Glossary and the Breakdown of Elements

Glossary

Magi – people who are born with the gift of magic, the magi are said to be the descendants of the Ahura, a magical race of people that were alive millennia ago in Mtahh mn Alnar’s past. However, with the depletion of magical energy, the magi numbers have dwindled to the point that some kingdoms in Mtahh mn Alnar consider the birth of a magus sacred, and in other kingdoms their worth is in monetary value. In some kingdoms though, they fear and despise magi.

Magi are distinct from average humans by unusual features, from strange birthmarks to odd coloured eyes. These are the only people capable of having the power to forge lifelong contracts with the Djinn. This has been unheard of for several hundred years such has the power of the magi diminished. However, that all changed… when “Artfa’e” happened.

The singular form of magi is magus.

Djinn – the origins of the Djinn are unknown; some scholars theorize that they are the souls of the Ahura, while others insist that they are sealed Daeva –demons of Mtahh mn Alnar lore, with 72 major Djinn being named as Daeva forcibly obligated to serve an ancient king.

Djinn are often sealed in an object -usually made from metal- to be found by other humans, obligated to form a contract with their new master upon discovery. There is a legend that a Jinni must grant the wishes of a thousand mortals in order to free themselves from their Djinn Vessels; there has never been a story of when a Jinni granted the wish of a thousand mortals and was freed. Only magi are able to form contracts with Djinn that are sometimes lifelong. Average humans (those humans that are not magi) are only able to have three wishes (and no wishes for more wishes!).

Contracts are usually formed after answering a question that a Jinni always asks when contacted by a magi: "What is your desire, child of magic?" The answer decrees what sort of action the Jinni shall take.

The singular form of Djinn is Jinni.

Djinn Vessel – A Djinn Vessel is a container that holds the form of a Jinni, often with the mark of a seal carved onto it. Its shape can be highly ornamental to practical and unassuming; it usually reflects the personality of the Jinni in question, i.e. a flamboyant Jinni will have something extravagant like a bejewelled necklace as their Djinn Vessel. More practical Jinni might have the more traditional ring or lamp as their Djinn Vessel.

The Seven Spires – there is an old legend passed from generation to generation about these seven towers. Built by the Ahura at the height of their power, it is said that when the Ahura tried to reach the heavens where the god the Great Mazd resides, they built the Seven Spires as power sources for a final tower that would help the Ahura ascend to the sky. However, many Ahura began to grow greedy, prideful and arrogant, claiming themselves to be even better than the god. As punishment, the god sank their towers into the ground, thereby stripping the Ahura of their powers. No longer beloved by the Great Mazd, the Ahura began to disappear slowly into the mists of time, leaving only traces of their existence behind. One day though, the Great Mazd will forgive the Ahura after thousands of years of repentance, rising their towers once more so that they can try to reach him again. That day when the towers rise from the earth will be known as “Artfa’e”.

The Physical Elements – Of the seven elements, four of these are known as the physical elements as a talented magus will be able to gather the energies of these elements in their purest forms. These elements are Fire, Water, Wind and Sand. They are the most common elements and the easiest to handle. Every geographical and inanimate object is made completely from a combination of these elements.

The Three Lights – These elements consist of the life giving energies of Sun, Moon and Star. Sun energies are widely considered to be responsible for the growth and creation of plants on the land if the conditions are correct. It is a widely accepted concept that Moon energies are the reason why the land is populated with animals and monsters, and Star energies, being the brightest of all lights, has been heavily agreed upon with the responsibility of the creation of the Ahura, the Daeva and of Mortals. These are the hardest elements to manipulate, but the most rewarding to use; in this respect, not only is it a rare occurrence, but magi that were born with an affinity to any of these light elements are considered invaluable.

Ahura – One of the great races of Mazd, they were incredible masters of magic, their civilisation once ruling over the entirety of Mtahh mn Alnar so many thousands of years ago. However, their disappearance is unexplainable, as is the disappearance of some of their greatest cities and inventions. Some believe that the magi are descendants of the Ahura through an ‘impure’ bloodline. Some also believe that the Ahura ascended into the heavens to be with the Great Mazd.

Daeva – the other great race of Mazd, many people believe that they are evil creatures that should be mistrusted as they have slightly demonic to animalistic appearances in the legends. There are stories that the Djinn are truly sealed Daeva, but there are just as many that claim that the Daeva were swallowed up by the earth for their wicked deeds when their holier counterparts were taken up into the sky by the Great Mazd.

A Break Down of Elements

Fire (), Water (), Wind () and Sand () are basic types of magical energy. They are easy to manipulate, and they work in coexistence with each other; what might be strong against one element will be weaker against another (i.e. Wind is strong against Sand, which is strong against Water, which is strong against Fire, which is stronger against Wind, coming in full circle.) In this case, you could call magi ‘elementalists’ if they concentrate on perfecting these fundamental elements, but they are not limited to this occupation.

Sun (), Moon () and Star () area bit trickier to understand.

Sun is probably the most ‘Holy’ magic of the three, but this has powers linked towards flora, leading to stronger healers; on top of this, Sun lends itself well to magi hoping to become ‘holy knights’, warrior healers and defenders. In contrast, Moon is closer to ‘Shadow’ magic as most of its powers are to do with shadow manipulation, though this is element that can evolve powers directly involved with animals (i.e. beast-tamers if you will).

The Star element is a highly mental and spiritual element, closer to psychics and fortune tellers. Common powers include mind reading, levitating and astral projection. It should be noted that as they are highly spiritual and psychic skills, it means that they are possibly the “squishiest” of magi.

This is to say there is no right or wrong way of using the elemental energies. As mentioned, the possibilities are limitless; it all depends how creative you can be with them.

Examples: A magus that has a natural affinity to Sand but also can master a bit of Moon magic could in theory become a Necromancer. Likewise, a magus with a natural affinity to Wind but masters some Water magic could in theory become a better-abled battle priest that concentrated on magical enhancements. The possibilities are endless if you can imagine it.