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#Post#: 165--------------------------------------------------
Magic head-canon
DIR By: Octavia Melody
Date: August 11, 2015, 6:03 pm
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So, magic is always a fun topic, and I wanted to share my
head-canon and see how it compares to everypony else's. I'll
leave out stuff like, 'In my head-canon' because you all know
that's what I mean.
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For starters, there are two parts, two paths to magic. First,
the lesser path. All unicorns who have 'developed the ability to
use magic' are users of the lesser path. It entails simple
manipulations of the physical world, primarily levitation, light
and sound effects, and many of the abilities given to ponies by
their cuite marks. It's not terribly powerful or impressive, but
for most it's enough to get the job done. It's also only usable
by beings with a magic horn, as said horn serves as their focus
point.
Second, there is the greater path. Every conceivable feat, from
teleportation, to necromancy, to time travel, can be
accomplished with knowledge of the greater path. All beings with
any respectable mana pool at their disposal can use greater path
magic. It is easier for horned beings, as they don't need an
external focus, but ponies have used objects such as bells,
crystals, and even other beings as focuses to incredible ends.
Casting a greater path spell is different from lesser path
spells in several ways.
First, it takes more then willpower and mana to complete a
spell. Each greater path spell requires anywhere from one to a
theoretically infinite number of words of power, which are
simply spoken as the spell is cast. Words of power are scraps of
the knowledge from which the multiverse we all live in was
wrought. Discovering them in a process that may take lifetimes,
as it involves understanding an idea or object so utterly
completely that causing and creating this idea or object is
effortless, just as it was when the gods formed everything. The
greatest number of words to ever be discovered by one being is
when a unicorn mage by the name of Starswirl the Bearded
discovered 4 in his lifetime.
Any being that knows a word of power can easily transcribe it
onto a surface as you would any other word. Any written word of
power is instantly memorized when read. However, the first a
greater path spell is cast with it, it immediately fades from
memory. The more times it is learned, cast, and forgotten, the
better it stays, until it is remembered permanently.
Starswirl set another record when he used 8 words in a single
spell to create a link between Equestria and Earth through a
mirror. No being in recorded history has ever used a more
complicated spell, and the mana drain on him was too great to
ever be done again, leaving him magically crippled for the rest
of his life.
When a being casts a spell from either path, is slowly eats away
at their mana pool as it runs. Spells like teleportation, or
other instantaneous casts, take all of their required mana at
once. Lesser path spells take very little mana, allowing most
ponies to go about their lives and never even come close to
running out. However, greater path spell take much more, and the
requirement increases exponentially as you add words of power to
your spell, in a manner that roughly equates to doubling every
word. Thus, two words is twice that of one, three is four times,
four is eight, and so on. The more magic that a being uses, the
more the total size of their mana pool grows, but using spells
that push past the limits of their mana pool can have a number
of widespread disastrous effects.
Magic beings, unicorns in particular, can receive, and are
required to in any royal and government occupations, a magic
level test. It ranks them in terms of mana pool size, and in the
case of greater path users, their word learning speed. The tests
are simple, and involve the levitation of various weights until
they can no longer be held. The ranking is by letter.
F - Non magic being.
E - Extremely weak, can only manage a few seconds of the
lightest levitation.
D - Weak magic user, possibly from injury, but can probably
survive comfortably without having magic problems.
C - Average magic user, has no problems with simple lesser path
spells, or whatever is needed for their job.
B - Above average magic user, moderate mana pool, and can
probably use more types of magic then just what their cuite
marks dictate.
A - Strong magic user, large mana pool, mastery of several magic
types, capable of greater path magic if they have the words.
Below must already be capable of at least some greater path
magic, but being able to do so does not guarantee placement
there.
Gamma A - Greater path user with a substantial mana pool, only
knows a hoof-full of words, usually no more then 5, takes around
a dozen tries to learn a word.
Beta A - Mana pool that borders on massive, acquired word count
nearing a dozen. Can learn new words withing around half a dozen
tries.
Alpha A - Enormous mana pool, acquired word count being upwards
of 20, learning new words takes a few tries at most.
Perfect A - Mana pool which has no practical limits, master of
at least 95% of words known to pony kind, can learn new words in
one or two tries.
Most magic users have rate a from an E to a B, with notable
exceptions being alicorns, which have a mana pool of at least a
Beta A, Discord, who is the only known Perfect A, being able to
support whole dimensions and change the face of the land without
batting an eye. Starswirl was the first recorded pony to reach
an Alpha A. Twilight Sparkle rated at a Beta A before ascension,
now borders on a high Alpha A in terms of mana pool size. Zecora
rates at a Gamma A, because while her number of acquired words
is quite high, she has a smaller mana pool then a Beta A.
Finally, greater path spells can be identified by their
signature spell-circle. Ever greater path spell has a circle
that changes depended on the number of words, what words are
used, the result location of the spell, and the caster's magic
color. It can be hidden by adding an additional word to your
spell.
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That's it, folks. What do you think? How are things different
for you?
#Post#: 179--------------------------------------------------
Re: Magic head-canon
DIR By: TwistedEntertainment
Date: August 12, 2015, 1:20 am
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This is brilliant! I particularly like the magic ability levels,
and the addition of Star Swirl basically being a magic cripple
because of the EQG portal.
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