Under the traditional framework, we usually consider magic to come from the sphere of magic. This may be a simplified and naive approach that is sufficient for most arcane formulae.
This is not actually the case. Instead of seeing all magic flow from the sphere of magic, in reality, only a very small portion of magic comes from this specific source. For a deeper understanding of how sources and drains of power function, see my earlier work ""
As many of you know, we have five to six types of magic users. These magic users are classified on different levels and within different institutionally approved frameworks.
Here I am thinking especially of Ervind Svendsen's definition of magic casters, where he divides all magic users into two categories. In his work "A Formal Definition of Magic", he argues that there can only be two types of magic casters. The first type is the Mass caster. These are people who must say a prayer or chant in order to cast spells. The second type is the Rite caster. These are casters who must use words of power and associated hand signs.
This is also the starting point I will use, though, as Ervind Svendsen expressed in his last words before he was burned for heresy:
"[...] as such my previous theorem clashes with the officially approved dogma of the Inquisition, as it equates druids and shamans with the holy anointed priests of Kelllwan's light."
I do, however, wish to define my own framework for these magic casters, so let us go through them one by one, and at the end, I will draw a conclusion from what I have found.
This is the first magic caster we will look at, and after having studied several druids from Alman’s circle, I can say with certainty that this is probably one of the most complex magic casters in Kalish.
From the beginning, it is important to understand that even among magic users, the druid is a mysterious profession. They use prayers to Mother Nature, not to Esselaia, to cast their spells. Under Professor Ervind’s definition, this places them in the category of Mass casters.
Their spells, however, change regularly, which is not the case for any other type of caster. A druid who can cast Tsunami one day may be able to cast The Rose’s Secret the next. Alman explained in his texts that this is due to the changing of the seasons and the way nature is in constant flux, while all other sources of magic are static.
My greatest question when I first heard this was what the difference between Mother Nature and Esselaia actually is. According to Alman's notes on the subject, Mother Nature was and is a being that represents Kalish and the mortal sphere. With four children, Fyrnos, Undine, Zephron and Terran, she makes up nature itself.
Druids are built around a theme of duality, and this is also one of the things that separates them from what we usually call ordinary spellcasters. While this is a fairly new theory, based on the great schism of the druid circles, they have managed to formally define each of Mother Nature’s children with two sides that they represent.
Fyrnos (the element of fire)
Chaos: The chaos of Fyrnos brings forest fires, heat waves and destruction. Their flames burn without control and leave death and ash in their wake.
Life: In its life aspect, Fyrnos brings warmth and comfort and its flames foster renewal and growth. It is the source of the cycle of life where destruction gives birth to new life, as when forests are reborn after a fire.
Undine (the element of water)
Chaos: Undine, in its chaotic aspect, brings floods, tidal waves and violent storms that swallow landscapes. Chaotic Undine is unpredictable and drags everything with it in its raging waters.
Life: When Undine brings life, it grants peace and growth to fields and forests. Its gentle currents create stability, abundance and growth and make the world fertile and alive.
Zephron (the element of wind)
Chaos: Zephron in chaos is the raging storm that ravages cities and tears ships apart at sea. Its whirlwinds bring death and destruction without warning.
Life: Zephron, in its life aspect, is the breeze that gently carries drifting seeds. It brings air and oxygen to all living beings and spreads change in a way that promotes growth and stability.
Terran (the element of earth)
Chaos: Terran’s chaos brings earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides that tear landscapes apart and topple mountains.
Life: In its life aspect, Terran is stable and reliable, the ground on which all life can build. Its solid earth provides nourishment to plants and shelters all creatures, and it ensures stability and the cycle of life through the passage of time.
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With this information, I believe that it is viable to determine that while we might consider druids as a single entity, their constant flow and ever-changing aspects mean that they are better viewed as a field of magic, rather than a type of spell caster.
This profession also belongs in the group of Mass casters. This time, however, we do not see worship of Mother Nature but of the spirits. How a spirit becomes a spirit could be an entire thesis in itself, but our focus should be on the interaction between spirits and the caster.
Shamanic magic is particularly special because it cannot be used in battle. After consulting with some very well-read shamans, I have reached the conclusion that this is because the strongest spirits, which are used for casting spells, are the result of conflict and therefore try to involve themselves in battle while locked in the spirit realm. From what I understand of the old rituals, this is also why song and dance are used to restore mana. It is a way of seeking out spirits that are more intellectually stimulating and thereby increasing natural mana regeneration.
Shamans have, in general, been strongly linked to orkish culture. This is primarily because the god of all spirits is Orlek, but also because the first shaman, Hrothgar, trained only orks. It has long been rumoured that Hrothgar manipulates Orlek, but I will assume it is Orlek’s will that non-orkish shamans are generally weaker than orkish shamans.
We know these from our local churches, and as most of you probably know, they also belong among the Mass casters. It is, in fact, from the church mass that we get this term. Prayer is an important part of priests’ spellcasting, and often the only reliable way to see whom a priest worships is to have them cast a spell. Texts from the Forgotten Academy indicate that in ancient times, all priests had access to the same spells. This has changed as our pantheon has expanded. We have seen the creation of several gods, yet for as long as records exist, there have only been three officially documented god killings.
It was long assumed that when a god is slain, their followers lose their magic and their chosen are struck dead on the spot. This has proven not to be the case. With Daikia’s death, we saw that Ishtar was able to take her mother’s place and thereby maintain the power structure that had been created.
We all know the academic study of wizardry, but it may surprise many of you that there is intense debate about how many paths exist for wizards. We often work with the assumption that there are four paths of magic, though which paths are considered relevant is a matter of discussion. At the risk of burning like Ervind Svendsen, my claim is that there are five paths.
The paths that everyone can agree exist are the Elementalist, the Mentalist and the Necromancer. Some argue that the Arcanist is not real magic, but rather a collection of magical properties and therefore should be defined as a form of science. I choose to count the Arcanist as a path. There are also those who believe that the Demonologist is merely a priest who uses a mixture of arcane rites and prayers. Here, I too choose to count this as its own path.
With this clarified, we know that these five paths are all rite casters, with the exception of the Demonologist and the Arcanist, who are both a combination of mass caster and rite caster. Again, we see a pattern of what we believe to be a firmly categorised spell caster class, being a broad field of combined ideas that highlights some aspects of a greater whole.
A mage is often categorised as a wizard. Even among my colleagues with less solid academic grounds for their professorships, this is common. This could not be more incorrect. A wizard is a person who has studied their academic texts or found magic from an internal source, whereas a mage is a person who has been granted magic from an external source.
Since their magic comes from an external source, we also see that their mana channels are not blocked by armour. This means a mage will often wear heavy armour to protect themselves. Furthermore, their muscles are not underdeveloped as a result of internal mana flow, and they can be useful in close combat. This led to them being known for a long time as war wizards, which makes little sense, since a mage is rarely effective in large-scale conflicts and is not a wizard at all.
Many believe that the first mage was the Scribe. Unfortunately, we have no documentation for this, since the Scribe has chosen not to document their own creation process or source of power.
As most of you have probably guessed, this confusion over the nature of a mage could not occur without a significant overlap with the wizard. It should therefore be fairly obvious which of Ervind’s types a mage belongs to, but in case one of my colleagues has somehow managed to follow along with this thesis, I should clearly state that a mage is a Rite caster.
This profession is rarely acknowledged as a true magic caster. This is partly because they use spells that belong to other casters. From druid to priest, we see paladins use basic spells belonging to their chosen aspect. This has led many to believe that Mother Nature is a deity, as a Paladin is able to replicate druid spells, but Mother Nature appears to be dormant if this is the case, as no priest dedicated to Mother Nature is able to cast any spells.
Paladins have, however, found a way to force mana through themselves while still wielding rune items. Their spells are often seen as miracles rather than abilities they have learned. As expected, they are Mass casters, and as such, they can use their spells to inspire those around them.
It is clear that there are themes across all of our types of magic casters. I therefore believe it is foolish to classify them as six different types. It makes more sense to see them as six faces of a single die. I will claim that the two most obvious opposites are the Priest and the Wizard. At the same time, they are very similar and deeply different. On each of their sides, we find the Paladin and the Mage, who are also opposites of each other. This leaves the Shaman and the Druid as opposites.
We can therefore see that they all draw on energy from the universe itself. If we find the centre of this die, then we find the ultimate source of magic that will allow us to unify all these forms of magic. I call this source Ur-Magic, and I believe this is the path to attaining godhood.