Magic

The connected Realms

All the realms are connected - some stronger than others.

The Material Realm lies in the centre, it holds Stridheim, Vixheim and others.

 
A thin unseen veil envelopes it, which is the connection to the Faerie Realm.

Each of the Elements flow in, out and around it, and in turn connect to the Realms of Light and Dark.

Everything you can't see is the Void

Spells are often mistaken for Powers, which is totally understandable, as Powers although a natural ability of the Fae, can often be replicated by certain Spells. The difference being, only the Fae have the natural ability to use Powers. Where-as Spells which can be cast by any intelligently trained individual. And is where such terms Witch, Warlock, Wizards, Magicians and Mages are come into play.

The names themselves indicate the supposed allegiance to a Fae Court, and therefore the type of magic usually it was usually accustomed to. Wizard and Magician were commonly associated with the Golden Court, and the King of Light, and therefore in all respect supposed to be the good guys. The historic female term was to be a White Witch, but later on in history, with the whole sexist debacle that undermined certain prominent figures, the ‘white’ was lost, and the term Witch was more associated with the Hags of the Court of Darkness and Night, along with the male counterparts, Warlocks.

These days the term is Mage, for both female casters and male. It is a universal coin phrase to eliminate the association of an individual sex and Court. As the 100-decade alliance between the two courts are for the dual benefit of Fae and Human, neither court wishes to continue the sander and misrepresentation of the other. 

There is almost an infinite number of spells, and depending on their use, depends on what is needed to be cast. Spells can be a spoken phrase, wards inscribed in either objects or walls, some need certain materials that often enhance or define the spell effects and outcome. 

The whole finger wiggling and wands, and although my terminology brings smiles, to a sensitive subject, its explained that yes, is some spells the caster does what looks like finger wiggling, but in essence they are inscribing runes on the element of air, much like a scribe would write on paper.

Wards on walls use the power of Earth, and the same way and caster would use Air, to voice or write on.

Wands? are items of power. They have been imbued with a magical essence, and so using them, is like carrying around a smaller version of a power cell. They are used to amplify the effects of the spell, be that outcome its duration, distance or strength. Wands are not the only items of power, but the most common as wood is easily obtainable and crafted. Items like swords, mirrors, rings and other jewellery are much harder to come by, as it takes a great skill of the craftsman and spell caster to create such an item.

This subject is a lot harder to explain, but as stated, it’s apparent that almost anyone can use the ability, usually once shown, the Fae have integrated themselves in the armies and police forces around the world to share this knowledge, and restrict its usage. It goes without saying, that although wards of protection are not illegal, spell casting without a legal permit and permission is considered a criminal act. It is a strange world we now live in, with actual Witch Hunters being part of the Police force holding the same rank as your standard homicide detective.

It obviously takes years to obtain a skill in spell casting, if not decades.

Are a magically imbued race from the Realm of Faerie, which is linked to the Material Realm. They had walked unseen and undiscovered amongst the population of Stridheim for eons, but when the war with Vixheim started, and the resulting human engineering building factories and manufacturing plants it started to destroy the natural world with the pollution. 

They revealed themselves to help Stridheim survive against the unwarranted attacks from Vixheim and try to repair and combat against the damage the factories have done. Many believe that this is a losing battle, some do not even believe that it is happening.

Where do we start? They walk among us, apparently as they have always done. Only now we do not have to look hard for them. The stories are not all true, that’s what they tell us anyway. The fairy godmothers, rumours of kidnapping children and replacing it with one of their own, the tooth fairy, are all amongst the misguided fables of the ages. 

Glamour, is a natural ability all Fae have. This power, or gift at some put it, is not illegal, as it only deals with the personal being using it. 

Glamour effects the appearance of the Fae in question, down to clothes, perfume, hair and skin colour. To a human, its perfect camouflage, and it it is the main reason why they have walked amongst the human population for so long, rarely being noticed at all. To another Fae, they are aware or its use, and even though they cannot usually see the true being underneath, they know it is being masked.

The Fae have a great respect for appearances, like a fashion show, with the truth being behind the curtain, yet everyone sitting and watching are content with what they see on the runway. It is taught at an exceedingly early age, and becomes habit more than anything. Just a small constant thought in the back of your mind, like trying to remember your manners while having dinner with your partners disapproving parents.

It also acts as the personal shield, almost like body armour against spells and powers from other Fae or Mages, a reason why it is not illegal for the Fae to use. As with everything, different levels of power, can allow the Fae in question to extend its range, and envelope others. 

Powers are the Faes’ natural ability, and can be any imaginable thing. Like one's voice being able to whisper in someone's ear from miles away, to walking on water or the ability to amplify other people’s gifts. 

There is a strong belief amongst the Fae that it is a hereditary gift. So similar gifted parents, can usually be sure that their offspring will have a gift like theirs. In the older times, marriages were arranged in such a way to offer the House, or Clan, new members of certain power.

For the Fae, your Power or Gift as they like to call it is everything to them. It is what holds them to their House, their family, their Court. It gives them their name; it allows them to be recognised within their society. For without a Gift, they only have their birth name, the name their parents chose for them. Not the name given to them by Royal decree, something which happens around a Fae’ 50th birthday, having been considered a child beforehand.

The Fae live to about 400 years, so the first 50 allows them to grasp and learn to control their gift. On their 50th, they are named and recognised. Only then are they allowed into Court, into the presence of the Royal family.

From all appearances, they certainly look and act human. Some of their customs and phrasing seem a little dated.

Each race of Fae has certain tendencies, that their personal magic and Glamour often show this more than them. They are made up of different races, which have different ways at looking at life and through teaching and learning traditional customs, each of these races attempt to stay that little bit different, and yet apart of the whole. Comparisons have been made to the Japanese, Indian, Australian Aborigines. All are human, yet due to cultural differences, and quite different from one another.

So, Pixies enjoy the finer things in life. They are the pranksters, the old court jesters, and now have been some of the best comedians and playwrights of your theatres and cinema. Others are Dryads, Tree spirits or your general 'tree huggers' and environmentalists. Nixies and Serine’s are water spirits. Of course, there are many others, and most are plastered all over the internet, from Brownies and Gnomes, to Trolls and Goblins.

If he had been lying down on the sleek concrete, I first would have thought he was bleeding, except the blood was a dark purple instead of red. As he stood there in front of me, his wings grew out from behind him. Even then, grew is probably the wrong word to try and explain it. It was fluid, like ink being blown across a blank page, forming what at first glance resembles a butterfly’s wing. Except that there was no solid form to it. The colours continually shifting, blending into each other, like adding colouring to a glass or water. 

I saw the yellows of the mischievously happy mix with the oranges and reds of lust and passion. The purples of anger to the blues of sadness, the greens of contentment and aqua’s of thoughtfulness faded into the whites of pain and blacks of blind rage and murder. Each emotion varied in colour and brightness as each thought and power behind each feeling. Marcelle, certainly had to be given his due, added to the moment by mimicking everything, like it was the greatest game of charades I had ever seen played.

As he turned and allowed me to approach, I could see the basic colours across his skin, like an ever-moving tattoo. It gathered at two points, his shoulder blades, before reaching out into the air and stretching a good 5ft or so above his head, and at the widest 3ft or so feet out to each side. It is hard to give measurements to something that will not sit still. It would be like admiring a section of the ocean, then trying to nail it to your wall.

Touching it is much like touching a spider’s web. There is something there and yet something almost non-existent. Without thought I push my hand through a wing, it breaks through without too much effort on my part. Bits break off and quickly fade into nothing, and the wing slowly re-joins, its colours seem to take a while to return, but in moments is whole again.

I stand there amazed and bemused, I raise my hand to try it again, and like a school boy hitting a web with a stick, and took a gentle cough from the other side of the room to make me think about the spider itself.

You'll have to wait :)