Lash says:
A couple of setting questions:
1) How much does the normal population (and by extension my PC) encounter magic like wizardry, divine religious miracles, eldritch spells, witch hexes, sorcery, ritual, etc.? I know the general idea of "low-magic" and "the risk of dark magic" - so I feel pretty certain there's no local magic store downtown Redstone or anything - but just trying to get the feel of just how exotic these sort of power displays and interactions with magic-users are for the daily life of an Averancian. And what sort of reaction does it get from the common folk - generally.
2) From reading the regional map entries, it's clear that halflings are present openly within the local society. Are other races like elves, dwarves, etc. more like fabled or at least very distant people seldom encountered? Or are those type of folk walking around in the town like a percentage of the everyday population?
Thanks for all your work. Looking forward to this game.
As a Nobiran, you are aware of the power of the Nobiran bloodline and know that some of the Nobiran race are powerful wizards. You may have met one once or twice in your lifetime, but it is a rare event. Ceremonial magicians will be much more common in the setting. (On the Old Continent it's a different story for a variety of reasons, but because of the wars that are currently waging between multiple factions across the continent, war wizards are a much needed commodity and are being purchased/hired by the governments as fast as they can raise the funds to do so.)
Elves are exceedingly rare in the island continent; humans and halflings will be the majority of the common people. Part of the reason for this is that Elves hail primarily from the farthest part of the Old Continent (the Islands of Elunara). There, on the farthest eastern part of the continent, the Elves are living out their own conflicts. Spellsingers have fled their traditional homelands to avoid being pressed into war wizardry. (To find out more than that, your character would need to talk to a Spellsinger.) The Dwarves also are very much tied to their own kingdoms and underground demesnes; many dwarves are superstitious about crossing open waters. As a Nobiran living in the area (assuming you are also from Redstone), you may have met one or two of the Dwarven Vaultguards who were able to sail to the new continent for curiosity' sake, but it is almost certain that if there were more than that in Averancia, they would have gone back to the Old Continent when the adventuring guilds pulled out.
Generally magic outside of the Church of Elion or not from loremasters that meet with the approval of the Church of Elion is regarded suspiciously, though the "flavor" of magic can effect how it's viewed. Antiquarian ceremonial magic is the use of herbs and symbolic elements to alter fate and control elements. This is known as "White Magic" because it is generally viewed as non harmful. And if harmful magic is used with Antiquarian ceremonial magic (such as a curse or damaging spell) it is pretty obvious what the intent of it is.
So, there may actually be white magic shops where one can purchase ceremonial implements, healing herbs, or even lesser magical items crafted for ceremonial use. But these would be relatively rare and even hidden by the community unless the one asking about such services has proven themselves an ally.
Chthonic ceremonial magic (black and red robes, dark chants, blood offerings) is generally seen as "evil"/harmful, even when it used for good purposes. For this reason, most Chthonic ceremonies are performed in secret by the Loremasters and Occultists who use it.
Liturgical ceremonial magic is the traditional rites of the priesthood. It uses holy water, incense, white candles and other devices that are generally considered positive in the community.
Runic ceremonial magic is seen as an older type of magic but not any more hostile or dangerous than Liturgical ceremonial magic. The general belief is that it is the same source of magic, just from an older pre-Elionian civilization.
Sylvan ceremonial magic is a little bit more suspicious. The weird witches who live by themselves on the edge of society may practice natural magics, but they could also dip into diablerie as well. If you need a curse cast on an enemy, these are the ones you go to, but the cost is usually higher than you expect. The general belief in society is that those who practice sylvan ceremonial magic are not exactly outside the law or outside the favor of the church, but they are skirting it.
Theurgical ceremonial magic is the traditional magical style of a strong and ancient order of Loremasters that have some ties with the Church of Elion, so it is usually viewed positively by society, even if it is a little odd. This style of magic also uses holy water, holy symbols, and a sacred altar. The rituals of Theurgical magic are not tied to any deity though and represent a direct call on the Cosmic Forces of Nature that form and ongoingly shape the universe. (Think Freemason rituals.)
What is common knowledge, especially to a Nobiran, is that magic can corrupt the soul of those who use it. Dark Magic especially is corrupting, and some of the most powerful war wizards have embraced that corruption completely, but others have found ways (secret and possibly even more corrupting and harmful ways) to diminish or prevent that corruption. For example, many war wizards on the Old Continent embrace the destructive power of Despoiling, which corrupts the land around them instead of their souls when they cast darker magics. Many of the Zaharans have also learned to cast blood sorcery by using the blood of beings sacrificed to darker powers to prevent their own corruption, or at least to alter the corruption so it acts more as a blessing than a curse.
