Paper Dungeons’ world: a kind of magic (part 2)

Magic beyond Leonia

In the last blogpost, we talked about the magic in Paper Dungeons’ world. We analyzed the book of Sharram Silverscepter to understand the three most common types of magic available to humans in Leonia: Chaos Magic, Arcane Magic and Shadow Magic.

But magic isn’t a monopoly of humankind.

Elves, dwarves, and halflings can use magic, and now it’s time to discover their ways of conjuring.

Elves and Lunar Magic

Lunar Magic is the most ancient form of magic in elvish culture and it’s connected with the animistic religion of the race. This type of magic is similar to Chaos Magic: some elves are blessed by the Moon and receive their magical gift from childhood. In elvish language these blessed are named Gilazi Itlon, an expression can be translated to Artisans of the Moon.

Artisans of the Moon are organized in five different groups, each one related to a specific aspect of the Lunar Cycle:

• New Moon Actors: masters of disguise and illusionist, they are elite spies and valuable agents in the elvish politics.   
• Crescent Moon Oracles: divination is an important gift of the Moon and the Oracles are highly respected by elves and non-elves.
• Half Moon Crafters: artisans capable of impregnating magic in objects like jewels, armors and weapons, their creations are valuable all over the world.
• Gibbous Moon Singers: bards and enchantress, specialized in transforming songs and poetry in powerful spells.
• Full Moon Warriors: martial artists can use the white fire, a mystical moon energy, like a weapon capable of projecting energy beams, power shields and other marvels.

These groups are not formal organizations like the Academies of the Council of Magic, but rather free associations of individuals that do not follow a very clear hierarchy. Being recognized as a master of Lunar Magic is a mixture of practical experience and wisdom gained with age.

Artisans of the Moon do missions related to conflicts between the spiritual and physical world, bringing back the balance through their gifts. Because of that, Gilazi Itlon are highly valued on elvish society.

It’s uncommon, but sometimes humans, dwarves and others receive the gifts of the Moon. If they accept the elven traditions, these individuals will receive training and can become Gilazi Itlon, but they may suffer from prejudice for being “people between two worlds’ ‘.

Dwarves and Runic Magic

In dwarvish society, all kinds of crafts are regulated by strict laws and regulations.

And with Runic Magic it is the same.

Runic Magic was discovered by Guidark, the Merciless, an ancient tyrant who used the runes to construct an Empire based in fear and cruelty.

After years of suffering, the most honorable Dwarven Houses have united to confront the oppressor and liberty of the people. Years of civil war brought great torment to the dwarves, but taught them the value of comradeship and mutual respect.

In the end, Guidark was defeated and the secrets of Runic Magic would no longer be restricted to just one lord.

In the first years of Mountain Republic, the senate established the rules to regulate the teaching of Runic Magic. Only the most honorable members of the Great Houses can learn magical runes, and the whole process is long, highly complex and demands exclusive dedication.

After one hundred years of study the apprentice receives the right to take the exams to prove her/his valor. If the grades are enough to be approved, the ex-student receives the title of Rune Master.

Runic Magic controls the fundamental aspects of matter: shape, flexibility, density, resistance, durability, and even state can be changed by a Rune Master with the correct rune and preparation. 

Dwarves don’t teach their magic to other races and the commerce of enhanced items by runes is very strict.

Halflings and magic (or something like that)

Halflings can use magic, but they are odd for the other magic users.

The little ones have already been seen using ritual to raise corpses, studying scrolls of Arcane Magic and also creating beams of elvish white fire… all by the same magic user.

How is this possible? Nobody can tell. 

In his book about magic, Sharram Silverscepter gathered some of the explanations he heard from the halflings themselves:

• “I found a book at a crossroads and learned my spells by reading ten pages every day”
• “I was bitten by a magic spider and became the amazing spider wizard”
• “I am the chosen one and fate has given me these powers to reveal the hidden truth”
• “I was imprisoned in the Estibra Tower and they did experiments on me. I escaped and became a kind of living magic weapon, an M-weapon.”

All these explanations are weird, pathetic or a kind of unfunny joke, but no one ever received a better answer about this secret.

Last but not least, halflings able to use magic don’t have a specific name, but magician is a common term to refer to her/him.