Myth & Magic

Introduction

| World Building |

Myth & Magic takes place in a world that consists of both magic users and non magic users. Non magic users are commonly referred to as Passives while magic users are called Mages. What differentiates the classes of individuals isn't necessarily the innate ability to conjure magic out of nothingness. Instead, mages rely on their intuitive ability to tap into the magical properties of their world and then bend and shape it to their will. Our plane of existence runs parallel to a dimension known as The Fae. While our world does not naturally integrate with The Fae, The Fae instead bleeds over into ours, gifting most anything with a whimsical hue that is unknown to and unseen by non magic users. Mages, however, are able to not only feel but also manipulate the whimsy of their surroundings and use it to their discretion, therefore pulling their magic and abilities directly from The Fae. However, there is one form of magic that remains untapped and taboo by the general population of magic users and it is known as Shade Magic.

Shade Magic requires the caster to insert a piece of themselves directly into The Fae and synchronize themselves with the realm, essentially becoming their own conduit of magic. This can only be achieved by the rare breed of mage (known as Bewilders) that possesses affinities with multiple planes of magic instead of the commonly able singular usage. (For example, mages that have the ability to use plant based magic alongside weather altering magic. The majority of the populace are only born with the ability to specialize in one.) While many have attempted such a feat, documentation of a successful synchronization has never been archived. Those who have tried have either died during the process or have never returned from The Fae. That is, until the attempt made by a young mage by the name of Belladonna Depraysie who has since plagued history as the most dangerous and depraved mage of all time. She is also referred to as The Mad Witch.

While few mages share in Belladonna's initial ability to use and perform multiple types of magic, there is a brand of mage that is even more rare in its existence and has since gone nearly extinct. These mages are known as Heralds. While their only source of magic lies in the use of precious gems or metals, what makes them unique is how their magic manifests itself. Instead of simply drawing their magic from said items, a Heralds's magic physically manifests itself in the form of gems or metals protruding and sprouting from their bodies. Heralds have been known to be very unstable and highly unpredictable magic users as they essentially have no real control over their magic or the severity in which it manifests itself. Many historical monuments of mage culture are in fact Heralds of days passed who have been encapsulated in or consumed by their magic, the most notable being Adisa of Opal.

Though the nature of a Heralds magic has been the overarching reason for their near extinction, it is also the oppression they have faced at the hands of their fellow mages that had led to their dwindling numbers. Over the course of the past several centuries, Heralds have been herded and used as cattle, having their gems and metals mined and used to enhance the abilities of the mages that kept them prisoner. Due to the alarming rate in which Heralds were being collected and butchered, most of the bloodlines have since run dry leaving only a sparse number behind that now makes up less than a single percentage of the magical populace. However, it is rumored that the island of Davisia (Da-VIZH-ee-ah) houses a society made solely of Heralds who have managed to thrive and prosper, despite the catastrophic nature of their magic. Governed by the sisters Nadiya and Safiiya and comprised of Heralds who exclusively produce gold, the Golden Continent has remained separated and therefore unscathed by the genocide that their kin have faced on the main land. 

| How Did We Get Here |

Our story truly begins nearly half a century ago with the corruption of a young mage by the name of Belladonna Depraysie. A born prodigy, Belladonna studied beneath and apprenticed for Grand Mage Isidora Killoran. At the tender age of ten, Belladonna began to show affinities for multiple realms of magic, solidifying her role as a Bewilder. While the Grand Mage was expected to help the young girl finesse and better understand her budding potential, a seed of jealousy and resentment began to take root instead. Isidora recognized the promise in Belladonna not for the pure and unadulterated love of magic that it was but that of an ever growing threat, a weed that needed pruning and trimming. Unwilling to gamble with her position of power, Killoran chose to feed on Belladonna's love and admiration for her teacher and use it to manipulate the young girl into diving head first into the most taboo form of magic; shade magic.

It began with the purposeful misplacement of an archaic tome, one that told a cautionary tale to those that should attempt the forbidden magic and the consequences one would face in doing so. Isidora knew that the warning would be overlooked by a curious child such as Belladonna and would instead be seen as a challenge to not only validate her growing potential but to also prove to her beloved teacher that she was worthy of The Grand Mage's praise. Sure enough, one spring evening Belladonna came to Isidora and implored her to bare witness to a secret project that had finally reached it's fruition. Killoran looked on, her body vibrating with elation, as the girl stepped forward and began the rite. As was expected, Belladonna's lifeless form soon lay displayed for The Grand Mage, the woman reveling in what she thought had been a goal accomplished. However, much to Isidora's surprise, such was not the case. Instead, soon after, life was breathed back into Belladonna's body as she pulled herself from her crumpled state and turned her attention to The Grand Mage. The child had achieved the unthinkable, something that no mage before her had ever managed to accomplish. She had not been consumed by The Fae. Instead, Belladonna had entered into the unknown realm and had returned, alive and more powerful than ever. Steaming with a rage that left Killoran breathless and frozen in fear, the words that passed through Belladonna's cracked lips were those that did not hold the cadence of a child but instead that of something archaic and sinister. 

"Dear, depraved fool. Have you forgotten? I am all, therefore I see all. You can not sabotage something that is the beginning and the end." 

The innocent and inquisitive apprentice that had once showered Isidora Killoran with love and admiration now turned her magic on The Grand Mage, leaving the woman mauled and dismembered. Standing over the bloodied heap of what once was her teacher and matriarch, Belladonna spoke evenly and with an air of finality. 

"Remember this pain. Look upon your gnarled flesh and remember that you were the harbinger of this future." 

That day, Belladonna Depraysie was lost. Instead, born from the jealousy and greed of a woman obsessed with power and title, was the first ever mage to successfully insert their self into The Fae and live to tell the tale. And thus began the accession of The Mad Witch.