The Magic of the Destiny Multiverse
Table of Contents
An Overview of Magic’s Structure and Usage
To start, let us explore the very fundamentals of what magic is. Magic, in its simplest definition, is a force that extends the will of those who possess it, often referred to as "mages" or "magic users," and allows them to preform feats impossible by any scientific means. There are several different types of magic, some with additional subtypes, each of which can be defined by their unique traits. Magic lacks a physical form, however it is thought to reside within a user's body, a belief that is used to explain why it is able to affect the minds and bodies of mages in events such as an overpower. Basic magic and basic magic alone is comprised of two things: raw magic and magic energy, each of which contribute to a magic's strength and usability.
Raw magic is as it sounds: pure, raw power. It is what is used when casting spells, and therefore, the amount of raw magic one possesses directly determines what spells one is able to cast and how strong that spell will be. As magic lacks material form, it is virtually impossible to quantify, however mages develop a sense for each other's magic, which allows them to determine one's relative strength and infer from there what sorts of spells one may be able to cast. Additionally, raw magic is dependent on magic energy, as a lack of magic energy means a lack of usability, and the more raw magic one has compared to magic energy, the chance of becoming overpowered heightens.
Magic energy determines how much of one's power can be utilised; their potential. It is not dependent on its counterpart and develops naturally with increased usage of magic and with time. An excess of magic energy has no clear detriment on mages, but it can lead to complications in determining strength, as it is often read in conjunction with raw magic when attempting to sense someone's power.
Elemental magic lacks this structure entirely, being naturally unusable by nearly all creatures—with few exceptions—and losing any non-spellcasting traits when used artificially. Instead, Elemental magic is, itself, a component, particularly of magical creatures. All but two species of magical creatures contain some level of at least one of the four Elemental magics in their composition, with some being made entirely of magic. The exceptions to this are the Shadow Beasts and the demigods, who are instead comprised wholly or partially of Dark and Light magic respectively. Some creatures with high compositions of Elemental magic, such as the unicorns, are able to utilise it in basic spellcasting, yet most lack this ability.
Strength can also be something of a double-edge sword. While more powerful magics do gain access to a wider repertoire of spells and are more easily able to cast them, errors become a lot more critical, and any instance in which magic can harm its user becomes far more dangerous. Arguably the most common of such instances is when magic becomes overpowered, or, in other words, when magic's sheer power becomes too much for a user to bear. Spellcasting becomes nearly impossible as magic and mage disconnect, in a sense, and often, the magic will act entirely on its own for as long as needed. Mages can experience anything from just a bit of pain anywhere on their bodies to serious physical harm to even death in rare, extreme cases. Commonly, one's own magic attempts to resolve an overpower by releasing as much raw magic as necessary in order to balance itself out, and it is the force of this release that causes many of the issues mages face.
While there exist variations between every magic type and even every mage themselves in precisely how spellcasting is done, generally speaking, spells are cast when magic is commanded to manipulate the world around it to fit what its user desires, whether this command be an act, an incantation, or simply willpower. Mages are limited only by their strength and knowledge, as one needs not only an understanding of what they are doing but also the strength to do it, and the greater impact a spell has, the more difficult and specific it tends to be. After all, one can manifest sparks of light even with no understanding of what it is, but a revival spell requires that the caster understand exactly how their spell affects the soul and body of its recipient.
Today, it appears that the only thing truly impossible regardless of one's magical strength is breaking the universe in some way, usually through the creation of paradoxes, such as in the case of what is considered "true time travel"—the substitute of which is magic creating a temporary parallel timeline for the caster to hop into instead. One cannot traverse or manipulate their own timeline, nor those of "main" timelines or alternate universes. Similarly, any form of rewriting the world is simply unachievable.
Though anyone can become a mage artificially, most natural magics are instead inherited. Because Elemental magic is a part of a creature's composition instead of a usable magic type, what Elemental magic one has depends on their species. Basic magic, on the other hand, is passed down according to these rules:
The parent with the strongest magic passes theirs unto their child. This means that, for example, if one were to have a Light mage father and a stronger Dark mage mother, they would inherit Dark magic. This also applies if one parent has magic and the other does not; the parent with magic would pass down their power.
Similarly, if one parent has Dual magic and the other has Light or Dark, the parent with either Light or Dark magic will pass their power down, regardless of the strength of the Dual mage parent.
If the magics are of opposite type but equal strength, they will combine into Dual magic in the child.
The Celestial magics Alpha and Eclipse will be passed down regardless of the other parent's magic type, and in their previous user, they will leave behind Light or Dark magic respectively. It is unclear if Reaper or Sunfire function this same way, as they have only ever had a single user each instead of being a generational power. However, if they too exhibit this pattern, it is likely that they would both leave behind Dual.
Mages with basic magic often unlock their power at different times depending on their magic type. Light mages discover theirs first at around the age of five, but it starts out extremely weak, typically unable to cast even the simplest spell for months, whereas Dark magic begins working later, at around age seven, yet stronger, able to light a spark almost as soon as it first activates. As usual, Dual magic sits perfectly in the middle of both of its counterparts.
At times, directing one's magic is needed to properly spellcast, especially with young mages. This is most commonly done through gestures of the arm, although it can also be done with any part of the body. Incantations are also helpful for beginners to learn how to command their magic, but while natural mages are able to move on to simply willing their magic to do what they want, incantations are a must for artificial mages. The sole exception has been the very rare instances where the source of an artificial mage's power is Hellfire instead of basic or Elemental magic, as Hellfire establishes a much stronger link to its user than any other magic type, save Celestial, of course.
Artificial Magic
All magic requires a "source" in order for one to utilise it, and for most mages, that source is simply themselves. However, not everyone is born with magic, and not every usage of magic is possible or even sustainable when the source is a humanoid body. Thankfully for those who lack natural magic, or for such instances where an external source is needed, it is possible through enchantments to create a self-sustaining source of magic that can be used in a variety of ways.
As mentioned before, all magic—spare Hellfire and Celestial—is stripped of any non-spellcasting traits when used as an artificial source. This means that, no matter what is given to a source object, it will act in the same programmable manner without environmental awareness or connection to a user. Commonly, artificial magic is used to allow those not born with magic to spellcast, but it is also frequently seen in use with machines, especially those that perform precise operations. This practice became common moving into the 20th century, particularly in Europe, though it quickly spread across the globe. By the end of that same century, artificial magic in people became just as if not more common than in machines.
Estimates for the first usage of artificial magic date back well before the common era, with some placing the discovery of enchantment around 5,000 years ago and others as far back as 15,000, almost every instance of early use being exclusively in tools and weaponry. It is unclear whether or not people of the past used artificial magic the way many do now, as there is little evidence one way or the other, however what is known is that use of magically-enhanced or even magically-powered machines arose as a part of the Industrial Revolution, becoming especially popular during the Victorian Era. Not only had magic and technology been evolving for decades at that point, but by around the late 1860's, public perception of the study of magic shifted from a centuries-long focus on what lie ahead to one on the fundamentals of magic itself. Understanding what magic is made of greatly impacted the way it was utilised not just naturally, but in machines, and allowed for the invention of self-sustaining artificial sources.
Think of this use of magic as software running a certain programme. The code may have one path it can take, or it may be able to adapt to certain conditions, however it is limited by what is written into it, unable to change without the programmer altering it themself. In this sense, the magic that is used to give power to non-mages is more akin to a machine learning programme, or artificial intelligence, albeit a very restricted one. It takes in information from its creator or user, such as when an attempt at a spell has failed, and uses it to improve itself over time. Despite this, it cannot know the exact end results of what it had cast due to its lack of environmental awareness, so the user themself must adjust in order to produce their desired outcome.
Considering the varying methods with which a natural mage spellcasts, it seems obvious that there would not be one sole way for artificial magic to do the same. Just like mages, sources of artificial magic must "learn" how to cast, often accomplished through their creators practising different spells using the source, be it a staff, an amulet, a wand, or something else altogether. This technique results in certain incantations being "assigned" to different spells, so it is often ideal to designate multiple phrases to one spell and to leave behind a record to be passed onto the next user. Experienced mages can also overwrite incantations in the same fashion. Again, artificial sources imbued with Hellfire or Celestial magic do not require the use of incantations and therefore have no need to undergo such a process. Additionally, every culture has its own set of common incantations. For example, in many countries which speak romance languages, as well as those that speak English, one may frequently hear Latin phrases invoked in spellcasting, however the exact words may differ depending on one's location. Some religious groups also form their incantations as commands to figures of worship.
Artificial magic is most common amongst humans, with nearly two thirds of those not born mages becoming so artificially. The use of artificial magic as a form of training natural mages has also grown common within the last century, a practice which sprouted all over the world between the 1920's through the 1980's. Additionally, government buildings as well as many different places of work are required to implement magicblocking security systems, many of which are self-sustaining. Magic may also be utilised as a form of power similar to electricity, sometimes even replacing electricity altogether. This does come with risks, however; in events where one's magic directly effects the environment around it, artificial magic may still react in a dangerous fashion, making electricity the generally safer option.
The Basic Magics: Dark Magic
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The Basic Magics: Light Magic
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The Basic Magics: Dual Magic
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Elemental Magic
How ironic that the simplest of all of Destiny's magics should be the most crucial in understanding the magical makeup of its largest realm?
Elemental magic is made of nothing but itself, yet it makes up the majority of things on Earth. It finds itself in nearly all organic matter, from the toughest of mountains to the most fragile blades of grass, from ferocious dragons to humble fairies, from the sky to the sea to the land; it is rarer to find a place devoid of magic than one where it is in abundance. Each of the four subtypes reside in different climates and within different creatures, sometimes on their own and sometimes blended with its counterparts, and while they barely have use to humans on their own, it is clear that the level of Elemental magic in an environment is positively correlated to the ease of spellcasting in those with basic magic.
Fire Elemental magic is arguably the rarest, environmentally speaking, typically only appearing in areas of volcanic activity, though there are some traces in particularly hot deserts. Ironically, it has the largest number of magical creatures tied to it, both living and extinct, including demons, dragons, a handful of winged serpent species', a number of desert insects, and the long gone flameborn. Many creatures with Fire Elemental magic have it in high concentrations, which gives them tremendous heat resistance and longevity. In fact, both demons and dragons not only age much slower than any human, but they also stop ageing after a certain amount of time—between twenty to forty years for demons and over one hundred for dragons—giving them incredibly long lifespans. Many dragons, especially, have lived for millennia.
Air Elemental magic tends to pair with Fire, and though it is not limited to any biome, it tends to group where other magics are present. The aforementioned demons and dragons are well known examples of creatures containing a mix of Fire and Air, while gryphons and other bird-like magical beings are comprised solely of Air. Many extinct species are also thought to have contained Air, such as demibirds and harpies, the latter of which is also known as the only species to have ever been made of Hellfire. All creatures with Air have the ability to fly using their wings regardless of whether or not their bodies would be suitable for flight were they entirely organic, demons and demibirds being a commonly cited example; the size of their wings would not be suitable for any creature not aided by magic. Additionally, many seem to share a resistance to hunger, able to survive without food for longer stretches of time than comparable species. Many are also lighter in average body mass than similar species who lack this type of Elemental magic.
Earth or Nature Elemental magic, while around as common as Air, is considered to be much stronger, despite how few creatures contain it. This is mainly due to the fact that Earth Elemental rarely pares with another magic type, and a handful of the creatures it inhabits are made entirely of magic, such as unicorns. In fact, unicorns are the only magical creature with the ability to channel Elemental magic in minor spellcasting, thanks in large part to their very high concentrations of the power.
Water Elemental is found most commonly all over the planet, collecting near bodies of water and spreading mainly through rainfall. Startlingly, the fewest number of magical creatures have ever been made with Water, many of which have gone extinct. There is some evidence for the existence of ancient creatures like the Leviathans and Krakens of legend, however much of the oceanic life throughout history appears to have been entirely organic. Now, the only such magical creature known to exist are the endangered merfolk.
Out of the eight magical humanoid species that have been discovered as of writing—those being flameborns, elves, demibirds, harpies, merfolk, demons, Shadow Beasts, and demigods—only the last four still exist to this day. It is unclear what caused the extinctions of a variety of magical creatures, though theories exist that it was a collective combination of harsh conditions and human interference. Humans are known to be the cause of the demons' endangerment; written records exist from as recent as the Middle Ages claiming victory over their old kingdoms, often justifying slaughtering them through religious beliefs, and the demons in the Kingdom of the Underworld have ensured to never forget what drove them deep underground in the first place. Humans had also attempted to wipe out Shadow Beasts in much the same way for much the same reason, though they were able to escape and establish the Kingdom of the Shadow Realm. As of writing, there is no evidence that the same feelings of animosity existed between humans and other, more ancient species', though there is just as little proof of the opposite.
Elemental magic is very commonly used in artificial magic, obtained through a unique spell which directs the magic in the environment to be absorbed into a source, typically a gemstone. These magics can mix with no reaction as the source object is being enchanted, however an attempt to over-fuel the object may result in a minor explosion, which can cause damage to both the object and its holder.
The Great Prophecy
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The Celestial Magics: Their Beginnings
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The Celestial Magics: Alpha
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The Celestial Magics: Sunfire
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The Celestial Magics: Reaper
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The Celestial Magics: Eclipse
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Hellfire Magic
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