Primary Magic: Refraction: Moonlight
Secondary Magic: Refraction: Final Hour
Caster or Holder: Caster
Description: Refraction – a word describing as much a school of magecraft as it does the idea of a cyclic reality. Both a worldview and a lifestyle, it's a vivid portrayal of Man's desire to peer past the mirror image, into immaculate truth.
As a magic, it is a manifested representation of serenity and clear sight; One's choice to abhor the purpose of reality and stand to doubt its long-proven solidity.
Chapter I: The Falsity Theory
A world without meaning is a world without a soul. Such are the timeless beliefs man’s ancestors gazed upon the lands with. Indeed, to us it seems obvious that behind every effect should lie a cause, and behind each of those – a meaning; concept.
For most people that thought alone is enough, yet still there are some who want to know more. What exactly are things? What is their nature, or their origin? What is the essence of an object’s meaning? It is to these questions that Refraction magic seeks an answer and therein lies the genesis of the Falsity Theory.
To Refraction, the world is a conglomeration of indistinguishable, unmeasurable and undecidable entities, anchored down to it via their existences. In other words, anything that exists has an underlying concept that defines it. An idea, if you will. Of course, that idea is complex and multi-layered, however not entirely impossible to perceive if one is to expand their mind beyond the physical limitations of reality.
Betting on just that, Refraction magi sought means to transcend their minds, thus creating the so-called “mental eye” through which they devised the basic Refraction spell; Origin Perception. It allowed them to trace the physical body back to its conceptual genesis located in the reality of Akasha, also known as the Primordial Source.
This revelation lead to the epiphany that, in their entity objects are all the same. They now appeared as amorphous, merely bound to fleeting shapes by the existence which manifests by them. It is for that reason that the magi who saw Akasha could no longer believe in reality. It was just a line in the sand, and nothing in it could be proven as more ‘this’ than ‘that’. Likewise, there could be equal statements claiming something is equally ‘this’ and ‘that,’ while being neither ‘this’ nor ‘that’.
To Refraction, an existence is superfluous and its entity – ephemeral. Nothing can ever be proven to be anything other than what it appears as, so the world must inevitably be no more than a mirror where our minds simply leer.
In the end, there is little point in pursuing the meaning of neither a cause nor an effect. Only Ataraxia remains; freedom from worry. There is no point in judging a contest of phantasms, after all. Could it not be better to just accept life for its simplistic appearance?
Chapter II: Refraction
Armed with newfound understanding of both reality’s origin and its nature, Refraction magi devised a system by which to acquire the truth of the world. Fallacy lied at the conceptual form of objects, because it was constantly changing, thus incredible as a fact. However, it was the source of the object’s physical manifestation, which in turn acted as the limiter to just how amorphous the concept can be. That, Refractionists thought, was the key to true knowledge.
They used the mind’s eye to purify their magical energy into primordial life force free from elemental affinities, and used it to draw ‘maps’ of objects’ concepts, or entities. They followed a system of 7 points by which to structure information about entities, then scrutinized their profound existential knowledge in search of wisdom.
While some found more of it than others, their search revealed the basic structure of matter on an energy level, allowing those with precise-enough control over primordial mana to construct an image of the given entity. In other words, they could, out of thin air, create any object they had made a blueprint of. Further studies over the nature of realities revealed that actions with specific intent also manifested as a type of existence, so it wasn’t long before blueprints of them could be made as well.
It was such discoveries that bred a simple question: was there truly a limit to this man-made redefinition of reality?
Chapter III: Aegis, the Magus of Moonlight
Many ages passed since Refraction came and passed, but to this day there is still one who remembers it. He, dubbed the Azure Knight due to the signature colour of his spells and apparel, stands to be the strongest such magus yet, partially because he was constructed to be no less. His profound understanding of reality as simple chaos allows him to utilize blueprints of both objects and actions, as well as masterful manipulation over mana as the basic ingredient of all matter.
To elaborate, Aegis has three types of spells:
- Creation spells; they allow him to create a perfect image of any object which he has a blueprint of.
- Recreation spells; they allow him to recreate any purposeful action or set of actions (dubbed ‘techniques’) that he has recorded.
- Manipulation spells; they are a multitude of abilities he has access to, and of varying nature. Closest to the spells of normal magi, with the exception that their elemental affinity is “pure life force” or “primal mana”.
Due mostly to personal preference and philosophy, the Azure Knight has chosen to walk the path of the swordmaster, so his abilities mostly reflect that inclination.
Strengths:
- By tracing the his blueprints with mana, Aegis can cause whatever is on them to exist anew, thus theoretically granting him near-infinity utility, provided he has a blueprint for every occasion.
- Due to the nature of Construction and Reconstruction spells being a step-by-step crafting of something, each spell cast is immaculate.
- Channelling primal mana requires a body that is far beyond mere fitness; Aegis, built to be sturdier than normal, has spent most of his life training physically via magecraft, martial arts and fencing. His inclinations and magical powers have led to his body being much sturdier and physically adept than most other magi.
- Due to analysis and magical strengthening of his own body and mind's structure, he has further bolstered his speed and reflexes.
- Any object created by his mana cannot strain him past the mental cost for creating it, meaning that whatever he makes via magic cannot cause him fatigue from prolonged usage.
- Because using Recreation magic strains him, Aegis has trained his body to be able to endure continuous usage of magic, effectively making him stronger, faster and more durable than most.
- Enhanced physical recovery, because his body is essentially a conduit of immense volumes of pure life force.
Weaknesses:
- Can have little to no support abilities, depending entirely on the properties of the weapons or techniques.
- Aegis' mana is cleansed of all standard elemental affinities, meaning he has forfeited any bonuses he'd generally infer from such.
- This magic is one's attempt to explain life and existence, but is based on personal perception and affirmation of belief. It can be as true to some as it can be wrong to others. After all, the very inception of this all is the idea that reality is what we choose to perceive it as, so who's to say this is the real substance of it?
Abilities/Powers:
Secondary Magic: Refraction: Final Hour
Caster or Holder: Caster
Description: Refraction – a word describing as much a school of magecraft as it does the idea of a cyclic reality. Both a worldview and a lifestyle, it's a vivid portrayal of Man's desire to peer past the mirror image, into immaculate truth.
As a magic, it is a manifested representation of serenity and clear sight; One's choice to abhor the purpose of reality and stand to doubt its long-proven solidity.
Chapter I: The Falsity Theory
A world without meaning is a world without a soul. Such are the timeless beliefs man’s ancestors gazed upon the lands with. Indeed, to us it seems obvious that behind every effect should lie a cause, and behind each of those – a meaning; concept.
For most people that thought alone is enough, yet still there are some who want to know more. What exactly are things? What is their nature, or their origin? What is the essence of an object’s meaning? It is to these questions that Refraction magic seeks an answer and therein lies the genesis of the Falsity Theory.
To Refraction, the world is a conglomeration of indistinguishable, unmeasurable and undecidable entities, anchored down to it via their existences. In other words, anything that exists has an underlying concept that defines it. An idea, if you will. Of course, that idea is complex and multi-layered, however not entirely impossible to perceive if one is to expand their mind beyond the physical limitations of reality.
Betting on just that, Refraction magi sought means to transcend their minds, thus creating the so-called “mental eye” through which they devised the basic Refraction spell; Origin Perception. It allowed them to trace the physical body back to its conceptual genesis located in the reality of Akasha, also known as the Primordial Source.
This revelation lead to the epiphany that, in their entity objects are all the same. They now appeared as amorphous, merely bound to fleeting shapes by the existence which manifests by them. It is for that reason that the magi who saw Akasha could no longer believe in reality. It was just a line in the sand, and nothing in it could be proven as more ‘this’ than ‘that’. Likewise, there could be equal statements claiming something is equally ‘this’ and ‘that,’ while being neither ‘this’ nor ‘that’.
To Refraction, an existence is superfluous and its entity – ephemeral. Nothing can ever be proven to be anything other than what it appears as, so the world must inevitably be no more than a mirror where our minds simply leer.
In the end, there is little point in pursuing the meaning of neither a cause nor an effect. Only Ataraxia remains; freedom from worry. There is no point in judging a contest of phantasms, after all. Could it not be better to just accept life for its simplistic appearance?
Chapter II: Refraction
Armed with newfound understanding of both reality’s origin and its nature, Refraction magi devised a system by which to acquire the truth of the world. Fallacy lied at the conceptual form of objects, because it was constantly changing, thus incredible as a fact. However, it was the source of the object’s physical manifestation, which in turn acted as the limiter to just how amorphous the concept can be. That, Refractionists thought, was the key to true knowledge.
They used the mind’s eye to purify their magical energy into primordial life force free from elemental affinities, and used it to draw ‘maps’ of objects’ concepts, or entities. They followed a system of 7 points by which to structure information about entities, then scrutinized their profound existential knowledge in search of wisdom.
While some found more of it than others, their search revealed the basic structure of matter on an energy level, allowing those with precise-enough control over primordial mana to construct an image of the given entity. In other words, they could, out of thin air, create any object they had made a blueprint of. Further studies over the nature of realities revealed that actions with specific intent also manifested as a type of existence, so it wasn’t long before blueprints of them could be made as well.
It was such discoveries that bred a simple question: was there truly a limit to this man-made redefinition of reality?
Chapter III: Aegis, the Magus of Moonlight
Many ages passed since Refraction came and passed, but to this day there is still one who remembers it. He, dubbed the Azure Knight due to the signature colour of his spells and apparel, stands to be the strongest such magus yet, partially because he was constructed to be no less. His profound understanding of reality as simple chaos allows him to utilize blueprints of both objects and actions, as well as masterful manipulation over mana as the basic ingredient of all matter.
To elaborate, Aegis has three types of spells:
- Creation spells; they allow him to create a perfect image of any object which he has a blueprint of.
- Recreation spells; they allow him to recreate any purposeful action or set of actions (dubbed ‘techniques’) that he has recorded.
- Manipulation spells; they are a multitude of abilities he has access to, and of varying nature. Closest to the spells of normal magi, with the exception that their elemental affinity is “pure life force” or “primal mana”.
Due mostly to personal preference and philosophy, the Azure Knight has chosen to walk the path of the swordmaster, so his abilities mostly reflect that inclination.
Strengths:
- By tracing the his blueprints with mana, Aegis can cause whatever is on them to exist anew, thus theoretically granting him near-infinity utility, provided he has a blueprint for every occasion.
- Due to the nature of Construction and Reconstruction spells being a step-by-step crafting of something, each spell cast is immaculate.
- Channelling primal mana requires a body that is far beyond mere fitness; Aegis, built to be sturdier than normal, has spent most of his life training physically via magecraft, martial arts and fencing. His inclinations and magical powers have led to his body being much sturdier and physically adept than most other magi.
- Due to analysis and magical strengthening of his own body and mind's structure, he has further bolstered his speed and reflexes.
- Any object created by his mana cannot strain him past the mental cost for creating it, meaning that whatever he makes via magic cannot cause him fatigue from prolonged usage.
- Because using Recreation magic strains him, Aegis has trained his body to be able to endure continuous usage of magic, effectively making him stronger, faster and more durable than most.
- Enhanced physical recovery, because his body is essentially a conduit of immense volumes of pure life force.
Weaknesses:
- Can have little to no support abilities, depending entirely on the properties of the weapons or techniques.
- Aegis' mana is cleansed of all standard elemental affinities, meaning he has forfeited any bonuses he'd generally infer from such.
- This magic is one's attempt to explain life and existence, but is based on personal perception and affirmation of belief. It can be as true to some as it can be wrong to others. After all, the very inception of this all is the idea that reality is what we choose to perceive it as, so who's to say this is the real substance of it?
Abilities/Powers:
- Magic Resistance:
- Magic resistance - Passive
Description: Due to the unique nature of his magical energy, Aegis' body is naturally resistant to magic. In his current state, the parameters of his resistance are as follows:
List is arranged like so:
(Character rank):
(D-rank spells)- (value)
(C-rank spells)- (value)
(B-rank spells)- (value)
(A-rank spells)- (value)
(S-rank spells)- (value)
(H-rank spells)- (value)
Rank SS:
Rank D- 75%
Rank C- 50%
Rank B- 35%
Rank A- 20%
Rank S- 8%
Rank H- 3%
Rank H:
Rank D- 90%
Rank C- 70%
Rank B- 50%
Rank A- 30%
Rank S- 15%
Rank H- 5%
- Memory of Hope:
- Memory of Hope - Active, Power, Refraction Sorcery
Description: Aegis focuses on his inner self and overloads the mind's eye, causing his thoughts to echo into the surrounding world, and recites the following incantation with a projected voice:"I stand in the hearth of Fire
Where Flame, Sword and their Three Shadows Cross.
When the light fades, there I am born again.
Reborn as the darkness of thine soul
To once more wield a sword.
In Stillness I arise, in shadows do I perish,
So the songs can sing anew.
Azure Dawn,
Noyklad."
With each line of the incantation, Aegis' mind enters a deeper state of focus. He concentrates on his self, his being; so he may peer into the fog and see what he truly is. Somewhere in that murky haze lies his purpose; something buried underneath ancient ploys. But even those machinations had failed to perceive the true power of a soul's freedom.
The azure knight, upon reaching the final lines of the incantation, finally manages to physically detect the presence of Akasha in reality. He reads it, analysing each of its parameters and functions. When he finishes the last line of the chant, he removes all limiters on his magical core and directs the flow of mana into his mind; he then focuses all of it onto the world around him, overloading surrounding leylines to the point of collapse. In essence, through that, he temporarily 'breaks' reality within a radius of 140 metres and uses the now-blank canvas of that world to recreate a different kind of reality, albeit temporarily. What he creates is a perfect copy of his most earnest yearning -- the long-coveted world of Heaven. Despite that, however, every time Aegis casts this spell, the scenery is different, depending on his emotional state and thoughts. Regardless, what is the same every time is his ability to manipulate and terraform that world at will.
Within this temporary reality, Destruction, Creation and Recreation magics are greatly empowered (100% stronger, works for both allies and enemies) and allies get revitalised, at the expense of Aegis' Magic Resistance and life energy. Also, due to the nature of Aegis' magical energy being "pure", allies can draw it from the field Aegis has created, restoring 50% of their maximum mana, as well as removing the cool-downs of some of their spells (see Strengths).
Strenghts:
- Greatly empowers Aegis' spells, as well as any kind of Creation or Destruction magic any ally may have. (Destructive spells of different types of magic count as Destruction magic)
- Heals up to medium wounds allies might have and restores their endurance. (Applies to Aegis himself)
- Removes the cool-down of 1 S-rank spell, 2 A-rank spell, 4 B-rank spells or 8 C-rank spells of allies, of their choosing. (Applies to Aegis himself as well)
- While it is active, Aegis is capable of using Unending Projection: Blade Barrage without limits, mana cost, or cool-down.
Weaknesses:
- Aegis forfeits his Magic Resistance ability for the duration of this event and will need to wait 3 posts after it has ended in order to recover it
- Using this ability is the ultimate gamble. If used at the right time it can make victory certain. If used at the wrong time however, it could very well mean annihilation for both the knight and those around him.
- Due to the inhuman amounts of anguish and pain this entire process creates for Aegis, after it ends he will lose his consciousness for 1-6 posts, the exact number being left to chance. The enormous strain also causes some of his smaller blood vessels to break, making his entire body start bleeding, which can lead to blood loss unless treated. He may also receive a more serious physical injury (broken bones, for example).
- The spell potency increase is also applied to any and all enemies caught within the field.
- If Aegis is somehow interrupted during the chant, he loses his focus and as a result, Azure Down is put on a 3-post cooldown.
Duration: 5 posts
Cooldown: None (Can only be used once a thread.)
Active range: 140 metres
- The Akashic Catechism:
- - The Akashic Catechism - Passive, Power, non-combat related
Since the mana of the knight is absolutely pure, it is practically life energy. Thanks to that fact, it makes any damage he has sustained heal ridiculously fast while he is outside of combat. More specifically, he regenerates 45% of his maximum health every post while not in combat.
- Mana Burst:
- - Mana Burst - Active, Power, Counter-Offensive Technique
If Aegis wishes to, he is capable of draining and infusing his weapon with 3% of his maximal magical energy, causing the next hit with his weapon to deal twice the final damage it otherwise would; alternatively, it's possible to deflect spells of rank equal to or higher than that of Aegis through a Mana Burst, but that would put the Power on a 3 post cool down, and cause Aegis to suffer damage equal to 50% of the damage the deflected spell would have dealt.
- Resourcefulness:
- - Resourcefulness - Active, Power, Utility
Aegis has catalogued literally countless amounts of blueprints in his mind, most of which are of utterly mundane and unrelated to combat things. Quite literally, any item that you can think of has been added to Aegis' catalogue of blueprints; from silverware to vehicles to furniture to lockpicks - Aegis has it all. For that reason, he is capable of recreating and using them at will.
Their limited use and simple entity (compared to spells or techniques) makes them also free in terms of MP consumption.
- Aetherial Swordsman:
- - Aetherial Swordsman - Passive
Aegis has used his powers on his own body, augmenting it to be more physically capable than would be logical for a human. He has also learned how to use his control over mana in order to enhance his footwork, allowing him to make short dashes every time he swings his weapon or generally attacks.
He also has enhanced sight that lets him see up to 5 kilometres farther than usual, if he focuses his sight.
- Allows him to perform breathtaking acrobatics.
- Increased max jump height to 150 metres.
- Increased max run speed. (33 metres per second.)
- True Sight:
- - True Sight - Passive
The knight has taught himself to perceive the surrounding world through the Akashic weave of leylines. This allows him to be completely aware of anything that happens around him in a 100 metre radius. Furthermore, if his eyes are closed, or his sense of sight impaired in any way, he can use this ability to 'see' what's around him through the magical equivalent of echolocation -- that is, he reads the information of the world around him to construct a detailed image of it. Coloured, too.
Last edited by TehDMCmaniac on 27th May 2015, 8:40 am; edited 8 times in total