Magic in FtA

Magic in the world of FtA has the flexibility to take on a host of forms. The forms can be organized into classes that are practiced on the basis of geographical or, rather, cultural affiliation. In both strength and ability, one class is no different than another, because they derive their power from the same source. Where as one culture may form a class of magic that relies on singing, another may use incantation, and another may not require audible cues at all. Because magic relies on the conveyance of thoughts to establish the identity of the summoned power, even interpretive dance is a viable casting ideology.

Atlean Magic

This type of magic used near-exclusively in the Eyer and Heartford regions. Occasionally aided by hand positioning, this class of magic relies on the use of incantations that function as "building blocks"^[1] , which may be added or removed in order to produce a desired result. If a skilled practitioner already comprehends the mental imagery that the incantation is intended to generate, the incantation may be discarded in the interest of time at the cost of spell intensity. Because of the building block dynamic, there cannot be a complete list of spells that exist, as altering one line of the incantation of a commonly used spell produces a slightly different variant. By extension, the number of possible spells are innumerable, if not limited by the imaginative capacity of the human mind.

That said, there are commonly used spell combinations. Those are listed below along with any relevant details regarding them.

Low-Level Spells

These spells can be cast with as little of two years of training and relatively weak spell energy. A master mage casting the spell will produce a stronger effect due to their higher pool of spell energy. Spells and their incantations are represented in FtA by italicization.

Offensive Spells

• White Lightning - Fires a bolt of lightning from the index finger in the direction it is pointing. It has been demonstrated to be able to penetrate flesh, break through wooden doors, and scar stone walls.
  • Incantation - Unknown

• Molten Spark - Creates a ball of fire, encased in a hard shell. The shell allows it to impact objects and cause physical damage, while its core burns away that with which it comes into content upon a mild explosion. Lower ranks will be unable to produce the hardened shell and, instead, the spell will just launch with a shakily contained core. It has been demonstrated to be able to break through brick walls. The spell is cast from an open palm.
  • Incantation - Unknown

Non-Offensive Spells

• Resonance - Creates a gold-amber shield in front of the user that resembles a series of horizontal claw slashes, with the central area morphed together, so as not to leave openings.
  • Incantation - "Ironstone bramble. Heart of Darkness. With clarity and reason, React and Repulse!"

Medium-Level Spells

These spells are typically the foundation for standard combat among highly trained mages waging war against their enemies. Repetitive use of magic in this tier will leave most users exhausted in a short time unless they are of master level or their pool of energy is vast.

Offensive Spells

• Adamantine Blast - This spell casts a fireball that is typically over six feet in diameter. Its core is yellow, with flames expanding outward, turning putrid green as they age and die. Essentially a more powerful version of Molten Spark, this spell does not have a hardened shell and, similarly, does not cause physical or impact damage. The flames are much less condensed, but burn three times as hot, making even ashes reduce to ashes.
  • Incantation - Unknown, however even discarding the incantation, this spell requires a marked amount of time to build up to its massive size.

• Rampant Subjugating Iron Lance - The target of this spell will experience a long hexagonal rods of light metal-looking spell energy explode and grow from the ball-socket joints of their shoulders, arms, legs, knees, and ankles. The iron rods do not actually contain iron, nor do they exist at all, in fact. But their effect is to prevent movement and cause the same pain they would cause in the case that they were actually iron. This is also the sole reason this spell has not been categorized in "Non-Offensive Spells".
  • Incantation - Unknown

Non-Offensive Spells

• Radiant Prison Sink - A gold rotating circle appears on the ground, inscribed with letters in the old tongue. Any object or creature within the sink, touching the circle, is unable to move or be moved. The spell is cast from a raised index and middle finger.
  • Incantation - Unknown

• Opulent Clear - It isn't immediately clear what this power is or does. The only use of it is by the practitioner Jared Relen, who uses it to "blow away" a faux stone, disguising the entrance to one of the Somand College's safehouses.
  • Incantation - Unknown

High-Level Spells

Spells of this level are horrifying. They are very difficult to create and even more difficult to contend with. Only the most dedicated will ever reach the ability to practice in this tier, and the vast majority of individuals in the world will live their entire lives without seeing such a spell once, even if their have chosen a career in the art of magic.

Offensive Spells

• Sovereign Star: Oblivion Concerto - One of the most powerful spells that exist, yet only Amarac Doran is said to know how to cast it in its true form. No one alive other than he knows what this form looks like, although Ren Therin is capable of casting the common form. The reason these two forms exist heralds back to the nature of magic, itself, and the conveyance of ideas and mental imagery. If, in the course of the existence of an incantation, part of that incantation ceases to exist or be understood by the caster, that will affect the mental imagery it creates and, thus, change the building block and final form of the spell.
  • Common Form - In the common form, yellow and green light sail outward from a raised palm, similar to (although brighter than) Adamantine Blast. The light behaves like rushing water as it moves towards the target and does not need to make direct contact with an object in order to damage it, due to its aura of released spell energy. The sound produced is described as 'a torrent of swords being sharpened by grindstones'.
    • Ancient Form - Unknown
      • Incantation - Unknown

Non-Offensive Spells

• Splitting Void - A white, translucent wall is erected between the caster and their opponent. The spell's appearance is, essentially, a sheet of white frosted glass that is no less than seven feet wide, ten feet high, and one quarter of an inch thick. If objects interfere with the execution of the spell, they will be split between the wall, which will erect itself anyway. Though this shield is extremely thin, it is able to withstand extremely high level offensive powers and, as a result, using it is very taxing. Execution of the spell produces a sound similar to bricks falling in a heap.
  • Incantation - Unknown, however, proper casting of the spell involves making a horizontal slash through the air, as if laying the wall's foundation, and then pulling upward with the hand, as if puling it out of the ground.

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