Magic and Psioncs

"Ka" is the term used for a quantity of magic. This is equivalent to a Chi/Ki model. Ka comes from the sky (essentially part of sunlight and starlight - radiation). The largest quantity of Ka is absorbed by the Kuduu - a plant that covers the entire planet Minth and is essentially one entity although composite in nature and made from many many different types of plants. Kuduu doesn't exist everywhere, but it's an integral part of the story and the three worlds over which the story takes place all have Kuduu. A "Ka well" is the term for Ka stored internally. Everyone absorbs Ka, and everyone has a well of the stuff. How extensive that well is varies from person to person, and may increase over time the more frequently Ka is used.

How Ka can be used is dependent on the realm the character is in. Almost all realms allow SpellBinding through embedding patterns in metal and feeding Ka into it. Essentially, this is electrical circuitry but with magic as a power source. Ka flows through the embedded patterns that SpellBinders create, and alters physics in a localized area as denoted by the logic in the switches. SpellBinders are effectively programmers who know how to create these embedded patterns. They use a series of runic languages for this purpose. The use of SpellBound objects and artifacts (magic items) is possible by using Ka as a power source. People feed their Ka into these objects to activate them, and engage mental (illusionary) interfaces that appear to them when the objects are activated. These objects span the spectrum from something as advanced as a golem with an embedded mentality and multiple runic components to a simple hot plate you can use to cook on.

The planet Minth in the Realm of Kuldorii does not have an aether, and the magic there is limited to SpellBinding (what would typically be referred to as Enchanting objects). But on many worlds there is an aether. The term aether refers to a pocket dimension that Ka can be fed into. Aether can hold patterns, and on worlds with an aether there is both SpellBinding and AirWeaving.

AirWeaving is the art of "programming" the aether temporarily with memorized patterns. AirWeavers are essentially SpellBinders that bind to the aether rather than metal. The Fae are innate AirWeavers and on worlds without an aether, they can only produce a few innate effects that are typically limited by their type. On worlds with an aether, they have additional abilities (if they have learned the art). AirWeaving is more like "casting a spell" but it still had an interface in the mage's mind. They "see" what they are weaving in the aether even though others don't (because it's in their own mind's eye) and manipulate the patterns internally from memorized programming components.

Professions dealing with magic include SpellBinding, AirWeaving, Alchemy - which is embedding patterns in crystal suspended in a liquid, Necromancy - which involves both Alchemy and SpellBinding, and other professions which are usual mixtures of these arts that are combined to produce a specific product or effect.

If an individual human runs out of Ka, there is no ill-effect from it. They do get a little tired expending Ka, it requires concentration. Streaming large amounts of Ka out of your body (or into it) puts a strain on the system. Fae require it and can't allow their Ka well to go completely dry. If a Fae is feeding Ka to a human, for example, they typically shut down the connection before they run dry, saving a quantity for their own use. Although Fey/Human connection isn't a common thing at all.

Elves, Morain, Drathraq, Groll, Eloki, Venuk and a wide variety of other species use Ka as well, but have tailored their technology to suit their purposes. Most of my stories take place on human worlds and generally involve humans, but the other races come into play as well, they're just in the minority.

Types of Magic
Ka (or Te'cha to the Drow and Drathraq) comes in a variety of "flavors." It's all generally referred to as Ka though, unless it's specified. Sometimes there are reasons to specify the type.
 * Ka-del = the type of Ka used by Kuduu.
 * Ka-nu = the type of Ka used by Humans and most other mammals.
 * Ka-vey = the type of Ka used by Fae.
 * Ka-ree = the type of Ka used by skeins (exists in the hdrav).
 * Ka-mu = the type of Ka used in simulated psionic weaonry.

Psionics
An important distinction must be made between psionics and magic in this story. They are not the same, though some of their effects are identical because they both operate on physical reality. The biggest differenc is that psionics do NOT rely on Ka, and do not use Ka in any way. Nor do psionics require an aether. Thus, in a Ka-negative or Ka-null realm, or in a realm with no aether, psionic manipulation may still operate as normal.

Psionics are generally weaker than Ka-manipulation, as Ka-manipulation can be patterened and replicated (programmed) for greater effects. Psionics generally interact individually, and are therefore limited to the, focus, will and concentration of that individual. That being said, there are certain psionic disciplines that teach "mental programming" techniques for enhancing psionic ability.

In general, psionics is the impression of one's will on the fabric of reality using a catalyst. That catalyst is commonly "the power" a generic term that relates to a base-level congruency between the individual and the fabric of reality itself. It is the "bending" of physical laws.

The most common form of psionics is telepathy - mental communication. The Drow, the Drathraq and the Uuboreal are all highly reliant on telepathy, and use it natively as well as construct devices to enhance its operation. The Drow and Drathraq Trilius systems are virtual reality environments (not disimilar to computer virutal reality) that operates psionically using telepathy and trill nodes as relay points and memory in the network.

Spellbinding Artifacts
In general, all runes use Ka as a power source. Ka comes from stars - it falls during the day as an invisible radiation that's absorbed by certain types of matter. It has its own spectrum, and different "flavors" of Ka are absorbed by different things. Mammals, for example, absorb Ka-nu, while plants absorb Ka-del. Outside of LoreMasters most people don't know this and simply refer to it as Ka.

On Minth, most runes don't work on their own - they require an infusion of Ka, although there are some advanced artifacts that will absorb a flavor of Ka and convert it into a usable form. For example, some of the newer golems will absorb Ka and use it to power the kinetic plates that move their limbs. Other golems require an infusion each day or every few days. The disadvantage of the newer ones is that they only operate in sunlight, so if you need to use them at night or underground, you have to infuse them.

Weapons and devices (of which there are many) operate mostly by infusion from people. All humans living on Minth absorb Ka, so even if they don't know anything about rune lore, they can still use patterned artifacts. Blusses, for example (guns) are designed by SpellBinders who use a variety of techniques to create them. Anyone can pick up a bluss and dose it with Ka, giving the two plates that repel the slug a charge. When they trigger is pulled, the polar opposition between the round and the charge plate fires the slug. Both the slug and the firing plate get a charge. Other objects, like vehicles for example, use Ka to heat a boiler that powers a mechanical engine - giving some of the technology in use a sort of steam punk flavor to it. Most mechanisms on Minth use steam power that's heated by Ka infusion.

As for drawing runes, mostly that's signets only, and signets don't do anything. Although there is a more primitive technique taught in early spellbinding that utilizes crystal chalk to create very simple patterns. These usually don't do much, as you could spend weeks drawing a pattern that barely does anything of interest. It's more of a learning tool than a viable practice for producing things. Serious spellbinding is done with a binding press, which is a large stationary object that contains a rune stack filled with thousands of preset patterns that are "burned" into metal. These patterns are three dimensional, and as complicated as integrated circuitry. Accidentally creating one that does something by random chance would be highly unlikely, but not entirely impossible.

Binding presses are expensive and complicated machines using a huge collection of ancient techniques and patterns. Most presses are very old, but they can still be built - the technology to create them has been preserved. Their interface is accessed through sets of runes capable of projecting into the SpellBinders mind, and accessing the rune stack. They can create patterns of their own this way, though the typical process is connecting existing patterns together before setting a burn into metal. The signets are part of the burn, though they aren't always visible to the naked eye (this is a choice). So, for example, to create a sword that converts Ka into a high speed vibration of the blade, a SpellBinder lines the metal of the artifact with connected kinetic rune patterns, an a Ka extraction pattern in the hilt. If they want the signets to be visible, they can configure that before the burn. Thus the blade would be covered with small signets, each over one of the embedded patterns, and each a code for the pattern lying beneath it - a representation. The signets don't do anything though, they're there for the SpellBinder to analyze in case something's not working right. Binding presses have a krisnatic lens that moves over the press on a metal arm. When looking through a krisnatic lens, Spellbinders can "see" the patterns in three dimensions. Manipulation of those patterns is typically done through the press, although some advanced SpellBinders can also control their Ka mentally, and overlap the patterns, altering their Ka to manipulate the burned configuration. (This is similar to shorting a circuit). It isn't common. Most SpellBinders carry a pocket krisna, which is a monocle they can slip into one eye allowing them to examine spellbound patterns whenever they want.

The SpellBinding Magic of Minth (Overview)
Magic on Minth is limited to artifacts. SpellBinders (enchanters) there are essentially developers who program in runic circuitry using a binding press on metal. Stone with metal in it can also be used, and some types of crystal (which ends up being alchemy) but for the most part it's metal and the vast majority of artifacts are bound in metal. SpellBinders (or Binders - as I use that term too, particularly for their Guild) then sell their wares for profit. This is a required profession for almost all the cultures of Minth.

Survival on Minth wouldn't be possible without SpellBinding. The entire planet is covered with jungle called Kuduu that animates every three weeks and tries to kill everything that isn't Kuduu. One of the major tasks of SpellBinders is the production of the wards that protect the cities. They absorb heat from the sun over three weeks, and when the emerald moon rises and the Kuduu animates, the ward stones emit their heat and incinerate the Kuduu at the outskirts of the city. Gardeners use shears (a spellbound flying buzz-saw) to kill the Kuduu pods launched over the wards. Guardsmen use naptha flamethrowers powered by spellbound pumps to incinerate any Kuduu pods that make it past the gardeners. Firemen use tanks of naptha the same way. And they have blusses (rifles) that are spellbound to repel polarized projectiles. These are used in war, to hunt, and to kill Kuduu (they have shredder slugs). There are many other examples. Almost all technology on Minth is based on SpellBinder techniques. The great rune-roads of Minth are spellbound. The brazier system for transferring information through Kingdom Post and Guild Post is spellbound. Golems, heating plates, mimetic disks, water pumps, gates, pretty much everything.

The key to it is the binding press. These must survive. They can be manufactured, but a binding press is required to build a binding press. They don't have the technology to build them without a binding press. It's a chicken and egg thing. The first binding presses came to this world when it was colonized. Binding presses are large - about 10 feet wide and 5 feed in height. They have a rune stack that contains the embedded patterns for thousands of runes. These are essentially objects with an interface that the SpellBinder connects before binding into metal. Visible signet runes are commonly used over the bound artifact showing what it can do, but these are just writing - not the actual circuitry.

SpellBinders train for many years in apprenticeships before they are allowed to petition for Guild membership, which also requires a sponsor and a rather extensive series of qualifying tests. Once they have been accepted to the Binder's Guild, a SpellBinder is required to take at least one apprentice every ten years. It's one of the few occupations available to commoners that can allow a commoner to elevate their status. SpellBinders are respected and held in high regard, even among the nobility.

Artifact Magic Concepts and Training
What I have is a world with magic, but that magic cannot be "cast" in the way mages normally cast spells. This is a limitation of this world, and it is not a limitation that exists on others in the same novel, but because it's a limitation of the world in which the first book takes place, the society of that world has adapted and evolved to fit it.

Instead of "cast" magic, it's "artifact-based" magic. All magic must come from enchanted items. (This is not true of telepathy, but that relies on radiosomes and the electromagnetic spectrum, so it's not magic). The "training" of individuals to use magic is therefore training in how to use an artifact.

To this end, I created a variety of artifacts, all with set specific capabilities and limitations. These capabilities and limitations don't change. Because of this, my task went from creating interesting spells for the mages to creating interesting artifacts for professionals. These professionals were then trained in the operation of these artifacts. And because there need to be "training" I made the artifacts complicated enough that, while anyone might use them, only a person trained in their operation is going to be able to use the effectively.

This model exists in any novel that relies on artifacts that are complicated enough to require training. One could point to novels involving pilots and ships as an analogy. Anyone might attempt to fly a jet, but the only people with a realistic chance of being able to do so effectively are the pilots trained in their operation. You then have two groups of people - the ones capable of using the artifact / device / vehicle, and everyone else.

The key to using this model in fantasy then becomes the development of these artifacts - and they need to be interesting and uncommon - not perfectly in line with a mundane analog - and with a purpose that fits the environment and culture of the given world. Think of an object in the world you have created - an object with a given purpose. For instance, a phone, a credit card, a sword, a pistol, a pump, a door lock, a light, a chainsaw. Then create something different about it that fits the culture. Then add to that capabilities and limitations that don't exist in reality. Make it so that it no longer looks, feels, or entirely functions like anything in reality. Make it complicated enough to require training or skill to operate.

For those skills that relate to a profession, you create schools, guilds, whatever, to teach these skills.

Using Up Magic
The magic in the system I'm using can be defined as arcane energy that is absorbed by living things. It comes from the sky, with the strongest source being the sun, although it also comes from the stars, and perhaps the background of the universe itself, but it's during the day that life forms "recharge" the fastest.

People can't do anything with this energy innately. It needs to power something. There are animals and creatures native to this world that have evolved ways of using it naturally, but the people on this planet are colonists that came from someplace else - they're just Humans, and they don't have any natural way of using this force.

Everyone has a certain amount of it - a "well" of magic - that can be depleted when it's used to power an object. Objects vary in how much energy they require, and people vary in how much they have. Also, the more you use it, the bigger one's well becomes, allowing them to expand their capacity within limits. So if your profession revolves around using a specific artifact all the time, you'll expand your well of magic. People who don't use it, don't grow, but still have some.

Essentially, it's solar powered magic. And there is one profession, what is commonly referred to as "enchanters" who take care of making all these artifacts. They're similar to computer programmers in that they "bind" patterns into metal and other materials that alter the flow of the magic as it passes into them. The magic itself is capable of altering the laws of physics in a relative range, and the patterns - the programming - specifies those alterations, regulates them, loops them, and repeats them as necessary. (I wanted to define this for myself, so I created a set of pieces that can be put together to do this, but it doesn't come up in the book - it's just for my reference).

People can run out of magic when powering these objects. It doesn't hurt them to do so - the magic doesn't serve any purpose otherwise, and doesn't keep them alive. It can sometimes strain an individual to transfer large amounts of it at once, and it can strain the mind to concentrate on controlling it, but it won't kill someone or cause them undo stress to run out of magic. They just can't use the artifact again until they recharge. During the day, that's fairly quick, but at night it can take a long time.

Aether
Aether plays a major role - it's a big limiter for mages. The world in the first book (Minth) has no aether, and therefore no magic may be "cast." All magic (Ka) must reside in objects and be manipulated there. Kamboolii describes aether as:

“Aether is an overlapping dimensional interface that allows the inscription of temporary runes into that medium. The art is called airweaving. On worlds with an aether, AirWeavers can forge temporary mental patterns, it’s something like a constantly fading black board that lets you create instantaneous effects without having to spend weeks or months inscribing them in metal. But here in the Realm of Kuldorii, all Ka is contained in objects, mostly life forms or spellbound runic devices. Minth has no aether for binding or airweaving.”

But on worlds with aether, (such as Xull or Em) airweaving does exist, and some people master it, but there's a whole series or psychic mental manipulation that must take place. AirWeavers learn to program their own minds, using portions of their memory as places to hold the runes they embed upon the aether. The runes are too complex to memorize by standard means, so the "building blocks" of the runes (essentially circuitry) are psionically implanted in the AirWeaver, who then learns how to access them via an imaginary mental interface (that is also embedded). It effectively turns a portion of their brain into a programmable neural networked computer system that they can access at will, but it's all organic, not machinery.

When AirWeavers want to construct an effect, they assemble the pieces (objects) of the memorized rune-lore and program it in their minds before pushing it into the aether and feeding it Ka to activate it. These almost always include recursive algorithms to enforce the runes, otherwise they'd fade quite rapidly, so think of it as a program that's constantly re-writing itself on a medium that's constantly being erased. Other objects include builder runes (like a capacitor) to amplify the power output, and fractal algorithms to extend the depth of the effect, and logical decision trees to control the effect, and (of course) the runes that actually perform the manipulation of physics such as altering specific heat, spatial distortion, the speed of light, electromagnetic values, covalent bond strength, you name it. They're all put together in the programming to focus on initializing and implementing a specific result.

Aether itself has no substance. It's just an dimensional interface - a blank slate that Ka can travel through, and can be temporarily manipulated to hold the flow of patterns. It's like surrounding the entire planet in a blank circuit board that no one can see unless they're attuned to it.