-Author-
Jim Clougherty
The Categories of Natural Magic
Natural magic is divided up into six categories, each with a variety of abilities afforded to the user. The types of magic users are as follows:
Those who control the elements such as water, the wind, or fire. It can be any sort of element, but to what degree they can control it depends on how well it is understood. Aldous, for example, is a master of both lightning and water, but only understands the basics of fire. He will need more time and experience with flame before he can do anything more than throw fireballs or make it dance for dramatic effect.
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An Elemental can only use what’s in front of them. They cannot create what they’re controlling. With that weakness aside, Elementals make for formidable warriors and tend to appreciate the simple things in life. Some users may have controlling personalities and a near unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
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A mage who masters an element can become one with it, for a short time. An example of this is how Aldous was able to travel along the clouds in the form of lightning. However, this is an extremely draining process, even for a master. Thus, it is not used lightly or often.
These mages can create anything they set their mind to, so long as they are powerful and knowledgeable enough on what is being made. It takes a brilliant mind to be a proficient Conjurer, because anyone can come up with a half-baked idea and create something sub-par. A true master will know the finest details of what they’re creating. The Mountain King, for instance, conjured an entire castle through his creativity and knowledge of architecture. A less experienced or weaker-minded Conjurer would have created a castle that collapsed in short order.
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Conjurers cannot materialize a soul or create beings with intelligence. They don’t necessarily have control over what they create, either. Only a true master of their craft will have minor degrees of control over their creation. For example, the Mountain King was able to command his thunder clouds to make lightning strikes, but could only do so in Aldous’ general area without much aim. A weaker Conjurer wouldn’t have been able to aim the bolts to any degree.
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Most Conjurers are creative in one way or another and tend to think in ways that make perfect sense to them, but are illogical to others. They will often rush into something excitedly without thinking of the consequences.
These magic folk are able to change the appearance of something and retain its properties. This can be anything from Shapeshifting themselves to turning someone or something into what they desire. However, the transformation must be well-studied and defined in their minds. They cannot simply make up how a person looks and begin the transformation. The user must study and understand what they are Shapeshifting themselves or someone else into. The shapeshifting of others takes a substantial amount of magic and there is a time limit. The more mighty or pathetic the transformation is, the less time it will last. It also depends on the power of the Shapeshifter. It is typically easier for a Shapeshifter to transform themselves or an inanimate object, but these too have time limits depending how much magic is put into it.
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If a Shapeshifter were facing another magic user, it likely wouldn’t be worth wasting magic on trying to transform their opponent; they would have to be significantly more powerful to pull off a transformation, and even then it wouldn’t last long because magic grants their opponent extra resistance.
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Each Shapeshifter typically has a specialty. Some choose to specialize in living creatures, for example. In that case, getting a complete idea of their target's abilities is a must. In addition, each living species is different. A Shapeshifter who specializes in transforming into animals may not be as proficient at transforming into different humans.
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However, a master of Shapeshifting will not need much time to learn their new target of expertise. All that is required are one fulfillment each of their five senses. A master of human Shapeshifting, for example, would need only to see their target up close, hear their voice, smell their natural fragrance/odor, touch some part of their body, and taste their most commonly consumed food or drink.
Shapeshifters are usually idealistic and want to change something – whether that be themselves, the world, or even one specific thing. They tend to be self-conscious and are most likely to hold a grudge of the magic groups.
As the name implies, these mages can Summon people, creatures, objects, and even themselves to a destination of their choosing. However, they must know or understand the place where they are sending to and from. If they do not concentrate, or do not fully know where they are summoning to and from, the results can be disastrous. Consequences of an improper summon can be anything from sending an object to a random location, to hurdling the user through time and space and killing themselves in the process. In addition, the bigger or more powerful the being or object being Summoned, the more magic is required and the more likely an improper summon will occur.
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A master Summoner can use many portals at the same time. Where a Summoner who understands the basics can use two vortexes - one entrance and one exit - a master can use upwards of a dozen at the same time; a great way to overwhelm or confuse enemies.
They are often living in a state of flux and very much enjoy traveling. The type of person to reorganize when it’s not necessarily needed, and also the most likely of the categories to be skeptical of things they’re told. They all have strong memories, as it’s a requirement in their art.
Unlike most other categories, these magic users don’t control anything, but instead make suggestions and work together with nature. This can include anything from working and communicating with animals to instructing plants. Even the weather can be considered nature, and entire storms have been redirected in the past through the power of a Nature Wizard’s suggestion to it. Humans are also a part of nature, so through the power of suggestion, it is possible for a Nature user to lead over towns or even countries without the use of force. The more intelligent or powerful the nature target, the more magic it requires to convince.
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However, the majority of Nature mages are interested in the less intelligent animals or plant life. A true master of Nature magic can make suggestions via what they call perfect communication, which means they find the perfect means of convincing nature to listen to their suggestion. A master of human Nature, for example, would be able to say exactly the right thing to a person and they will listen to that suggestion without fail. While this could easily be confused with controlling someone, it’s not quite the same because the suggestion must be of some benefit and make the target feel good. There are some limits to this, however, as magic users have resistance, even to perfect communication. It is also possible to train the mind to reject suggestions of a Nature user, even without magic.
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They are typically the easiest to get along with out of all the magic categories and also care little for human issues. Nature users are the most understanding of the categories and often have near-infinite patience.
Although magic naturally strengthens the body, an Augmenter goes a step beyond that if they choose to increase their own strength. It’s also possible for them to augment other things or people. For instance, an Augmenter could make a tree grow to a greater potential size. In this same way, they can specialize in bringing out the potential in non-magic users for a limited time. There would be little point in Augmenting another mage, however, as magic from one user tends to resist magic from another when attempting to change the target’s body in any way. One exception to this rule are healers, as they augment the body to return to its normal, healthy state; it is passive and restorative in nature. As a result, many humans that went on to become Augmenter healers were formally doctors.
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Another common form of augmentation is the enhancement of inanimate objects. This is often used to make projectiles move faster, or to make melee weapons deal more damage. Technically speaking, nearly anything can be augmented if it is studied hard enough. For example, in Oratore’s battle against the Mountain King’s soul slaves, he is able to augment his opponent’s blood so that it clots and shoots up into their brain or lungs, killing them. He can only accomplish this by touching them, however.
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In rare cases, some choose to augment their minds and become full-blown Psychics with incredible telepathic abilities. A Wizard’s mind is one of their most valuable assets, and they are often trained against this type of magic art early on.
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Masters of Augmentation vary depending on what they chose to augment. A master of bodily augmentation will no longer need to cast an enchantment on themselves to become fast and powerful. They will simply be that way unconsciously, and their bodies will stay in their most perfect form. If they choose to Augment someone or something else, they will bring out the target’s greatest potential, but for a limited time. A master could even accomplish such a feat on multiple targets at once. A master healer is able to reverse nearly any ill effect, so long as the head isn’t damaged. They are also able to heal multiple targets at once. A master of inanimate augmentation could strengthen something without needing to touch it. A master Psychic has a near-impenetrable mind and unlocks the coveted ability of telekinesis, which is one of the most difficult magical arts to defend against.
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They are generally the most empathetic and quick to help others, but also the most naïve of the bunch. Often, users of this category are obsessed with self-improvement and will enforce strict rules on themselves or others.