Heartbeat of Perradin

The Heartbeat of Perradin is a metaphysical concept and proposed origin of the universe's magic. Perradin's plane of Javorterm lies at the center of all other planes and serves as the terminus point for the primal forces binding them together. The raw energy, believed to be the concentrated power of primal beings or their will itself, flows directly from Perradin outward to the far planes. The energy is called many names in many cultures: the elves of Lorthr'ten call it the Glenth'il, the Augurs of Finality call it Aetheriac, The Didacy refers to it as Magic, but many translate as or have roots in phrases meaning "Hearbeat of Perradin" because of its vital nature to the essence of the universe.
Due to the Didacy's mastery over the Heartbeat and their knowledge becoming a cornerstone of modern society, the prevailing term is Magic, while some religious and spiritual corners of the world still refer to it by traditional names. Since time immemorial, the Magic in Perradin has been deep, powerful, and primal. Its origin point on Perradin itself is unknown, but certain regions are naturally prone to greater flows of the Magic; it is often speculated that such 'leylines' are where the other planes surrounding Javorterm are anchored.
The Magic in Perradin is wielded in modern times through command words, movements, foci, and components to shape the raw energy into desired effects on the material world known as Spells. Through Spells, casters tap into their own natural connection to the Heartbeat and channel them in different ways depending on their areas of expertise and study.

Before Fedrona

Since the dawn of time, the Heartbeat has permeated the universe. It is a natural underlying current of energy that theoretically is the binding force for all matter and energy, allowing permanent coherence and consistency. Without the Heartbeat, the universe would theoretically unwind and eventually cease to be. Legends state that over the many countless eons of Perradin's pre-history, natural-born weilders of the Heartbeat would be born. They became known as Primal Sorcerers, wielding wild and untamed energy that flowed through their bodies. The energy they could unleash was raw and unbridled, the power determined by their age and strength of connection; some Primal Sorcerers were said to have leveled entire cities on accident. Legends tell that many believed that such power could never be controlled, and being born a Primal Sorcerer was viewed as an eternal curse.
Some other methods existed to tap into the Heartbeat in a far more passive sense. The ancient Augurs of Finality used arcane rituals to tap into areas with intense leylines in an attempt to view the future. Their rituals consisted of chants, movements, animal sacrifice, and the consumption of entrails to ilicit a connection to the leyline, which they claimed offered them visions. High Augurs were Primal Sorcerers who claimed to be able to control their wild surges with Augury.
Tales from Pillarin state that the Nameless Empire made some unknown use of the Heartbeat to control the continent before the rise of the First Free City. One of many claims as to how Pillarin rebelled was through the use of Primal Sorcerers aligned against the enemy. The first mention of arcane foci comes from such tales, speaking of Primal Sorcerers channeling the pure energy of the Heartbeat through staves or wands to better control the destruction.
Druids and Holy Individuals also had some connection through nature and the divine respectively, however this connection manifested as a personal connection that allowed easier communion and some minor methods of altering matter and energy such as the ability to create water or produce a small flame. It is believed that these proto-spells were considered the theoretical maximum an individual could wield the Heartbeat in a practical way before being overcome as Primal Sorcerers were prone to.

Fedrona and The Didacy

In the latter years of the 12th century, an individual that history would know as Fedrona I began referring to the Heartbeat as "Magic." She wielded incredible powers with a mysterious staff as a focus and chanting words of her own design to summon the power of this Magic into any manifestation she desired. She used it to create, destroy, and even heal wounds. She did so using a breadth of elements which she used as a referene point to accomplish her desires.
She began teaching somatic and verbal methods of harnessing the innate Magic of reality and oneself. Her teachings soon spread across the continent of Sinderlan, allowing people from all walks of life to begin experimenting with this Magic. As more began learning her teachings, she gathered a great many followers. Fedrona eventually ventured to the Leyline of the South Pole and established the Didacy, a place to learn, experiement, and innovate on ways to manipulate the Heartbeat. The Didacy would go on to create virtually every basic spell, the concept of Spell Levels, and changed Fedrona's awakening into a revolution.
This revolution is often compared to the harnessing of agriculture or fire by scholars, and is viewed as an incontrovertible turning point for all of Perradin's societies. The revolution began a runaway effect as the Didacy and Augurs of the Kingdom raced to create newer and more powerful spells to harness the unbridled power of the Heartbeat. Other schools of thought divereged, allowing religious centers to create spells to become closer to the divine, musicians to express their spirits through magical song, druids to connect more deeply with nature, and for Primal Sorcerers to channel the energy they had been unwittingly tapped into.
Today, new spells are somewhat rare. Some arcane scholars find the Arcanian language to be limiting, but have no frame of reference to innovate upon it. However, despite the limitations, talented individuals still find ways to channel the Heartbeat through unique combinations of words and motions.

Manifestation

The Heartbeat is something that is invisible to the naked eye in its raw form. However, when a spell is used to harness it, it becomes visible in whatever manifestation the caster has chosen.

Localization

The Heartbeat can be felt across all of Perradin, the plane of Javorterm, and its orbiting planes. It can be felt in all physical matter, energy, and life. There are nexus points across Perradin known as Leylines that are concentrated currents of the Heartbeat, but it is not exclusive to such areas. These Leyline confluences are often the sites of worship, arcane study, ancient monuments, or locations of great battles due to the mortal inhabitants of Perradin being attracted to them.
Some of the many known Leylines across Perradin are the South Pole, Throne, the Thoughtyard of Plentius, the Kol Horn Mountains, the Bertold Abyss, Big Hill in Bigton, the Fen of Grey Eyes, and the Gestalt Caverns of the Crag.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane