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The Structure of Magick (continued)

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exist, millennia ago, and that these magical beings taught the first humanoids the way of magick. Still others believe that these creatures and spirits are actually the cause of the spells, and that when a caster performs the required ritual to create a spell effect, he is in essence asking a spirit to create the effect for him.

* Faith. Faith casters take this last idea to the extreme, espousing that their god or gods or other celestial or demonic beings are actually the ones who create the desired spell effects, using the caster merely as a channel through which to deliver the spell. Faith casters come in all types, from traditional hierarchical priesthoods to solitary shamans calling upon the power of the spirit of the rising sun. It is important not to put too much stock in labels; traditional fantasy sorcerers and wizards may still act as faith casters. The important thing to consider is where the caster believes his source of faith comes from. A sorcerer who believes that the High Elysians of the Hol are responsible for his ability to cast a magic missile is still a sorcerer, not a cleric. Casting by faith is usually accompanied by elaborate religious rituals that vary based on the faith in question.

The Types of Magick

* Arcane Magick. Arcane magick is the result of direct manipulation of magical forces, whether through memorized rituals and ceremonies or through innate ability. Access to arcane magick is theoretically open to anyone with the wherewithal to study and learn or to those with natural born talent. The spell effects created by arcane magick are generally of a more spectacular nature than those effects created by divine or nature magick. Arcane casters are typically referred to in a broad sense as wyrds, although cultural, racial, and regional titles may differ. The use of the term wyrd has over time become more closely associated with inherent spellcasters rather than trained casters, but it can apply to both types.

* Divine Magick. Divine magick is sometimes not even considered magick at all, but rather intercessions on behalf of someone's god. A priest asks his god to intercede on his behalf, and the god acknowledges this request with favors. Some believe it blasphemous to to think that a god would acquiesce so easily to a mortal request, while others believe that granting requests is one of the gods' main functions. The main area of debate and confusion with divine magick comes from scholars and priests who try to reconcile how exactly two priests from the same god can cast spells against each other, and more importantly how priests of a rival faith can seemingly have access to divinely magical abilities if there is only supposed to be one "god". This confusion mainly applies to AEtonist scholars and philosophers. The popular theory of the day is that anyone whose belief system does not agree with one's own must then be a "demon-worshipper" and gain access to spells through demonic pacts and entreaties. In the cast of two AEtonist priests casting spells against each other, the higher-level priest has the advantage, and therefore will typically condemn the lower-ranking priest as a heretic and demon-worshipper. This theory also helps to neatly explain why some people have access to other types of magick, such as arcane, and have different powers than those of the divine magick wielders. To date, no AEtonist philosopher has attempted to struggle with the idea or concept of a person who is able to wield both arcane and divine magick. This theoretically is not possible according to AEtonist doctrine.

Note that the use of the term "god" above is generic. Some divine casters may believe in a force or in the spirits of his ancestors rather than in a specific deity. Divine casters are loosely referred to as priests, although each religious system has its own terms to describe these spellcasters.

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* Nature Magick. There is magick all throughout nature, it would seem, and the very earth is alive with forces of magical power. Druids, rangers, some witches, and certain fey creatures seem to have gained access to tap into this power and use it for their own purposes. Many shamans are also considered to be nature casters, as many times they seem to commune with the spirits of nature, such as rivers, stones, and trees. Others argue that these "nature casters" are merely vessels for the will of the earth itself. No one knows for certain. Again, most divine casters are apt to discount nature magick as another form of demonic intervention. Others consider nature casters to be an offshoot of divine casters, who simply manifest their faith in a different manner by worshipping natural phenomena rather than abstracts gods.

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Racial and Cultural Ideas

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Most races and cultures maintain their own magical traditions. More and more, magick is being pushed to the side as humans come to dominate the landscape. The humans prefer the way of the sword and the book (religion) to that of the way of sorcery. However, magick is alive in the world. A sample of some current practices and customs follows.

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