Magic
In the world of Orphen, many species rely heavily on sorcery. However, there are a lot of intricacies about how that sorcery works, and the laws of sorcery are defined differently for each species. This page will cover the basics of magic, and link to sub-pages of the various types.
Overview
Magic Vs. Sorcery
The first matter of importance is the definition of what defines sorcery. Magic, as a word, is used specifically to describe "true" magic. That is, the magic of the gods. It's said that mortals could never hope to use something close to true magic. On the other hand, that magic was stolen from the gods and passed down as "sorcery." By this nature, even non-human species who possess this derivative magic are considered to be sorcerers. This is the primary classification of magic.
Types of Sorcery
There are several different types of sorcery, which are referred to as 'Talents' and all of which will be covered at a later date. Each of the beasts who stole magic inherited their own sub-class of it. For the Wyrd Dragons, this was Silence Magic, which used written script as a medium. When the Wyrd Dragons interbred with humans, their descendants inherited a new classification of magic, 'Voice' magic. This became the standard type used for the series, as it's the type of magic used by human sorcerers. Every type of magic has its own medium, and thus its own limitations.
It is unknown what caused each species to develop their individual talents, different from all others. It has been determined that, at the very least, this has nothing to do with physical strength or age. It is noted that, at the very least proficiency does have an impact on the overall power of the talents.
Classifications of Magic
Black Magic and White Magic
Sorcery, or perhaps more accurately, spells, are said to be divided into two classifications: Black Magic and White Magic. Black Magic is said to deal with the physical, such as energy, heat, light, and matters dealing with the body itself. The other class is White Magic, which deals with time and matters of the mind. Almost all sorcerers fall into the category of black magic users, as white magic is said to not only be extraordinarily difficult to learn, but extremely rare. So rare, in fact, that only a few people have been confirmed to be born with these abilities. It's also worth noting that no sorcerer until Azalie had succeeded in using both types.
* Although this should technically be black sorcery and white sorcery for consistency's sake, we erred towards magic to fit the standard terminology used by English readers.
Individual Types of Sorcery
Dark Magic
Dark Magic is a dangerous type of sorcery that deals with the mind and is used by the Black Wolves of the Abyss (Deep Dragons). It's classified as the third most powerful class of sorcery talent after Silence Magic. [1]
Destruction Magic
This ability is used by the War Dragons, and is executed simply by thought. It's said to be the most powerful class of sorcery. [1]
Voice Magic
Voice Magic is the primary type of sorcery used in the series, as it's the type used by sorcerers. This sorcery surfaced when sorcerers were born from an interbreeding between humans and dragons (the Nornir). Their descendants became the sorcerers we know today, and used Voice Sorcery as their primary weapon. As the name might imply, Voice Sorcery uses the caster's voice as a medium. This allows them to knit the composition of sorcery anywhere that their voice can reach, giving them some of the greatest range among sorcery users today. However, this is also a steadfast limitation. Voice Sorcery can be interrupted by other loud sounds, such as abbrasive winds, and a sorcerer who cannot speak, thus cannot use their spells. Their sorcery will also only last for as long as their voice is resonating, meaning there is no permanent option. It's said to be the fourth most powerful class of sorcery talent after Dark Magic. [1]
Wyrd Graphs (Silence Magic)
This type of sorcery is used by the Nornir, with the written character as a medium. The fact that it's written means that Wyrd Graphs (the symbols used) have much more permanency than other types, while also being capable of weaving much more complex and organized spell structures. Silence Magic is said to be the second most powerful sorcery talent next to Destruction Magic. [1]
Notes On Sorcery Use and Effects
Visual Composition Reading
As long as someone possesses the ability to use sorcery, they can usually also recognize the composition of magic as it's being knitted together. Sorcerers can see this composition forming in the air, and can even gauge the power of the caster to some extent. This isn't entirely accurate, but is sufficient to determine if another caster is better than yourself. For example, Orphen was able to determine that Kouzen was a weak sorcerer from his composition. Majic was able to tell that both Orphen and Krylancelo (the Killing Doll) were stronger than himself by several leagues, but because of the gap in their strength, he couldn't tell the difference in their power when comparing the two.
Multicasting
Generally speaking, multicasting isn't a thing. A caster cannot use both an attack spell and a defensive spell at the same time. They must cancel one in order to initiate another. This applies to all manner of sorcerers, including the dragons themselves.
Barriers
There are a variety of barrier spells in the Orphen universe, and depending on the type, some have alternative uses. For example, the Halo Armor spell generates heat. This has been taken advantage of by using bottles filled with chemicals to effectively gas the sorcerers casting the spell.
Notes
• 1. Orphen's sorcery lecture from Volume 3, Chapter 2