The magic of Threa can be controlled purely with one's mind. It requires strong focus and grand willpower to bend the magical energies of the world, nothing more. Threa's peoples are unaware of this for the most part. Further, many accredit their own magical abilities to the doings and blessings of entities bigger than themselves, such as gods or spirits. Naturally, this is nonsense. Beings that possess the gift to control zizik were simply lucky. Yet, the experience of grasping the ethereal, of touching the untouchable, and wielding it to affect your surroundings is easy to mistake for divine work. It is too fantastical to explain it any other way, unless you are of too low intellect to question it in the first place.
Many schools of thought regarding magic have cropped up all over Threa, each with their own explanation for the works and wonders of zizik. Many base it on religion, some on arcane languages of power, and others still are at least somewhat close to the truth. All of them put their own spin on it – their own falsehood – and believe it so strongly that it actually helps them cast spells. Indeed, gestures, words, chants, and rituals, they all assist in sorcery and wizardry, despite being unnecessary technically. The more radical teachings consider it offensive to their holy entities to use magic without adherence to the dogmas, even if they are aware that a mage could manipulate magic without saying a single word while standing absolutely still.
This page lists the most important, most prevalent teachings of magic. They are sorted by their origin culture groups. It is by no means an exhaustive collection. However, listing the beliefs of every minor culture would be tiresome. If your character does not adhere to any of the here mentioned teachings, simply make up one of your own, using those presented here as inspiration.
Gren – Teachings of Skog
These teachings are wholly based on the Gren Faith. Gren believe any and all magic to be the work of god-like beings, major and minor, evil and good. Lesser creatures can only wield it if they were empowered to do so by divine entities. Hence, Gren believe that all those among them who can control trezizikhave been chosen by their gods to become their clergy. Non-Gren mages are empowered by other divine beings, who are likely evil. Even if they are neutral or good, they are certainly not among Yggorum's companions, so they cannot be trusted.
Trezizik is a gift that Yggorum lends to his druids. All Gren agree upon this. Whether the other aspects of alizizik are also one of Yggorum's many blessings is a cause for schism among the druidic circles. The Thirpofan druids believe that all magic can be godly magic. The other circles disagree; they consider other magic neutral at best or innately evil at worst. As a result, two denominations of Gren magic teaching exist today: the original Teachings of Skog and the deviating Thirpofan interpretation of it.
Both teachings are strict and organized, and they work within the framework of the Gren Faith exclusively. Only druids may teach either, and only their novices may learn from them. The druidic circles of the Gren realms enforce this, and they have the sovereignty of interpretation regarding magic. How they apply this sovereignty differs.
Original Teachings of Skog
Skog was the first druid of Yggorum, the first person with whom Yggorum shared a fraction of his power. Skog then took on and taught novices who in turn became the mentors for the next generation of novices. Through written and oral traditions, his (supposedly) original teachings have survived until today. The druidic circles who adhere to his teachings hardly differ in their opinions on them, and they ensure that their members are not led astray by their own wild speculations or conduct heretical magic research. The latter can only lead to seduction by Yggrax, the Destroyer of Paradise and Cause of Evil.
The Teachings of Skog do not include in-depth knowledge about alizizik and its aspects. Their adherents are only aware of trezizik, and they know that other creatures (e.g., trezkul) can use it as well, which they see as just another example of how Yggrax corrupts good to use it for evil. All other aspects of magic are lumped together; no distinctions are made.
Only trezizik is holy and good, and only if it is wielded by the druids of Yggorum or the priestesses of Agadia. The forest is Yggorum's realm, its flora and funga his servants. Magic that touches upon any other element, like fire, wind, or water, is either neutral or evil, and the latter is far more likely. This is especially true for blazizik, izizik, and nokzizik. Nothing good could possibly come from infernal fire, suffocating darkness, or soul-chilling frost! No druid shall ever learn any aspect of magic besides trezizik. Doing so would be sacrilege.
After all, trezizik already provides a druid with all the powers he could possible want, so there is no reason to learn other arcane arts and risk succumbing to Yggrax. Skog has taught his students, and those theirs and so and so on so forth, how to heal wounds, strengthen the faithful, weaken the unbelievers, and even how to kill Yggorum's enemies through choking grip of vine or lethal strike of branch. Aspiring druids learn the full range of possibilities trezizik offers, and they must apply it for righteous purposes. Using Yggorum's gift for minor tasks is profane; using it for wrong is sin.
Prayer, runes, and appropriate components are necessary to work miracles and apply blessings. There are a few common, well established prayers that every druid knows, but it is also possible to invent new ones, even on the spot. Longer rituals have longer prayers, which are chanted at a slow pace and often involve a lot of repetition, but they are never accompanied by instruments or a lot of wordless vocalizations. Faith and magic are serious matters that are not subject to play and song like feasts or festivals are. Examples of quick incantations are listed below:
- "O Yggorum, Maker of of the World, let your healing flow through my hands, so that I may restore your faithful, mend that which has been cut and broken!" – Prayer of Mending
- "O Yggorum, Lord of Gods, grant me your might, so that I may ensnare the evil and choke the vile from it 'til naught remains!" – Prayer of Snare Evil
- "O Yggorum, Eternal Guardian, lend the strength and will of your holy oaks to thy faithful, who do your bidding and follow your path. Let them know your power as they carry their burden." – Prayer of Oaken Strength
Each of these prayers also involves the drawing of runes. If there is time to prepare, a druid will draw them into the dirt or lay them out using plant parts. Then, during the casting itself, the collected trezizik is channeled into the runes, causing them to glow with a vibrant green. It is also common practice to use the magic itself to draw the runes into the air, especially during quick spells (e.g., in a fight). The runes are sacred and each one has a singular meaning, such as "Yggorum", "healing", or "banishment", and they are the origin of the letters of the Gren written language.
As for the components: Every druid carries a pouch with seeds, tubers, and bulbs on him and has plants growing all over his robe. This arsenal of vegetation ensures that the druid can use trezizik wherever they go; trezizik cannot create flora or funga out of thin air. Further, Yggorum's holy men often steady their mind and sharpen their focus by rapidly growing a single, small plant from a seed before branching out from there into the grander spell. The plant thus created is either sacrificed with a clench of the fist to send it to Aethoil's sprawling gardens or attached to the druid's robe as a visual reminder of Yggorum's greatness.
Most druids are capable alchemists and know of the boons the forest can provide, and they do not shy away from using concoctions and natural drugs to empower their magic. Certain mushrooms are known to strengthen one's bond to the gods by granting clairvoyance, letting one see the divine plane, and there are potions that shed exhaustion or improve concentration when imbibed. Skog's gift – a magic fruit – is a common foundation for alchemical products and often used as an extra source of trezizik during rituals.
Devotional icons are widespread. Every fully fledged druid has at least one: A wooden carving of a majestic oak, blessed by their archdruid during the druid's ordination rite, and worn either on a string around his neck or attached to his staff. Imbued with faith, this icon not only identifies the druid as a holy man of Yggorum, it also wards off evil that could interfere as he works miracles, granting him greater confidence in his spellcasting, thus actually improving it as a result. Many druids also like to have staves, chiefly as a walking aid or a means of self-defense, but a tiny fraction of druids does own magic staves. These are usually heirlooms with forgotten or legendary origins, handed down from teacher to student or archdruid to archdruid.
Here is an example of how two followers of the Teachings of Skog (Runar and Groa) use trezizik to heal a warrior (Eyjolf), who has been grievously injured:
Runar the Hird Druid was quietly mouthing prayers, practicing the incantations rather than actually saying them, while Groa, his novice, set up the herbal incense in the emptied oil lamps. The vapors the burning herbs released put the mind at ease, freed the pathways to the lungs, and encouraged bloodflow to the limbs. Patient and druids alike felt better after inhaling them.
Eyes closed, Runar spread his arms apart, palms down, fingers splayed. He did so over Eyjolf, the wounded and paralyzed warrior laid out on the bed ahead of him. "I'll lead the prayer. Say it quietly, following my words, but keep your focus on the divine energy that will concentrate in my palms. We begin now." Runar took a deep breath, then he proceeded to plead with Yggorum for Eyjolf's health. Each word was slowly spoken to allow Groa to follow, but the druid had likely heard this prayer of healing before: "Yggorum, please hear me, your humble servant and speaker on the plane of soil. A broken faithful lies before me. Hear me, and heal your follower. Let your gift flow through me, so that my hands may do your work." As the prayer went on, Groa could feel the ambient trezizik unwinding from the flows of magic to heed the elder's call. Gleaming, green lines wormed their way into his palms, wrapped around his fingers, and danced across his arms to join their kin. The flowers on his robe appeared more colorful, more vivid and brilliant. Some of the mosses drapped across his shoulders grew new roots; they crawled across his garments, seeking soil that was not there. "O Yggorum, Maker of the World, let your healing flow through my hands, so that I may restore your faithful, mend that which has been cut and broken. Mend!" He lowered his hands onto Eyjolf's chest... Runar gasped and the light was snuffed from his hands. His eyes flew open, and he arched his back as if struck by sudden pain. Moss roots punctured his ropes and dug into his hide. "My... Those wolshaks hurt you strongly. Dark sorcery must be at work, but we shall not let this thwart the will of our God." He turned to Groa. "You lead the healing this time. I'll assist you."
The young trezlin puffed some air, anxious at the notion that Runa's magic did not quite pop the scars and mortal wounds of the lad lying before them. This sort of magic was going to be a hard press for him to manage, probably? Could he even do so...? He clicked his tongue and scoured for the blessed seeds in his pouch. They sprouted immediately, weaving their green around his hand. Focus. The first lesson of higher tier magic, draw upon the life of the land and it will support you. Whispers and mutters left Groa's muzzle, channels of energy dwelled within his focus as he centered himself and prepared for the work of the divine. His magic gripped deep into Eyjolf's core, a hot and heavy hand that entwined with the warrior's soul and intermingled through his wounded body, feeding off the residual magic left in Runar's wake. "Lord of the Green, Father of Oak and Bearer of Life. Hear my most humble of prayer. Pierce the hides of darkness and unwind the weary fate." The woven vines writhed in his grasp, their shape twisting under their weight, as Groa used them to guide and purify the flow of trezizik in its most primal form. "Guide this follower's hand in breaking the curse woven to impure." Bursts of energy dug into Eyjolf's flesh, it was invigorating and yet agonizing in the same vein. His wounds stitched themselves together, smaller ones sealed as larger ones only progressed. Snaps and crackles in his neck rang out in a wet sickly crunch as vertabrae were reset and nerves dragged back into place. The first tingles of true sensation and feeling could be felt all the way down to his claws and toes. Eyjolf could move again, albeit just barely.
Thirpofan Teachings of Skog
The Thirpofan druidic dogma is not an anti-thesis to the Teachings of Skog taught elsewhere. It incorporates Skog's lessons wholly, aside of the tenet that only trezizik is Yggorum's gift. The Thirpofan adherents believe that Skog did not say this, and that this principle was established later by overly intolerant druids. Further, the Thirpofan school teaches that Skog and his students were blessed with all sorts of magic gifts over time, either by Yggorum himself or by gods loyal to Yggorum, and that their knowledge and abilities were lost to time and Yggrax's meddling. Trezizik, although holiest of all magics, is merely the start, a stepping stone to the other elements, of which all were meant to be available to the druids. Consequentially, druids following the Thirpofan teachings strive to study and comprehend magic and to broaden the horizon of their abilities to encompass multiple aspects of it. So far, they have, collectively, managed to unlock trezizik (naturally), azizik, and hozizik. The other elements are yet elusive; the Thirpofan druids lack suitable teachers. No matter which aspect of magic they manipulate, they do so like the other druidic circles would manipulate trezizik.
Good and evil are terms that the Thirpofan school refuses to apply to magic. No magic is inherently evil or good; it entirely depends on how it is wielded and by whom. Hozizik wielded by a Thirpofan druid is seen as a fine tool to crush the heretic, but the same power in the hands of a Villjordiran barbarian is considered Yggrax sorcery. Blazizik in the hands of a blazlin working as a diligent blacksmith among the Gren is met with wariness, but it is tolerated, similarly to how strict adherent's of Skog's teaching would see it. After all, the good blacksmith's power must be a gift from the gods. Though, should he be revealed to be evil, then it was a trick of Yggrax all along.
However, despite being open to all magics, the Thirpofan druidic circle is firmly of the opinion that only trezizik mages have been chosen to become druids. It does not matter whether one is born with the ability to wield trezizik or later learns to. The latter is seen as a delayed choice on Yggorum's side. In this, it is in agreement with Skog's teachings as interpreted by the other circles.
The true origins of the Thirpofan teachings date back to Gren prehistory, but their adherents claim that they are the true version of Skog's own teachings and those of his students. The latter are excluded by the other circles, who believe that Skog's students did not create meaningful teachings of their own, or at least did not have the approval of the gods to do so.
Aside of their scholarly interest in magic, the Thirpofan druids are also greatly curious about the artifacts and ancient texts that can be found in the ancient ruins beneath their capital. They are capable of reading, writing, and even speaking the language of the aforementioned ancient texts thanks to a miraculous incident. In 491 az, Hibald the Druid led an expedition of warriors and laborers deep into the Thirpofan ruins, hoping to find magical artifacts in them just like others have before him. The group saw a bright, white light shine through gaps in a pile of rubble, and Hibald ordered his team to clear the path. It opened a way into a library, within which it found hundreds of tomes and scrolls, but more importantly, it found a massive magic gem. Hibald later reported it to be the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld. It was pristine, and its radiance was so intense that the expedition members could barely look at it. Everyone fell to their knees in amazement, and Hibald immediately prayed to Yggorum and thanked the gods for having led them to this undoubtedly mighty relic of a better age. The druid could already feel the huge magic reservoir within, but then he felt something else – the presence of Yggorum in his very mind! Horrible spasms wracked Hibald's form as his body and soul were shocked by the immensity of divinity. Yggorum talked to Hibald; his voice came from the gleaming crystal. The words were unintelligible to all but Hibald, who had been granted understanding by Yggorum within the first moment of their connection. As the others watched in terror as well as awe, Yggorum imparted arcane knowledge to Hibald. It was over in minutes, and the crystal ceased glowing afterward. Hibald now knew how to speak, read, and write the ancient, native tongue of the former inhabitants of the Thirpofan ruins. He became known as Hibald the God-Taught, became the next Thirpofan archdruid, and he shared this knowledge with his novices and fellow druids. Finally, the Thirpofan druids were now able to study the ancient writings that they had discovered and archived in the past.
Sadly, Hibald the God-Taught went missing a few years later. He did not return from his latest trip to the library his expedition unearthed. When others went to into the ruins to search for him, they discovered that the whole library had disappeared, together with Hibald. The Thirpofan circle never decided on what happened. One half believes that Yggrax used foul sorcery to erase the library and Hibald from existence to halt Thirpofan progress in matters of magic, while the other half thinks that Hibald and the library ascended to Yggorum's Golden Hall.
In either case, the Thirpofan druids still know how to read the ancient texts, and this had led to astonishing discoveries. Most of the written works contain enigmatic knowledge or record the incredible happenings of a bygone era, but some of the scrolls and tomes hold spells within their ink, which is infused with the magic crystal powder. Even a non-magical layman can unleash these spells if they can read and properly pronounce the written incantations aloud. This spends the magic trapped within the text, at least temporarily. The Thirpofan druids see the texts as a fount of wisdom of druids past and as proof of their greatness. Heretical ramblings is what the other circles would call it, which is why the Thirpofan circle is very reserved about the topic. Yet, some Thirpofan druids keep a tome on hand to use the conjurations within to improve their own casting.
Sozkian – The Flow
Adherents of the Flow think that magic is chaos and does not bend to the
rules of any higher entity. This (correct) belief stems from the faith of the Yrun's Chosen, which has its roots in the Sozkian culture group. Only the use of hozizik and azizik are covered by the Teachings of the Flow because these are the natural aspects of sozlin, although it could be adapted to function with the other elements as well. It is an unorganized teaching, not a strict dogma; it is flexible. Even non-Yrunists may adopt the Teachings of the Flow. Yrunists stake no claim on it or on magic itself. A supposed truth without any possessive intentions or necessary religious foundations is comfortable to accept for anyone. According to the Yrun's Chosen, magic is simply there and anyone with the ability to wield it may do so. Gods do it, mortals do it, and nobody can do it perfectly. The only spiritual twist the Yrunists add is that the zizik storms and most of the magical streams originate from the love making of the two moons – the Yrun – during the creation of all life. Non-Yrunists find this aspect easy to ignore when they adopt this teaching. It has no bearing.
Since magic is arbitrary, so is whether one possesses the ability to use it. Mages were simply lucky to come into the world this way.
To control magic is to direct its natural flow. When a fish swims, it maneuvers by moving and angling its fins and frills to guide the flow of the water surrounding it. A mage trying to manifest a spell does the same thing, but with zizik. They must use their whole body to tap into the ambient magic flowing around them, gather it around their form in a whirl, and then let it glide away with wondrous effect. Followers of the Teachings of the Flow use their whole body when they cast, from snout to tail, as if they were dancing, and they accompany this with song, often mimicking the sounds of the element they are manipulating.
Hozizik and azizik have their own dance and song each. They can be drastically different, but they can also be quite similar. It depends on the desired outcome. When hozizik is used to move great masses of earth – perhaps to collapse a cliff, bring down an avalanche upon your enemies, or raise a wall – it requires quick and hard motions, like the dance called haka, and aggressive growls and shouts, akin to the noises of a forming avalanche or an impacting rockfall. However, used to perform more intricate tasks, such as pottery, hozizik requires calmer, more elegant dance and more serene song. It becomes more similar to azizik then, whose use is always coupled with smooth movements of the limbs and body, like a stream flowing. Even when azizik is used to cause great force and violence, its dance remains graceful, just faster and more involved. The song of water magic consists of holding high and low notes in an alternating fashion, going with the ebb and flow of the fluid and zizik controlled.
Here is an example of how hozizik may be used for arts and crafts while following the Teachings of the Flow:
Shapes-Our-Clay – a sozlin of the shore-dwelling tribes – knelt in front of a rush mat. Its surface was covered by a patch of smooth leather and a small heap of wet clay lay on top of it. The artisan closed his eyes and held his hands over the material. With steady breath and thoughts of the night sky, he calmed his heart and mind before aiming the latter at the magic around him. Earthen zizik was all around him; he reached for it. Becoming oblivious to his other senses, he used his increasingly strong connection to the ethereal to attune his very soul to the clay. Every ounce of it became an extension of his own body. Shapes-Our-Clay began to sing without lyrics. Magic could not understand him anyway, but its flow reacted to his waving tune. He rose his hands, fingers splaying apart, and so did the clay rise, levitating above the leather. Amber light glimmered around the craftsman's fingers.
The sorcerer-artisan started to dance his fingers and hands around his material, and it began to flow, following its master's directions. First it took the simple shape of an orb. As Shapes-Our-Clay immersed himself in his craft, his dance became more involved. His entire arms joined the dance, then his upper body swayed and bobbed along as well. Pebbles rose off the ground around him and took part, too, animated by the hozizik that leaked from his spell. They were attracted to his arms, laid themselves over his scales like a coarser second skin. None of them dared to join the shifting, pulsing clay; Shapes-Our-Clay was a master of his art. The song and dance turned calmer once more, and it ended with the artisan gently setting down a spherical, flat-bottomed pot the size of his own head onto the work mat. It even had a fitting lid. Not once had his fingers touched the clay.
After firing the pot, Shapes-Our-Clay desired to add decorations. Normally, this had to be done prior to baking the clay, but hozizik offered more options. The artisan looked upon his perfectly shaped creation after setting it down upon a potter wheel. He had no need for the implement when making the body, but it did make the engraving process easier. After sharpening his mind and getting in tune with the surrounding magic again, he lifted his right hand and began to draw onto the pot with an amber glowing claw, turning the wheel as required with his left. While hardened clay magically made way for his claw, turning to dust wherever it touched, he hummed a melody and his tail tip swayed. Before long, the two moons had been engraved upon the earthen surface in all of their states, going around the entire pot like a horizontal band. Swirls and wavy lines, resembling water, decorated the remainder of the item.
Shapes-Our-Clay smiled as he inspected his work from all sides, deeming it a fine sacrifice to the Yrun for the next Weeks of Plenty.
Magic implements are one of the weak points of these teachings. Followers of the Flow do not believe in magical scriptures of a language of power, so tomes or tablets imbued with zizik hold little value to them. Spiritual items are also of little value to them, unless they do believe deities or spirits to influence their own spellcasting. Knowledge on how to properly enchant items to make them beneficial when using magic is rare among the followers of these teachings, too. As a result, the most common implements employed by Flow adherents are simple magical foci. Anyone can steady their mind using a heirloom, lucky charm, or other emotionally important item. Shapes-Our-Clay, the artisan from the example above, sometimes uses a shard of the best sacrificial container he ever produced to center himself, for example. It inspires him to attempt excelling past works. Also, he was lucky to find that shard while walking the beach, because Yrunists throw their offering pots off coastal cliffs. This has made it even more dear to him.
Instruments are established magic foci as well. They can be incorporated into the dance and song of spellcasting, and doing so appeared natural to the members of the Yrunist faith and Sozkian culture, who both love instrumental as well as vocal music. Not only oars can be coordinated by the sound of a drum; the water itself can be made to push your boat along to it as well. Entire sozlin huts have been risen from the earth to the sound of rhythm bones, and fish swarms have been forced into nets with tambourines. The magical musicians just have to be careful not to cause magical chaos when they perform a mundane performance!
Wild Draconic – Natural, Innate Control
Ironically, the wildest of kul – the lowest intellects of their kind – possess the most accurate idea of the origin of their magical might. For a trezkul, to will the plants to do their bidding and to make grievous wounds close in a matter of seconds comes as natural as controlling their own muscles. Dragons are superior magical creatures, all of them (rare exceptions aside). They know what magic feels like, how to sense it, how to touch the untouchable and wield it as weapon or tool. With an intelligence too low to grapple with concepts such as spirituality, they would never get the idea to attribute their powers to a higher entity. Questioning the source of their spellcasting ability in the first place is beyond the grand majority of them.
Wild kul (normally) do not think gestures or words to be necessary to enact their will magically upon the world, although they do realize that zizik flows easier when accompanied by them. To let forth an angry roar puts a sozkul in the appropriate mindset to make a cliff collapse with hozizik, and snatching the air with its claws makes it easier for a trezkul to magically force roots to do the same to their foe. After all, the body is an extension of the soul and emotions are nothing more than expressions of the very same, and the soul commands the magic.
Social kul, like the sozkul or the rizkul (especially their matriarchs), do sometimes philosophize about the nature of magic. Falsehoods sprout from these discussions; they put these kul on the same wrong paths as the other faiths and traditions mentioned on this page put their own followers, thus removing them further from the simple, natural truth that they once had.