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The Soul - This is a form of 'spectral organ' present within every living thing, whether they're a Human, a Slime, a Chimera, a Construct like Dolls/Golems, or Animals/Monsters. They represent a creature's 'identity', and are broken up into a number of different parts. The Soul leaves the body upon death rather than being destroyed. It's used as the 'controller' for all of the supernatural effects that creatures use within Alvelotyl.
Aera - The magical resource present everywhere in the world, and one also generated by Souls. The colour, texture, and general appearance of Aera depends on the source, namely the identity of the Soul generating it, or the type of region/substance it’s coming from.
'Passive Aera', also known as 'Ambient Aera', is Aera generated by the environment and normal objects. It's everywhere, and generally doesn't affect people unless it's very concentrated.
'Active Aera' is Aera with a set task/identity to it, and is what's generated by Souls and used in supernatural abilities as it's been given a shape/goal, whether that's turning into a [Fireball], enhancing one's physical abilities with [Burst of Speed], or allowing a person to go into trances to build artefacts through a [Creative Process].
The appearance of one's Aera is dictated by their identity, with the general colour often matching physical features or the common colours associated with their magical abilities. Textures and patterns tend to form on the Aera of Casters, making them easy to distinguish when using [Insight] in comparison to civilians with very low level magical abilities.
'Mana' is the unit of measurement for Aera.
Aura - The coating of Aera that surrounds a creature's body. In most cases, it's invisible to the naked eye, but can become 'thicker' and more prominent if abilities like [Mantle] are used. It acts as a sort of natural barrier that protects others from indirect magical effects and even harm to an extent, making the civilian people of Alvelotyl tougher on average than that of the average person on Earth. The Aura tends to get stronger the more magically powerful and/or higher leveled a person gets.
Ability - The blanket term for supernatural effects, such as Magic, Skills, and Luster Arts.
Magic - Magic is the art of transforming Aera into another form, and is typically performed by Souls. The actual effect itself is referred to as a 'Spell'. Alvelotyl's magic system focuses heavily on the concept of personal identity, meaning that Casters are only capable of using abilities that reflect that identity.
It can take time for people to find the magic that best works for them, but once they've taken that first step, developing it can be easier. The more magic develops, the more it reflects a person's identity, and aspects of Casters can be discerned by their abilities. That being said, even magic of the same type can reflect different aspects of two different Casters' identities, which makes understanding a person through their abilities tougher than it might appear at first glance.
Spell - Spells are the end result of using the magical arts. They come in a massive amount of different forms, and have been categorised a number of different ways throughout the ages and in different regions of the world. That being said, the most widely regarded methods of categorisation are the Six Schools of Magic, and the Arcane Tier System.
Six Schools of Magic - This system is used to categorise magic into six distinct 'Schools', all of which can be broken down further into 'branches', and further still into 'styles', making the system very thorough in defining any given ability, with many 'Hybrid Spells' using one or more of these categories. The Six Schools are as follows;
Elementalism, the power to create and manipulate physical matter.
Shapeshifting, the power to create and manipulate biological matter.
Enchanting, the power to manipulate words, language and meaning.
Perceptionism, the power to manipulate the mind and senses.
Necromancy, the power to create and manipulate Souls.
Manipulation, the power to create and manipulate forces.
Arcane Tier System - The Arcane Tier System acts as a rough guide for Casters and civilians alike to 'measure' an ability's potency. Due to how vast magic can be, there have been many different interpretations for what constitutes 'strong' magic, such as power, mana consumption, complexity, and so on.
The current, most widely accepted version of this system uses a mix of these elements, primarily focusing on complexity and progression. Abilities like [Ignite] are considered among the weakest Fire Magic Spells (1st Tier), while abilities like [Fire Weaving] are considered slightly above that (2nd Tier). Most combative abilities tend to lie around the 3rd Tier or higher, like [Fireball], with individuals capable of using multiple 3rd Tier Spells being regarded as 'Casters', although most civilians are capable of some 1st/2nd Tier Spells, if not higher.
Condition - Condition is the term given to a magical phenomenon that allows the Caster to place restrictions and alterations to their Spells, Skills, or Soul in order to relieve some of the strain of using them, and increase their power or versatility by making the ability more in sync with one’s identity and/or while increasing the 'risk' involved. Conditions that affect the shape or form of an ability don't apply instantly, and must be trained and shaped over time so the Caster can find what best suits them.
Conditions are strongest when they both increase the difficulty/risk of the ability in some way, and/or synergise well with the Caster's identity.
There are various types of Conditions, ranging from Subconscious Conditions (SubCons) that form on abilities automatically without the Caster's awareness, Soul Conditions (Which apply to everything, rather than a single ability), Inborn Conditions (Which are on a Soul from birth), and a number of others. Beyond Condition types, different popular 'trends' for Conditions have formed in different regions, leading to some Casters being identified based on the common restrictions their homelands/friend groups use.
Soulburn - Soulburn is the term used to describe the condition a Caster can be afflicted with by overusing magic or magical abilities. Soulburn causes the Caster to feel their Aura, the protective surface of their Soul that shields the body from the effects of one's own magic weakens. This degrades one's ability to protect themselves from their abilities and has a sensation that 'burns' the soul itself as a form of recoil, hence the name.
Soulburn can have a variety of different effects based on the situation and the Caster. If the Caster has been barely overtaxed, they can suffer loss of breath and burning, compressive chest pains. However, the symptoms of Soulburn beyond this point are difficult to fully diagnose, since the effects of the condition are based on the Caster's abilities. Fire Magic can cause burns, Water Magic can cause dehydration, Mental Magic can cause headaches, and so on.
Skill - Skills are a form of Arcane Mutation that alters the body, mind, and/or Soul of the user, allowing them to perform otherwise superhuman feats with the aid of their Soul. Skills are a magical process that alters the individual's form, and as such don't directly require the direct transformation of Aera like Spells do.
Skills can be acquired through training, and can be instinctively used by the Caster without thinking, similar to muscle memory. These abilities are drilled into the body and Soul of the Caster, meaning they can even be used if the mind of the Caster has been altered or wiped entirely.
Although Skills do not require Aera like Spells do, using multiple at a time can put great strain on the user's body and soul in a manner akin to strenuous exercise.
Skills, like Spells, come in a vast number of forms, ranging from Racial Skills (Related to the Caster’s race/species) to Class Skills (Commonly associated/acquired by certain Classes) to Unique Skills (Abilities typically only acquired in very specific/niche circumstances) to Warping Skills (Skills that use the natural properties of a Caster’s Aera to alter other objects).
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Luster Art - Luster Arts, and by extension Luster Techniques, are another supernatural technique that can be used by Casters throughout the world of Alvelotyl. These abilities use the natural, base properties of Aera through the Soul, and as such don't rely on the 'transformation' of Aera like magic does. This means that anyone with a Soul and Aera are capable of learning them, regardless of their magical affinities and specialisations.
There are three base Luster Arts, all of which can be trained, refined, and blended further to become 'Luster Techniques', or more specialised uses of each Luster Art. The base three Luster Arts are;
[Mantle], which thickens a person's Aura, enhancing the body's strength and durability. This also makes the Aura visible to all present, and acts as a short-range light source.
[Insight], which attunes a person's physical sense to Aera, granting them the ability to 'see' Aera. This can be used to scout an area for runes, artefacts, Souls, and other traces of magical influence. With practice, it can also be used to identify 'impressions' from Aera, allowing people to understand some of what other creatures are feeling, or some of the identity traits woven into the Aera itself.
[Release], which allows a person to 'snap' their Aera outwards with force, creating a shockwave or blast. This shockwave's shape tends to follow the medium it's fired through, with [Release] from a punch being a blunt attack, [Release] fired from a blade being a slashing attack, and so forth.
Class - Classes are a manifestation of unified traits, jobs and ideas surrounding one's identity that form within the Soul. These 'Classes' grow in power with use, and allow the person's Soul to grow with a specific 'direction' of growth in mind, granting Skills and helping to direct a person's magical ability over time.
The Soul changes and adapts itself according to the individual's identity, and tries to map out definable aspects of people's identities. This mapping can contribute to how a person's magic forms, as well as being turned into Classes.
They come in a number of forms, such as Basic Classes, Advanced Classes, Hybrid Classes, Unique Classes, and occasionally, 'Legacy Classes'.
Level - Leveling is the term given to the increase in skill, knowledge, and ability pertaining to one's Class and how it ties into one's identity. When people fulfill certain conditions, they will gain Experience, which is a value within the Soul that judges someone’s growth, and impacts how the Soul develops and matures.
All Classes have different requirements for Experience, meaning some Classes will level slower than others, or in different ways.
As a creature grows in Level, their Aera becomes more complex and attuned to their identity, which causes an increase in frequency/potential of Skills that the individual develops, as well as strengthening the Soul, allowing for a higher amount of Aera and in turn, greater passive health and durability.
Those with higher Levels will often gain increasingly more specific, bizarre or powerful Skills as their Soul hones in on everything that got them to that point. This has also caused savants in a particular field to naturally learn magic without any formal training for their field and have an instinctual ease for magic that relates to their chosen Class/profession.
Experience - Experience is the term used to describe the 'growth' of one's Level, and the nature of Experience differs from Class to Class. However, there are some unified rules that decide how much 'Experience' a Soul gains from performing certain actions.
Firstly, in order to advance in a certain Class, they must fulfill Class specific conditions. For example, a Class like [Warrior] will need the Caster to fight using melee weapons to level and become more experienced. If they specialise in a certain kind of weapon or fighting style, their Class may become Advanced as they specialise more and have a firmer grasp of their strengths, weaknesses, and identity, leading their Class changing to others like [Swordsman], or [Spear Dancer], or [Warlord]. Those who learn the most from any given activity related to their Class will gain more Experience.
Secondly, Classes cannot simply be grinded. Doing the same task over and over to level is a very inefficient way to gain experience. People gain experience the fastest through adversity. For this reason, people seeking to level and become stronger will purposefully challenge themselves, even to the point of taking on dangerous professions, like Adventuring. It is because of this aspect that Experience is not always a denotation of someone's skill or natural talent at the Class, but rather how much they've experienced and had to overcome following the path of that Class.
Thirdly is the act of Flow. Flow is the state where one becomes absorbed in a task, to the point where they barely register anything else. One's aptitude for a certain Class or magical style is denoted by how invested they are in it, and how much they enjoy it. If a person is attempting to become a [Blacksmith] because of pressure from their families or peers will level slowly (Or even not at all) if they do not truly enjoy the task, while a person who enjoys Blacksmithing wholeheartedly and gives their all to growing will level far faster. One's investment and passion for their Class is what truly defines their ability to grow and develop.
Caster Classification - The Caster Classification system is a way for government bodies and organisations like the Adventurer's Guild to determine a given creature's abilities in a concise manner. This helps to determine how a 'balanced' party should form, as well as identify a monster or criminal's strengths and how to best develop countermeasures to defeat them.
There are 13 Caster Classifications, which, to simplify, go as follows;
Sword, short range Casters.
Spear, short-mid range Casters.
Shield, Casters that protect themselves/others.
Syringe, Casters that heal/augment themselves/others.
Bow, long range Casters.
Crown, Casters that use minions in combat.
Wall, Casters that control a zone/territory.
Mask, Casters that focus on subterfuge and stealth.
Scope, Casters that focus on gathering information.
Glove, Casters that focus on stealing/displacement.
Wheel, Casters that focus on mobility.
Anvil, Casters that focus on creating/altering objects.
Mic, Casters that focus on manipulating others.
Racial Classification - The Racial Classification system is a method to group certain types of creatures together, both for legal and research purposes. The races and species of Alvelotyl are all divided into ten categories, known broadly as the 'Ten Racial Classifications', and go as follows;
Humanoid is the term used to describe most creatures similar to Humans in general body structure, and is the first of the ten Racial Classifications. They come in varying shapes and sizes, but differ from other types in that they generally don't possess fur or many distinct animalistic features, and have organic forms. Some examples of this category include; Humans, Half Elves, Dwarves, Goliaths, Faeries, Darklings, Goblins, Trolls, Oni, Angels, Leprechauns, and Changelings.
Tierakin, also known as Tiera or colloquially as Beastfolk/Beastkin, is the term used to describe creatures with a general Humanoid shape that possess notable animalistic features, and is the second of the ten Racial Classifications. This category comes in three distinct sub-categories. Oldbloods are Tierakin with little to no visible skin or Human facial regions. Newbloods are Tierakin possessing both skin and animalistic features. Halfbloods are Tierakin born from the union of a Tierakin and another creature, and can possess a random assortment of traits from both parents. Some examples of this category include; Satyrs, Inura, Nekari, Gnolls, Orcs, Triton, Merfolk, Centaurs, Croakers, Serpine, Lamias, Draconians, Roden, Lapin, and Rakshasa.
Insectoid is the broad term used to describe any creature with insect or arthropod-like features, and is the third of the ten Racial Classifications. This category is broad in that it can encompass both Sapient and Non-Sapient creatures, ranging from more Humanoid insects to the average fly. Some examples of this category include; Antimites, Arachtaurs, Jorogumo, Mothmen, Vyrliphores, Malacanths, Master Worms, Bogworms, Cleaning Bugs, Corpse Spiders, Sleeping Bugs, and Omukade.
Botanoid is the term used to describe any creature with a plant-like biology, and is the fourth of the ten Racial Classifications. This extends to both Sapient and Non-Sapient creatures, yet they must possess an active Soul. As such, this does not apply to regular plants. Some examples of this category include; Treants, Mandrakes, Alraune, Mycelians, Cooclichans, and Barometz.
Construct is the term used to describe any creature with a non-organic physical biology, and is the fifth of the ten Racial Classifications. This extends to those who need to build their bodies or work upon their own form to grow, or those who simply exist in their non-organic forms. This category also includes creatures that can jump between forms, like Spirits that require a physical, non-organic form to function to anchor them in place for extended periods, but can change the form they currently reside in. Some examples of this category include; Dolls, Golems, Shabti, Machinas, Demiurges, Possessed Armors, Gargoyles, and Monoliths.
Spirit is the term used to describe creatures without a stable physical form, and is the sixth of the ten Racial Classifications. This includes creatures with shifting, unstable forms, those that constantly move between temporary forms, or those that must magically generate their own forms through Aera constructs. Despite not having a stable form, these creatures are not strongly pulled towards Borders like 'dead' Souls for one reason or another. While Spirits are incorporeal, they are not immune to physical attack. Physical strikes with enough force can displace their 'bodies', forcing them to expel energy to pull themselves back together to reform. This makes Spirits difficult to dispatch by regular means, as they have no weak point to target, and must be worn down with repeated attacks. Some examples of this category include; Ghosts, Wraiths, Poltergeists, Tulpas, Dreamborns, Horrors, Egomorphs, Genies, Grims, Brunaidhs, Smotflies, Elementals like Sylphids, Dryads and Nymphs, and Slimes.
Undead is the term used to describe creatures that have been resurrected after death, and is the seventh of the ten Racial Classifications. This primarily includes creatures that were formerly abandoned Souls that found new bodies to exist within to protect them from the Border's pull, or creatures with such powerful regrets and desires that they remained bound to their body after death. Some examples of this category include; Living Hands, Narcysts, Zombies, Mummies, Jiangshi, Dullahans, Revenants, Skeletons, and Liches.
Sapient is the broad term used to describe sapient creatures that don't fall into the other categories, and is the eighth of the ten Racial Classifications. This can include monsters that, although being sapient, do not work with other societies, or vastly unusual beings that are impossible to characterise using the existing system that still possess the capacity to think. This category can also contain creatures born from unusual situations that make them impossible to pin down in other categories. Some examples of this category include; Afflicted, Stygians, Vampires, Chimeras, Adepts, Aberrants, Tanukis, Sphinxes, Dragons, Zmei, Cait Siths, Kumihos, and Krakens.
Animal is the broad term used to describe non-sapient creatures that are generally passive or otherwise non-hostile towards sapient races, and is the ninth of the ten Racial Classifications. Some animals have been made domesticated, while others remain wild. Although animals can become aggressive due to conflict or outside forces, they are typically non-hostile by default. Some examples of this category include; Wuffles, Yetis, Tuicandros, Tanngiosts, Kamaitachi, Saga Turtles, Globsters, Street Snails, Moa, Copycats, and Mammoths.
Monster is the broad term used to describe non-sapient creatures that are generally hostile or otherwise passively dangerous to sapient races, and is the tenth of the ten Racial Classifications. Some monsters may come across as passive, yet still possess some trait that makes it exceedingly dangerous for them to come in contact with sapient races, and so have been classified as monsters. This can include things like harmful auras, poison or dangerous substance generation, being able to enhance existing monsters and many other factors. Some examples of this category include; Chupacabras, Wyrms, Hydras, Unicorns, Barghests, Dominagas, Salamanders, Adaptoads, Direwolves, Manticores, Hidebehinds, Kelpies, Rocs, Talebirds, Mimics, Hellhounds, and Tyrannosaurus Rexes.
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