The Weave

The weave is the foundation of existence and the instrument of magic. The weave is the blueprint to the world while simultaneously being the world. It cannot be touched yet it moves with every action you take, letting you control its path. It is not simply seen by either mortals or Gods but through moving the weave the effects echo into the observable existence as gusts of winds or balls of fire. Although simple actions to not result in great magical phenomenon’s, with accuracy and practice one can move the weave in a way that causes lightning to strike or change the thoughts of creatures.

While the weave cannot be seen it is connected to everything and everyone and just as changed to the weave can alter the thoughts of a creature it can also cause bodily harm from misalignment. While you manipulate the weave you are simultaneously connected to everything else around you and it is believed that reckless use of weave manipulation results in knots of weave forming across your body that prevent the natural movement of the weave. This is commonly seen in spellcasters that push themselves to cast more spells than they usually do.

Forms of magic

As magic is an extension of the weave, the ways that the weave is manipulated result in different kind of magic. The “wish theory” implies that the weave has a natural will of its own and brings into question if wizards have even begun to correctly use magic or if it simply occurs the way they wish with the wrong action.

The difference in movements and chant is negligible in comparison to the result. In addition, the same spell has an entirely different way of casting it implying that either all magic can be made in multiple ways or the weave simply allows certain actions to result in the same outcome without our actions truly mattering. -Excerpt from the wish theory

The general thought is that spells can be divided into three categories; instantaneous, concentration and continuous spells. The natural casting time of spells is simply a reflection of the time it takes to construct the spell within the weave. Sometimes it is a matter of proficiency to create the desired effect and other times the weave needs to settle into new positions before it can be manipulated further to achieve the desired result. Ritual casting is simply a far more controlled method that avoids the weave on yourself to get tangled.

• Instantaneous spells are explained as grasping the weave and moving it into desired positions before letting go, the snapback of the weave resulting in the magical effect.
• Continuous spells are a woven pattern of the weave that effects the world from its existence, the time of the spell is determined by how well the pattern hold up against the natural shifts of the weave.
• Concentration spells are frequencies put upon a woven pattern of the weave that does not naturally hold without the caster maintaining either/both the pattern and the frequency upon it.

Types of casters

While there are countless potential spells, the creatures casting these spells are also varied in how they both cast their spells and how they learned to do it. There is an undeniable racial advantage as spellcasting comes innately to some like imps while and high elves while most races like giants or humans needs to learn spellcasting. This innate advantage is presumably derived from the natural affinity each race has towards the weave and how much that stick to them. For this reason, bloodlines are considered extremely valuable to those focused on reaching the peak of spellcasting as one with good affinity will find it far easier to wield the weave and be able to move more of it. For the average humanoid there are a few different methods to achieve spellcasting.

• Theory, mostly used by wizards and artificers that use what connection they have to the weave as well as they can. Through thorough practice and greater understanding, they ensure that their own weave does not get tangled and slowly build up to manipulating more and more of the weave.
• Natural affinity, also called sorcerers that naturally move more weave with every movement. Although practice is still required to achieve great results, this comes far more naturally as they have a greater reach and sometimes a feeling of the weaves movement.
• Resonance, which refers to when the casters naturally move synchronously with the weave and can shift the weaves tempo by shifting their own. This group of spellcasters are the bards and they master not why or how the weave moves but instead to follow its lead and then direct it in the way they want.
• Gifted, sometimes for free but usually with a cost. Clerics, Warlocks or others that are devout to another creature, be they a god or other great being. These gifts vary from help in controlling the weave to blessings that makes the weave more drawn to the recipient. Although simplifying the process, they still require training to cast greater spells.
• Will of the weave, people believed to be given control over the weave in accordance with the will of the weave, echoing similar thoughts to the “wish theory”. This includes Druids and Rangers of the forest although there is a thought that they are gifted their affinity through nature, although that only brings into question what the will of nature is.
  The most divisive group is those that take an oath and derives their ability to influence the weave through this oath, Paladins. They can experience the loss of their great influence upon the weave simply by breaking their oath, implying that the weave is aware of it and judges the actions we take.

Manifestation

Seeing the weave is said to be like seeing a great tappestry spanning over all of exsistance with beuatiful patterns in various colors. The threads split and join each other to create parts both thick and thin. The great tappestry is not still either but moves, changes its pattern and vibrates in a melodic fashion as if there is some song played upon the threads as if they where strings of an instrument. There have been a few hundred creatures that have seen the weave and been able to describe it for future generations in recorded history throughout the planes of existance, out of those there are only a handful where capable enough to reseach and deepen the understanding of the weave. Their collective work, The Weave Visualized, is the most accurate description of the weave in exsitance.


There have been two exceptions where the weave was able to be seen by everyone around a certain area, the first exception although it occured several times was during the ascension of the Gods. Although most ascensions occured in seclusion, there are recounts of the weave becomming visable around the newborn God for a moment. The second exception was the day gods died  . Although it appeared on the four sepparate battlefields, it is unknown it the phenomenon was caused by the heroes of the death of the Gods.

I was staring out over the field, waiting for the final blow when a sudden flash of light—brighter than the sun at midday—hit me. Blinded me completely. For a moment, I thought that was it. My death, come quicker than I expected. But no… it was different. Before I could blink, before I could recover and open my eyes I realized —everything—was still. Not a sound from the battlefield. No clashing steel, no cries of the dying. Just silence, heavy and unnatural. And then… then I felt it.
A wave, like something had torn through the very heart of the fortress and rolled over us all. Not just wind or some shockwave from an explosion, no—this was something far more powerful, something that made my skin crawl and my bones tremble. It was like a storm had split the world in two, but instead of breaking stone or shattering trees, it tore at the air itself.
When I finally forced my eyes open, I saw it. And gods, I still don’t know how to explain what I saw. The sky above the battlefield wasn’t the sky anymore. It had changed. There were these… strings. Countless of them, like threads spun by some mad weaver, all radiating from a single point high above us. They weren’t just floating or drifting. They were moving, faster than any arrow I’ve seen, stretching outwards, tearing through the heavens like veins of light, as if they were unraveling the very fabric of the world. And I swear, for that brief moment, everything felt fragile, like we weren’t standing on solid ground but dangling by those strings. And then they where gone, as if nothing had happened.
It wasn’t just a sight, you know? It was a feeling, something deeper. Those strings… they weren’t just in the sky. They were everywhere. In us. Around us. The world itself was coming undone, and for a heartbeat, I thought we’d all just… fall away with it.

- A soldiers retelling of the day gods died 

Type

Natural