Ritual theory
Overview
Imperial magicians who have studied the lore of the realms can use mana crystals to manipulate a realm to create magic effects. The most effective way to do this is to master one or more of the formulaic rituals that are part of Imperial lore, but the outcome of these rituals is fixed. If a magician wishes to achieve an entirely new effect, something not contained in Imperial lore, then they will need to prepare an arcane projection to create the spontaneous ritual effect.
A good understanding of the theory of ritual magic is essential for creating effective spontaneous magic. There are the known laws of magic that govern the rules by which it operates, as well as restrictions that put hard limits on what magic can achieve. Eternals can have a big impact on rituals, and there are some rituals that can only be created or cast with the help or agreement of a specific eternal. Having a good working knowledge of the laws and limits of magic is crucial when creating or discussing magic in Empire.
Resonance and Dissonance
- Every realm of magic is different - each has its own merits and flaws representing what it can do well and what it cannot do at all
- A realm is especially good at the things it is resonant with
- A realm cannot achieve game effects that it is dissonant with
Ritual magic is not limitless in scope and there are a number of fundamental laws that are common to all the realms, and certain limits that it cannot easily overcome. In addition to this, each of the six realms (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Day and Night) have strengths and weaknesses, referred to as resonance and dissonance. Where a realm is resonant with a theme, rituals that produce that outcome are easier to cast using that realm than any other. For example, the Spring Realm is resonant with healing magic, so rituals that heal the wounded are easier to perform using the Spring realm than any other realm.
Where a realm is dissonant with a theme, then it is much harder to create a ritual effect that produces that outcome, if it is even possible. For example, the Autumn realm is dissonant with healing magic, it can repair broken items and damaged buildings, but it has almost no ability at all to heal the wounded.
It is common for magicians to try to bypass the dissonances of a realm - usually because they want to use the one realm they have mastered. This is almost invariably a mistake - each realm is unique and there are many things that each realm cannot achieve. It is better to find a magician who has mastered the appropriate realm for a ritual, than to attempt to create an arcane projection with a dissonant realm.
Resonance and dissonance is not simply about the form that the ritual takes - it is the outcome that is crucial. A sly magician might attempt to create a Night ritual that employs obfuscation to cause two armies to clash with each other in the hope that this will wreak widespread destruction. This attempt will usually fail, because while obfuscation is a resonance of Night magic - the outcome is very different. It is the result that matters most, and since this ritual would cause destruction and Night magic is dissonant with that theme, then the ritual will fail.
Laws
- The laws of magic are axioms that help a magician to understand magic and how it works
Magic is governed by a number of principles that help to determine what will happen, most commonly referred to as the laws of magic. These important axioms are a consequence of the way magic works in the world of Empire - they reflect the underlying nature of the world itself. Like the limits of magic, a rough knowledge of the various laws is useful to any character who wishes to emphasize their knowledge and grasp of magic.
The laws of magic are distinct from the limits of magic - the latter are hard and fast rules that can never be broken. The laws of magic are principles that are a useful guide to understand why some things work the way they do, and how things might work. Not every ritual appears to perfectly obey all the laws of magic, unlike the limits of magic, it is possible to emphasise to use raw power to get round the laws of magic to a very limited extent. In practice most rituals are designed to incorporate the laws of magic where they are appropriate.
Limits
- The limits of magic are fundamental rules of the Empire game that cannot be broken
- Any arcane projection that attempts to break a limit of magic will fail
There are fundamental limits on what magic can achieve that are well known and understood. These are commonly referred to as the limits of magic. Magicians across the Empire have spent centuries searching for ways to surpass these limits and never found a reliable way to overcome them. Having a good working knowledge of these limitations is a good way to demonstrate your character's skill with ritual magic.
In the game, the limits of magic are absolute rules for the game. While anyone can play a character that is striving to overcome one or more of these limitations, that is not a character goal that will ever be fulfilled. These limits are reflections of the game rules, so any arcane projection that is submitted that tries to break one of these rules will fail. For that reason, it is always better to check any arcane projection against these limits before you submit it.
Divinations
- Divination is a specialised branch of magic with its own rules
Divination is a specialised branch of ritual magic that provides information to the caster or casters. It can be incredibly useful, but it has strict limits on what it can achieve that are unique to this kind of magic. Most divinations (though not all) are of the Day realm and provide facts and figures, precise measurements and known quantities.
The Night realm is different, because the disordered chaotic nature of this realm means that divinations that draw upon it tend to provide unpredictable answers. Responses are often in the form of riddles and symbolic visions, and they might reveal portentous omens or subtle clues that can be used to infer something.
In all cases, divination is a special branch of magic with its own rules that are well worth reading if your character is attempting to create a new ritual that might divine information about something.
Eternals
- It is only possible to create rituals that involve eternals with their prior agreement
- Some rituals can only be created or cast with the aid of an eternal
The eternals are the most powerful inhabitants of the six realms. Each eternal has unique abilities and powers due to their command of the magic of their realm. Because of this, eternals can help mortal magicians to create and cast rituals that use or draw on some of the most powerful aspects of a realm. Many ritual effects can only be created with the power of an eternal - something that must be agreed with the eternal in question before it can be cast.
Imperial magicians have studied eternals and rituals looking to codify the many ways in which these beings can help with rituals. Understanding the benefits and restrictions of using eternals in rituals can be crucial - especially when trying to create a new arcane projection.
War Magic
- Each realm can only be used to create one kind of army enchantment unless you have the assistance of an eternal
- Each realm can be used to enchant fleets and military units, but only for certain types of voyage or venture
War magic, like divinations, is a particular application of magic, often on a huge scale, that has limitations of its own. The resonances and dissonances of a realm affect the kinds of enchantment it is possible to create on armies, military units and fleets. In most cases, a realm can only be used to create a single kind of army enchantment, unless the magician is able to procure the help of an eternal in the creation of the ritual. Autumn is something of an exception to this rule, as the realm's emphasis on logistics makes it more flexible than other realms, but even it has major limitations on what it can achieve.
Similar rules apply to enchantments that benefit military units and fleets. There are different kinds of voyages and ventures and each realm excels at one or two types of action that a military unit or fleet can take. Most realms can be used for other types of action, they're just less effective at it, but each realm has one or more types of action that it cannot be used for at all.