Mageborn
We were born with fire and lightning and starlight at our fingertips
Magic can do a lot of amazing things but it doesn't make you unstoppable. A bullet is still a bullet and it can kill you before you ever burn the one who shot you alive.Those born with magic have been around since the very dawn of creation. No one is entirely certain how they came to exist alongside humanity but research shows that there are records of Mageborn in the most ancient of Old Terran times (if one knows how to look correctly). Existing as basically a subset of humanity, they have always been around in large numbers but never been organized. Their one attempt at organization ended up with several of their number killed as witches, so the Mageborn did the only thing they could: they hid. Sometimes so well that eventually the knowledge of what they were, of what they could be, was lost. This left many who later discovered their Power floundering in the dark with no answers as to what they were or how to control it, all knowledge of those who were like them that had come before lost to time. When the New Terra Mission left Earth behind, many Mageborn went with them. Some were hoping to continue to be lost amongst the stars. Others were hoping to find somewhere that they could be what they were without fear. So far, however, the cycle of hiding what they are has only continued.
Basic Information
Anatomy
So far as anyone is aware, Mageborn anatomy is the same as any Human but no Mageborn has ever been fully medically examined by someone with knowledge to know exactly what they are.
Those few Mageborns who have attempted to explore how their Power came to be have theorized that their nervous system is what controls magical capabilities. While they are uncertain as to exactly why this would be, their theory comes from Mageborn who have suffered nerve damage having issues arise with their abilities. These can come from damage to the nerves themselves or an injury that affects nerves due to other injury, such as losing a limb. Mageborn who have suffered from such injuries can have drastic alterations to their Power but the effects are never consistent.
There is also the more ancient Old Terran theory that the Power of Mageborns is connected to the seven chakras. While much of the original theory has been lost in the almost 4,000 Cycles since humans came to the Orionis Cluster, remnants of it remain. In the Eusarre Erria System, followers of Qretrix (also known as Hand of Medicine or The Crafting Lady) have a belief called the Seven Limbs which contains many similar elements to the Old Terran chakras.
Genetics and Reproduction
As stated previously, no Mageborn has ever been fully medically examined. Due to this, there is very little that is known about what causes someone to even be one.
From simple observation, it seems to be almost at random. What few records there are of Mageborn bloodlines that have survived show that it doesn't matter whether both parents, only one parent, or no parents are Mageborn. Two Mageborn parents have produced normal children and Mageborn have been born from parents who are not Mageborn with no history at all of being such.
Growth Rate & Stages
The method in which a Mageborn discovers their Magic depends on each individual. Usually the discovery of their Power happens during times of heightened emotion, which can be anything from stress to excitement. Until that moment of discovery, the Power is by all accounts dormant in their system. Given that there is no way to determine who may be Mageborn, the effects of dormant Power can only be observed backwards once their abilities have been revealed.
Once the Power is unleashed in a Mageborn, they have access to all of their power but none of the capability to access it reliably. To use it to its fullest, usage of the Power must be taught...but there are so few who can teach it and the Mageborn have rarely ever been organized in either the history of the Orionis Cluster or Old Terra. Most Mageborn never reach their full capability because of this fact.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Mageborn are born with Power (ie: magic). Possession of Power marks them as more than human, something classified as Other rather than a mere mortal. And it makes them capable of feats beyond the wildest dreams of all but the most whimsical creatives.
Power can manifest in a multiude of ways, it merely depends upon the mindset of the Mageborn themself as to exactly how it comes out. Because of this each individual's abilities can be wildly different from another individual, even if they may be trained by the same person. For example, two Mageborn who use fire as a primary can not only warp their Power to create a simple fireball in different ways, the fire itself will also likely look different in ways that may be obvious or subtle.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
In the history of Old Terra, there was once the Orden des Verborgenen Geschenks or the Order of the Hidden Gift. These were an group of Mageborn who found each other in ancient Old Terran times - although all accounts of them come only from Hellspawn or Inanis Sanguis that lived in the same time period. The Orden itself appeared during the fourteenth century around 1320 AET, starting in the Holy Roman Empire before expanding outward to include members from England, Ireland, France, Serbia, the Byzantine Empire, the Ilkhan Empire, and even the Bedouin Tribes. However, by the fifteenth century, many Mageborn who belonged to the Orden were swept up in witch hunts and the group collapsed. After that, most were too afraid to organize so largely ever again and rumors persisted for centuries amongst those in the know of the fall of a large group of practicioners.
There are underground rumors of a new Mageborn organization being formed but they are largely just random vague posts scattered across the Link Network.
Credits: Magical veins image was generated using Artbreeder. Banner was created using Illustrator with stock photo by Leo Cardelli from Pexels.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Homo Potentia
Origin/Ancestry
Terran
Lifespan
Roughly double that of a Human
Average Height
Same as Human
Average Weight
Same as Human
