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Professor Toffee's Illustrated Guide to Magic / Q&A Thread / Chat Thread

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Toffee:
So this is where I'll be discussing the system of magic used in my upcoming rp thread (to be named later). This is also where all questions pertaining to that thread can be asked and also the place for some OoC chat when it will be finally set-up.


Okay, without further ado, take out your audioscribes kids! It's time for a lecture!


What is Magic?






Magic - at its core - is simply "The rewriting and restructuring of the eidos of a phenomena through a layered latticework of formulae, constructed and powered through manipulation of mana"
Sounds like quite a mouthful doesn't it? But don't be intimidated! As long as you understand the core concepts, you can understand magic, and thus understand the universe!


What is Mana?


(click to show/hide)

Mana is the term used to describe the energy found in all matter. In the late 1800's scientists discovered that within and between the spaces of molecules found in the different states of matter, there was an unidentifiable energy that held the bonds between atoms and molecules together and gave it the energy to maintain its current state. They called this energy "Structural Mana."



Within the spaces and bonds of these objects, Mana exists to provide energy to the bonds and allows for the formation of its structure

Later on, as scholars and scientists were examining the structural mana that made up the atmosphere, they stumbled upon an entirely different form of mana. This mana, unlike structural mana, existed as a high-energy free-roaming particle. Since it did not appear to have any bonds or interactions between regular matter and structural mana, they called this unknown mana, "Free Mana." The researchers at the time had no idea what free mana was for, where it came from or  the explanation as to how the free mana concentration in different areas seemed to fluctuate day by day. It wasn't until 1937 when Krisnov Carter, one of the first magicians, discovered the great tree Yggdrasil, that all these questions finally had answers.


Now since this lecture is only about practical magic, I will not be detailing the mana synthesis processes found in Yggdrasil, the diffusion rate of free mana and what affects it, or the "mana limit" of an area as is determined by geological and topographical patterns. Refer to your Mana Studies professor for any questions about those.


All you need to know is that Yggdrasil, and the numerous saplings found spread throughout the world, provide all the world's supply of free mana. The concentration of free mana is different from place to place, as such, in today's society, places with high concentrations of mana are usually colonized and made into cities and towns.


Moving on, as the discovery of Yggdrasil allowed for further understanding of free mana, it was discovered that free mana and structural mana, once thought to be two different and relatively inert forms of mana, shared a quantum link between its particles. It was this discovery, coupled with the discovery of magic circuits within human, and the creation of magic formulae through magic circles, that true magic was born.


Okay! Now that you have an understanding of what mana is, now comes the important part of this lesson... how to use it!


Now, before we begin the lesson on practical magic, we need to understand a few things about our bodies first.


What are Magic Circuits?




Within every human being exists clusters of specialized nerves and muscles. Normally, these function the same as the surrounding muscles and nerves, however, when activated, these clusters draw in and change free mana from the air into a form of highly concentrated energy. These clusters are called Magic Circuits. Each and every person has Magic Circuitry, however, no two Magic Circuitry is the same. The amount, location and orientation of a person's Magic Circuits is unique to that person, even identical twins may have slight differences between their Magic Circuitry.


How do Magic Circuits affect how we use magic?


On their own? Absolutely nothing. Try it right now. Concentrate on gathering the mana around you, and releasing it from your hand, WITHOUT giving it form. ... Nothing happened right? On their own, Magic Circuits simply serve as a filter for the caster and the free mana around him/her. Only when the filtered free mana is inscribed in a magic formula and given form can it be used. Without it, the energy would simply dissipate into the atmosphere.


What are Magic Formulas and how is it used the create magic?


In order to understand how Magic Formulae work, we first need to understand the concept of "Eidos."


You already know about structural mana, correct? It is what gives form to matter and gives energy to the bonds that hold the different states of matter together. It is, essentially, a blueprint for matter. Now, as with any blueprint, it contains information and data. And as different states of matter exist, so too the information and date for that particular object is different. The blueprint for ice is different from the blueprint of water. The blueprint of saltwater is different from the blueprint of distilled water. It is this blueprint of matter, the foundation to which matter is structured, that we call "Eidos"


Now, how does this pertain to magic you ask? Well, as with any blueprint with information and data, it can be rewritten and restructured. That is the purpose of the Magic Formula. I mentioned that free mana and structural mana shared a strange quantum link, correct? The Magic Formula takes advantage of the link between free mana and structural mana in order to change the Eidos of an object. The Magic Formula, as its name suggests, uses equations  formulas, and quantum theorems in order to forcibly change the Eidos of matter. This requires a lot of data, and I mean a LOT. A single Magic Formula for a simple fireball spell would hold over 50 Terabytes of data. Too much for the human brain to calculate, decode, and use effectively. This is where your Magic Circuits come into play. It is still being researched as to how this happens, but Magic Circuits have the ability to create strings of formulas and inscribe those into a Magic Formula almost instantly. In layman's terms, Magic Circuits have the ability to create macros of different parts of a magic formula.


Try it now. Concentrate and gather the mana around you. Lift your right hand up, and concentrate on giving a form to the mana that is currently being channeled into your Magic Circuits. For now, just think of a "ball." Now, do you see that strange light that is now emanating from your bracelets and coalescing into a point on your hand? That is the Magic Formula given energy and form thanks to your Magic Circuitry. That is the light of over 20 Terabytes of data. Now, concentrate on that "ball" you have in your hand, and try to "launch" it forward, on my signal. Ready... fire! .... Good! Good! Now, did you notice something as you were concentrating on that "ball" and "launching" it? Some people had balls made of fire, some were water, some were ice, and some seemed to be just a clump of wind. And as you "launched" it, some refused to fly, some flew farther than some, while some dropped straight to the ground.


This is because your Magic Circuits created different macros of a Magic Formula, which in turn, created different variations on the Eidos of the object you tried to create.


We all know that Magic Circuits are unique from person to person right? The orientation, quantity, and locations of Magic circuits are always different from person to person. This means that the formulas Magic Circuits can produce differ from person to person as well. When you thought of a "ball" in your hand, you are really thinking of changing the Eidos of the air and dust particles around your hand, to form a "ball." As you concentrate, your magic circuits take in mana from the air, inscribe them into macros of a magic formula and harnesses the quantum link between the structural mana in the air around your hand and the free mana that is now being inscribed into the formula. The formula changes the eidos of the air and dust around your hand to form a ball. Since, the formula differs from person to person, thanks to the magic circuits, the eidos is rewritten differently for each of you. The formula might rewrite the eidos of the dust in the air to "coalesce in a defined space->speed up vibration->increase pressure and heat->ignite" to create a fireball, or maybe the formula had instructions like "decrease temperature->gather water vapor->increase condensation->increase condensation->increase condensation" to create water. And when I asked you to "launch" it, some of you might have rewritten the eidos as "accelerate object ahead->velocity increase after .5 milliseconds" to fire it ahead, while some of you might not have the right magic circuitry to launch it, resulting in a ball in a fixed point in space.


That is what magic is, future magicians. It is not a mysterious phenomena nor is it really magic. It is merely physics applied to the extreme.

Mr.PowPow:
I see, however even though all magic circuitry is different, the extent of manipulation you have over magic is relatively the same to everyone else? I mean all the students were able to create "balls", which implies that for all of them to create the same basic shape, regardless of what it was made of, there must be a certain similarity when it comes to influence.

Toffee:
I haven't explained yet that some of the student's WEREN'T able to produce any "balls" at all. There are 3 basic categories of Magic in that world. BURST, RISE, and TRANCE.
In the simplest terms:


BURST refers to magic that affects the world around you.

RISE refers to magic that affects only you.

TRANCE refers to a specialized form of magic that affects the internal physiology of another person.


so the students who haven't produced balls would be under the RISE or TRANCE category.
Now as for the extent of manipulation in terms of the students in the BURST category, the balls of the students also differed in size and shape, some were as big as a baseball, some were no larger than a marble. The Magic Circuits, especially those in the brain, do have the capacity to create other macros other than the ones it was specified for, but it would be significantly harder to create, and would undoubtedly cause some strain.

Caster no Mae:
would there be possiblity of a mix of the 2 of the 3 as a specific Magi power?

Toffee:
As a matter of fact yes. Curative Magic is a combination of Both BURST and TRANCE type magic making it very rare, and magicians who have curative magic are highly sought after.

It really depends on the person on what kind of magic they have. A martial artist who uses RISE to strengthen his body to fight may have a hidden trump card of blasting a high-pressure shock wave from his punches. He would still be categorized as a RISE type magician since the majority of his spells center on RISE and he has only that one BURST spell.

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