#030

Magic is a tricky subject if you let it be. If you can accept that wizards can throw fireballs, teleport, and raise an army of zombies just because they can, then great. You'd be the perfect fantasy fan. But of course, some of us have to ask where the magic comes from.

In the Crescent's Edge universe, the main pantheon is made up of 13 gods (lucky, huh?). Divine magic, such as what Thomas uses, is a gift from the gods. For example, Thomas gets his magic from his favored deity, the Arbiter, and paladin magic comes from the Crusader. That's all well and good, but where does arcane magic come from?

The easy answer was originally to make a god of magic, who was uncreatively named the Mage. The mage chose to freely give magic even to those who did not dedicate their lives to them (clerics). This happens in two ways: Sorcerors and Wizards.

Sorcerors are born with an innate aptitude for magic. They don't have to learn to use it, they just have to hone their latent abilities. The Mage has infused them with magic from birth. Wizards, however, must learn to use their magic. They've seen it in the form of miracles and sorcerors, and have dedicated their lives in learning its use. The Mage, intrigued by mortals' desire for knowledge and power, made magic to be within their grasp. Anyone can learn to be a wizard, provided they're willing to dedicate their time and energy into the study of magic.

Wizards are often at odds with Sorcerors. From a gameplay perspective, a sorceror gets more spells per day, which is enough to put any player on the defensive. From a roleplay perspective, wizards are resentful that Sorcerors didn't have to spend years of study to learn to basic cantrips. Wizards also don't always get along with divine casters for similar reason: Clerics and Paladins are given magic while wizards have to work for them. In short, wizards are whiny, and like to complain.

Were you keeping notes? Don't worry, there won't be a test later.