Ch 12: Basics

It is not known why some people are born with mana and others are not. There does not seem to be a genetic or geographic connection to it. This is the case with not only humans, but with elves and dwarves as well. Some believe it to be divine, but just as many think it is random. Whatever the case, even among those born with mana there are large differences in their reserves, skills, and capabilities.

• Basic Spells and Foundational Magics

Solomon paused his reading to take a small sip of tea. When he’d first arrived back at the manor it had been difficult to resist sprinting inside to start reviewing the book he’d found. The secrets of the Union and of magic were so closely guarded that the idea he had one of their books available to him to freely read was intoxicating. Still, he forced himself to take a short walk through the manor to check on the staff, praising them for the work they’d done where appropriate, then he took some time completing his review of the mayor’s cooked books and begin drafting a letter to the guild of law regarding everything he’d discovered so far. He had money, servants, and land, but he didn’t have the guard under his control. He’d need outside help to change things.

Once that was done he’d locked his room door and finally began reading Basic Spells and Foundational Magics. The opening of the book was primarily an introduction to what mana was, what mages were, and a bit of the Union’s history. A lot of it was information he already knew. He knew that the Union was founded after a number of dangerous magical catastrophes such as the necromancer rebellion, the burning of Tyber, and the disappearance of Swent. It was decided that within the Empire of Drakthiss magic needed to be controlled and so the Union was created to bring things to heel. Over time the Union had grown in power and now it was considered a cornerstone of the empire, with its own autonomous city, Arcthiss.

One thing that particularly stood out to him was the list of banned magics.

An Incomplete List of Forbidden and Restricted Magics:

Necromancy

Soulamancy

Binding magic

Blood magic

Volk Magic

Curses

Fleshshaping

Teleportation/Portal magic

Luck/Fate magic