught to grow a mana pool, though most living beings have an innate mana pool which grows with age and environment, wizards are taught how to take in mana and convert it to their own mana, in doing so a wizard artificially grows their mana pool, as a wizards mana pool grows they must learn to create constructs which support the immense “Weight” of the mana and prevent the pool from collapsing, crippling the wizard. The smaller a wizards pool is the easier it is to grow it. To grow one's pool, one must first sense the mana around them-
Nicholas took a deep breath, he felt the air on his skin and the coolness provided by the shade of the tree cover, he felt the air in his lungs and smelled the forest around him. He heard the songs of birds in the distance and saw the beauty of the life around him. Nicholas took it all in, he considered the forest as it was, what it had been and it might become, and he accepted it into himself in its entirety and he felt a renewed sense of vigor, but it was intense, so he considered the parts of the forest he could not understand and decided to think about them later.
-and accept it into themselves. However, even a being with a large mana pool cannot automatically utilize it, using mana for sentient beings requires imprinting their will onto the world around them, the simplest forms of this are the minor magical effects, more advanced effects require structure. Minor magical effects are activated by different methods for every person, though all methods require acknowledgment of one’s deepest beliefs and a firm grasp over the mana pool.
Nicholas, of course, thought this would be the hardest part. He reached his hand out and looked at it, he did not fully understand himself or who he was. Still, he tried, he tried and tried until night fell, he did not notice the forest growing darker, he was too consumed by his thoughts, until he was pulled down from the tree. Nicholas felt a sharp pain in his side and gasped for air, but that only aggravated his injury, he felt his side and looked at his hands stained red, he quickly looked up and saw three green faces with malicious grins looking down at him.
He hurredly tried to scramble away, but he was in too much pain, the goblins went to stab him with their spears but hesitated when Nicholas drew his knife and swung it wildly at them. He crawled backward, his side flaring in pain from the spear wound. Nicholas steeled himself, clenching his teeth and holding his side with one hand, and stood. He had made a grave mistake coming out here alone.
Nicholas raised his knife and brought it closer to himself, one goblin charged him wildly, he tried to move but his side flared in pain and he stumbled, earning him a slash on his forearm. The same goblin tried to stab him again, but Nicholas leaned in and slashed the goblin across the abdomen. It squealed in pain and bled blue, spasming on the ground.
The other two goblins eyed him warily, before coming at him together. Nicholas was not a trained fighter, but he had attended the survival classes Mr. Williams made everyone take, he had even learnt basic swordsmanship from the lord's guards. He retreated to the tree he had been knocked from, his adrenaline rising to keep him alive, he had to keep both goblins from attacking him at the same time, one goblin came from each side. Nicholas pushed towards the one he was facing and stabbed it in the throat, earning himself a cut on his collarbone from the goblin’s wild swings.
Nicholas turned as quickly as he could toward the other goblin, who was slowly backing away. The goblin looked frightened for a moment and then its smile spread from ear to ear. Nicholas felt it before he saw it, the creature had struck him and sent him back a few feet, he definitely broke at least a few bones. Nicholas looked at the creature in front of him, large and imposing, with red skin and pointed ears. The creature was dressed in rags and had small tusks protruding from its mouth, a Hobgoblin. Hobgoblins could easily crush an adult man. Luckily for Nicholas, this Hobgoblin looked gaunt and skinny, it must have been starving. Unluckily for Nicholas, he was heavily wounded and couldn’t outrun a goblin in his state, much less a Hobgoblin, but it was his only chance for survival.
Nicholas stood up and ran, all the while his various injuries reminding him of their presence. He turned around and saw he was slowly gaining distance between himself and the hobgoblin, but wait, where was the goblin? He was stopped in his tracks as he was stabbed directly in the stomach by the goblin’s spear, he looked down and slit its throat, but it was too late, he would die here. His only hope was magic, but it was like Bruno’s dad said: “Magic is for geniuses and rich kids.”
Nicholas didn’t have any talent, he was just average. His vision blurred as he collapsed, he saw the Hobgoblin stalk towards him, he would probably be eaten. He never should’ve gotten his hopes up.
He remembered all the people he would be letting down, his mom and dad would be devastated, Mr. Williams would be heartbroken he couldn’t save him, and Mr. Keffler would be torn apart, even though he’d never show it. The old man cared more than he let on, he was a pillar for the whole village, damn near every man in town had worked under him at one point or another. The whole damn village had heard his advice a thousand times over, he was a wise old bastard, even if he acted like everything he said was obvious. “It doesn’t matter if ya got something nagging at ya in the back of your mind, ya still got work to do, work on through!” he’d always say.
Nicholas’ eyes widened in realization as the hobgoblin raised its massive fists high to crush him. Wisdom didn’t come from age or intention, it came through experience, Mr. Keffler could never give him advice if he was trying to, it came from the tidbits he had learned through his life that he passed on, you couldn’t do anything if you were worried about something and let it stop you, you’d have to push on through.
Nicholas might never know himself completely, but that didn’t matter, because he was who he was, and the world would have to know it, whether they liked it or not. Nicholas let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and everything went black.