Emotion

Emotion is a powerful thing; all around us, shaping our lives in ways we don't yet entirely understand. What do we understand is that Emotions can be mastered- they can be tamed, and they can be guided to our will. It is essential that we do so, for the good of us all.

— The Basics of Emotion, Vol. 1 by Professor Mylmai Shrosilva

A crowd, stricken with panic by invading forces, manages to collectively conjure a false army of their own, and that gives them the time they need to escape...
A man, madly in love, causes a field of flowers to bloom for his husband's birthday...
A mother summons the pure elation of seeing her baby for the first time to cure their colic and settle them down for a night's rest...

On Radavain, emotions serve as the fuel that powers the world's magic; the more powerful the emotion, the greater its effects on the world. Those who feel their emotions more strongly than others often become powerful casters, highly sought after for their talents by the colleges of Emotional Arts. After all, to truly control one's Emotion is a skill that takes years of practice and study. While a majority of Radavain's population is capable of casting Emotions, only trained casters can form the proper Emotions on demand.

Schools of Emotion

Emotion has six major 'schools' which are widely recognized by any caster worth their salt: Fear, Anger, Sadness, Surprise, Joy, and Love. By nature, most people on Radavain are more proficient in one school than any of the others- very rarely, individuals will show talent in two or even three schools. However, this is not usually seen as a positive thing, as these people tend to be highly unstable, with unpredictable mood swings and other disorders.
As time has worn on, the six major Emotions have been broken down into even smaller schools which claim to 'specialize' in a subset of that Emotion. These sub-schools are called Minor Emotions and, for the tier below that, Petty Emotions. In general, most casters believe these schools to be irrelevant and unneeded, but some find these communities to be beneficial to their studies. Others simply enjoy the inter-school rivalries as a chance to swing their intellectual dick around, though these rivalries have caused very real and notable tension in recent years: most notably between Frustration and Annoyance casters.

Fear

Fear lives in the realm of 'eye for an eye'- creating illusions and phantasms that twist reality and impose one's own terror upon their targets. Fear Emotions are often found in torture chambers all over Radavain, trying to break apart the minds of their prisoners to reveal the secrets within; likewise, those who are naturally inclined to Fear are seen as untrustworthy and even assumed to be criminals or ne'er-do-wells.
Casters who have mastered their Fear often walk through life with confidence and a spine of steel, knowing that anything in life that might scare them will only add to their strength. Those who succumb to Fear entirely tend to go mad from it, lost forever in a world of illusions and dread.

Anger

Anger is the source of destruction and death- no Emotion is more straight to the point than this one. Cause injury to the enemy, weaken their body, or even cause their senses to give out... it's no wonder those who are prone to Anger often find themselves courted as war mages. Exceptionally strong ones have the potential to end wars before they even start.
Those who can control their Anger are those who know how easily a life can be taken, and what it means to reach that point. They stand as arbiters of justice and mercy, calm and collected enough to know when the line has been crossed. Those who lose themselves to Anger are truly dangerous in every sense of the word, their rages leveling towns and bringing pain to both themselves and those they love.

Sadness

Sadness tends to be one of the more visible Emotions in terms of effects, since the changes brought on by Sadness are often so profound. Sadness Emotions can change the weather in a localized area, or bend the very elements to suit the caster's will. There's even rumors and legends that Sadness strong enough could topple mountains and shape the very continents themselves. Thankfully, such a thing has never happened in living memory.
Casters who master their Sadness treat all life as delicate and remarkable: here one day, and gone the next, meant to be cherished while the chance is there. Those who fail fall to nihilism and depression, often committing suicide rather than continue on this way.

Surprise

Surprise reveals the truth of things, removing the illusions and barriers that hide it. Surprise has a knack for giving understanding of something's true purpose; it's also possible to read minds and gaze into places one normally couldn't, like a distant place, or the past. Surprise is one of the trickiest Emotions to master, as genuine Surprise is very hard to summon at will, but the payoff is great, as this Emotion has so many esoteric, but useful, effects.
Casters who specialize in this Emotion are always searching and seeking for new experiences, be it a new book or a new place to explore. They treasure the wide range of experiences life has to offer. Those who are consumed by Surprise live as eternal children, speaking in nonsensical riddles and trapped by their own constant wonder and awe.

Joy

Beyond healing just the body, Joy can also heal the mind, soothing and giving solace to the traumatized. Joy tends to be an infectious sort of Emotion- those who feel its effects tend to be Joyful themselves, and the unique phenomenon of a 'Joyful place', a place with so many Joyful people that it creates a healing aura within the space, is not uncommon. Hospitals and recovery centers are often bright, full of light and warmth, specifically to try and promote this effect.
Those who master Joy seem to float through life with a serene aura, radiating kindness and drawing people to them like a beacon. Those who lose themselves to Joy tend to be blind optimists, refusing to see or acknowledge the darker aspects of life. This might seem fine on the surface, but in truth, these people are ticking time bombs: suppressed emotions can lead to all number of horrible side-effects, most of them fatal.

Love

Love inspires the world to flourish and grow, be that its natural elements, or the bonds that hold people together. In the presence of Love, flowers bloom, and water can spring from completely dry earth; it can bring together two star crossed lovers, or simply make a group more friendly towards an outsider.
Those who embrace Love are those who love in every sense of the word. To them, everybody is a friend, and deserves to be treated as such. They often have huge social circles, never forget a face, and find the positives in even the darkest of moments. Those who indulge Love too deeply give and give, both materially and emotionally, until they have nothing left. They have a high risk of becoming Apathetic.

Contrasting Emotions

Each Emotion has its natural opposite, as seen in the above diagram. Emotions across the wheel from each other can cancel each other out if cast in the same area or on the same target, and feeling too strongly in an Emotion's opposite can make it impossible to cast that Emotion at all. That isn't to say that it's impossible: in fact, some very rare spells require the caster to use conflicting Emotions. These spells do require a very skilled caster to complete, however, so for most, it's a detriment.

Surprise clears the fog that Fear creates; Fear clouds the keen sight of Surprise.
Anger tears down Joy and snuffs it out; Joy softens Anger's tirade and brings light to darkness.
Sadness convinces one that there is nothing to Love in the world; Love convinces one that Sadness is only temporary.