Legends of Belariath

Magi

May the Sun forever smile upon your face, and the Wind kiss gently at your wings. May all books be open to you, all paths be safe for you. May the clouds shelter you from harm, and the night sky rest softly on your shoulders, with the Stars to light your way, and the Moon forever bright. May the world be yours to wonder at, but most importantly of all - may the Goddess ever keep her light ablaze in your heart.
- Old Magi Blessing.

Above all else, the Magi are devoted. Their one true calling, their ultimate purpose, is to serve their Goddess, Morpheous. In return, Morpheous grants them feathered wings of all colors imaginable, and forms to marvel at, with skin tone varying from jet black to the palest ivory. They stand larger than life, head and shoulders over the Torians that resemble them, yet still take to the air with the greatest of ease. Magic comes as naturally as flight, spells and enchantments leaping from their hands with but the slightest encouragement. Their home, Oceana, is a continent that floats in the skies above the ocean, far to the West of Nanthalion, held far above the water by powerful magic. The vast majority of Magi live there, without ever leaving their home. But as with every race, some wander, roam, and travel the lands below. Some even make their way to Nanthalion...

Character Creation

Starter Classes: Magi

Advanced Classes: Magi

Starting Stats:

	STR	INT	AGI	RES	STA	SPL	LFE
Basic Stats	1	6	2	1	3	5	7

Appearance

No matter the shape they start in, every Magi is changed, altered by powerful magic to fit the same basic mold. They are without fail humanoid, skin tone varying from pale to bronzed, tall, and clean-faced. They tend to be bigger than the humans they so resemble, though, with the shorter Magi starting at just under six feet, and the tallest reaching just over seven. The easiest way to spot them is the wings they bear, extending out from shoulder blades and back as naturally as arms from shoulders. Despite their ability to fly, to take to the air with ease, Magi do not share the light build of Torian or Chirot, with some even being described as powerfully muscular by onlookers.

Ugliness is rare, as one might expect from a race built by magic, but not impossible. ((OOC : While it is possible to play an ugly Magi, it requires a strong explanation in their background to support this.)) Their eyes, too, mark them out as something a little different from the everyday. Pupils, irises, in the normal way, but far from normal. Any color one can imagine, from rich purple to jet black,glimmering, shifting, burning as if with flame. Even the whites are not left untouched - an angry Magi doesn't stare with bloodshot eyes, but eyes laced through with glistening, sparkling energy. On the other hand, in times of muted emotion, or sadness, the color can seem flat, even dull..

To the eyes of another of their kin, though, Magi have another defining characteristic. Wreathed about them, lacing through wings and flesh, blazing with the same shade as their eyes, is a fabulous corona of magical energy, known as the Aura. To the eyes of the untrained, it is usually invisible - though when taking flight, or in some cases when casting spells, the Aura of a powerful Magi is known to manifest in the real world, for everyone to see. It should be noted that the younger the Magi, the more the Aura fluctuates in color - by mid-way through their life cycle, it tends to have crystallised into one color, and will not change from this without some disastrous upheaval. ((Op approval required.))Also, on the back of their right hand, other Magi can perceive the Glyph - a hexagonal, runic marking that changes as the Magi specialises in the different Temples.

Later in a Magi's life cycle, as they become stronger, wiser, and, most importantly, more in tune with the Goddess-given magic that defines them, they may choose to return to Oceana to re-align themselves and their purpose, remind themselves of just who, and what they are. Aside from the pleasant days spent on the flying continent, this process carries other benefits. Often they return from Oceana changed in subtle fashion, somehow different from the men or women they were before. This varies from Magi to Magi, time to time - sometimes their glimmering, Goddess-given Aura grows stronger, visible even to the naked eye, and sometimes it takes a different route, wings lacing through with energy, or even becoming entirely transparent, constructed only of that glimmering Goddess' Gift. Generally, the changes start small, and grow more impressive with time as the Magi grows stronger, more confident in their use of the gifts they possess.

In terms of mechanics, at Magi x3, x5, and x7, the Magi may return to Oceana (This could, for example, take the form of a story to be submitted to the site), and commune with the Goddess they hold so dear. Upon returning, they gain one of several traits, purely aesthetic unless otherwise noted.

At x3 : The Glyph, a shimmering, hexagonal marking on the back of the right hand, unique to reflect the Magi's own nature, and the Temple to which they profess affinity, becomes visible to all. This Glyph continues to evolve as the Magi gains strength and understanding, usually evolving in ways which reflect their own abilities. Thus a Magi particularly talented at instrument and song might further develop the golden part of his Glyph, representing the Sun Temple. See the Temples section for the Temples, their colors, and their individual areas of expertise.

At x5 : They may gain the ability to change their wings to ethereal, transparent wings cast of magic, rather than feathers, with a color matching both Aura and eyes. The wings are intangible while in this form, but may not be used for flight. Changing from ethereal to real in combat requires a full turn. Some Magi, preferring to maintain a rather lower key existence, turn their wings completely invisible to all but other Magi.

At x7 : Magi reaching this level can manifest their Aura to the eyes of all at will. It is known to be especially bright during times of strong emotion, or when flying, or casting spells.

Advantages

Polymath
Having gone through the rigorous education system provided by Oceana, all Magi have a basic knowledge of most walks of life, from combat and magic to politics to research and scholarship. There is no such thing as an illiterate or uneducated magi. Because of this, Magi at level one are granted the ability to read, write and speak both in the common and magi tongue and may select TWO of the following unranked skills in addition to to the normally granted 5 skill points. Choices should reflect the Magi's temple alignment.

Religion, Knowledge, or Ancient History (Jade)
Library Skills, or Investigation (Azure)
Weapon Maintenance, or Appraisal : Weapons/Armor (Ruby)
Etiquette, or Massaging (Earth)
Playing Instruments, or Singing (Sun)
Diplomacy, or Politics (Heliotrope)

Flight

Despite lacking the hollow bones, or light build of Torians or Chirot, Magi are able to take to the skies with the aid of their feathered wings. Physics would not normally allow this, but Magi augment their wings with the necessary magical energy to provide enough lift to defeat gravity. Magi are still considered natural fliers though, despite the magical nature to their flight, and soar through the air as nimbly as any torian or chirot.

Disadvantages

Absolute Loyalty
The Magi are more than simply loyal to Morpheous. She owns them, body and soul. All Magi's ultimate loyalties lie with her - no matter if they consider themselves "Outcast" or not. At a direct command from Her, they come running. As a result of this, Magi suffer certain limitations in their lifestyle. They are physically incapable of swearing an oath that comes above their commitment to their Goddess, such as an oath of fealty to become Reeve of Nanthalion, or enter into the service of a Noble, or even a vow to another individual. They can -never- hold any kind of position in the Temple of another God or Goddess. In addition, no Magi will enter slavery willingly without the understanding that their Master or Mistress can only ever be their second priority. Magi characters will never act against the interests of their people, either actively plotting against them, or passively allowing such a plot to continue with their knowledge.

While it is up to the Magi's own judgement to decide what is in their people's interests in the absence of a direct command from Morpheous, they bear the consequences of their actions. With this in mind, many Magi choose, when faced with a difficult choice, to return either to Oceana, or a shrine to Morpheous, to pray, and attempt to commune with their Goddess in order to receive guidance.

Magical Updraft
Magi would not be able to fly without use of their magic, making flight more taxing on them then on torians and chirots. While flying in battle all of their attacks and defenses cost an additional 2 stamina rather than the 1 normally charged to natural fliers. In addition, a magi rendered unable to cast magic (IE- hands are bound, is gagged or is wearing armor that prevents spellcasting) cannot take flight.

Upbringing

The Magi have no childhood. Rather, they are created at the age of 18, as an Adept. Their very first experience, and earliest memory, is Morpheous, and their first Rite of Reclamation, in which they are gifted with her Blessing, and their wings. At the conclusion of this ceremony, Morpheous assigns them a Temple, and to this Temple they go for their first year of training. While many Magi hold ties to their first Temple, a loyalty of sorts, they spend a year in each and every one before being graduating as a Magi. After this graduation, many Magi choose to stay on Oceana, and study further in one or two Temples of choice, expanding their knowledge of that particular field. Others go into the Navy, to travel the world on Oceana's fleet of merchant ships. Others simply leave to wander the world - sometimes with a particular Temple in mind, sometimes not. While one young Magi might be promised a position in the Sun Temple once he finds and brings back a magical instrument, another could easily be driven by a desire to see the world outside the confines of Oceana. With this in mind, almost all Magi characters will be at least twenty-four years of age when arriving at Nanthalion.

Death and the Life Cycle

Magi live for a very, very long time. Their closest comrades in lifespan are almost certainly the elves. Altered by Morpheous, imbdued with a divine power, forever cast perfect by her magic, Magi tend to shrug off disease, from bubonic plague down to the common cold, and show almost no signs of aging once they reach their early thirties. Created at the onset of adulthood, they have no "childhood" to speak of - their first few years on Oceana in education and training take its place. On a direct comparison, they lack the immortal youthfulness of the elves - a five hundred year old Magi is usually easy enough to spot, either because of intricate, collected, runic tattoos, or simple scars and marks of age he has allowed to build upon his face.

The secret behind this, is a little more complex than first might appear. Every so often, every Magi returns to Oceana, and to Morpheous, to undergo the rite of Reclamation. This represents Morpheous taking back what is hers, and then, bestowing it once more upon her Chosen Magi. It dates back to the time when the Magi were an order of Priests - the Magi honors would be bestowed upon a few at a time, then transferred to others as the duties of the Jade Priests passed to them. Now, though, all that remains of the nation the Magi served are the Priests themselves, so there is no sense in lending her blessing to only a few at a time.

This blessing has the effect of revitalising and restoring the Magi to a youthful state, should they wish it. There are times when a Magi has grown particularly fond of a particular scar or wrinkle, and chooses to keep it, rather than have the rite restore him to perfection. A Magi is not, however, compelled to undergo this rite. Should they wish it, after their graduation from Adept to Magi, a Magi could never undergo the rite again - but this would shorten their lifespan dramatically, likely to that of a regular human. Perhaps even less. Thus those Magi that wish to maintain a youthful appearance undergo the Rite every twenty years or so, whereas others go for fifty, or a hundred years between each Rite. The rate of aging, though, remains slowed - a Magi that has not undergone the Rite for a hundred years does not appear one hundred and twenty years old! Instead, he or she ages at 1/3 the normal rate.

Although it seems that this rite might allow a Magi to live forever, that is not the case. Instead, as a Magi approaches a thousand years of age, or whenever she feels that she has lived too long, she undergoes the Final Rite of Reclamation, also known as the Rite of Life and Death. With this, instead of awakening with all their memories intact, the Magi is reborn as an Adept, innocent of the world, and ignorant of all save the Magi tongue, and the Goddess that created him. ((Undergoing this rite represents Permanent Death for a player character, or at the very least a reset to level 1. It is, however, optional.)) This is one of two sources of new Magi. The other occurs when an individual earns the recognition of Morpheous, and is extended the rare invitation to become one of her People. Any characters undergoing this rite are fully transformed into Magi, with varying degrees of memory loss. Some lose all traces of their former life, others, remember only hazy fragments, as if dreamed. Other still can recall every last detail of their life before.

Society and Beliefs

Magi society is not quite like any other. Although in theory, Morpheous is the final arbitrator on all laws, rules, and decisions of any kind, She is almost never called upon to make decisions, or even give an opinion. Each and every individual is raised with the knowledge that somewhere, either out in Belariath or on Oceana, there is a place that is perfect for him, or her, and that all he has to do is find it. There are channels for every possible desire. Those with a musical aptitude are gently eased towards the Sun Temple, the librarians and book-keepers, the Azure. The more martially minded go into Ruby, those with a desire to serve others into Earth. Often, the mavericks and rebels of society (for there are some) are gently eased into the Jade Temple. In close proximity to Morpheous herself, and learning firsthand of the fate of their original home, most youngsters tend to calm down swiftly enough. If their rebellious streaks cannot be tamed, they are often sent out into the world, either to serve in the Magi Navy, living and working on board those glorious flying ships, or simply permitted to make their own way, safe in the knowledge that they can always return safely home if need be.

With a universal education system, it is not difficult to ensure that every Magi knows the story of their homeworld, and the dangers of rebelling against their Creator. This serves almost as the invisible whip that keeps the people in line, the ever-present memory of what happened once, and could easily happen again. With this in mind, all Magi are highly devoted to Morpheous, maintaining small shrines to her in their homes, and sometimes carrying a small Hexagon, carved of mithril, enchanted with their own Scrying ability, so that in times of trouble, they may view their Goddess at all times, and take heart.

Amongst those living on Oceana, loneliness is a foreign concept. The Magi take the nosy neighbour concept to an absolute extreme - so that a Magi will usually know the names and business of almost everyone in his district, and enquire about or speak to them regularly. They are, as a people, unabashedly interfering, and nosy. It's not uncommon that with news of one shortage or another, folk come hurrying from one street or the next to relieve it. Each street tends to be self-governing, with small, naturally councils of older Magi springing up naturally here and there. In theory, the whole City district is overseen by the Earth Temple Masters, and Heliotrope Masters, working in conjunction. Each Temple is obviously responsible for its own upkeep and maintenance, and the Jade Temple take on all responsibilites for the Temple of Morpheous.

There is also another group of Magi, that have recently been suggesting (As a people they are far too polite to clamour for anything!) that they too should be elevated to Temple status, and that is the Dock Workers and Navy. Often Ruby-trained, with skills in Heliotrope, or Sun, or even Azure in some cases, these Magi man the ships of the line that glide through the skies above Belariath, maintain them, and are in charge of all loading and unloading issues at the Docks. Generally Ship Captains take command, as these tend to be the individuals that have naturally graduated towards positions of leadership, but the Earth Temple Hierarch, Noan, keeps an eye on the Docks and Harbour when there are no ships in port.

Politics and the Navy

The Magi have a reputation as being meddling, holier-than-thou nosy do-gooders. And they've earned it. Ironically, for being immigrants to Nanthalion, they are easily among the most diplomatic of races. That is to say, they have the most diplomats, in the most places. It has become something of a sign of status. In a world where small, feudal kingdoms and chiefdoms form and collapse every decade, a Magi ambassador requesting an audience, and official diplomatic relations with the latest established chief or king is an excellent stamp of authority.

To earn their meddling reputation, the Magi follow a policy of non-military-intervention. This means that while their ships will never swoop down upon armies to rake massed forces with crossbow bolts and balls of magical fire, or invade and hold an area in the name of stabilising it, they often send representatives into the middle of conflicts with quiet offers, rather than demands, of mediation. Needless to say, this is not usually successful - but the Magi are known to break their non-intervention rule for those that break a ceasefire at a meeting arranged by the Magi themselves. Or attempt to, say, behead the Magi delegates to send a message to Morpheous. Warmongers, therefore, often groan at the arrival of a Magi ship of the line.

While they have no immediate ulterior motive in these acts of charity, the Magi are, of course, quick to tell of Morpheous and her kindness to any who listen, always keen to cast themselves and Her in a favourable light. Also, whenever a Magi is representing Morpheous and Oceana in this capacity, he strives to seem a paragon of every virtue. He keeps his word, is both honest and straightforward - quite frankly, nauseating to any normal person. This does lead, however, to a reputation for honesty, virtue, and general good manners for the Magi. It's not necessarily grounded in fact, nor true of every Magi in the world, but it certainly exists.

The exception to this rule is the Ilfirian Empire. As if knowing this nation to be entirely independent of their ability to assist, and certainly, in no need of mediators, there has been no official diplomatic delegation brought before Stormbringer, to date. Surely, one day will come when a Magi ship sails into port to request an audience with the Emperor, but not yet.

These ships, of course, are one of the tricks behind the Magi prosperity. In most ways, they resemble a normal ship of the line. They have sails, and ports for oars if one looks closely, though these are never used, and a rudder for steering, as well as the usual shape of a seafaring vessel. The figurehead adorning the prow is always an image of Morpheous, though, a telltale sign. Add to this the fact that instead of sailing on the ocean, these ships sail through the sky with the greatest of ease. They are limited, though, in number, and the knowledge of how to craft them was lost in the great Rite of Ascension that took them from the original world. Every lost ship, therefore, is mourned greatly by the surviving sailors, for they can never be replaced. They can, however, be maintained - and all vessels return to Oceana on a regular basis for exactly that.

On the inside, the similarities with seafaring vessels continue. There's always a Captain, and usually a First and Second Officer, a Magi in charge of galley duty - all tasks, handed out according to ability, and regularly rotated, with only the Captain and First Mate remaining mostly static. The hold is a vast, open space, from which the ribs of the ship, and inside of the hull can be seen, covered in swirling runes that burn with an inner fire when the ship is in the air. To lift the ship, a good number of Magi - usually a dozen, because twelve works particularly well for some reason - must stand inside the activation circle in the hold, and focus all their magical energies into the runes. This duty is exhausting, and as a result, the crew is usually divided into three or four shifts, one on deck, one in the hold, and one or two resting. With all these crewmembers on board, the space is naturally fairly confined - but communal as they are, the Magi have no problem with this.

Though it is rarely called for, all ships are outfitted for combat, as well as simple merchant duties. This almost always involves repelling boarders, rather than engaging another ship, be they chirot raiders taking advantage of a low-flying ship, or thieves ambushing a Magi ship in port, looking for an easy profit. To date, no Magi ship has ever been successfully hijacked, with the crew preferring to die rather than be captured. With the Magi dead, none can make the ship fly, and the vessel is usually retaken within days.

The Magi and the Outside World

Some remark upon the beauty of Oceana, and question why the Magi would ever leave their paradise of a home. Food there is plentiful, the weather is good, and the women beautiful. Nonetheless, the Magi can be found across almost the whole of Belariath. This can be for a wide variety of reasons. There are the "official" ones, to begin with. This varies from an assignment from a particular Temple - to document the history of a race for Azure, to learn a new weapon style and the crafting of the weapon itself for Ruby, to acquire a rare or valuable enchanted instrument for Sun - the assignments vary. Often, they can be open-ended in nature. "Go out, and learn all you can of this nation, or this region". These are often given to Magi their overseers believe are chafing a little in the surroundings of Oceana, or would benefit from the experience of the outside world. Sometimes Magi even leave on their own initiative, simply citing curiosity, or a desire to prove their worth in the eyes of their Goddess.

In rare cases, Morpheous intervenes herself. Either to give an assignment, to seek out a special relic, or go on her behalf as a messenger, or even to become a gift to a favoured ally, in the case of some Earth Magi. However, sometimes, this can take a more unpleasant turn. Even though dissent is unheard of in Oceana, rebellion against Morpheous unimaginable, on occasion, a Magi manages to do something that lands them before Morpheous. Delving into forbidden tomes, disobeying or disrespecting an Elder.. striking a Master, or murdering another Magi - these things are impossibly rare, but they happen. In this case, often, the Magi brought before Morpheous will repent, and be forgiven, but sometimes, there is no such easy way out. Sometimes Magi are outcast, punished, and sent out from Oceana to wander the world until they have learned whatever lesson Morpheous wishes to inflict. Often a curse, or ailment accompanies these pariahs of Magi society. This is, however, not a death sentence - these outcast Magi are permitted to return to Oceana for the Rite of Reclamation, to extend their lifespan beyond human norms. However, they are escorted from the Docks directly to the Temple of Morpheous in chains, and then back once again when the Rite is complete. They are also denied the yearly celebration of the Rite of Ascension. They have a part in this rite, but are forbidden from joining the final celebrations.

It is rumoured, though never confirmed, that once, if ever, these Magi are forgiven, and accepted by Morpheous back into the fold, they become candidates to be recruited by the secretive, shadowy seventh Temple, the Temple of Stars. This Temple, it is said, prizes the ability to think outside the box, to defy authority, and do the unexpected above all else.

Combat Modifiers

Disabilities and Their Mechanics

Type:	Attack				Defense				Init
	CloPhy	RanPhy	CloMag	RanMag	CloPhy	RanPhy	CloMag	RanMag
Sight	-30%	-100%	-30%	-100%	-30%	-30%	-30%	-30%	-50%
Hearing	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-25%	-25%	-25%	-25%	-25%
Speech	N/A	N/A	-100%	-100%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Hands/Arms***	-25%	-25%	-50%	-50%	-25%	-25%	-25%	-25%	-20%
Legs/Feet***	-25%	-10%	-25%	-N/A	-25%	-20%	-25%	-25%	-25%
* Attack/Defense Enchantments are not effected, penalties apply to base stats. * Those temporarily blinded in one eye will receive half penalties for blindness to all attacks. ** All penalties are cumulative. *** Penalties are cumulative per limb. * Those temporarily blinded in one eye will receive half penalties for blindness to all attacks.