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In 1000 AS, on the 14th day of Rebirn, the head of the Syrithian Guild received
a letter by special courier. The courier was a guild member known to Chaney himself
so there would be no doubt about the veracity and importance of the letter in his
hands. The letter was blank. However, as Chaney stared at it in the privacy of his own study,
letters and symbols began appear upon the parchment...
Most Worthy and Noble Guildmaster,
Since I began my journey into the study and nature of Magic, I have seen things both
terrible and incredible. The magic of Telgard is wonderful, powerful, and intricate.
Each race, each culture, and indeed each user seems to find their own use and method
for applying magic. There are no spell lists or specific tasks required...training
and advancing in Magic is unique for every individual. In seeing all the variety
of teaching and learning and using Magic, I began to wonder if I should ever come to
a coherent philosophy of the subject. However, my study eventually led
me to some conclusions which I feel that every Magic user should know:
First of all, magic is greatly feared in parts of Telgard. That is, casting any
kind of spell in a common tavern is likely to start a witch-hunting mob. In these
areas, mages must be circumspect when casting magic or risk the wrath of their fellows.
You should already have much of this information from your study of the Kingdom Cultures.
Second, magic is not an easy skill to advance in, perhaps because learning to use one's
magic requires a shift of understanding in the individual's paradigm. Refining one's existing abilities
is more common, but can be difficult in places where magic is feared and opportunities
for practicing magic remain limited and covert. Most magic-users gravitate into
Guilds and Orders of like-minded mages in order to develop their talents (and
generally protect themselves), but most of these organizations will only teach someone
who is sworn to them, especially if the individual aspires to high levels of skills.
Many guilds also resent the teaching of magic by non-guild members and may take
measures to prevent this practice, which range from preemptively recruiting prospective
students to hunting down and punishing rogue teachers. It is thus difficult to find
a teacher unless one finds a Guild to teach them.
Third, magic has certain properties which affect mages and the spells they cast.
These functions, I refer to as Resonance and
Surges. They can be dangerous, especially to
untrained mages. They can also be useful to a mage who understands them. I have
provided a working theory of these effects on corresponding pages.
Fourth, magic has a tendency to work the way that magic users expect it to. This
tendency is what we refer to as "paradigm". Essentially, an individual's magic is what it
is and works for them the way it does because, on some subconscious level (and
maybe even in defiance of their conscious expectations), that's how they envisaged
it for themselves. Consequently, we can expect that a person's natural paradigm
will be largely affected by their native culture and upbringing. Once envisaged,
this paradigm becomes the natural means for them, and will remain that way unless
the individual has a drastic perspective-altering experience or undergoes intense
psychotherapy and training. The basic effects of resonance and surge remain constant,
which often leads to paradigms among the uneducated that view magic as temperamental,
dangerous and difficult to control.
Continue to Magical Talents 
Overview ||
Talents ||
Levels ||
Resonance ||
Surges ||
Notes
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