Monster Essays: Magic

Something I patched together over the last couple days.  Magic's sort of all over my modern monstergirl goblinverse, so wanted to go into the little mechanics and history there is of it. It's not a lot, really; it does whatever you want and it's all over the place. You probably need to learn how to use it, outside of certain races, and you need a license to do anything big. Thinking if I follow up on the story, it'll be more specifics of the guy traveling the word to study specific places or people. In sexy ways.

Dylan Eywind

History of Interspecies Relations II

Making Magic. The history of magic.

A. Well done handling the cultural and historical influence of such a complex topic so succintly. Please see me at your convenience regarding that research study I mentioned.

Magic has been a part of many species cultures. While some races like humans, halflings and gorgons developed without it for centuries, others like elves and demons appear to have possessed a talent and relative understanding for it before their known history. Its exact nature remains a mystery and is still being studied and developed to this day. This essay will observe how it is used and how it influences today's society.

Magic is defined as a natural resource; a type of energy that exists in some plane that runs parallel to our own. Experts compare it to air, water, or even atoms that operate around us while occasionally interacting with us as an unseen force. The difference is that while a breeze or wave would push around a stone, magic can alter the state of the stone entirely. When properly guided, it can alter the rock's temperature, turn it into a stick, or make sound come out of it. The precision of willing magic's natural flow and understanding of how it operates heavily influence how well this can be accomplished, and most creatures can live their lives without noticing or wielding it in any way without a talent for it or a lot of practice.

Liam Vine, a leading mind in Arcanology, proposes that magic can be treated as "unspent will." That all things are held together by the intent of magic as a stabilizing element to the universe and science. When this is removed or redirected, standard uses of magic can be performed.

Many races practice it in a crude, sometimes shamanistic sense. Humans were originally unaware of magic as much as they were other species. Most supposed uses by them are speculative at best, or believed to be at the unseen guidance of another race. When demons made first contact with the human race, one of their most notable contributions to humanity was the introduction of magic. This cured many illnesses and injuries and helped resolve many crimes and mysteries by use of scrying and postcognition (the art of mystically seeing the past).

By the time the first few races had joined with each other, magic was public knowledge and a resource for any who could harness it. Since its potential to help still came with the potential to harm, laws were gradually put into place to restrict the use of high-level magic. Spellcasting courses are taught at many colleges and licensed magic users are permitted to teach others, but any potential beyond momentary telekinesis is considered illegal to be used without a license.

All manner of practices have been left free to continue so long as their capabilities are left on public record, in accordance with the laws permitting non-harmful traditions among all the races. Most are cooperative with this, and the fact that magic can be so easily traced to its source or influencer limits its potential for illegal use. An extreme minority maintain that magic is a natural resource and that registration limits their freedom to practice their craft. These have dropped dramatically since the 2012 incident with Mississippi wizard-rights advocate Homoli Yart was killed in a raid while practicing human sacrifice.

With the modern comfort with the supernatural, magic has become a part of everyday life. Since not everyone can use magic, the use of enchantments (minor magic imbued into an item) has become the norm. Using the originally gnomish practice of combining magic and technology, a cell phone’s compatibility with runes and local magic is considered just as important as its wi-fi signal. Apps can create illusory projections (Visionary) or view an accepted partner from anywhere on the planet (Scrype), while a properly applied energy spell can keep a battery charged for years at a time. Healing potions have become a standard issue with most first-aid kits and even musicians and major movies are prone to hiring a spellcaster to enhance their performances with unique visuals.

While one cannot fully replace the other, a talent or degree for magic use is considered the new version of being tech-savvy or knowing about computer operation. Arthur C. Clarke’s famous quote appears to have become truer than ever: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”