A form of magic often misunderstood, Enchantment is split into several formats, namely
. While Enchantment is something that is easily learned by anyone with magical competance it is not something easily mastered by just anyone. The reason for this is simple, Enchantment's basic application only requires knowledge of
, which act as a form of coding for ethernano. As long as one can write runes properly and then fuel, or charge them, with magical energy they can enchant an object. However, this is where the common practitioner deviates from the master. While the basics of enchantment only require ethernano for power and runes for purpose, advanced enchantment requires
and an incredible grasp of magical processes.
In layman's terms, Advanced Enchantment uses symbols in the form of runes, sound in the form of song, and ethernano as power and control. Additionally, it should be made known that while the material that runes are inscribed upon
does not influence the quality of an enchantment, it can. Lacrima, biological forms--dead or alive-- and metals tend to be ideal enchanting materials. Partially hollow structures also assist with the channeling of ethernano and thus make enchantments stronger.
Alteration:Often considered the simpler of the two forms of Enchantment, Alteration deals with the imbuing of magical effects into typically non-magical things. As such, Alteration cannot be utilized on the body by any known means. Alteration does not truly alter the material it is applied to, but instead uses magical energy from the wearer's body to fuel its effects. As such only incredibly intricate Enchantments of this type function without a wielder, and such are exceptionally rare. Advanced Alteration Enchantment requires that the wearer of the Enchanted object be capable of polyphony, which is also known as "resonance". This is the act of not just fueling the runes with magical energy, but attuning that magical energy to the runes by moving the ethernano at the proper frequency and speed. Doing so enhances the effects of the runes greatly, but unless the inscribed runes are designed to handle this process, they will eventually wear out and cease to function. This is due to the fact that runes effectively inscribe magical "pathways," inside of an object. The arrangement and form of these pathways causes ethernano channeled through them to take on certain effects. When polyphony is used in tangent with pathways that are not designed to handle significant stress, the pathways are worn down and lose the proper structure to alter the ethernano's nature. However, since these pathways are not destroyed, they can still channel raw mana, allowing a broken enchanted object to leak or shoot magical energy once it is sufficiently damaged.
Substantiation:While Alteration deals with imprinting pathways onto something so as to enchant it, Substantiation has to do with actually altering the thing itself, be it temporarily or permanently. Enchanted objects that were created through Substantiation are also more likely to be capable of functioning even without a wielder. Essentially, Substantiation works by way of the Enchanter channeling ethernano into something and then storing it within that thing. The use of polyphony is essential, but even more important is the mage's understanding of how ethernano behaves. The more advanced the mage's knowledge of this, and the better they are able to move and shape it dictate how advanced their enchantments are capable of being. While Alteration imprints magical effects onto something, Substantiation creates magical properties inside of something. This means that things altered by Substantiation become inherently magical in nature. However, unless the mage is a Master Enchanter it is unlikely that they will be capable of making what one would call an Artefact. Essentially an Artefact is something that has been enchanted by Substantiation, which exerts its magical effects regardless of a wielder and without being activated intentionally. Due to the sheer skill required to make such an item, Artefacts are fairly rare.
Beyond these forms of Enchantment is a sub-type known as "Catalyst Magic." This form of magic is one, which requires a mage to acquire or craft an item. This item is known simply as a "Catalyst," and partially automates the Enchanting process. Nonetheless, the wielder is required to supply these enchantments, which are used much like spells, with ethernano for them to work. In fact, Catalyst Magic, while useful in combat, is much less efficient than a permanently enchanted item due to the Catalyst only creating temporary "pathways". This tends to make the pathways unstable, thus requiring additional use of
polyphony to stabilize and strengthen their magic. As such, Catalyst magic utilizes
polyphony, a rune engraved "Catalyst," and the user's own ability to manipulate ethernano to produce various effects. Some Catalyst mages engrave their Catalysts with specific runes, limiting the scope and/or amount of enchantments they can place in exchange for greater stability and power in their spells. Dornae is not one of these individuals.
Note: The faster a Catalyst mage creates their enchantment, the weaker or more unstable it tends to be. However, the more skilled they are, the less this weakness applies.Spell Scaling
The below system is how Catalyst magic's Spells are categorized in regards to the level of skill necessary and the amount of time needed to preform them. The tiers are used to describe the level of breadth1 and amount of effects2 or stages3 a given spell has.
Note: Dornae is not capable of using spells above T4. A mage can mix and match traits from different Tiers(T).T1: Any given trait requires 2 seconds of prep.
Breadth: An AoE4 of 1 meter or below and/or max size of a baseball.
Effects: 1.
Stages: 2.
Any given traits requires a minimum of 8 seconds of prep.
Breadth: An AoE of 2-4 meters or below and/or max size of a Basketball.
Effects: 2.
Stages: 3.
Any given traits requires between 13 and 18 seconds of prep.
Breadth: An AoE of 5-8 meters or below and/or max size of a
Beach ball.
Effects: 3.
Stages: 4.
Any given traits requires between 22 and 30 seconds of prep.
Breadth: An AoE of 9-16 meters or below and/or max size of a
Large Beach Ball.
Effects: 5.
Stages: 5.
Any given traits requires between 40 seconds and 1 minute of prep.
Breadth: An AoE of 17-32 meters or below and/or four times the size of T4.
Effects: 8.
Stages: 6.
Any given traits requires between 1-2 minutes of prep.
Breadth: An AoE of 33-64 meters and/or max size of several houses.
Effects: 13.
Stages: 7.
Appendix
Breadth1The amount of space a spell covers.
Effects2How a spell influences a person or thing.
Stages3How many things a spell does.
AoE4The abbreviated form of “Area of Effect.” This is always measured as a radius in this case.
