Lore: Abyss & Arcana

In Malteria Magic is a force known truly to only a few, though there are court wizard’s here and there and witches practicing in secret, druids calling upon the very earth and clerics and their gods. Many can wield it, but few to it’s true potential extent. To truly wield magic one must master the access or control over the Arcana or Abyss respectively.




Arcana




The Arcana is one of the two forces that has always been, it flows ever churning the very fabric of what makes all things; a force left behind in whatever created all we call home. Arcana is the first of two ways magic is used since all things are made of it, it’s the easier of the two to use. The two most common ways to “use” Magic through Arcana is via Inner and Outer Nodes. Inner Nodes being a part of part of one's self, are accessed by an awakening of some kind, be it that you family lineage was mixed with that of a dragon, or ghosts, or some other creature of power. One can also awaken their Node through great study and understanding of the Node. Either way by using the Inner Node, when one uses magic of this nature they are imposing their raw desire upon the world unto the likes of Bards, Sorcerers, Arcanist’s and others of the ilk. The Outer Nodes are many though greatly vary in size and are only ever accessed via dedicating one's life to studying them the use of these Nodes, or by entering into the service of some natural creature of power that has access to them itself. Use of the Outer Nodes are to warp the very world itself and rearrange its very being into something you need, usually from great understanding of the criss crossing ley lines of the Arcana and the items that allow true access to them. Wizards, Magi, Druids, Witches and other similar beings use Outer Nodes of the Arcana to make use of Magic.





Abyss




Flip side to the Arcana the Abyss is the space of reality that the Arcana is not,

this is the left over eccessence of whatever it was that created all. To make use of the Abyss you need only have great faith in this ancient force and that it will protect you. However it seems that it matters not what it is you have great faith in. But the simple act of having faith can grant you access, Though because the ability to use the Abyss is tied to such a nebulus metric such as faith, it’s nearly impossible to use magic via the Abyss save for a select few Clerics, Oracles, Shaman’s and even some few that can through sheer will force use of the Abyss by thought alone but names for those very few people, 3-4 at most, vary from land to land. Due to the esoteric nature of the faith required to use Magic via the Abyss most of the ones who have achieved are far and few between as most nations have clerics through generations of breeding faith into the community and even after that most won’t have enough of the nebulus faith to access the Abyss.






Ley Lines, Nexi, and The Cataclysm of Nidal




Ley lines are the simple connecting channels of the Arcana that criss cross through the lands. The size of the lines are quite vast yet there are places where they do not cover and though Magic is still possible in the places it is much harder. The opposite of this are places where a Nexus exist. In an area where many Nexi lay magic is easier to use, however ones such as the Wizards of LuthericBurg hold knowledge to make great use of the Nexi to enhance there magic. Though moch Nexi can be created via ritual or items of great power, in fact through great rituals and power nearly to rival the gods of old the ley lines can be change and a true Nexus can be forced. This being how NIdal the ancient land of Wizards became so powerful. The truth behind the Cataclysm of the ancient nation is that the Wizards of the Tower, in a quest for a more pure magic, managed to draw up and rearrange the very Arcana and Abyss creating a Nexus of the Abyss and Arcana but the force of this ritual couldn’t be contained even by those who themselves are legends now. In the creation of this Nexus, unknowingly named “The Plégma” by the Wizard himself in his final hours, Demons were born. Though they seemed tied to The Plegma those who know of the Demons fear that one day that may change and seek to change undo the The Plegma, but no on, not even the Gods are sure what will happen once that is done. It may even tear reality apart or see the world rewritten, but whatever happens it will mean a great change in how magic is used forever.