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Magic

The Outside is steeped in magic, it permeates every corner of the known world, gathering in some places in far greater densities (see: the Yonderlands). the Pale Sun that hangs in the sky is theorized to be almost pure magic, radiating it down onto the surface, which then prompted the counter-ritual that blanketed the world in a layer of dense clouds filled with swirling magic to (mostly) block out the detrimental effects of the sun. You could say that the Outsiders are no stranger to magic, but at the same time they know next to nothing about the origin nor the workings of the stuff. It's theorized that , in the distant past, magic and the ability to wield it in the form of scholopendragyns was imparted unto the visari by the faereys, a race of strange beings that show up in magesleep and potentially the inhabitants of the world from which magic flows. The ability to interact with magical energy seems to stem from a small, parasitic centipede known as a scholopendragyn. The centipedes can come in varying shapes and sizes, and can take up residence in different parts of the body.

The History of Magic
Magesleep
Anthromagical Equipment and Mechanics
Magemilk
Meddz
Arcane Delirium
Magical Artifacts/Touched Objects

Magic have been used by the visari for millennia in the form of Uhd. The majority of visari are infected with the scholopendragyn, granting them control over the mysterious energy. Visari initially wielded this power to provide boons to their colonies. Eventually, however, they twisted the flow of Uhd such that they could inflict suffering on their enemies. Putting curses on rival colonies and blighting swathes of wildlife to gain strategic advantages against their enemies were some such perversions. Primarily controlled through complex rituals and ceremonies, the visaris' use of magic is manipulated through tradition, dogma, and faith. Smaller rituals were carried out by individual visari for protection, fortune, good health, and the like. Some time after before the Rite of the Pale Sun, after the visari concocted a method to infect humans with scholopendragyns, the act of performing rituals bled over into human and daemyr cultures, becoming ubiquitous in daily life. After the Rite of the Pale Sun, when literacy and intellectualism became far less abundant, the line between what is a genuine magic ritual and what isn't has become severely blurred, especially among laypeople. Thus do numerous snake oil salesmen and grifters inhabit the world, fooling customers for profit.

After the Ritual of the Pale Sun blanketed the planet in swirling maelstroms of stray magical energy, some of those infected with scholopendragyns began to have strange, vivid dreams (later known as magesleep) seemingly conveying specific information. This was the advent of pelmagic. Pelmagic is far more immediate than Uhd, possessing capabilities to immediately twist reality as opposed to the more subtle nudges produced by rituals.

Visari can learn and use pelmagic, though it would take much adapting, especially if the individual is more experienced in the traditional visari rituals. The channels through which magic flows in one’s body are carved over time, like erosion from a river. Pelmagic a different flow than visari magic, meaning a visari that has partaken in many visari rituals will struggle to cast pelmagical spells until they can successfully redirect the flow of magic within them. This, along with the fact that the use of pelmagic by visari is considered a heinous taboo within most colonies, means it is highly unusual to find a visari mage--at least one that is not excommunicated by their colony.

To learn an pelmagical spell, the user must enter a subconscious state known as 'magesleep'. In magesleep, the mage has peculiar, vivid dreams. Within these dreams, arcane knowledge empowering the mage to wield new spells may be imparted, though it is not guaranteed. As with normal dreams, the visions that appear in magesleep are highly unpredictable. The clarity of the mage's dream, the duration of the magesleep, and the prominence of the spellcasting method being "taught" within the dream are also variable. When the mage awakens, they must parse the dream and memorize the relevant information, generally with the use of a dream journal. There are some recurring themes within arcane dreams. These themes can be shared by multiple mages or confined to one individual. Such occurrences include the appearance of strange beings known as faereys, crawling chitinous creatures, warped memories and massive spires. The sounds of innumerable deafening whispers, mumbling, chanting, rumbling horns, skittering legs, and whirring, thumping machinery are also often reported. As are the smells of raw meat-either fresh or decaying,- soil, harsh chemicals, ozone, smoke, blood, honey, and something sickly sweet. A notorious but exceedingly rare recurring manifestation is the appearance of an enormous, tangled centipede weaving through the sky above. Those who have seen the centipede have only seen its body and it is suspected that it lack a posterior or anterior end. On even rarer occasions, it is known to speak to the mage in a whispering voice like dry leaves and old paper. This being has come to be known as the Eternal Centipede and is regarded with fear and reverence.

To enter magesleep, certain actions need to be taken beforehand. There is much debate over whether a mage can influence the spells they will learn during their sleep. It seems, though, that some mages may only gain spells from within a specific field of magic, while others might gather a wide array of vastly different spells. Spells seem to have variable rarity, from spells known by a majority of mages to those alleged to be so rare that only one person alive can cast them. Others yet have only been possessed by a handful or even a single person in history. Spells vary widely in their uses and capabilities. Different spells can influence and even control one's mental faculties, or cause massive destruction in a wide area, or conjure objects and beings, or banish people to pocket dimensions. However, spells seem to have limits, as there are no currently known spells that allow for rapid healing or regeneration of living organic tissue. Generally, as the rarity of a spell increases, so does its complexity. Rarer spells can be far more demanding than more common spells in multiple ways. Rarer spells are harder to control, while requiring more magic and generally the consumption of greater quantities of magemilk. More rare spells may have stipulations, such as requiring that the mage must sacrifice something each time they cast the spell, or the spell can only be cast after certain conditions are met.

Magesleep is not without its hazards, however. As with all interaction with magical energy, over time, repeated magesleep can erode one's sanity. This may lead to arcane delirium, a condition in which a mage begins to experience hallucinations and delusions, eventually losing all touch with reality, casting random spells and "leaking" stray magic uncontrollably. A mage in magesleep also has a rare chance to remain asleep indefinitely, considered by others to have been claimed by the Eternal Centipede. There has only been one recorded instance of someone being awakened from this state, though he perished soon after. Those trapped within their slumber may be active in a state not unlike sleepwalking. Victims of this specific phenomenon have been dubbed 'Changelings'.

There is also the possibility that a mage may learn no new spells from magesleep, even being unable to learn new spells altogether after a point. To 'practice' a spell, mages must enter an altered state of magesleep. To do this, certain procedures need to be carried out along with the regular preparations. This training exercise allows a mage to focus on a specific spell in their arsenal and dream about it to better prepare themselves for use in the waking world. Such a state comes with similar hazards as magesleep, though generally more subdued.

In order to cast pelmagic, the most important tool in a mage’s kit is the severed head of another mage. In order to create a cephalantern, a mage must be decapitated—postmortem or otherwise—and their head preserved and prepared for use as a cephalantern. Such preparations are a well-kept secret among those in the business of creating the lanterns but the process seems to involve certain oils, incenses, yarn, beads, and potentially the blood of some animal. These measures perfectly preserve the head from decomposition and allow it to act as a catalyst for pale spells. In fact, so well-preserved are cephalanterns that minor flesh wounds will gradually heal and hair will continue to grow.

The process of preservation is arduous and time-consuming but particularly lucrative. Consequently, this demand has brought about the particularly morbid profession of mage-hunting. Thus, wary mages will often wear magically imbued accessories with the intention to render the head unusable upon death. This is often achieved with a detonation or some other form of structural damage. Despite this, however, it is considered a great honor for a mage to donate their head to their compatriots upon death for use as a cephalantern. This brought about the designing of more complex accessories which will not activate if the would-be head snatcher performs a precise series of actions or possesses a specific, associated object designed to nullify the mage’s own theft deterrent. In this way, a mage can protect their head from anyone who lacks the required key.

In order to actually cast spells, the mage must have the lantern on their person. Generally, the head will be secured to a belt or sash with the mage simply resting their hand on it to invoke their desired spell. Other mages will hold the head in their hands, cradling it or even dangling it in from a length of rope much like an actual lantern.

Each mage is paired to their personal cephalantern and cannot wield any others without first completely destroying their own or severing the spiritual bond through more magical methods. The latter process is thoroughly unpleasant, however, and only performed as a last resort. Mages may customize their lanterns in various ways, such as replacing eyes and teeth with precious stones. They may even do the lantern’s hair and give them piercings. Others will place the lantern within an ornate box, bag, cage, or other vessel to protect it from the elements or to avoid unwanted attention.

A phenomenon occasionally experienced by mages is that, during magesleep, they may encounter the person who formerly wore the head (or something donning their visage). This dream phantom may behave in many ways from antagonizing to aiding the dreamer. This is often initially met with fear by the mage, who may attribute it to an early stage of arcane delirium. In reality, there is no cause for concern… That is, at least, until the mage begins to perceive movement or sounds produced by the cephalantern while within the waking world.

Magemilk is an opaque, milky substance produced with yonderwort, a plant endemic to the yonderlands. This liquid is sold and produced in many places, as it is necessary for casting pelmagic. Often, it may contain flavor additives in an attempt to hide the acrid flavor. Mages will consume small amounts at a time in order to grant them temporary spellcasting power. More exotic and powerful spells require more magemilk. If a mage drinks more than necessary, they can cast spells for longer and with potentially increased potency. There are risks to ingesting too much magemilk in a short time, however. A mage imbibing the milk in excess may experience searing pains, muscle cramps, vomiting, dangerous backfiring of spells, and potentially suffer delirious confusion. This condition is commonly known as 'thaumic stroke'. Repeated thaumic strokes (and repeated magic use in general, to a lesser extent) can gradually lead the mage to fall into arcane delirium. Fortunately, there is a way to combat thaumic stroke and–allegedly– stave off arcane delirium with the use of a certain medication called Meddz.

Meddz is an anti-delirient in the form of a small pill capsule. Meddz contains a highly guarded secret recipe that alleviates symptoms of magic overuse by flushing magic out of the mage’s system. Generally only one to three pills are needed to effectively remedy thaumic stroke, though recreational users may exceed that. Meddz is used recreationally for the euphoric, dizzying physical and mental relaxation it provides at high doses. Recreational Meddz use is risky for non-magic users as the lack of magic within their bodies may result in the medication interacting with the body itself, incurring deleterious effects.

Arcane Delirium is a fate that awaits many mages-granted they don't die of anything else first. In this state, a mage gradually loses touch with reality as they suffer hallucinations and delusions with increasing strength and frequency. The main cause of arcane delirium is repeated use of magic but on rare days when the clouds part, those outside under direct sunlight for long enough have a chance of being afflicted as well. A mage who frequently pushes themself to over-use magic will suffer more thaumic strokes and reach full arcane delirium much faster than a more cautious mage.

Arcane delirium starts out with minor, occasional confusion and hallucinations. Sufferers (referred to as pale-souled) may commonly see shadows at the periphery of their vision, feel like they are being physically touched or watched from a distance, suddenly become forgetful and mildly confused, and other distressing symptoms. Those suffering the onset of delirium will begin to smell like magic, though only faintly at first. As arcane delirium gets worse, so do the symptoms. One will start to experience persistent hallucinations and increased confusion. The mage's spells become more potent yet more unpredictable. Pale-souled eventually lose all sanity and the ability to control their spellcasting. They are completely unpredictable and cannot be effectively communicated with. A violent aura of stray magic constantly surrounds them, distorting the world in their vicinity. A more powerful mage will result in a more dangerous pale-souled and the longer they stay alive in this state, the more dangerous they get. There have been instances in which mages who lived far from other people became afflicted, wandering the countryside for multiple months before roaming into a town and wreaking havoc. Eventually, if the victim isn't put down properly, they succumb to the failings of their mortal body (most of the time). After this, their body can remain magically active for a very long time as the magic itself slowly disperses. This makes the corpse highly dangerous. Depending on where one dies, they will lie there indefinitely, mutiliating their surroundings with magic discharge. After a corpse is moved, a ring of smooth, ritually imbued stones with holes through them and beaded ropes through those holes linking them together will be placed in a ring surrounding it. Many outsiders believe this to be an effective measure of containing the magical aura emanating from the corpse. It is uncertain if this method is effective, but at least it may provide peace of mind for some people.

Objects can be imbued with magical energy, providing a wide range of effects. This can either be done through rituals or the item can be left in the yonderlands for an extended period of time. The latter method takes varying amounts of time and is completely unreliable regarding the effects the item is imbued with. These artifacts, known as being 'touched' are highly sought after by many outsiders. Touched objects can be used even by those who lack a scholopendragyn (and are therefore unable to manipulate magic). The effects of an artifact can vary widely from the beneficial to the malignant.

Visari are the primary producers of touched objects given their knowledge of ritual magic and there are a handful of merchants that buy and sell touched objects, such as Chubidor Feech and Yudukupuru.

On occasion, the Yonderlands may spontaneously produce a touched object, often an imperfect facsimile of some manmade item. Dubbed 'fae gifts,' these items are said to possess immense power and are regarded as priceless. This anomaly is theorized to be caused by the "memory" possessed by magic which allows it to record and reproduce foreign objects.