Wild Magic: Beyond the Veil

Prelude

Orderly, logical and predictable. Such is the way magic is often displayed. Either through a methodical approach and understanding of each component of the spell cast, as wizards do, or even by innately reaching such conclusions in an emotionally driven epiphany, as sorcerers do. The fact that each spell cast is built upon a solid foundation of clearly understood references and a logical pathway is an undeniable truth, one that is justified by ones ability to scribe the methods and imbue the knowledge into scrolls, which when used properly allow even those with but a basic grasp of magic, to unleash complicated and elaborate spells.

Yet to each coin is a backside, and even to this facade of logic exists a backside where logic, at first glance, doesn't exist. A magic so twisted by the unpredictable whims of chaos that it defines it. Chaos magic, or Wild magic as often referred to will be the subject of this treatise. More so, the buried logic that may exist within it and the means and ways I have found, to gain a modicum of mastery over it.

Chapter I: Wild Magic & Faerzress

Before delving into the intricacies of the subject, a few core keys of the thesis ought to be defined first, to allow a smoother understanding of what is to come. The Weave serves as the cushion between casters and the unbridled essence of magic, raw magic. If one was to think of that as a thick dark forest with no light, the Weave could be seen an illuminated path within that dark forest, allowing people to navigate through it. Even within the illuminated paths of the Weave, volatility of magic and danger from its manipulation remains true. That extends to the dark forest of raw magic that extends in all directions.

To allow oneself to stray slightly from the lit path of the Weave, and delve directly into said darkness, is the essence of Wild magic, it is what defines the art, what explains its philosophy, as well as justifies the chaos that comes with it. The School of Wild magic was born from the curiosity of those that interacted with Wild magic zones, areas where the Weave was damaged and magic cast by orthodox approaches often yielded unpredictable results. Such an effect is also noticeable in the Underdark, in areas where the Faerzress is present. The latter being a radiation, strong enough to disrupt the regular flow of magic.

Chapter II: Order in Chaos

Going by previous conclusions, we start from the statement that Wild magic is, in its core, unbound by any logic and following no specific patterns. Yet, allow your mind to drift off to the possibility of mapping that unexplored and unbridled field of magic, to tap into the chaos and banish it from the equation, allowing us to bask into a fully illuminated forest and avoiding its dangers while making use of its resources, rather than being content with a network of paths within the darkness. That is the finality of my research, the baseline to my philosophy and the crux of my theory, which goes as follow:

The Chaos displayed with the usage of the school of wild magic is not due damage in the Weave, Wild magic zones or outside interference of radiations like the Faerzress, it is due to the fact that the practitioners of such a school of magic lack the proper knowledge and understanding of the fundamental laws that rule the system that is Raw magic, without the cushion of the Weave to make up for that lack, mistakes are committed while pouring directly out of that source, resulting in what we see as chaos or Entropy [1].

To prove that point, one must only take a look at the nature of some of the surges displayed by the users of wild magic. For example, it is possible to replicate the effects of a Haste spell through a wild surge. As it is possible to cast replicas of the spells Avascular Mass and Wrathful Castigation. Furthermore, it is to note that the Wild surge variations of the aforementioned spells display an empowered and improved effect than their peers cast by the orthodox methods. A surged haste lasts twice as long as a regular haste, and even a wild mage without a full mastery of the conjuration school, can call upon elemental monoliths that require years of dedication and study to call upon by specialised conjuration wizards at uncertain rates. If such formulas exist within the chaotic patterns of wild magic as well as regular magic, it means that there is a chance for spells and effects that at this time, can only be achieved through wild magical surges, to be deciphered, rewritten and understood to the point where they can be integrated into any wizards spellbook as independent spells.

Chapter III: Methods of Control

The previous chapter gave insight over the possibility of order within the chaos of wild magic, this one shall further dive into the means we, as wild mages, make use of to tap into that fountain. As mentioned before, to stray slightly from the lighted path of the Weave is the essence of the school of Wild magic, that doesnt mean we fully give up on the orthodox method to achieve such. While possible to forsake all and delve into the chaos blindly, such comes with too big of a risk, involving a possible change into a chaos elemental or death, in the most severe cases. To avoid such, a technique I refer to as Anchoring is used. Spells are cast through the orthodox means of magic, by drawing from the Weave, and only at the last part of the manifestation of magic, where the energy is infused, moulded and shaped into a spell, does the wild magic get infused into it as well, at a percentage varying between 3% and 7% to ensure a relatively safe usage. This causes the wild mages spells to not always surge, and often are cast normally without recoil or change, but in the instance of a wild surge manifesting, then one can crank up the output to 50% or more, resulting in an extra effect added to the anchored spell being cast. And allowing the wild mage to, burn up the wild magic as a catalyst for the spell and retain his ability to recast the anchor spell another time. An example to concretise the theory:

A wild mage casts the spell bull strength, he draws from the Weave to shape the magical energy, and gives logic to it by somatic components before infusing will into it with the verbal component and the mindset to cast the spell. As the spell takes shape, the wild mage proceeds to allocate from 3% to 7% of the output used to manifest the spell from wild magic as a source. If the effects of a wild surge are noticed (it takes a fraction of a second to feel the sizzling in that last part), the wild mage can then attempt to fully fuel the anchor spell using the wildest magic ratio he can safely allocate, and cause a wild surge without overwriting the anchor spell. The Bull strength is then cast alongside an extra effect, and in case of proper mastery of these mechanics, the wild mage would've fueled the spell using only wild magic, allowing himself to safeguard the ability to recast that Anchor spell another time, even if he only had one prepared.

To further amplify the control over wild magic, few spells that can be considered a hybrid between wild magic and orthodox magic have been created. While cast through the orthodox means, these spells are structured in a way that causes them to draw a portion of their effect directly of wild magic. Even with the proper manuscripts and understanding of the spell, if one unattuned to wild magic attempted to cast these spells, they will fail, or at best, the spell will have absolutely no effect.

If one wants to infuse an Anchor spell with a greater wild magic ratio, the hybrid spell Nahals reckless dweomer must be performed first, the spell comes with the effect of safekeeping the caster from life-threatening backlash while allowing him to trigger a wild magic surge on his next anchor spell at a 100% accuracy. But due to the spell being cast initially through the orthodox method and serving as a baseline for the anchor to be cast, the surge induced by the spell cannot allow the mage to retain his anchor spell for another casting.

If a caster wants to limit the risks of self-harming surges the spell Chaos Shield must be cast, it comes with the propriety to ward up the caster from triggering 45 out of the 50 harmful surges documented, if fully mastered. Such a spell is a further proof that there are patterns within chaos, allowing the possibility to ward off specific effects from occurring. The results of how effective a Chaos shield is also dependent on the nature of the Anchor spell. Due to the affinity of the wild mage with the nature of wild magic, the chaos shield is more effective at preventing self-harming effects when the anchor is cast on the caster himself than it is at warding another person from those same effects, if the anchor spell is cast on them.

If the caster wants to maximize the chaos around them, the spell Improved Chaos Shield does exactly that, a reverse of the spell aforementioned the improved version is an attempt to weaponize wild magic, rather than ward and pacify the chaotic patterns, the spell creates a space around the caster where chaos is at its most, it is by no means a wild magic area, but it does come with a propriety to cause unpredictable effects on the targets within said space. Being an orthodox spell it is fully at the whim of the caster, allowing the space to only affect those the caster counts as a threat and allow the caster to choose exceptions to that effect within his space, similarly to how a wall of fire only burns those the caster wants to burn or how a firebrand, only homes to those the caster wants to target.

Chapter IV: Fate, Destiny and Fatidical manipulation

The last chapter of this treatise is on Fatidical manipulation, and that is the ability to, without the use of a Reckless Dweomer, induce a wild surge. And without the use of a Chaos shield, make it safe, while also making it deadly if wanted, without the use of an improved chaos shield. This manipulation is the currently known peak of mastery over wild magic. To achieve this manipulation, different approaches can be taken for the same result. Based on the texts from Xalyths book [2] the theory discussed there speaks about using mathematical calculations of probabilities, to determine the needed motions and the correct patterns to use within the chaos of the system, to draw out the wanted result. My own method drifts from that of rational calculation into the mystique of Fate. But to truly understand the philosophy and logic of the method, one must understand Fate and Destiny.

Fate is the path, and Destiny is the destination. In Zakharan culture, Fate is a power that shapes the world, but it is also a network, a collective web of many different intertwining paths that connect every single living soul and every single object together. Within this web of endless possibilities exist all that is, can be, and will be. Think of it as a self-actualizing map of time, space, and decisions, existing within the very fabric of reality that shifts slightly with every decision made, and every action taken by any individual within that system. Perceptible only to those that can delve into it. It is one of the core principles of the divination school to peek into the vast, everchanging network of Fate to pull out information through scrying the different pathways within it, as well as visions, by pushing that sight into the paths that are yet to come.

For my own approach to the Fatidical manipulation, I make use of Fate. It is implied in the name, and so it is in application. To open ones mind to accepting information from within the fabric of fate can cause damage to oneself, the brain cannot handle the vast amount of information flowing within the system, changing with every decision made by every single living being. It is astronomical and beyond the scope of mortals, thus the necessity to setup a perimeter for ones own sight to focus, in that endlessly large network. And that focus point is oneself, before making use of the Fatidical manipulation, one must be able to, peer into the many possible paths that appear within the network when they decide to cast the spell. Every path represents every single possible outcome to the spell that is being cast, every single failure and every single success appears simultaneously and one must peer through them all until they find the one path that matches their desire. Once that focus is obtained, the spell must be cast immediately afterwards, using the knowledge gained from this blink into the future to obtain it. Doing so will cause the entire system to resist, as the decision to peer into the matrix of fate changes the fabric of fate, and the path you've seen now leads to another, seemingly endless number of possibilities. Since the network shifts with every decision made, your own decision to peer into it changes it as well.

Yet a spell is a mixture of knowledge, understanding of magic, manipulation of magic, and finally, will. For even if one knows, understands, and manipulates magic, they cannot cast a spell without willing it to exist, without dictating the way it works and behaves. That extends to Fatidical manipulation, to succeed one must learn to challenge the system of Fate for a brief moment, to impose their own path and walk it to achieve the spell effect they desire from the wild surge they induce from the manipulation they just did. With repetition, one begins to understand the logic behind that system as well, and through rigorous and stubborn attempts, eventually understands how to manipulate the very fates, for a moment brief as the time it takes for a droplet of water to fall off a bottle into a glass.

External References and Books

This research has been done by Magus Narr Nolkus from the Earthkin Arcanum.

For it to be as authentic as possible it has been mostly inspired through my own experiences and own approach to my own art. Yet the concept of Entropy stated in chapter II as well as chapter IV are taken from the book The Tenets of Entropy written by Xalyth. I suggest a read of that as well to get a more in-depth understanding of her own approach.