Beyond the Mist - Sandbox Fantasy - Interest Check

[Caela]

Vels'd Images:

[Caela]

Background Basics:

Many ages ago, magic, and not reason, ruled the world. Some used it for good, to aid their fellow man and try to bring peace and prosperity. Some used it only for their own twisted purposes with little care of who might be hurt in the process. Those that didn't have the ability to weild magic at all, only a small and pitied minority of the peoples of Earth, lived either in constant fear, or awe, of those that could.

And then something began to change. Fewer and fewer people were born with the basic magical gifts that so many had simply taken for granted for so many generations. Items of power began to fail. Creatures of myth and legend seemed to begin to disappear. A council of the greatest Wizards, Shamans, Mages, Witches, Seers, and Sorcerrors (good and evil alike) was called in the hope of stopping the slow, but seemingly inevitable, death of magic in the world. For all their Gifts, all their combined powers, all their knowledge of the arcane, no one could offer a reason for the lessening of magic nor any idea on how to stem its tide.

In the end it was a child, not one of the adults with all their famed knowledge and skill, who gave them the answer. The son of a Seer he finally asked the question no one had wanted to confront, "If magic is leaving, where is it going, and can't we simply follow it?"

Dumbfounded all had looked at the lad, no more than 8 years old, in astonishment. The Seers had then formed a small circle, pooling their talent to increase their power, channeling it into the strongest of them, the boy's Mother, Arised, to seek the answer to the first half of his question. The missing magic, it seemed, was in the process of giving birth to an entirely new world. A new world connected to this one by the thinnest of strands but it was down that strand that their magic was flowing and that so many of the creatures of myth and legend had already gone. The Strand, as the Seers saw it, was like a small tributary between the two worlds but it didn't flow equally. In fact it only flowed, like a river, in one direction. From their world to the new one, and to their horror, they realized that, eventually, ALL of their magic would (over the course of the next few generations) leech away, into this new world.

Knowing the where, it was now left to the magicians to determine what to do about it. It took weeks but eventually a plan was devised. Emrys, the greatist magician of his age, determined that to attempt the crossing WAS possible, but only for those who already contained the Gift. Those with small Gifts would likely be stripped of them in the crossing and, he believed, all who made the trip would be diminished in some part, the Strand feeding on their personal magic as they crossed through it. It would also be possible, once on the other side, to stem the tide in some small part. He would create a barrier that would would leave SOME magic on the Earth side of the boundary, creating thin spots that would allow future generations of magic weilders to also make the crossing, if they chose. 

Riders were sent, word spread of the New World and the ability to go to it for those that carried the Gift. Many chose not to make the Crossing for fear of losing their Gifts but many left this world in hope of finding peace and prosperity in the next. What none could forsee were the consequences to those with the Gift left on this side. Now significantly outnumbered by those with no magic of their own, they became a highly persecuted minority. Forced into hiding by generations of "witch hunts" that nearly wiped them out but the ability to weild magic is a stubborn trait that refuses to die out entirely, though in this modern age of reason many who carry it never even realize it. 

Emrys did exactly as he had planned, he created a barrier (called the Veil) that halted the flow of magic between the worlds but doing so increased the speed of the drain from Earth until the majority of it had flowed onto his side, leaving just enough for even the most Gifted on the Earth side to seem to have only the smallest of talents, and for those on the Veiled Side, as they came to call it (though over the generations it became shortened and contracted to Vels'd), to make the most of their own talents. As predicted, some lost their Gifts entirely in the crossing, some were diminished and, oddly, a very small few, actually grew in power but overall most of the changes were minor and livable and even those who lost their own abilities, were still able to pass the Gift along to their young so the next generation was as fully magical on their side of the Veil as the previous had been on the Earth side.

Over time, as concerns for their own, individual worlds grew, each generation gradually forgot that any other world existed. Every now and again someone will disappear from Earth, or simply appear on Vels'd, and spark rumors and stories but mostly each world is left to it's own devises and their own lives. On Earth, magic is all but forgotten and the idea of it often laughed at. Reason and Science having taken over the running of the world. On the Veiled Side, magic reigns and there is no one who doesn't have at least some small Gift even if it is only the ability to start a simple campfire. Life is simpler on the Veiled Side, far more agrarian and much more peaceful. Few Dark Wizards had made the Crossing when they were able and as such it was Magicians of the Light who shaped and ruled their world with a benevolant hand.

Background Specifics:

The Beginning

The Beginning:

My Dearest Emrys,
I wish I wrote to you with better tidings but I fear this letter bears grave news indeed. I write to summon you to the Court of our Queen, Her Highness Catrina Ygraine the Stormbringer. No doubt you've already noticed that something seems to be leeching the very magic we so depend upon from our land and her Highness is summoning a Council of Elders to determine it's source and how to best deal with the problem before we all, Light and Dark alike, lose our Powers. She demands your presence at the High Court of DragonMirror in three days time. You know, as well as I, the consequences for refusing such a summons. Do not be tardy Emrys, she is in no mood to tolerate your eccentricities this time!
Your Truest Friend,
Hespeth the TrueSighted

Reading over the letter that had found it's way to his hand, a low sigh escaped Emrys' lips before he tossed it up into the air and murmured a small word while giving a lazy, almost thoughtless, flick of his fingers at the same time, causing the missive to explode in a sudden burst of flame. It was an action he could have performed while entirely unconcious it was so deeply ingrained from years of practice. Staring into the distance he tried to think on what Hespeth had written. She wasn't wrong. He, like so many others, could feel the magic around him diminishing but he wasn't certain a Council of Elders would be anything more than a bunch of old men and women sitting around clucking at each other like hens. Strong magic users tended to be solitary as a lot and kept their own council in most things. Most didn't really share information, or power, well and Emrys deeply suspected that both would be required to end this foul lessening of all that they were.

Pushing away from his chair he stalked the floor of his tower room, his gaze flickering around his chamber, moving from the various books lining the shelves on the walls to the windows where the stars glittered like diamonds in the night sky, to the small cot in a corner that served as a bed because it took up the least space and left him more room for his books, scrolls, and the desk that was covered with scraps of parchment that were in turn covered with odd drawings and half written thoughts and spells. To say that his chambers were cluttered was to be imminently polite about the matter! Still he didn't notice the clutter as he paced the floor, his eyes, instead, flickering across the titles held in his personal library, wondering which to take with him - because of course he would go, one did not disdain a summons from the Queen lightly - and if anything in even his extensive library would be of use.

How long he paced in his chambers, marking a circuit from window to bookshelves to desk and back again, he didn't know, but his thoughts didn't stop turning until the sun was breaking over the horizon and his body demanded he fall into his bed and rest. Even a Wizard of his power couldn't be pushed forever and he'd already been up for days when Hespeth's letter had arrived. Still he didn't sleep for long, a few short hours and he was up and moving again, uncaring for his disheveled appearance or the fact that he'd, yet again, forgotten to eat anything at all.

Standing in the center of his chambers a deep furrow creased his brow. He simply couldn't choose among the tomes he owned - which would be the most useful? Giving a small growl of annoyance he decided he would take them all! Raising his arms he closed his eyes and murmured a string of words, an incantation, in the Old Tongue, and as he spoke all the tomes lining his shelves, from the thickest book to the thinnest scroll all but leapt into the air around him! Without opening his eyes, he continued to murmur in soft, dulcet, tones, words that hadn't been spoken since the land beyond the Seas had fallen to the fury of their own Gods. As he spoke, the books and scrolls swirled around him, spinning and turning, nearly smacking into him but he didn't so much as twitch a finger as they caused the air around him to spin in small eddies and breezes. With a final word and a sudden sharp clap of his hands they all suddenly rushed together with a great crashing sound of thunder! When he opened his eyes a smile twitched his lips and he leaned down to pick up the single scroll that now sat on the floor at his feet. On it was embossed the most detailed of pictures, like a moment captured in time, of his bookshelves and all the books and scrolls that belonged upon them. To the unknowing it would simply appear to be a picture, and a rather boring one at that, but those with strong enough Gifts would sense the Magic on it and those who understood his own magical Path might even be able to unlock the spell he'd cast.

The spell had taken all of his books, all his scrolls, all his considerable library and placed it into a pocket just slightly out of time and space. The picture he'd picked up, and even now rolled and placed gently into a tube - much like you'd place a painting in -  for safekeeping, was merely the gateway that would allow him to access all of that knowledge from wherever he traveled to.

With his library packed his mind was freed from his most urgent worry and it was then that he heard, and felt, his stomach grumbling in the demand for food. Rolling his eyes at the need for such things he opened his door to find his apprentice, a young girl named Helena, already standing outside of it with a plate of food in hand. Beyond simply having the Gift, Helena was also a Seer, a rare combination, and was often performing such small, thoughtful, feats for others without being bidden. It made some wary of her, fearful of her many talents, but Emrys had come to appreciate how her Talents allowed her to anticipate his needs.

"Helena, you are a wonder my dear! Come in, come in, we must talk," he said, ushering the girl (barely 16 but having been a part of his household, as his apprentice and student since she was 8 he found it hard to think of her as a young lady and not the child he'd always known her as) into his chambers.

"There's no need my Lord," she commented as she stepped inside, setting his plate on his desk before setting about pulling out his travel bag and starting to pack it. "You've had a message from your friend at the High Court and we're to leave this very night," she added, telling him what he already knew and adding something he hadn't.

"Tonight? Dear child, there's no need to leave before morning even with the time constraints the Queen has put on us. Why should we leave tonight instead of getting a good nights rest and leaving on the morrow?" he asked, more because he wanted to know what she'd Seen than because of any skepticism. Helena had been sent to him as an apprentice when her Gifts had manifested at the tender age of only 8 and he'd learned, in that time, to trust her Viewings.

"If we wait til the morning we'll be caught in a horrid storm my Lord and the River Elthenal will flood her banks and block our path. If we leave tonight we'll avoid the storm and the flooding both and have clear skies all the way to the Court," Helena said simply before knicking a small piece of cheese off of his plate and finally settling to sit on a small ottoman that he kept in the room specifically for her. "I've already told the stables to have horses ready, and the kitchens to pack food for both of us. Please don't argue I shouldn't go, I Saw both of going and you know that means I will," she added, just a hint of a child's pleading edging her voice despite the sensibility of her words.

"For once I wouldn't dream of leaving you. It's rare for the Queen to call a Council, there may not be another in your lifetime and you shouldn't miss it. Still you'll be expected to play the servant more than the Apprentice while at Court youngling and I doubt you'll find that part fun at all!"

Helena pulled a face letting him know exactly what she thought of that, but she'd do it. The chance to see a full Council? No, she wouldn't miss that for anything in the world. And since Emrys was smart enough to listen to her, they'd have smooth traveling the whole way. The thought made her smile so broadly that Emrys simply laughed and finally waved her off to go finish their preperations...it didn't do to keep a Queen waiting after all.

The Council

The Council:

Talk. Talk. Talk. Would they never be done with the ceaseless prattle?! Emrys couldn't help but to wonder as yet another Wizard stood and yammered on, as if the sound of his own voice was the most important thing they would ever hear! For days now they had been going over the same material again and again in endless circles and getting no further. The Seers had formed their circle, they new what needed to be done and yet they continued to TALK!!!

Just as he was opening his mouth to interrupt the wizard speaking (an inconsequential man who'd never have such an august audience again and was making the most of it!) he saw the main doors of the chanmber open just a crack and small, familiar, shape slide through the small opening. Now doubt he was one of only a handful of people to even notice the intrusion, and certainly the only one to train his full attention on the lithe figure as it swayed through the room toward his seat.

When in all the hells had Helena gone and started turning into a girl?! he couldn't help but to wonder. Oh she was still to young to draw any real interest but the dress she wore made it obvious that in a few years time this was no longer going to be true. She had the beginnings of a woman's body and, eventually, it was going to be his duty to either beat away her suitors or help her to choose among them for a suitable husband! Neither was a thought he truly relished, though he found himself hoping she'd opt for letting him beat them away. She was the most capable student he'd ever taught and the idea of losing her skills to the monotany of matrimony made shivers of revulsion run down his spine.

Watching her quiet approach he again opened his lips to start to speak until she shook her head gently and leaned in to murmur in his ear, "Don't speak yet. The Queen is coming and will put an end to the ceaseless bickering," she promised before stepping back to stand just slightly behind and to the right of his chair as a good student, or servant, should.

Emrys didn't bother to comment on her words, simply gave a small nod and turned his, more than, bored gaze back to the man who was still expounding on his own thoughts...and not an original among the lot!

Good to her word, however, it was only moments before the main doors opened once more, this time both of them pushed wide to allow their Queen, Catrina Ygraine the Stormbringer, to sweep in through their wide expanse. Just the sight of her put a small smile on Emrys lips, though if it was because she was worthy of the smile (and he believed she was or he wouldn't have sworn her his allegiance so many years ago) or because her entrance put a sudden stop to the vaccuous ramblings he'd been forced to listen to, he'd never say...though those that knew him would say it was likely a bit of both!

"ENOUGH!" Catrina stated as she paused in the very center of the room, her voice firm and clear and her tone brooking no argument. Few would have had the audacity to stand against the statuesque woman now standing before them, her bearing unmistakabley regal and her sharp gaze glittering like the darkest sapphires while her midnight tresses flowed in wild dissary (only for the most formal of state functions did she allow her maids to attempt to tame them!) as if touched by the very storms she was named for. "For days now you, my strongest weilders of magic, Light or Dark, have talked an talked until your blue in the face with it and my ears have gone numb to the sound of your voices. The talking is done. Emrys, Hespeth, Lilliana, Darimed, to me...everyone else back to your respective chambers. These four and I will chart a course of action and when we've done it will be your jobs to carry word of our decision to your various corners of this Land."

Having said her piece there was no waiting for argument or council, Catrina simply spun  sharply and sauntered from the chamber leaving only the sound of her heeled boots to mark her wake in the silence that followed her.

Only when that sharp clicking died away did the room erupt into utter chaos! Voices lapped over each other in idignation, fury, and resignation while those four named silently rose from their seat, caught each others gazes and filed from the room without a word. Emrys wasn't surprised to find that he had a silent ghost, Helena, on his heels and he said nothing to dissuade her following him. How many chances in her lifetime would there be to see such a meeting? To be privy to the innermost workings of a Queen's chamber and to see the changing of an entire world?

Creation of the Veil

The Creation of the Veil:

Emrys and Helena had been the first to make the crossing. The silly girl had insisted on coming of course and he hadn't had the heart to deny her. She would be his last student. He didn't have her Gifts of forsight, but every now and again he knew things and he knew that now. There would be no more students after her and it had made him both more indulgent and more strident in her teachings. He was determined that she would know all that he knew before he passed on. Sometimes that included allowing her to do foolish things like following in his path when he made the very first crossing to the world that was stealing their magic.

What he found there awed and amazed him! It was a world newborn. Fresh and unblemished without the signs of age or devestation (both natural and manmade) that marred their own world. Nothing had touched this world yet that could change its face. As he and Helena stood under a sun that seemed to shine brighter than the one they'd been born under, and surrounded by greenery that was lush and vibrant, unlike anything he'd ever seen before, he was tempted to not put up a veil, but a wall, to keep those on his own side from every crossing that line, to keep people from ever tarnishing this unblemished world. It would leave only himself and Helena on this side but they could live a quiet life without leaving much of a mark on a planet that, just maybe, should be left to it's own devices.

Of course Helena, who knew him better than anyone else and was the most powerful Seer of her age, could sense the direction of his thoughts and touched his arm lightly, shattering them with a simple shake of her head, "You can't do it Emrys. They're trusting you. You don't have to do entirely what they expect however. You can shape the Veil you create. Build to read the hearts of those that cross. You've already warned that we don't know what this will do to people's Gifts, that some could lose them entirely, so give the Veil some discretion in that choosing. Let it leech the most magic from those with darkness in their hearts, those who would abuse this world for their own purposes, and thus allow those who seek to help others with their abilities to keep more of them," she suggested in her quiet way.

She was right, of course, she was always right and he gave a slow nod of his head, "An excellent idea my dear...now tell me what consequences that soft voice is hiding from me," he added a stern, fatherly, look settling on his face as he looked down at his protege.

Helena's face scrunched slightly at the question and a soft sigh parted her lips but she answered honestly, "If you do it this way, if you shape the Veil to protect this world in such a manner it will drain you. It will take almost all of your magic to give it so much more depth and discretion. Can you live with that Emrys or do you love your power more than you love the beauty you're standing in now? You don't have to do this but if you don't there will be consequences for this world..." she said and let her voice trail off before she explained further, a far away look in her eyes that would tell him she was Seeing with her Gift, not her gaze.

Without warning she suddenly reached up, placing her right hand over his eyes, her left at his temple as she murmured, "Let me show you Emrys, the two paths before you..."

The first images he saw were devastating! In them this world, this beautiful, youthful world, was burning. War upon war, magician decimating magician in  petty grasps for power while the weak either cowered in fear or chose to side with one despot or another simply to find some sense of safety! All of the worst traits that they strove against in their own world seemed to be magnified on this new one and, without realizing it, tears began to stream down Emrys cheeks, staining Helena's hand before the next series of images started. Again the world was different. Older now, but peaceful. People spread out across the face of it living, mostly, in harmony with occassional disagreements between nations settled not by massive wars that destroyed thousands but by diplomacy or single combat and the rulers living with the consequences of the outcome. While it wasn't perfect, it wasn't burning and it was still beautiful. In the cities, great centers of magical learning sprang up where the most powerful could be taught and tests and outside of the cities towns, villages, and small districts supported themselves with a variety of agricultural pursuits and traded with each other peacefully.

"These are your options Emrys the Wise, to give up the majority of your Power and let this world grow and live in peace, or to hoard it unto yourself and let it fall to war and devestation and for once, even I, cannot see the path you'll take," she added and the last words were almost quizzical because the answer should have been obvious!

By the time she removed her hands from his face, Emrys, was at a loss. He could build a world of peace, grace, and beauty...but to do it he would have to destroy everything he knew about who he was. What, who, was he if he didn't have his magic?

"Then let us begin," he said, uncertain even as he raised his arms, what he, himself, was going to do.



In the end, the power of Helena's visions won and Emrys did as she suggested but even he didn't know he was going to do it until he started pouring his power into the Veil. He went further than even Helena suggested however. He didn't just shape it to read hearts, but to actually change the essence of those who would cross through it. Those that had given in to their darkness would be stripped of the most power, those that were neutral would lose little and those rare few who were truly pure of heart would have the potential to gain in power but that wasn't all that would happen. The Veil would, at least initially, also change the very essence of the human spirit in future generations. It would make it so that as new generations were born, they would be less war-like, less aggressive, than their parents.

Emrys didn't just pour most of his power into the Veil as Helena had suggested, he poured all of it into the Veil in order to try and make the people who would come after him better.

When at last he was done he simply slumped, his body crumpling to the ground in a heap with such suddeness that it surprsied even Helena who rushed to his side with a low cry of fear! Examining him thoroughly she found he was merely unconcious and laid him out gently on the spring grass surrounding them. He'd be safe here while they waited for others to begin to cross. What she never expected was for him to not wake up. Instead he slept on, and on. as if his body were in a state of suspended animation. He breathed, his eyes flickered as if he dreamed, his heart still beat in his chest, but all his other bodily functions simply ceased. He had become like some sort of oddly living statue. The man she knew gone and only her Gift could tell her that he was actually still alive and would, one day, rise from his slumber once more.

Though not what his waking would cause.

[Caela]

Magical Creatures

Like magic itself, creatures born of magic were also drawn to the new world being created. Dragons, unicorns, krakens, sphinxes, maticores, all the great creatures from myth and legend have found homes in Vels'd. Some are more tolerant of humans coming into their territories than others.

Dragons: There are many clans of dragons. These deeply magical beings are best known for being solitary horders but this is, in fact, only a small portion of the actual dragon population and these are often looked down upon by the rest of dragon society. While dragons do prefer to keep to small family groups and live in out of the way places, they are, usually, fairly friendly creatures if a human happens upon their territory. Humans with gifts of Spirit and Fire, who can easily speak with them are particularly welcome in their Eyries.

While usually welcoming, it IS worth noting that when insulted or threatened they will defend themselves and their homes, and this defense usually results in a very unpleasant death to the perpetrator. It should also be noted that while they may be friendly, they are also secretive and only a select few living wizards are aware that the most powerful of dragons can actually shift their shape, taking on human form so that they can go out into the world and keep abreast of it's happenings...though this is less needful on the Vels'd than it was Earth-side as the people in the world Emrys created are less suspicious and violent by nature than their Earthling counterparts.

It should be noted that those dragons that can shapeshift have spent decades learning not just how to shift but how to focus well enough to hold that shape without it wavering when their body truly wants to return to its natural state. The intense study needed to perfect this skill requires much of the dragon learning it and no dragon under 500 years of age has mastered it. Further, their human shape isn't just humanoid with dragon-like features, it is truly human looking which is a part of what makes it so hard to hold on to because they have to change everything down to their vital organs to maintain this shape.

Unicorns: Always rare, these beasts roam freely through the forests and are seen by only the purest of heart. Mostly solitary they roam on their own until they find a mate and then they mate for life. If one of a pair dies unexpectedly, it's not uncommon for the remaining unicorn to lie down beside their mate until they too die. If this doesn't occur, however, the widowed unicorn will never take another mate but will continue a solitary life.

Very few can speak to unicorns, it requires the strongest gifts of Spirit as well as a heart pure enough for a unicorn to be willing to approach the speaker. Most consider themselves lucky to catch a flashing glimpse as one of the pure white beasts darts between the trees and away.

Krakens: Sea beasts with a nasty temper. A sailor risks their life (and their ship and crew) by sailing into known Kraken territory. Those with exceptionally strong gifts of Spirit and Water can, sometimes, sooth or tame the savage beasts and be granted safe passage but there is no guarantee that they can form an ongoing relationship with the beast and safe passage once doesn't guarantee it a second time. More than one Captain has been fool enough to think that a kraken allowing them through their waters on a whim once meant their could sail them anytime and lost lives and ships for it.

Sphinxes: Solitary creatures, they come together only during their mating seasons and then retreat back to their homes. They can be approached by any, and will answer question of those who come seeking their wisdom but their knowledge comes at a price. The seeker must answer three riddles first and if they fail their lives are forfeit. This can, sometimes, be circumvented if the seeker brings new knowledge that the Sphinx has never heard before but even that isn't a guarantee. Sometimes the Sphinx will hoard the new information and still kill the Seeker for not being able to answer their riddles.

Manticores: Manticores prefer to live in small family units as far away from humans as they can manage. They often choose exceptionally inhospitable climates to achieve this and are exceptionally territorial. Humans, no matter their gifts, are never welcome on manticore lands. They may be tolerated if they are wise enough to bring a large tribute of meat for the family of manticores to feast on but it had better be an exceptionally large tribute. For the most part manticores will simply kill a human on sight and it's better to simply travel around their lands.

Naiads/Driads: Spirits of the rivers and trees, these can vary wildly in their personalities. Some are very helpful to humans, some are mischievious and some are downright hostile. A human with an axe is going to be almost universially despised whereas a simple traveller taking care of their actions may be tolerated or even welcomed, particlarly if they have gifts with Earth and plantlife.

Pegasi: The horses of the air are rare beasts who tend to keep to high mountain ranges. Most avoid humans but a rare few have been known to actually allow themselves to be companions to the rare human that they find worthy of their attention. This is almost universally confined to those with gifts of Spirit and Air.

Note:This is by no means a fully comprehensive list, if you have further ideas feel free to run them by me and we can, most likely, hammer something out!

Magical Elements:

Earth: Those with gifts of Earth can control the very ground beneath their feet. This can be as small as a minor talent for enriching the soil for crops to as powerful as actually causing earthquakes.

Air: Power of the Air allows one to summon anything from a gentle breeze to gale force winds.

Water: With the power of Water a person can find even the smallest sources of water, including drawing water from the very air itself, up to actually effecting the flow of the tides.

Fire: Fire can be used to do anything from starting a small campfire to starting a raging wildfire.

Spirit: The power of Spirit covers those abilities that are strictly of the mind. Telepathy, Empathy, Telekinesis are all powers of Spirit.

Combination: Most large, or complicated, magic is a combination of abilities. For example, those with abilities with Air and Water can actually summon a storm. Those with abilities with Spirit and a particular element may be able to use their gifts to speak to animals ruled by that element; for example, Spirit and Water can be used to speak to/summon fish or other water creatures while Spirit and Air could speak to/summon all manner of birds.

Notes: Being born able to control either only one, or all five magical elements is extremely rare. Those that can only control one element are usually sheer brutes, magically, with that element while those that can control all five are usually not as strong in any one element but have a far wider range of what they can do with their abilities.

[Caela]

Current Setting:

This game will take place on Vels'd, the magic side of the Veil. Life in Vels'd is both simpler, and more complicated than life on Earth. Because it was populated solely by those with Magical Gifts to start, everyone has at least some small magic. For some it is only a minimal control of one of the 5 magical elements, others have full control of all 5. Both the extreme minimum and having full control are extremely rare. Most of the population falls somewhere in the middle with some control of two or three elements in varying degrees.

Since not all of the magic was leeched from Earth, it is possible to cross from Earth to Vels'd but the path doesn't work in both directions. It only flows from the Earth-Side down to the Vels'd. Once there, there is no going back, however once there it is possible that the small magical Gifts the Earth human thought that they had, may explode in sudden growth, or may disappear altogether. One can't make the crossing without magic, but the minimal amount left on Earth before Emrys created the Veil often serves to mask a nacent magicians true strength. Something they may never discover if they don't make the journey and will surely be surprised by if they do.

On Earth, the year is 2017. Anyone coming to Vels'd from Earth would be used to all of it's modern conveniences and technologies. Computers, cars, airplanes...everything modern day Earth has to offer and will likely find the lack of such on the Vels'd quite shocking. The year, as measured on the Vels'd is 3412. It confuses many newcomers that while Vels'd is, technically, younger than Earth, the year is later but this makes sense when one considers how time is measured on Earth, with the year 2017 being measured, supposedly, after the death of a religious figure (Jesus Christ) along with the fact that scholars there had to translate multiple calendars from various civilizations before agreeing upon a measurement for the entire world to follow while the people Vels'd have been able to count, in an unbroken line, from the Creation of the Veil and the diaspora across it.

On Vels'd those in the school of magic have a new concern. The School of the Veil, the greatest school magic, sitting in the heart of the capital city of Catriona, has made it known to a select few that Emrys has begun to stir. For millenia his body has laid atop a sacred alter, visited by students and pilgrims alike coming to thank the great wizard who gave all of himself for the creation of their world but always it has been still without the beating of a heart in his chest or the rise and fall of breath in his body. Now this begins to change. Slowly, sluggishly, the heart begins to beat, the chest rises a few times a day as lungs once more start to draw breath, skin one pale as the death his body mimicked now begins to take on the hue of life. His limbs have yet to move and he is certainly not about to leap from his slumber but whatever magic kept him lifeless but unaging for so long seems to be ending and not even the strongest of the Seers, when working in conjunction with each other, are able to tell when he will awake, or what this might mean for their world.

There are those who eagerly await his awakening, and those that fear it. Some want him to rise to become one of the greatest teachers of the age, others fear that while he lied in wait these long millenia, that the Veil itself may have used his body for the respository of all the evil and darkness it drained from those who crossed their boundaries and that he will rise the darkes of creatures. These are, currently, a minority but they are vocal and they call for his true death before he can rise to wreak havoc on their world.

The game begins in the heart of the capital where a band of travelers have been charged to travel the land in search of answers. There are creatures, after all, that know things humans don't and Seers that have never set foot in any of the great schools of magic. The High Mage believes the answer to the awakening of Emrys is out in the world, perhaps among the greatest of magical beasts or in the descendants of Helena, the last of Emrys students, who disappeared after the crossing and whose line, it's said, still produces the most powerful, and reclusive of Seers.

[Caela]

Character Creation:

Character and Cultural Considerations

Character Considerations:

Age: No one is sure why, but people on Vels'd age more slowly than people on Earth. They age normally until they hit puberty and then physical aging seems to slow. The average life expectancy on Vels'd is around 250 years while some exceptionally healthy indivisuals living as long as 300-350 years.

Magical Power/Skill: The sky is the limit but I will demand some realism as well! For example, if you want a character that has control of all five elements and for them to have vast stores of knowledge on how to combine them and use them in very complicated ways, your character is going to be older. S/he will have had to have spent many years in one of the top tier magical schools (they start taking obviously talented students at 20 years of age, exceptionally talented in some area may be taken as young as 15) to have learned those delicate and complicated spells. Minimum age for a Master of this skill and knowledge level is going to be around 100 years old. Also, no Wizard will know everything! Most will have focused their learning on their particular areas of interest and will have specialized knowledge in those one or two areas. Some are more jack-of-all-trades and know something from all the major areas of magic but this will mean that they are unlikely to know the more specialized and delicate spells that are taught as students reach the upper tiers of knowledge in those areas.

Gender/Sexuality: People on Vels'd are openminded about gender expression and sexuality. They aren't as medically advanced as Earth so there are no sexual-reassignment surgeries but there are medical wizards working to find magical solutions to this problem and no one is looked down on for living their life as the gender that they are regardless of the sex they are born with. Homosexual couples are fully accepted and while there isn't an equivalent to in-vitro fertilization for homosexual couples there are advanced contracts that can be signed for people to act as surrogates or sperm donors for couples and there is no discrimination against homosexual couple adopting children.

Cultural Considerations:

Government: Vels'd is ruled by a High King/Queen and several subordinate Kings/Queens who each rule over specific territories of their own. The High Monarch has many advisors, these include the High Mage of the School of the Veil, the Chief Justice of Catriona, his/her Spymaster, the various subordinate Monarchs who come to seek their aid as well as any specialist s/he deems fit to make a wise decision on a matter. It's not entirely unknown for the High Monarch to even seek advice from Guild Masters and has even included meeting with personages like the Master Thief of the city of Catriona from time to time. There is even a saying among the people that, "A Monarch who knows their thieves will never harm their people." All your typical Peers apply to the High Monarch's court as well as to th eminor courts that s/he rules over as well

Guilds: It's condered important to have a skill and in the cities the skilled trades are run by Guilds. It is the guilds responsibility to teach their trade and moving between guilds is actually relatively simple. Children aren't just epected to follow in their parents footsteps, however strict adherence to the Master of your chosen guild is expected and most have strict rules for how one can oust a current GuildMaster.

In the country, trades are less stringent. Often people learn a bit about a lot of things in order to be able to help each other and having a fully trained MasterCraftsman is rare so they are highly prized when a village or small town does have one. Sometimes, if there is a city close enough, a town or village will pool their money and send a young adult to a city to apprentice with a Guild if they've shown a particular apptitude. The biggest problem with this is that the young adult my find they prefer life in the city and not return. If they choose this, however, their earnings will be garnished so that the money is returned to their village that paid for their education. 

Courts: Lawyers and judges exist but not in great abundance outside the cities. Every citizen has the right to a trial and to representation and mages that specialize in the law are often highly valued. Within a city proper, judgement is usually swift because legal mages and judges are easy to come by. In the more rural areas it can take much longer because these specialists need to be sent for and it takes time for messages, and people, to travel. It is a stern requirement that anyone being held on charges must be treated well until a judge, and appropriate lawyers, can arrive to try their case. This means lodging, meals, and appropriate facilities to bathe and wash their clothing in. Jailers found not treating their prisoners well have often found themselves being housed in their own jails.

Marriage/Children: Something that shocks many of those who cross from Earth, is that there is no legal form of marriage on Vels'd. The government isn't involved in marriages at all. Many couples will have ceremonies to celebrate their committment to each other and many remain together for the span of their lifetime but if they choose to separate there is no stigma in doing so, so long as any children from the union are taken care of. Abandoning a child, however, is highly looked down upon and not caring for a child you've helped to create (unless you were a surrogate or sperm donor in which case you have no obligation to the child because the child isn't legally yours) is often grounds for severe punishment if it's found out.

Slavery/Indentured servitude: Slavery and indentured servitude are rare but not entirely unheard of on Vels'd. This happens in one of two ways: 1) as a punishment for some heinous crime (usually something that endangers the lives of another, especially children) or 2) a person can choose to sell themselves into servitude for a set number of years in order to pay off a debt that they don't have enough money or goods to pay for themselves. In both cases the time of servitude is limited and there are specific requirements that must be met on the side of the person who "owns" the other. Abuse is not allowed and can result in the enslavement of the owner themselves if it is discoveres, basic needs (food, basic shelter, clothing) must be met as well. The biggest difference between slavery and indenture on Vels'd is that an indentured servant may also work to earn money of their own outside of the work expected of them as part of their indenture and if they earn enough to pay off their debt, the person holding their contract is legally obligated to let them do so and that any money earned outside of their work for the person holding their indenture cannot be taken from them. Slaves are denied this ability to end their servitude early, they must serve the full term of their punishment.

Work/Jobs: There is always enough work to be done that no hands should be idle...this is a common sentiment among most of the people of Vels'd. No job that provides an honest service is looked down upon. This includes those men and women that choose to serve the Lords and Ladies of their territories as courtesans, concubines, or prostitutes. On Vels'd your body is considered your own and if you choose to use it in trade no one bats an eye. All jobs have value. The only people that tend to be looked down upon are thieves as they take what others have worked for instead of working for it themselves. **Note: Being looked down on for thieving doesn't stop this from being a very prosperous profession in many cities but in rural areas it's treated very harshly if you're caught!

Character sheets should be PM'd to Caela

Example Sheet:

Name: Kassandra Ygraine the Weather Witch

Age: 59 (appears around 30-35)

Description: Like all the women of her line. Kassandra is a tall woman standing at a statuesque 5'11 with a willowy frame that seems to move as if guided by the wind itself. There always seems to be a small eddy of air moving around her and if not tightly confined the raven mass of her hair will float gently around her head in the softest breeze of her own making. Always keen-eyes she stared at the world from flashing green eyes that can be a vibrant emerald or a deep and stormy jade depending on both her mood and the magic she might be working at any given time. There is but a single tattoo that mars the alabaster line of her flesh, between her shoulderblades, riding along her spine, is a perfectly black imprint of a sheathed dagger. Many have seen this tatoo, as she favors gowns that bare her back and thus the exquisitely inked marking, but few are privy to its true meaning. Beyond the tattoo only her ears are pierced and are usually flashing with some sort of decoration, her favorite being emeralds that match her eyes but diamonds, sapphires, and opals are known to be held there as well. 

Gender: Cis-female

Sexuality: Mostly heterosexual but she's been known to take a female lover if she finds a woman truly exquisite in some fashion. Mostly, however, if another woman is sharing the Queen's bed it's because they are both sharing a man (or two, or perhaps a man and another woman...the Queen has a very large bed!) between them.

Status/Job: High Queen of Vels'd

Magical Ability: She can control the elements of Spirit, Water, and Air. This makes her excellent at controlling the weather immediately around the city of Catriona which helps in keeping their harvests bountiful to feed their people. She also has an affinity for speaking with creatures of the water and air.

Personality: Kassandra is a woman driven by fierce passions, deep desires, and almost boundless devotion to her land and its people. She is the epitome of a person who "works hard and plays hard".  She values honesty and good judgement in both herself and her advisors (she'd rather be told she's wrong and given a better option when facing a problem than make the wrong choice and have someone hurt because of it) and has been known to react very badly when she discovers she's been lied to. Nothing will quicken her fierce temper faster than a personal betrayal as one Duke learned when he lied to her in an attempt to curry favor and found himself stripped of lands, title, and home when she discovered the lie.

Background: As the oldest of three children Kassandra was groomed to take the throne from a young age. Her first memories are of endless lessons in history, comportement, law, languages, mathematics, magic, hand to hand combat, and how to care for the needs of her people. While her siblings were riding their horses and swimming in creeks (something she also managed to do but much less often!) she was in the fields with her Father, learning how their farmers planted, cared for, and harvested the crops that fed them. While her brother - ever the scholar - was accepted to the School of the Veil to study his magic full time, she was given tutors to teach her to use her gifts in the ways that would best serve her country, not herself. She learned to control the weather to a degree that impressed even her teachers who finally declared they could teach her no more without enrolling her in the School herself.

At the age of 200 and 201 her mother and father (respectively) abdicated their throne to her and retired to a countryside estate to live out their golden years in peace and without the weight of ruling a vast country on their shoulders any longer. Kassandra, a mere 50 years old at the time, wasn't certain she was ready for the responsibility but her parents trusted her to it and she has ruled in peace and prosperity for the last 9 years.

Hobbies: She enjoys music, reading, riding her horse at near breakneck speeds over the countryside and energetic and adventurous sexual partners to take her mind off the day-to-day stresses of ruling lands as vast and diverse as Vels'd.

Character's Goals/Dreams: Kassandra's main goal in life is to rule well and wisely. She wants her people to prosper under her care.

The most secret dream of her heart, however, would be to put aside the throne, don the cloak of an explorer and travel the width and breadth of her land, not as it's Queen, but as just another person. Trading on her gifts of magic, or perhaps simply in pleasure, for food and lodging and truly seeing all that her land has to offer.

On's: Tall, strong, dominant men; biting, scratching, temporary marking, oral (giving and recieving), receiving anal (sometimes, this is very mood dependant), spanking, whipping (recieving), mental manipulation (only in the bedroom), group sex, partners that are adventurous, willing to experiment, and can show her something new

Off's: Weakness (mentally weak is more of a turn off than physically weak), liars, cruelty simply to be cruel, animals, bathroom play, permanent marking, maiming

Special Notes:

Code Select Expand

[float=right][img height=300 padding=5][/img][/float]
[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b]

[b]Description:[/b] Here's the place for things a picture doesn't tell. Height/weight/style/signature movements (graceful, clumsy, always twirling their hair, nervous tics etc.) tattos, piercings etc.

[b]Gender:[/b] Do they identify to the sex they were born to or something else?

[b]Sexuality:[/b] People on Vels'd are very open, don't feel you need to close your character in unless you want to!

[b]Status/Job:[/b] What do they do and how highly ranked are they? Are they a noble? A Master Wizard? An Apprentice Thief? An explorer visiting the city to stock up on supplies? A Healer?

[b]Magical Ability:[/b] Which elements can they control and how well? **Note, this is where I am likely to be the most picky on character sheets, please make it realistic with the rest of your character!!

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Background:[/b]

[b]Hobbies:[/b] How does your character like to relax?

[b]Character's Goals/Dreams:[/b] Does your character have some sort of burning desire that drives them or are they just drifting through their life taking things as they come?

[b]On's:[/b]

[b]Off's:[/b]

[b]Special Notes:[/b] Anything not covered by the rest of the sheet but that you think the GM and/or fellow writers should know.



[Caela]

FAQ:

** Note, this is not a complete list and will be updated periodically

1) Can I be a DRAGON??

Short answer: Maybe
Longer answer: I will be exceptionally picky about dragon characters. Dragons powerful enough to have a human form are exceptionally rare to begin with. Dragons both powerful enough, and old enough to have the experience to maintain that form are rarer still. It take a lot of practice to learn to change your shape to begin with and even more to learn to hold that shape when every cell in your body is fighting to return to your natural form. It requires a level of concentration and focus that no dragon under, at least 500 years is going to have.

2) Is all magic bound by the limits of the basic elements listed?

Yes. All magic on Vels'd is a combination of the elements as they are listed in the magical elements section. A character can have an innate ability, in varying strengths, with any of the 5 elements or just one and which elements they have an affinity for will determine which branches of magic they can study. I will add, however, that if a player can make a valid argument for why something should be added to the list, I could be convinced to add it.

3) Can I play a magical creature?

You can but the focus of the game is not its magical creatures as much as it is the humans of Vles'd and the rare Earthling that crosses through the veil. As such, unless there is meant to be a specific scene between a creature and a group of humans (such as the travellers that will be searching for advice about Emrys' waking) there won't be a lot for them to do in the main plotline. I am, however, happy to have writers make creatures to interact with characters for specific plotpoints or as NPCs, or perhaps as ambassadors to the Court to speak with the High Queen if some of her humans are causing problems in the magical creatures territories etc.

[Caela]

Saving

[Nygenn]

Vels'd sounds amazing and I can't wait to explore it. You have made such a great start at world-building that I, for one, cannot wait to see where you'll take this from here. In my personal experiences the hardest part about building a world and setting is actually writing it down properly.

This is me showing my interest and I hope more people will follow.

[Amarlo]

I'm going to keep an eye on this. :)

[Faustus]

Definitely watching and curious~

[Nygenn]

I'm thinking about what sort of character I would want to play in a world such as this and while there are many aspects that still require some consideration I do know I want to play someone from Earth who is new to Vels'd. I would like to explore the world through my character and have him learn about it through interaction with the people, creatures and land.

On a character building note, I was wondering about the limits of magic. You specified a very clear and clean elemental system and I was wondering if that is then used as the basis for lots of creative freedom, or if you just want to keep magic contained within these elements?
To clarify what I mean; can you have characters than can wield lightning, or affect plant growth through some combination of base elements? Can it be taken even further to great enchantment effects such as making someone stronger, shape-shifting, teleportation, duplication, restoration such as healing or magically fixing broken tools, create magical message, etc. I can keep going for a long while, but I'm sure you get the idea. How far can we go within this magic system you've set up?

Additionally, to what extend should we think within the boundaries of just those primal elements, should that be within which you wish to keep things. Is if merely shaping said elements such as raising and sculpting earth and rock, or manipulating air currents, or making waves, or can it go further where say control over fire can grand resistance or even immunity to heat? You've mentioned being able to pull water from the air because it's there, but can you summon fire and stone in a similar fashion? Can you expand the heat from a matchstick into a raging fireball or should we think more along the lines of only being able to bend and reshape what's already there?

I apologize for the many questions, and don't really have any particular preference. I just want to know what we have to work with, what you want to work with.

[Caela]

Good questions. Let me try to hit them up one at a time. 

1) Everything done with magic will be some sort of combination of the elements I've listed, but these are just the basis for a lot of creative freedom yes. That being said I'm willing to add to the list if a player has a good reason to think that control over something may not really fall into any combination of those listed.

2) Manipulation of almost anything on the planet (storms, plantlife, wildlife etc.) is possible if you have the right combination of elements in your bag to do so. Landplants could be manipulated by someone with Earth affinities, while seaplants would need an affinity with Water. Great and complicated enchantments (including things like shapeshifting) are possible but these things aren't natural talents, they're actual spells so the caster would need to have both the ability as well as the schooling to be able to cast them without causing harm to themselves or others. Spells that unravel out of control can cause a lot of damage.

3) If you've got control of an element to you can summon and expand on it provided the elements to do so are available. For example, it's entirely possible to take a spark from something like a match and expand it into a fireball so long as there's sufficient oxygen to feed the fire. Someone with an affinity for Air could suck the oxygen away and douse the fireball. Someone with an affinity for Earth could do anything from summoning loose rocks to them all the way up to causing an earthquake depending on how powerful, or skilled, they are.

Let me point out that, regardless of potential ability, magic is one area a character from Earth will fall behind their Vels'd counterparts on simply because they won't have had the practice or schooling that is just taken for granted on Vels'd. They'll be pretty much starting from scratch because the lack of magic on the Earth side of the Veil would have suppressed all but the very strongest of gifts (though they'd still appear weak on Earth since they just wouldn't have as much juice to draw from) to the point of being almost non-existent.

Hope that helps! Don't hesitate to ask if more questions come to mind. :D

[CShades]

You know Someone is going to ask this, and it might as well be Me.

CAN I BE A DRAGON?

[Caela]

You know Someone is going to ask this, and it might as well be Me.

CAN I BE A DRAGON?

No no no all the dragons are mine!!! ~hoards all the dragons~

Hehehe...kidding. The short answer is yes, it's possible.

The longer (though not by much) answer is that dragons that can shift into human form are some of the most powerful of dragon-kind...and in fact on all of Vels'd. This makes them exceptionally rare and as such I will be very picky about allowing them as anything more than situation specific NPCs. I will want to see some checks and balances on their abilities built into the character sheet if someone wants to attempt being a dragon.

[Niferbelle]

You've put an impressive amount of work into this, Caela! I'm interested but as slow as I post I worry I'd gum things up :(

[jeflint]

Read through this and I'm certainly intrigued then I saw the thing about dragons (  :'( I love me some dragon RPin') so I'm having a rethink about other creatures I'd like to play and that got me to thinking about these ideas. If these were broached somewhere and I missed it I apologize.

Just three general questions:

1) I don't suppose there's any consideration for hybrid characters, like say a Unicorn Dragon. I only through this because a very powerful dragon could in theory force himself on a weaker creature and produce a unique offspring if they were so inclined to be malicious like this? You could come up with a lot of interesting and weak combinations.

2) Supernatural critters, like werewolves, vampires or devils/demons/angels considered in this world? Like for instance a Djinn could be tooling around in the school doing whatever it is they do during the day or you could a vampire who's only interest is in seducing maidens or something.

3) And what if someone from the modern world's power was simply to have turned into a Pegasus or a sphinx or something like that? Think like Flight of Dragons the movie where Peter Dickens has to learn about everything Dragon because he's got the brain of a 21st century man trapped in an adult dragon's body with no clue on how to dragon.

Sorry like I said, just a few ideas.

[Caela]

You've put an impressive amount of work into this, Caela! I'm interested but as slow as I post I worry I'd gum things up :(

I'd love to have you Niffs! Don't worry so much about your posting speed. We all know games get that initial rush and then tend to settle into something more reasonable. :D

[Caela]

Jeflint, you've got an interesting imaginitive twist! I'll take each of your scenarios one at a time. :D

1) I'm going to say that hybrids are extremely unlikely. Most creatures are going to want to mate with their own kind. I might be willing to consider an exception if said creature had more than one shape and chose a mate to match one of it's shapes, thus making offspring theoretically possible. Rape between two entirely unrelated species won't result in hybrid offspring though.

2) I'm going to put a nix on vampires and werewolves for now as I'm not looking for a vampire or werewolf game in this setting and they do tend to take over and become the main focus. That's not to say a spell couldn't go wrong and the caster could end up with some animalistic features but a full Were isn't really a part of this setting. Devils/demons/angels are more religious than magical creatures so they won't be a part of the setting - that doesn't mean people won't believe in some version of them or that other creatures can't pose as them though! Djinn could be an option. I don't know a lot about them but could certainly look them up. Most supernatural creatures keep pretty much to their own territories but those that have human shapes or can communicate with humans can visit and be in human cities so long as they aren't causing trouble. If they are deliberately causing a problem the wizards will deal with them

3) Transformation is possible, but it's not an inherant gift on this world, it's an upper level spell that requires control of the elements that are most closely allied to the creature you want to transform into. In the case of a pegasus I'd think Spirit, Air, and Earth. You do bring up a good point though...just because you can shift to the new shape, doesn't mean you know how to control it properly! A person would have to learn the spell to change and then would have to learn how to control their new shape as well.

Hope that's helpful! If you have anymore questions or need something else clarified don't hesitate to ask. :D

[jeflint]

Happy to be imaginative. :P

Would an air elemental of sorts be an acceptable choice? Powers of Air, Water, maybe spirit to simulate the different types of air a person would encounter.

[CShades]

Happy to be imaginative. :P

Would an air elemental of sorts be an acceptable choice? Powers of Air, Water, maybe spirit to simulate the different types of air a person would encounter.

Jeflint, My post about being a dragon was simply a friendly trolling of Caela :P She answered like a champ, though -- I was expecting a swift asskicking.

Do you mean a human elemental master? Because that is the focus of the schools of magic, if I got this correctly.  Or like an elemental spirit of sort like a sprite, leviathan, or whatever? I do not see any of those in the setting, but it would be nice to know if they are meant to exist (and any elemental being would be at the whim of any elemental master with enough power over their particular element too)

Funtimes.

[jeflint]

Jeflint, My post about being a dragon was simply a friendly trolling of Caela :P She answered like a champ, though -- I was expecting a swift asskicking.

Do you mean a human elemental master? Because that is the focus of the schools of magic, if I got this correctly.  Or like an elemental spirit of sort like a sprite, leviathan, or whatever? I do not see any of those in the setting, but it would be nice to know if they are meant to exist (and any elemental being would be at the whim of any elemental master with enough power over their particular element too)

Funtimes.

Hey if Dragons are playable I'd love to be one. 😀 Doesn't necessarily need to be a shiftable one either.

Do you have specific about dragons?

[Caela]

CShades, an elemental spirit could be doable. The Creatures list above is by no means comprehensive, it's what came to mind while I was working on it. Ideas for things that could be added are always welcome.

Jeflint, please look through the creatures post as well as the answer to CShades last post. There are specifics in both places.

[jeflint]

Will do. 😀

[Hazy Sky]

So where would a character with powers based around ice and cold rather than the other four elements fit in he asks curiously...

[Nygenn]

So where would a character with powers based around ice and cold rather than the other four elements fit in he asks curiously...

I was wondering the same thing, and then some. For cold you could argue that it's an effect of fire where instead of adding heat you take it away, or it can even be an aspect of air where you suppress the movement of molecules and particles thus cooling things down. Ice can be something that comes forth from any of these cold concepts, or it's a state you can force water into with water control. Perhaps there are more ways to reach a particular effect.

Other such elements are things like light or electricity or sound. They could be stand-alone elements or they could be products of the manipulation the given base elements.

On a related note, Emrys creates a portable pocket dimension, or a least a portable door into one. Is that a unique magic, or perhaps a lost technique. I don't really that broken up into the base elements. Similarly with Helena's Seer gift, though I suppose that's just an aspect of Spirit. I like that though, because it shows characters can have almost innate abilities. Something which comes more instinctual than solely through studies.

I think for my character I'd like to for some sort of innate ability which stems from an affinity for element X. That gives him something to work with from the start and a vested interest to learn more about magic and how it works.