Fantasy Moonlit Crisis Lore

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Lore

This thread will contain lore regarding the RP "Moonlit Crisis". Meaning, excess info that exists in the RP-setting won't be present here, unless necessary to the current plot. Approved player-made submissions will also be placed here - that includes all forms of lore entries - flora, fauna, etc.

DO NOT POST HERE.

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The Blue Moon​

An unexplained phenomenon that causes the world's ley-lines to be amplified, which in turn, creates a sudden influx of mana. Due to such, it is highly anticipated by mages from all around the world. However, only three instances of a blue moon's presence has been ever known - one of which is the current blue moon's emergence.

According to the records, a blue moon may last for about a week or two, extending up to at least a full month. However, there has been no known way to figure out how long it lasts, nor when it will emerge.

 

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Magecraft​

An ancient art passed down from generation to generation, modified and enhanced through time. Otherwise known as "magic".

Unlike the common man's magic and party tricks, magecraft is an entirely different thing. Instead of sleight of hand, or a generated perception, it requires the usage of a mystical energy known as "mana".

Through the utilization of mana and various complex techniques, magecraft is achieved. Something like generating fire out of thin air, completely disappearing without a trace, and the like are just mere examples of this ancient art.

There are different kinds of magecraft, such as projection, abjuration, alchemy, etc. And each of them requires rigorous training and practice to at least obtain a decent amount of proficiency.

Though all have the capability to learn and practice magecraft, only a select few are able to do so, due to it being mostly hidden from society's eyes. Usually, only people with a mage's family background would get access to the necessary resources to dwell in magecraft studies, but there are rare scenarios wherein those without any magical history at all would get a chance to learn the art.

Mages - Practitioners of magecraft. Each one has a varying magical affinity, which differs each one's raw magical potential. However, raw potential is not the only factor to attain success in studying magecraft, but also one's mental aptitude, habits, and a lot more things.

So while one may have greater raw potential, an individual with a better approach in magecraft despite having lesser potential would be able to overcome the former. It all falls down to the mage's capability.

Mana - A mystical energy found seeping through the world's ley-lines. It is unknown where such a thing originates from, only the fact that it is limited, and yet continuously regenerating its amount every time a certain amount of time passes. It is used as fuel for magecraft-related activities.

Ley-lines - Ancient path lines that are physically unseen, where various kinds of energies are known to be concentrated upon. Mana emerges from here, then spreads out to the other corners of the world.

 

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The "Genesis" Ability​

A powerful magecraft-like ability that can only be utilized by Descents. Similar to magecraft, accessing such an ability would require the usage of mana.

This ability, otherwise termed as "Origin Casting", draws forth from the user's lineage an ancestral strength - either in the form of a weapon, an ability, or even something like a familiar. Things like Perseus's gorgon-slaying sword, Beowulf's endurance and strength, and Saint Martha's tamed dragon Tarasque, are just a few examples that can be obtained from this ability.

However, unlike magecraft, this is not something that everyone has the potential to do. Instead, the user must be a descendant of a powerful figure - be it a hero, a villain, an ancient mage, or even something not entirely human.

Studying and practicing this ability is far unlike magecraft studies, where one can easily read up a book and test out some basic actions. Rather, it will need the user to undergo rigorous training, and uncountable attempts to successfully do an "Origin Casting", without necessarily being fueled by raw, desperation instinct.

Due to the passing of time, the overall effectiveness and power of what one can obtain from "Origin Casting" is lessened. Still, it can regain its full strength, provided that the user is capable of utilizing it appropriately and with the necessary amount of mana.

Descent - A person with lineage to an ancient powerful figure. They are able to utilize the "Genesis" ability, albeit not to its full capacity.

Familiar - Commonly associated with mages, a familiar is a summoned or conjured creature whose sole purpose is to aid their master. They can vary from simple creatures such as birds, up to complex beings such as golems, basilisks, etc.

 

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Grand Familiars​

The highest form of a familiar, only obtainable through a complex summoning ritual, involving a catalyst, an anchor, and a large amount of mana. Grand Familiars are beings from history, myths, and legends called upon to serve a single purpose - to aid the one which summoned them.

The power of a Grand Familiar varies from one another, but one thing is for certain - they are far stronger than any living mage or descent. However, their power comes with a cost. In order to remain existing in the current world, they require to be supplied with mana every now and then. Not only that, but their actions will require mana as well. They also need to keep their anchor safe, else, they shall be rid from this world.

That being said, Grand Familiars usually form contracts or pacts with who summons them, rendering them to become their master. Still, some may choose to refuse pledging to a certain individual, in which case, they may search and try to form a contract with a different one, before they disappear.

Unlike mages and descents, they cannot utilize mana on their own. They require a source - usually through the provisions of their master. This means that no Grand Familiar can live on their own, albeit they can survive for a few minutes to a number of days until they have disappeared due to the lack of mana.

All Grand Familiars possess their own trump card, which can be in the form of a weapon, a powerful ability, a creature, etc. This is called their Grand Phantasm. Most require to chant their names in order to be used, whilst others require a specific set of lines to activate them. In extremely rare cases, their Grand Phantasm does not need any of the above.

To summon a Grand Familiar, one must first have a fair amount of space to draw a magic circle upon. Then, one must place the catalyst in the middle of the magic circle, and beside it should be the anchor. Then the summoner must do their summoning chant until a Grand Familiar answers the call and appears.

The World Altar - A place where the Grand Familiars come from and return to. It is said that any and all renowned beings from history, myth, and legend are stored here shortly after their demise.

Supporter - A simple term for Grand Familiars. Commonly used by mages.

Catalyst - An object that relates to the desired Grand Familiar, in order to attract its attention when summoning one. It, however, does not guarantee a successful summoning. Examples of these are a shard of the Round Table, an ancient fossil, etc.

Anchor - An object that the Grand Familiar will use to be materialized upon summoning. May or may not be related to them. If destroyed, the Grand Familiar will disappear and be returned to the World Altar.

 

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Mage's Association​

An organization formed for the welfare of mages all over the world. The authority of its council is unquestionable to every mage. It was founded during the ancient times, back before the age of magic reached its inevitable decline. Speculations say that Merlin was one of the founding members of the Mage's Association, but further proof is needed to back up such a far-fetched claim.

The Mage's Association is governed by a council, composed of the most renowned mages. This council is known as the Arcana Committee. It is responsible for keeping magic alive, and preventing any unnecessary conflict and issues regarding it. One of the well-known works of this council is the banning of exposing society to magecraft, which is the actual magic compared to that which occurs on shows and street performances. Hence, most magecraft-related activities are held during the night, where there are much less people to worry about.

There are various headquarters for the Mage's Association for every continent, and a number of stations in several countries. These establishments help mages to find a temporary refuge in their times of need, as well as a meeting place for certain events. Most of the time, it is accompanied by a well-stocked library, filled with various textbooks and scriptures on practicing magecraft. As expected, the security in these places are tight, allowing only mages to enter.

Currently, the Mage's Association has sent out a call for help on apprehending a certain individual who has violated a law. The council has prepared a hefty reward for those who will successfully apprehend the said individual.

Merlin - A renowned mage from the past, namely during the time of King Arthur. Commonly seen as an ideal to reach, in terms of magical prowess.

 

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Mage Hunter​

Individuals who actively seek out mages and kill them. Unlike them, a mage hunter does not necessarily need to be a mage, they can be just an ordinary person. However, they will still need to learn how to fight mages, and how to get a way around their magic tricks. Commonly, mage hunters are hired by even mages themselves to get rid of their competition.

Mage hunters are extremely skilled individuals, armed with varying arsenals - some utilizing magecraft, some utilizing the "Genesis" ability, and others simply relying on science and technology. Even so, all of them possess a high threat to the existence of mages. It is even considered that they could match a powerful familiar, given the right circumstances.

Unlike mages, these people have no organization to group them up. Most of them work alone, or simply with a partners. Granted, there are others who forms groups, but besides that, they are pretty much divided, and act on their own volition. In rare cases, they will count a fellow mage hunter to be an enemy if they are going to hinder them from their goal.

With the advancement of technology, a new anti-magic item known as the "Magebane", is currently spreading out through their ranks. It is a metallic material that can be mixed into pretty much all other metals, making an immeasurable possibilities of brand new mage killing equipment. The "Magebane", coming in contact with a mage's mana nodes, will infect them and rapidly destroy their nodes, preventing them to utilize mana, which in turn, prevents them from using magecraft. Higher concentrations of "Magebane" would cause greater effects, most of which, lead to a delivering a swift death to a targeted mage.

Mana Nodes - An additional nervous system that allows people to utilize mana. It is usually dormant, unless one is from a mage's heritage or one trains magecraft at an early age. Waking up one's nodes would usually occur in dire times, but there are exceptions. The nodes are only visible through perception-based magecraft, meaning x-rays and other scanning technology would be unable to see it.

Magitech - A slowly rising form of technology that fuses magecraft with science and technology. Currently, the only known device that falls under this category is a mana scanner - an observation device, much like binoculars, to see the flow and concentration of mana in one's sight radius.