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Magic

TeachingBuwaroMagic SD396

Heathcliff Sinclair showing Buwaro the Fireball spell.

Magic is a form of telekinetic power possessed by all sentient species in Slightly Damned, as well as some other creatures like Dragons and Wyverns. Angels, Demons, Humans, Jakkai, Khamega and Fairies are all known to possess magical ability, as do the Twelve Guardians of Medius who are possibly the most powerful of all except for the gods.

Description[]

Magic Symbols

Water, Earth, Fire, Wind Symbols.

Magic grants a being the ability to warp the physical reality around them to perform some action that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. These abilities take the form of spells which are roughly grouped into six magical elemental affinities. Most mages only work with one of the four classical natural elements; however, Angels and Demons also have Holy and Dark magic respectively in addition to their natural element. The six affinities are:

It is also possible for inanimate objects to be imbued with ambient magic power. They can be enchanted, as with Angel Emblems, or occur naturally: there are crystals found on Medius that contain natural elemental magic. These are commonly used as tools for domestic purposes, such as cooking or cleaning. Some of the technology of Medius seems based on magic.

Mechanics[]

The core mechanism of Magic can be divided into three aspects: Ability, Power and Affinity.

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Jakkai like Rhea typically learn only one or two small spells.

Different races have different limits on their magical ability, the most significant limitation being the number and complexity of spells they can learn. Angels have the best magical ability with the most scope for spell learning; Earth Demons and Jakkai are the worst, being able to learn only a few relatively simple spells. The exact mechanism that causes this variance isn't completely clear, but it has been implied that Magic ability is opposed to physical strength: the stronger a race is physically, the less adept it is at performing magic. Jakkai are surprisingly strong for their small size, so they suffer a lack of magic ability like Earth Demons.

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Kieri and Kazai's difference in magic power, with Kazai using a Star Pendant as boost.

Magic power is an individual caster's capacity to force their will on the world around them. A caster with more power will do more damage with the same spell than a caster with less power. Spells may also have minimum power requirements, and if the caster does not have sufficient power, they cannot successfully cast it. Power also seems to be related to physical strength as well as willpower. Generally, power does not seem to strictly follow the same line as racial ability, as Earth Demons are known to be powerful with their spells even though they have little ability to learn them. Angels can boost their magic power using a Star Pendant, which allows them to cast stronger spells.

SyndelementsOfMagic

Different elements of magic.

Every mage has an affinity for a single magical element and casts spells of that particular type only. Mages inherit the elemental affinity of either of their parents, most often their father's. All natural elements of magic seem to be roughly equal to each other, and a caster's affinity is not as relevant as their magical power when casting spells. Along with their natural element, Angels and Demons have a second elemental affinity for Holy and Darkness magic respectively; they are roughly equal to each other, but it isn't clear if they have an advantage over mundane elements or not. The leader of Hell's Army is said to have mastery over every element except Dark Magic, which would be the only known case of a mage having an affinity for more than one natural element.[1]

There is no clear limit on the number of times spells may be used within any given time. A mage can seemingly cast their spells as many times as they want until they become too physically exhausted to continue as with more mundane activities such as running. If a "mana pool" or similar system exists, it has not been referenced yet.

Culture[]

Jakkai believe that the natural magic within people exists in a balance, and that throwing it off is what causes physical issues; for instance, too much exposure to wind and water causes people to fall sick, so they must stay warm and dry.[2] This belief is reminiscent of the humors theory or ayurveda. Similarly, J mentions having a medical condition they call "premature immolation" that causes them to frequently lose control of their Fire magic, causing regular destruction of their surroundings.

The Twelve Guardians of Medius are considered embodiments of their respective elements. In both their animal and Median forms, they feature their element's symbol somewhere on their bodies. Their magic power is directly linked to that of Medius itself, to the point the death of a Guardian is able to throw the world off balance.

Some creatures are able to use magic, or at least are tied to one of the four elements, such as Fire Bees or Zing Rays. Dragons have different appearances depending on their element, and are powerful magic users; yet while there is a dragon species for each element, Wind Dragons are now extinct. However, as Wyverns descend from Wind Dragons, they can use Wind magic. Some creatures appear capable of sensing magic.

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Angels wear uniforms that match their elemental affinity.

Angel society is structured around the four natural elements: Angel uniforms are colored according to the wearer's element, and bear said element's symbol. Upon coming of age, Angels also dye their hair in their element's color and get the corresponding symbol tattooed on their left arm. This is done for "many reasons, none of which are good" according to Kinako.[3] There is a Great Warrior Clan for each of the four elements, who form the elite of Heaven; Kieri's family, the Suizahn Clan, is the Warrior Clan of Water. Relationships between Angels of different elements, especially opposite ones such as Fire and Water, are frowned upon, mostly for Warriors. Angel weapons are also designed around elements, and might only be able to channel one kind of elemental magic.

While Medians and Angels look the same regardless of their elemental affinity, Demons are most affected by it. Depending on their element, Demons greatly vary in appearance, behavior and power, to the point they might be considered separate species. Fire Demons are hot-tempered and impulsive, Wind Demons are aloof and possess wings, Earth Demons are gigantic in size and Water Demons can breathe underwater. They also have different metabolisms, as alcohol is said to have different effects on each kind. For these reasons, Demons tend to not mate outside of their element.

Mother Gaia and Father Syndel, the creator gods of Medius, are depicted with wings bearing four elemental colors. This could imply they both have mastery over the four natural elements of magic.

Racial Ability[]

The various races have different peaks for magical skill, as defined by their total number of spells and the complexity of those spells' effects. The races of Slightly Damned are ranked (from best to worst):

  1. Twelve Guardians — the physical embodiment of a particular element, they have the most magic power and scope, bested by only the Gods, but only possess magic of their associated element.
  2. Angels — Angels are physically weaker than Demons but compensate for it with greater magical ability and power. All Angels can use Holy Magic in addition to their own elemental affinity. Unlike Demons whose strength differs according to their element, all Angels have the same magic power regardless of element.
  3. Wind Demons — Like Angels, Wind Demons are physically weaker than other Demons but compensate with their magic. Wind Demons can only use Wind and Darkness spells.
  4. Water Demons — Water Demons are tougher than Wind Demons but are still physically limited, they also can't be far from water or they dry out like frogs. Water Demons can only use Water and Darkness spells.
  5. Humans — Humans are seemingly the most capable mortal spell-caster race. The best mages can equal Fire and possibly Water Demons, but cannot use high-powered spells.
  6. Fairies — Fairies are tiny and physically weak, but they're hinted at having notable amounts of magic power. They're able to grant a magical protection in the form of a Fairy kiss.
  7. Fire Demons — Fire Demons are well balanced between physical strength and magic. Fire Demons can only use Fire and Darkness spells.
  8. Khamegas — Khamegas are said to be physically stronger than any of the other mortal races of Medius, but are awkward and slow on land. They are much better at using magic than Jakkai but are less adept than Humans.
  9. Jakkai — Jakkai have very low magic potential, they typically only learn 1-2 simple spells.
  10. Earth Demons — Earth Demons are extremely strong physically but are at least as bad at magic as Jakkai; however, an Earth Demon with a spell will typically do significantly more damage than a Jakkai casting the same spell. Earth Demons can only use Earth and Darkness spells.

Unclassified[]

The following races have not demonstrated their capabilities yet so can't be classified accurately in the above list:

  • Merfolk — Merfolk are known to exist, that's about it. It is possible that due to living underwater, elemental magic functions differently for them.

Magic Foci[]

Angel Star Emblem

It is possible for casters to enhance their magic power using various enchanted items. Most of these items seem to mainly affect power, although they may indirectly affect ability as well. Known magical foci include:

  • Angel Weapons: Angels can channel magic through their weapons as to cast spells with them. Kieri can cast Water spells through her sword; Darius is seen casting Terra Spike by striking the ground with his scythe; Sanjulo can shoot fireballs through his daggers. Weapons are also imbued with Holy magic, which deals great damage to Demons.
  • Angel Star Pendant: The Star talisman enhances an Angel's magical power as well as their concentration. This allows them to make their spells larger and more powerful, as well as let them cast more complex spells altogether. An Angel's halo, gained with this pendant, shows they are ready to use spells as their most powerful level.
  • Rainbow Reverie: The yellow potion from the Rainbow Reverie set can temporarily boost a caster's magical power to a great degree, to the point a Jakkai spell can successfully restrain a Berserk Demon. However, this comes with the drawback of subsequently draining the caster of strength.

References[]

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