From: Wodden
Another question if you would kindly indulge me. It is linked to my previous enquiry regarding Griff and his “earth energy” manifestations. Please feel free to combine your answers, and apologies for sending in multiple related questions.
There are a number of instances where an elementalist creates an elemental effect without the presence of their element in any great quantity – Cinder throwing around beams/blasts/walls of fire, Deleo disintegrating things without the presence of anything more than atmospheric moisture.
However, the encyclopaedia entries imply that a quantity of the element needs to be present and outright says that creating the element in question requires a great deal of effort and energy.
There is also mention of “muscle memory” so, presumably mages could become so proficient at certain “un-resourced” elemental manifestations that they can create elemental effects without a source, but this is an assumption.
I would be most grateful if you could clarify these issues for me, and allow me to express my gratitude at your taking the time to enlighten us.
The basic rule of thumb we get taught is that mages can create energy, they just can’t create matter.
Okay, that’s not really what they say. The real explanation’s way longer than that and involves formulas, and the teachers I’ve talked to seem to get really annoyed when I say ‘creating energy’, since that’s supposed to break all sorts of laws and conservation of stuff and blah blah blah. Bottom line, mages can summon up energy and chuck it at things, which is the important part as far as I’m concerned. What they can’t do is make actual mass. So Vari can summon up fire, because what he’s really producing is heat energy, but Caldera can’t just create earth out of nowhere, because it apparently takes a crazy amount of work to produce even the tiniest piece. So Caldera mostly just uses materials lying around. Same with water and ice mages – they pull ambient moisture out of the air. And air mages obviously have an easy time of it.
The energy vs mass thing is kind of a moot point for me and Alex, since our magic types don’t go anywhere near that, so I’ve never really gone to too much trouble to learn the theory. I mostly just care about what they can do.
From: Dan
Given that you have more and more control over your curse and that it can be used to attack and defend with the focus Arachne gave you. Are you really just an adept? Seems that your powers are more varied than comparable adepts.
You’d think that, wouldn’t you?
Personally, I think what you can DO with your magic is way more important than whether you fit some textbook definition of what a mage is supposed to be. But nobody on the Council’s asking my opinion.
From: Oxon
Hi Luna!
I was wondering if you could elborate a bit on lightning mages, storm mages, weather mages (and weather magic) and the differences between them all. Just pointing me at encyclopaedia entries if you post then would be fine!
Thanks!
Lightning magic is mostly just another term for electricity use. Lightning mages work a lot like fire mages in practice – all attack, no defence, not much utility either. They hit hard, though. Weather mages are focused around natural weather patterns, and what they’re really good at is larger-scale alterations over a period of time. They’re not much good in the duelling ring, but they’re handy to have around. ‘Storm magic’ is one of those vague terms where I’m not sure what it means. Lightning/weather hybrid, maybe.
Lightning magic is related to air magic and to types in the electromagnetic group, while weather magic’s related to air and to water, and sometimes to the heat/cold sub-family.
From: Dan
Hey Luna, hope everythings going well for you. If you arent too busy with your studies would you mind answering a few Questions?
Do you know any of the Myths/Stories from magical society? Do you have a favorite?
Have you heard of Dispel focuses? do you know which Magic type they are?
Have you had much trouble from other people in the apprentice program. I mean they were really really horrible to Anne. Have you been ok? or have you considered dropping out and just going independent. (or Dark)
How powerful is your curse in a duel situation? I know that you have beaten others in azimuth duels but would you be confident to survive a battle with a full mage or a dark apprentice?
1. I know a few of the stories. Mostly my favourites are the ones with the adepts (there aren’t many.)
2. Dispel effects are one of the rare spell types that are pretty much neutral. Not as much so as magesight, but close.
3. Ugh. Hard question. Yeah, there are some that are really nasty. Not as bad to me as to Anne, and not all of them . . . still too many, though. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I’ve thought about dropping out. But I’m getting close to the point where I might be able to pass my journeyman tests. If I can stick it out that long, it’ll be worth it . . . though getting through that hurdle is going to be a whole new problem.
4. I’ve actually beaten a Dark apprentice once. Wasn’t exactly normal circumstances, though, and there’s no way I’d take on a full mage if I could help it.