Purdue Fantasy Club

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====== Majykology ======
//“Any sufficiently advanced technology…is indistinguishable from magic.”// 

— Arthur C. Clark, //Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible//

===== Overview =====

The designers of the //AQ: Jaern// (2016) manual included an overview on their design process for a magical system that is inspired from the physics of the real world. This chapter explores the scientific and technological knowledge of Jaern, and discusses **Majykology** — the term for the study of the nature of magic, and its application in customizing and creating new magic. We briefly explore the PFC's approach to magic, and discuss some considerations for the GM when it comes to adjudicating magical effects in unique and special circumstances. 

The Purdue Fantasy Club uses a homemade magic system, inspired by other TTRPGs and fantasy media. The original creators noticed that magic was usually given arbitrary reasoning on its effects and capabilities, acting solely as a narrative tool that can explain away any inconsistencies. This has its advantages, allowing the narrative and plot to determine the limits of what magic can do, or offering creative and powerful solutions to conflicts through the application of magic. However this can also make magic inconsistent, unpredictable, and unbounded, which can hinder a gaming system that relies on a cohesive and self-consistent ruleset. 

This led the creators to base the existence, interaction, and use of magic as an extended technology, a way of manipulating magical energies in familiar ways, similar to how we manipulate electricity, radio waves, magnetism, and gravity.

===== Magic as an Energy Spectrum =====

The original model of magic as based upon the electromagnetic spectrum, a way of classifying energies of different kinds in a continuous spectrum of different frequencies. However, this electromagnetic energy (light, electricity, magnetism, radiation, etc.) works according to consistent laws, and can manifests itself in very different ways. 

The existence of magic is analogous to this spectrum, where //magical energy// is delineated according to its "frequency" or "color" as well as its amplitude or intensity.

This helps separate different types of magical energy onto the following types: **Nomadic**, **Psionic**, **Elemental**, **Divine**, and **Magitech**.

=== Nomadic Magic ===

Spiritual or Nomadic magic is considered a type of "bound" magical energy, usually within another medium, such as a focal object, a tattoo, or even within a song or melody. This magic energy is considered analogous to a "standing wave." This magic can take on discrete "harmonics" of energy, which manifest into the six ranks of nomadic incants((The energy levels of these bound states are restricted to even numbers as a result of the quantized nature of its boundary conditions. As a result, nomadic ranks are more readily equivalent to ranks 2,4,6,... of Elemental or Divine spell groups.)). 

A nomad pulls magic from the Kurago (or similar spiritual font), accessible via their Guardian Spirit, which acts as a channeling conduit, similar to a "waveguide," in order to store the magic within an incant on the Cefa'zisto. Because this magic is in a bound state, most nomadic incants are limited in their range and scope, usually only affecting the holder and their immediate surroundings. However, since this magic can be bound within some sort of portable object, that allows others to hold and activate the bound magic. 

Once an incant is activated, the magic held within the bound "standing wave" is released, which depletes the magic held within the object. For mechanical and record-keeping convenience, we count **Spirit Charge** as being spent when this happens, although in reality, the magical energy was already bound within the object when the incant was prepared.

The Secondary Effect of an incant is a manifestation of a nomad's skill in controlling the release of magic energy as an incant's bound state is broken. This requires a //Skill: Specialization// check, which will empower or modify the way an incant's bound magic is released. However, since the magic has already been bound within its medium, and therefore the "harmonic" and total energy of the incant has already been determined (thusly, its rank), a Secondary Effect skill check's difficulty cannot exceed the rank of the incant activated.

=== Psionic Magic ===

=== Elemental Magic ===

=== Divine Magic ===

=== Magitech ===
===== Lexiesoterica =====

===== Terisium =====
Terisium is a magical, metallic material that has many strange properties and abilities that make it highly prized by magicians around the world. It’s most commonly found from meteors that have fallen to Jaern from the heavens. Terisium’s special properties are derived from the fact that it doesn’t exist solely in our plane. 


While magicians have used it since the beginning of recorded history, it was a few thousand years ago (c. 240 SD, or c. 7760 SF) that an archmage named Jican Trion of the University of RaForge, established in the city of Karfelon, showed that channeling magical life force into the metal changed its energy state so that it was no longer normally perceivable in our plane. 


Subsequent experiments have revealed certain properties of Terisium. It seems to form a conduit between a plane of raw magic, which Trion termed “Jicania,” and a plane of magical grounding, termed “Trion’kar.” It is postulated that the constant flow of magical energy between these planes through ours is what powers much of our elemental magics. In any case, the Terisium seems to contain within its structure a certain amount of this magical energy, and this amount gives it different physical and magical characteristics. 


In its initial state, sages believe that the Terisium contains no magical energies. It exists physically only on its native plane, Trion’kar, and lacks physical existence or effect upon our plane. Sages conjecture that it takes some catastrophic event on this other plane that energized a significant part of it to a higher state, forming Jicania. We will call this grounded state Terisium<sup>0</sup>. 


Terisium’s next state is the one that we can see and manipulate. Terisium<sup>1</sup> appears as a dull gray metal, with a very high malleability. A strip of Terisium<sup>1</sup> can be easily bent, even by a child. When formed into a loop or sphere, it acts as a reverse energy pump, draining magic within the loop back to its native plane. The rate of the drain is proportional to the radius of the loop, and the amount of Terisium<sup>1</sup> used. Historically, only a weak and easily smithed Terisium<sup>1</sup>-Copper alloy was used to make manacles, due to the extremely high melting point of Terisium<sup>1</sup>. Nowadays, a Terisium<sup>1</sup>-Iron alloy can be smelted in specialty forges to make a practically useable set of manacles.

Terisium<sup>1</sup> can also be made into an alloy with lead, usually a byproduct of the process of terisium mining. This alloy no longer has the draining properties, instead acting as a magical insulator. When crafted into armor, the structure of this alloy creates a high potential barrier, limiting magical energy from crossing it. Weapons made using this alloy are heavier and denser, and its ability to repel magic enhances attacks. Due to its weight (and toxicity), only a thin layer of this alloy can be used for armor and weapons.

At its next state is Terisium<sup>2</sup>; the appearance of the terisium changes into a crystalline form, and its energy is sufficient to indefinitely maintain a deferred spell. These crystals are commonly called Milphite Crystals. This forms the base of Charged Magic Items.

The next state is Terisium<sup>10</sup>. When it first enters this state, it transforms into a magical energy field bound to a focal object that can hold its energy. At this state, the terisium can have a spell imprinted on it. With the spell imprinted on it, the terisium will continuously recharge its internal magic energy allowing the spell to be repeatedly activated. This forms the base of Regenerating Magic Items.

The highest state known presently is Terisium<sup>1000</sup>. In this state the terisium becomes a hyper-geometric crystalline structure. Each different structure is a different color and has different magical effects. These crystals, known to the scholars of Majykology as Matrix Gems, are believed to focus and greatly magnify magical energies. Nowadays Matrix Gems are considered items of legends, but slivers and shards of this material can sometimes be found.

Current Majykology has given us techniques to energize Terisium<sup>1</sup> to the 2nd and 10th states, creating enchanted items, and has shown us that we can cause it to decompose from any state to the 0th state, explosively with the release of its energies, which occurs when enchanted items are destroyed.