Laws of Magic
Reconstructed fragments of a discourse uncovered in the archives of the Towers of Sun, Earth, Moon, and Stars, relating to an Old Empire theory of magic. It specifically applies to arcane magic, although it claims that the principles are more broadly applicable.
Friends, colleagues, Imperial Guests. My topic today is on the 8 Laws of Magic. What is a Law? Is it something set by a Power, whether a god, an ascendant, or even by the universe itself? Nay. A Law, in this context, is a description of observed reality. Laws of reality cannot be broken; they can only be rewritten by a Wish at the change of an Age. These laws, specifically, govern magic. What, then, is magic?
Magic
Magic in this context is manipulation of aether to produce effects that have either a low probability of occurring in that situation or cannot exist at all. No one calls it magic that a hawk flies, even though that necessarily involves manipulation of aether (in light of the Law of Unity). But when a mage chants a few words, makes some hand gestures and begins to fly himself...that is magic. As is the arts of the dedicant [editor: what we now call a monk] or the uncanny durability of a raging primalist [barbarian]. Mostly we think of spells and enchanted items as being magic; there is much more magic around us all. We live in a magical world.
Laws
The eight Laws of Magic are divided into two groups: First, the Laws of Being, relating to the static nature of magical phenomena. These are the Law of Unity, the Law of Similarity, the Law of Inherent Cost, and the Law of Contagion. Second, the Laws of Becoming, those laws that describe transformations between aspects of Being.
Law of Unity
Summarized, this law says that all things are made out of the same thing. Anima, also called aether. All the diversity of matter, energy, motion, souls, and everything else around us is but variations in aspects applied to matter. As a consequence, these Laws apply to all matter in like manner.
Law of Similarity
Like affects like stronger than like affects unlike. This Law reflects the truth that the strongest effects result from building on existing foundations. By contrast, forcing something against its basic nature tends to weaken the magic.
Law of Inherent Cost
Any transformation between aetheric aspects consumes aether in proportion to the dissimilarity of the starting and ending conditions and in proportion to the scale of the effect. Any mage casting a spell consumes their own personal aether and diminishes the blanket of diffuse aether on which the spell acts. While one can create matter "from nothing", the drain on the world's anima is greater than the quantity of matter produced. Only the action of mortal souls as they learn and grow, via ineffable means, can create aether. No magic can create more than it consumes.
Law of Contagion
Objects once in contact remain connected. The part affects the whole. This is the principle upon which communication stones work; the principle behind the Naming of Entities. Generally, magics that take place at range are weaker than ones that take place in contact (all else being equal).
Transformation Laws
These laws reflect the cycle of the elements and are interrelated. The first Transformation Law describes the cycle; the second and third are oppositions, and the fourth discusses non-elemental transformations
- Earth fuels fire, fire energizes wind, wind moves water, water softens earth. In return, earth fixes water in place, water gives substance to wind, wind gives breath to fire, and fire hardens earth.
- Fire consumes water; water quenches fire.
- Air scatters earth; earth blocks out the air.
- As the luminosity of any elemental aspect increases, the similarity between the elements is maximized. As the luminosity of any elemental aspect is diminished, the differences become more stark.
