Below is a summary of the forms of magic used in Nigeri.  Each race has its own specialty and level of ability: Check the Bestiary to see what magic your race can handle.

CONTENTS

• Rune-magic
• Blood Magic
• Blood-Runes
• Pyromancy (by Yr’sha)
• Fulgurmancy/Electromancy (by Yr’sha)
• Elemental Magic (Needs an Author to compile)
• Yozen (Needs an author to compile)

RUNE-MAGIC Rune-magic is a sigil-based form of spellcasting for which blackbloods are especially well suited. Traditional rune-mages had the 300 odd interlinking marks engraved by magic into their flesh, manifesting as permanent fine blue lines all over their bodies. The only known rune-mages have been dragons, as acquiring the marks requires more endurance than most other species posses.

It is not a simple matter of invoking the symbols, as rune-magic is tied to the inherent magic of one’s blood. Of two perfectly matched rune constructs, if there are no errors in the casting, the mage with stronger blood will win out.

The last five rune-marks are immensely difficult to cast, and carry with them the titles of First or Second Mark, and so on. All possessors of rune-marks are known as Marked.

BLOOD MAGIC

A specialty of Synacra’s, Blood Magic has some especially vicious uses. Due to its practitioners tendencies to wipe themselves out, Blood Magic has remained relatively unknown through the centuries, with the few accurate records being much sort after by those fanatics who knew what they were.

Synacra’s records particularly, were lost from Nigeri following the last battles of the human-dragon war he started.

Blood Magic is especially powerful when there are actual blood ties between participants, however distant. Blood Magic rites work on the very simple basis, that the strongest magical blood wins out (except when affected by a very few artifacts).

Bloodfire:

usually invoked between two parties, the rite requires a sacrifice of blood from each, giving the victor lasting power over the other; the ability to at will, cause the magic and blood of the other to combust by varying degrees, for punishment, torture or execution.

The rite may be used to restrain one’s servants, if one has the magic to win over all of them; the wound from which the sacrificial blood was drawn will heal black, and its influence can only be annulled by its creator, or a significantly stronger mage.

Bloodbinding*:

grants a form of immortality, however limited; the victor can use the loser’s body as an anchor for their spirit, should their own form perish. The lifeforce of the Bloodbound party will be continually sapped until the binder takes a new host, quite frequently the same as the one sustaining him. However, one Bloodbound individual is not at all sufficient to sustain a strong spirit, and their bodies and minds will waste away; the magic however, will never let them die, however long they are bound.

Synacra for one, had many Bloodbound servants, all of whom have now perished.

((*Think living horcruxes, if you’ve ever read HP ))BLOOD-RUNES (sometimes called “Black Magic” by other races) One of the greatest pieces of evidence toward the dragon version of the creation story (found here) is the existance and power of the Blackblood dragons.  In that tale, the creator-race called Draekra bred with a handful of their first created creatures, the Draekrah, causing the occasional offspring to have a deep ebony-black blood instead of the normal red.  For those who follow the ancient belief, this marks those dragons as ‘guardians of the world’ as their blood is the strongest source of magic that can be found.Blood-rune magic is less a matter of practice, knowledge, and skill as it is a power of will and identity.  Each blackblood dragon has their own personal set of runes – often not even known by themselves, and the magic in their blood cannot be activated without the correct ‘brush strokes’ [so to speak].  When one of these dragons casts a spell, their rune constructs are often little more than scribbled and illegible lines which have personal meaning – and many rarely even mark the constructs on a physical surface but ‘weave’ them in their mind and focus their will.  This makes a blackblood dragon extremely powerful but also a threat to many who would fear them.  It is by this power that Synacra took control of Nigeri.  The current Rathi, Ahgjan, is also of a black-blood line and had been trained when young as an apprentice of Synacra before that dragon became mentally unstable, and Synacra’s granddaughter Siena as well (though her preferance is the more strucutured and organized Teltaha Runes).When two black blooded dragons battle (in the case of Ahgjan Vs. Synacra), the dragon with the strongest will and self confidence is often the victor by weakening and cancelling the power held by the other dragon’s blood.  This resulted in Ahgjan’s imprisonment.Due to the dangers of black blood use, Ahgjan rarely uses it. PYROMANCY* Pyromancy is a branch of elemental magic that deals with the element of fire. The most prodigious pyromancers are those of Draconic origin, as it is an inherent ability (some it lies dormant, but can surface).

Natural Pyromancers:

These rely upon natural magical energies to use pyromancy
Dragons: This is a basic expression of Draconic magical energy. In some species the ability is inherent form birth, others it may lie dormant, even until death.
Draman: For the same reason, the Draman will have a pseudo-draconic affinity to fire element magic
Elves: Weak affinity, if any. Still, capable of small pyromancy unaided.
Gryphons: Weak affinity, rarely ever realized potential.

Artificial Pyromancers:

These races can use pyromancy through incantation, potion, and runes.
Humans: Can achieve this with great diffuculty, most commonly the potions being used as a conflagration device.
Dwarves: Use a wide variety of charms and runes, one of the three basic principles of dwarven magics.

*Courtesy of Yr’sha

FULGURMANCY/ELECTROMANCY*

Electromancy is a branch of magic that derives from the same origins of pyromancy. The same limitations of pyromancy exist as well for elctromancy, only with more stipulations. It runs the same concepts, only with a void from emotion. It is know by some as the “cold fire.”

Natural Users:
Natural Users are those with the ability to wield high levels of magical energy as well able to clear their mind completely. This is limited to Dragons and the upper echelon of elven mages.

Artificial Means:
Lightning is available through both spell and rune. Runes take years of planning and expertise to fashion, and as such powerful lightning (advanced lightning magic) runes are scarce. Spells rely upon natural lightning invocation, and as such is inaccurate and dangerous without much guidance and tutelage.

*Courtesy of Yr’sha