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The Physics of Magic; Magical Energies and how they work
Topic Started: Jan 30 2013, 05:52 PM (224 Views)
Nightfury
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The Physics of Magic

Magic is a term that is intertwined with the deepest parts of Equestrian history, and plays a part in almost every race upon the surface of Equestria. While obscured in varying amounts of myth and legend, at the core there is always a grain of truth about how magic works. Nearly anything is accomplishable through magic and with varying degrees of success, however in the end it boils down to a simple formula with some very complex ingredients.

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The Spheres

The six spheres theory is a theory of magic suggesting that all spells draw on one or more of six forces. The six stand as, clockwise from the top:

Arcana, the core.
Atmos, the air.
Animulus, the heart.
Terra, the earth.
Ardor, the fire.
Natura, the natural.

What define the differing spheres of magic are the disciplines associated with each. Every sphere has three disciplines which are the different factors that draw from each sphere. While hardly a direct choice, every factor of every spell falls into one of the eighteen disciplines:

Black is Arcana, with the disciplines of Space, Time, and Mind.
White is Atmos, with the disciplines of Wind, Water and Lightning.
Purple is Animulus, with the disciplines of Love, Anger and Jealousy.
Blue is Terra, with the disciplines of Strength, Change, and Resonance.
Red is Ardor, with the disciplines of Light, Heat and the Inferno.
Green is Natura, with the disciplines of Life, Energy, and Empathy.

The six spheres are found in nature in differing concentrations though they are either more or less apparent in different environments. A general rule of thumb is that the six spheres are each found where their basic effects are most likely to arise naturally- on a desert plain, Ardor would be in great supply and cause less strain to cast, but in a frozen tundra it would cause greater strain and a powerful spell may in fact use up all of the Ardor in an area. The two exceptions to this rule are Arcana and Animulus.

Arcana

"The Arcane is the first thing you learn if you intend to bend reality to your will."

Arcana is found regardless of location in average supply as it is a by-product of magic itself. When a spell is cast that does not use Arcana as a source, it expels arcane energy, accounting for why most spells have an eventually limited range. The few offensive spells of arcane nature don’t suffer this problem; however they easily destabilise and return to the magical field.

Space is a very straightforward and yet powerful discipline governing the use, control and travel of physical dimensions. Commonly used in the form of teleportation, the discipline of space also covers things such as gravitational manipulation, so-called ‘hammerspace’ and growth or shrinking spells.

Time is a very rarely used discipline corresponding to the flow and observance of time. It is not often used due to the nature of the time stream, and relatively few efficient applications, alongside the fact that too much meddling has been seen to create an unstable level of arcane energy that often spawns strange magical effects that can be hazardous to the caster.

Mind is an internal discipline related to the consciousness of the caster and those around them. It is related primarily to mind magic, but also plays a role in spells that require a mental image to be drawn, such as magical constructs or memory projection. Mind is a discipline that is often used unknowingly or unintentionally as it has such a wide range of relevance.

Atmos

"Atmos...the wind and the water. The magic that divines the storm."

Atmos is the sphere of magic pertaining to the sky and increases in volume at higher altitudes. It is commonly a driving force behind weather and is passively exploited by races such as both gryphons and pegasi, for such action as weather manipulation and in some cases flight. It is also in above-average concentration below water as it does not appear to form below sea level, but in fact holds closer to water than to air.

Wind is the discipline related to air and its components. Whether it is being directed, gathered or dispersed, Wind as a discipline covers all gaseous particles that make up the atmosphere. It is the primary component of the Utter Flutter, a strange ability possessed by Flutter Ponies, as well as the discipline responsible for Atmos gathering in the event of a tornado or storm cell.

Water is related to control of fluid substances and their manipulation. Commonly seen in cloud walking and forced rain, Water can also relate to evaporation or condensation, separation of different components of a fluid, or even the detection of a specific chemical in a body of another fluid form.

Lightning is a fairly straightforward but very often used discipline that relates to the manipulation of electrons and ionized particles. Once again, it is seen most prominently in use by pegasi, able to cause a cloud to cast lightning simply by willing it into a kick, though it has many applications varying from discharging an object to creating magnetic forces, as well as the many uses for lightning as a weapon. Interestingly, the Lightning discipline rarely involves creating lightning itself, instead more often using in the manipulation of pre-existing charges.

Animulus

"Animulus is your heart and soul. You feel it, don't you? Use it."

Animulus is a little-used magic due to its nature as a purely internal source. Animulus is the sphere of emotion, and relies on the potent will and energy generated by the feelings of an individual. The reason for the rare use of Animulus as a source is due to the fact that in average amounts, Animulus provides a poor substitute for the other spheres. It takes truly exceptional emotion such as the case of King Sombra or Nightmare Moon, known for anger and jealousy foremost, or more recently the Elements of Harmony falling under the discipline of Love, in the subdued form that takes place in camaraderie or ‘friendship’.

Love is arguably the most potent of the three disciplines with deep roots in historical sources as a driving force for incredibly powerful spells. Among these are both the resolution of the Canterlot Changeling Incident, and the repeated outstanding performances of the Elements of Harmony. However, as a fuelling force it is rarely potent enough compared to jealousy and anger however it is easily manipulated as a target, as some potions and spells generating a feeling of love towards a target or predetermined parameter are common.

Jealousy and Anger are close to each other in nature and are not quite the same as the other disciplines. While they are able to be affected in a target or targets just as love, making them dangerous indeed, they are more commonly found as catalysts. These emotions can either impair or enhance the effects of a spell, altering it to the casters’ mood and in some cases causing catastrophic magical changes. It is believed to be jealousy that first drove Luna into her metamorphosis to Nightmare Moon, altering her both physically and mentally.

Terra

"Terra. Earth, Strength, Change. Both stubborn and malleable, if that's even possible."

Though the term Terra may mean earth, the magical sphere relates to much more. It is the sphere of strength and change, as well as the discipline of resonance that is responsible for even little things such as sound. The sphere of Terra is the most commonly and in fact only energy used directly by zebrakind, who channel from the earth below them to power their diverse spells.

Strength is the discipline commonly related to stone and endurance, often appearing as both a physical medium and a magical enhancement. Strength finds its use combined with change most often, resulting in the infamous stoneskin enchantment and stamina enhancing spells. While a main component in some spells, it can be added without issue to most spells at the cost of severe drain to the caster.

Change is a discipline mostly known for its passive use by zebrakind. All magic drawn by zebras is drawn from the earth; however their aptitude for their magic passively transforms terra magic into the required forms for whatever spells they need. Besides that ability, change can be one of the most potent of the disciplines, and is used widely across all forms of transmutation and is also the guiding discipline for Changelings’ inherent ability to alter their shape by memory.

Resonance is a minor discipline related to sound and vibration. While not strictly related to the earth, Resonance governs the areas of magic related to generating earthquakes and quakes as well as generating sound in all forms. However, it also governs magical resonance, and as such is in great use in ‘finding’ spells, working much like magical radar which bounces off and highlights a specific element.

Ardor

"Ardor...I will explain Ardor simply. Handle with care."

Ardor is the sphere of flame, and is infamous for both combat and beauty. The three disciplines of Ardor are light, heat and the inferno, and it carries a broad range of spells due to control over these primal elements. While most spells cast some form of light or heat, the spells specifically for that purpose all draw on Ardor. It makes a common appearance on the field of battle, as fire spells are usually relatively simple and require no extra components to do their purpose.

Light is a powerful discipline governing all manipulations of radiance and visible light waves. Illusions, illuminations and invisibility fall under the discipline of Light and it is usually a simple process of shaping the way it moves. For this reason, simple light spells are many and are often the first spell a unicorn can learn.

Heat is a discipline rarely used in small amounts as purely it falls inferior to the Inferno. However, it sees use in negative rather often, as frost spells and ice attacks all require a manipulation of heat to avoid melting under extreme conditions. Negative spikes in the Ardor field are common enough that frost and ice attacks can be used frequently, and the propagation of cold only further dips the Ardor levels.

The Inferno is one of the most dangerous disciplines of them all due to its frequency in nature. All use of the Inferno must be handled with extreme care; as fire directly from Ardor has a greater potency than natural sparks and can easily spark an uncontrolled flame. While fire is mostly considered destructive, however, the Inferno does not only cover the creation and use of flame, but also its nullification.

Natura

"Natura is a wild force. You cannot control it, however you can shape it."

Natura is the sphere of the creation of life, energy and control of living things. While not treated with as much reverence as some of the other spheres, wise scholars know Natura to be as useful under the right conditions as any other form of magic. Natura requires above all a sharp mind and patience, as the spells under its sphere are rarely ever an instant effect.

Life is one of the truly powerful disciplines and governs the soul itself. Spells that use the discipline of Life govern the creation of living beings or animation of inanimate objects. However, with life comes death, and similarly Life also governs over killing spells that attack the soul of a target directly. The Balefire explosion in Hoofington was a rather vicious example of Life turned in reverse, as it burned the residents of the city down to their very essence.

Energy is the broad discipline that governs the power imbued in all living things. It can be used to feed and grow plants and existing creatures, or give a second wind to a tired companion. However, the majority of the time Energy is used in the process of enchanting as it also oversees the magical process of Enchanting, imbuing energy to an inanimate object and allowing that object to hold said energy.

Empathy, though it is often theorised it should fall under Animulus, is often a discipline that does not generate spells directly. Though there are a few, spells for calming wild beasts or linking minds, Empathy is mostly used with spells that require an alignment between two different entities. Empathy is used in any situation where two things need to be brought closer to each other- in terms of mentality, physiology, or something as simple as making two watches work in synch.

Ley

Ley Energy is not its own field of magic. Instead, Ley Energy, the kind that pours from Leylines and other such locations, is a highly concentrated storm of all six magical spheres. Ley is, theoretically, the best possible fuel for any kind of spell, allowing incredibly strong casting with relatively low stamina requirements due to the way Ley Energy is locked in a semi-physical form.

However, Ley Energy is in too extreme – around a hundred times the base level of an equalized area of magic – to control easily, as it will react with any physical object it encounters. Containers used to try and trap Ley have all reacted in varying methods, from shifting into facsimiles of violent living beasts, to bursting into flames or turning into varying elements, or far more unreal results, such as one often-cited incident involving two scholars, a small tarantula and a brass barrel.
The reactions with living creatures are far more subdued due to the resistant nature of the soul. Most often, Ley will tear at the soul of those who comes across it physically, creating sickness and fatigue at first. When the soul is burned to the barest resistance, the magic is finally set loose upon the body and depending on how charged the Ley this can take from seconds to bare minutes. Most commonly, those caught in Leylines will suffer the simple fate reliant on Arcana, magic turning their body to nothing little by little.
However, anything is possible when all six spheres are combined in concentration – and so the magical damage can vary from rampant growth until the internal organs are suffocated, to transmutation into stone or sand, or even painful death as they catch fire from the inside out.

The only way to truly capture Ley magic is with magic. The issue with the solution is that the container must either be made of a highly magical material, or be imbued with enough energy to resist the Ley. The result of such energy use is that the gains in power are mediocre at best.
Edited by Nightfury, Jan 30 2013, 06:40 PM.
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