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Lustrous Augury [Original]

2,413
Posts
16
Years
Buzzwords: Magic, Crystals, Spells, Gamify, Augments, Medieval

SO! I had an idea that I workshopped yesterday. I want it to be a world that people can build characters in and roleplay and eventually have a loose gaming system. I started it on toyhouse but I love you all on PC so I'm going to show you what I've written about it so far. So tell me if it's good, bad, character ideas, world ideas, anything! Since this will be a beginning thread, ignore the line about Ego Manipulation. We can talk about all the ramifications here.



Summary:
Mana -> Crystals via Soul = Magic

Raw magic energy (Mana) found in nature and certain items can be used and put into form in the world using a Crystal as a conduit. This only happens when an attuned Soul makes it shape. The Soul is the link to Mana and Crystals to output Magic. All humans can do this with training, as all humans have a Soul. The Soul is incorporeal and unobtainable.

After a crystal meteor hit 100 years ago, some humans have been born with the makings of a crystal in them that hardens into the skin during puberty. This skips the attunement step and training of previous magic users. This is because the Soul is inside the Crystal. This makes the Soul obtainable.

World Introduction:
Everything in this world contains a raw magical energy called Mana. Mana is made, distributed, absorbed, flows, and cycles when things grow and die. By itself, Mana can only activate natural abilities of certain magical plants or items. However, paired with a Crystal, Mana can be used to perform Magic. A Crystal is a stone that can hold larger amounts of Mana, and more importantly, be used to create a physical reaction in the world. This only happens when a Soul imagines a shape for the Magic. All humans possess the ability to create magic, but it takes training and Soul Attunement to both the Crystal and the shape of the Magic, called Spells.

100 years ago, a great crystalline meteor hit the world. Besides the destruction, later on babies began to be born with strange discoloration under a part of their skin. As the children reached puberty, the liquid emerged from the skin and hardened into a Crystal. This person has their very own Crystal embedded into them, and find a much easier time creating magic. These people are called the Lucent. The reason that the Lucent's ability to use magic is greater is because their Soul is seeped in the Mana inside the Crystal. Their Soul is contained within the Crystal, unlike normal Souls that incorporeal and unobtainable. This is obviously a great detriment and can have unfortunate consequences. Removing a Crystal with a Soul is called Ego Manipulation. While the dealings of Ego Manipulation are illegal under current rulers, there is undoubtedly a dark network on information detailing the ramifications and uses of it. (Ego Manipulation is meant for the players to slowly experience and learn about, and will not have a dedicated page on it. Game Masters may ask me if something they want to do will work.)

Story Introduction:
The world in which Lustrous Augury takes place is a work of mostly medieval times with enhanced magical technology. Magical technology requires natural forces of Mana and as of current age the Crystals used to generate any machinery must manually be replenished. Think Queens, Kingdoms, Knights, Swords, and Bows, which a large amount of Crystal Accessories. Magic has existed since the beginning of time, but it is still early in this world's time. It wasn't until a meteor hit 100 years ago that there was more recorded history to combat the civilizations lost.

The first recorded Lucent child eventually used her magic might to become Queen of the first Kingdom to rise from the chaos of the meteor. Being Lucent is not a heritable trait for what seems to be everyone, yet the direct biological line from the Queen have all been Lucent. The Queen defined and outlawed Ego Manipulation, to stop the possible abuse. However, rumors of the Royal Family doing their own experiments and keeping others from learning their secrets run rampant.


Using Magic and Attributes:
Crystals
Hold: A max amount of Mana it can hold.
Refresh: The rate at which it can naturally recharge Mana.
Output: The ferocity to which it expels magic output.


Spells
Knowledge: A clear image in your mind on how the Spell is going to work.
Experience: The frequency you have successfully cast the Spell. (or tried really really hard)


Multipliers
Crystal Attunement: How often this Crystal has been used with a Soul.
Spell Attunement: Your person Knowledge and Experience of the Spell.
Combo Attunement: A Crystal can become easier to use with a certain Spell regardless of Soul relationship.


Example: A skilled magician takes a crystal with a medium hold, quick refresh, and small output and cast a light spell on it over and over and over again. He can then sell it to a commoner who barely in touch with magic, but because the Combo Attunement is so strong they can use it as a light for a small amount of Mana and it will hold on for awhile.


Anatomy and Vocabulary

Mana: Raw magical energy derived from nature.
Soul: An incorporeal essence of life. Used to imagine magic into reality. In normal humans, it is contained in both all parts and no parts of the body. In Lucent, the Soul is trapped within it's Crystal.
Crystal: A rock or mineral that possesses the ability to hold Mana and act as a conduit of a Soul's imagination of a magical shape, called a Spell.
Spell: The expression of what you want to do with Magic. A Spell is the shape or image in the mind of a Soul, given form. It can help to say or do certain actions while thinking about this image clearly to cast a more effective spell.

Lucent: People born with the makings of a Crystal inside of them, that also contains their Soul.

The Life Cycle of a Lucent

As a fetus is forming, for an unknown reason, inside of any part of the body a the liquid makings of a crystal forms inside the human, called a Vessel. When this liquid is completed but before the baby is born, it is called Torpid. When born, a Soul enters into the child with it's first breath. In a normal child, the Soul attaches itself to the Vessel in an unknown way, and is free to move. In a Lucent, the Soul becomes attracted and attached to the Torpid. When successfully infused with a Soul, the Torpid is now called Callow. The liquid with attached Soul stays inside of the child unless injury. At this point in a Lucent's life, if the Callow is removed, the Soul is still able to leave it's grasp and the liquid becomes inert Torpid again. The Callow is always present in the child, but can not be used as a magical conduit yet, but the children can still do magic in a traditional manner. The Callow has color, and if close enough to the skin, will cause discoloration to be seen. It can also be deeper in the body or closer to the skin color of the child, so they may not know they are a Lucent yet. During puberty, the Callow begins to come to the top of the skin and harden into a Crystal. Once completely hardened, the Soul can not be removed from the Crystal through known means, but is still connected to it's human body Vessel. A Crystal with a Soul inside, while attached to an alive Vessel is called a Nested Crystal. If the Nested Crystal is severed from the Vessel, it is called an Ego Crystal. Once removed, an Ego Crystal is self-sustaining on Mana, and even when destroyed or ground down it will contain shattered remains of the Soul. The Ego Crystal can still control the Empty Vessel when it is near it, but it will lose it's feeling and attachment to the Vessel. If the Vessel dies, the Ego Crystal is unaffected.
Alternatively, if the Vessel dies, a Nested Crystal will decay into Torpid and the Soul can escape.


Vessel: A container for a Soul. There is no explored evidence of what makes a Vessel and how the Soul attaches itself.
Torpid: Pre or post inert liquidized Crystal with no Soul attached. It can either be from a fetus before a Soul has attached, or can be the leftovers of a death of a Lucent. It has no known uses, and is often kept as a memento of the Soul it once contained.
Callow: Torpid that has a Soul Attached to in and is contained inside of a Vessel.
Nested Crystal: The Crystal that forms from the Callow. This Crystal contains a Soul in the Crystal that can not leave without Vessel Death.
Ego Crystal: A Nested Crystal that has been removed from the Vessel without killing it. It contains the Soul still, and it can never escape.
 
Last edited:
37,467
Posts
16
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  • Age 34
  • Seen Jan 2, 2024
Cool ideas o: I'm not sure I understand what Ego Manipulation is though?

RPs here can be either with strict mechanics or super loose fanfic style :) or a mix!
 
2,413
Posts
16
Years
Cool ideas o: I'm not sure I understand what Ego Manipulation is though?

RPs here can be either with strict mechanics or super loose fanfic style :) or a mix!

Basically anything to do with a Soul trapped in a Crystal that you took off of someone's body, and what you could do with that is called Ego Manipulation. The crystal behaves differently because there's a Soul inside it, so by current ruling it's not to be messed with. But obviously it's probably going to be a big plot point for villains.
 

Ys

Wandering Spirit
219
Posts
9
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  • Age 31
  • Seen Mar 21, 2024
Alright, first off do you know what causes some people to be born as Lucent? You don't have to reveal that if you don't want to, but what I'm asking is, is there a reason or does it happen randomly? Also, are there different kinds of Crystals with different properties? And is there an effect to Lucent whose Crystal is removed? Again you don't have to reveal that as long as you yourself know the answer to use it in your RP.

As an idea I'm finding it very interesting. Your explanation of Mana is similar to the way I see magic. And the idea of the Souls and Crystals also sounds unique and can lead to different uses.
 

TheAlmightyBlaziken

Pretty cool if I do say so myself
1,580
Posts
4
Years
Yes I like this idea and it is the first time I've seen this type of roleplay well this post doesn't describe the world too much but it is a WIP so I'll give that a pass and I think I'm not that confused soo It's good I might join this RP. and if I have very bad grammar please don't mind me I'm always very tired JK I'm not that tired but when I'm writing something long I get very tired.
 
2,413
Posts
16
Years
Alright, first off do you know what causes some people to be born as Lucent? You don't have to reveal that if you don't want to, but what I'm asking is, is there a reason or does it happen randomly? Also, are there different kinds of Crystals with different properties? And is there an effect to Lucent whose Crystal is removed? Again you don't have to reveal that as long as you yourself know the answer to use it in your RP.

As an idea I'm finding it very interesting. Your explanation of Mana is similar to the way I see magic. And the idea of the Souls and Crystals also sounds unique and can lead to different uses.

There is not a known cause for people to be born as Lucent. The reason it happens randomly is because all people were exposed to the dust/water mixing of the meteor from 100 years ago. It just creates a chance for the crystal to form in a child.
Crystals have the attributes listed such as mana hold and output, but there are not like certain elemental crystals. Crystals become differentiated from how they are used over time.

When the Lucent's Crystal is removed the body becomes an empty Vessel. If the crystal is near they can still control the vessel but they become disattached from pain and feeling for the body. If there is no crystal the body is basically unresponsive and will die without help.
 
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