Magic Zones

Magic in Taharjin's Flame is a limited resource. The northern pole radiates immense amounts of usable energy, but little to none of it refers as far as the southern hemisphere. The consequences of this fact for those who practice magic are profound. Exact consequences divide into distinct geographic zones, five in number, each separated by boundaries known as Meridians. Below are outlined their key differences, with reference to 5th Edition D&D spellcasting mechanics and the special forms they take within this world. For details, see Homebrewed to Hell: A Guide to Conversion for 5E D&D.

Map Key:

Red - Taharjin's Flame

Gold - Summer Yield

Green - Yield of the Blessed

Blue - Autumn Yield

Purple - Winter Yield

0 - Taharjin's Flame: The Pole. The apparent source of all magical power rests here. Spell energy here is available at very high levels, but no one yet has been able to make it very far past the pole's icy shores as the sheer strength of such energy overwhelms the bodies and minds of casters and distorts their intended spell effects...most helpfully including any form of heating, such as would permit the move further northwards. Bolder mages dot the Flame's shores for short stays, but the terrible winds off the ocean and lack of arable land prevent any permanent encampments from arising.
1 - Beyond the First Meridian exists the area known, somewhat ironically, as the Summer Yield. Less of Northern Delhiza than appears in the map projection falls properly within the Summer Yield, leaving northerly territories in Arlok, Rajan, and Myrod as central gathering places - Arlok most of all. The greatest amount of magic may be harvested here, but the weather is too severe to attract any but the most devoted sorcerors. Moreover, the effects of magic on the mind, while less overwhelming compared to the Flame, remain considerable - enough, at least, to populate southern lands with tales of mad mages living in palaces of ice. While a mage dwells here, spells up to 5th level may be cast as cantrips, with each spell level beyond this carrying a 1 point cost, deducted from one's Magic score. Casting a spell in a higher spell slot requires first that one have access to a slot of that level, and adds 1 Magic point to the cost of the spell for each level added, including spells of 5th level or below. Further, while in the Summer Yield, a mage does not suffer the effects of The Wrack until her Magic dips below 25% of its maximum score. Until a mage boasts the ability to cast higher level spells, it makes little sense to forsake the comforts of more temperate regions for the Summer Yield's barren tundra, and so nearly as a rule, mages of the High North tend to be powerful. Above all, one legendary community, Fireside, is reputed to contain a cabal of supremely gifted wizards who collectively control the North. Should they even exist, certainly no formal relationship exists between them and any more southern organization. Those at Fireside are also fabled to possess a deeply secret knowledge which allows them to imbue mundane objects with arcane essence, a feat quite impossible elsewhere. Due to the emphasis of Arlokian cultures on freedom and independence, mundane populations in the north know about and generally accept spellcasters in their midst, although too few sorcerors live there for them to be understood very well, and most practitioners isolate themselves within the vast wilds, far from civilization.
2 - Below the Second Meridian falls the Blessed Yield, in which thrive the Three Great Traditions (Aurimbic, Berythian, and Nurhetic), along with other, less prominent magical lineages. It is considered (especially by those who live here!) the area of highest blessing given its mixture of high magical energy and livable climate. While a mage dwells here, spells up to 3rd level may be cast as cantrips, with each spell level beyond this carrying a 1 point cost, deducted from one's Magic score. Casting a spell in a higher spell slot requires first that one have access to a slot of that level, and adds 1 Magic point to the cost of the spell for each level added, including spells of 3rd level or below. In the Yield of the Blessed, a mage does not suffer the effects of The Wrack until her Magic dips below 50% of its maximum score. Mundane populations of Rela, Delhiza, and southern Arlok which comprise this Yield exalt their magical counterparts on account of the visible prosperity mages have brought to society over the centuries. Certainly there have been drawbacks, and not everyone trusts magic or those that practice it (nor should they). But social acceptance of magic is globally highest here, and common reactions towards arcanes range from warm affection to outright idol worship.
3 - Below the Third Meridian is the Autumn Yield, so named for its decay of vital magical energies compared with the zones above it. Organizations dedicated to magic distribute sparsely across its broad and varied terrains. Those of any standing tend to be outposts for established Traditions to the north, though a handful of unique lineages can be found here. Most claim ancient heritage but as a point of rhetoric rather than fact, because it is very hard to endure the ages with so little arcane power at one's disposal. While a mage dwells in the Autumn Yield, cantrips are cast as cantrips. All other spells cost 1 Magic point per spell level, plus 1 additional point per level when casting a spell in a higher spell slot. A mage suffers The Wrack when their Magic score falls under 75% of its maximum score, a condition which so complicates spellcasting that many mages either migrate north or give up using their gifts entirely. The Three Grand Traditions maintain a fair presence here and are always researching how to extend the field of magic further south. Were it not for their influence, life would be much harder for those born with the Gift. As it is, talented individuals in the Autumn Yield tend to be acknowledged for what they are, but are rarely encouraged to develop their abilities, and frequently get cut off from family support should they choose to move ahead with formal training. As one approaches the dread Fourth Meridian, discrimination achieves a much darker cast.
4 - Beyond the Fourth Meridian lies the accursed Winter Yield, known more commonly as the Yield of Bones or Taentyrig's Graveyard after the sorceror of the same name, considered responsible for the ultimate exile of southern mages here at the end of the Great Plague. Within the Graveyard, there is no escape from The Wrack: each and every Magic point spent inflicts its hideous effects, and all spells, beginning with cantrips, cost 1 Magic point per spell level to cast. (Cantrips = 1, Level 1 spells = 2, and so on.) Casting spells in a higher spell slot costs 1 Magic point per added level. Due to these extreme and excruciating penalties, most born with the Gift simply fail to develop their abiltiies - if indeed they survive. Mages of the south face overwhelming social persecution and stigma as the local population considers them not only different, but wretched...twisted beings put on earth to test and to torment mundane folk. They are everywhere kept under close watch if not jailed, and in some areas, killing a mage is seen as mercy rather than murder. Sadly, this condition forces many mages into hiding or to seek training within underground cabals, and, often as not, many take up the practice of dark magic in hopes of turning the tables on their sizable disadvantages. There is a lot of coin to be made smuggling refugee mages out of the Graveyard, but lavish indeed must the rewards be to outweigh the brutal risks that come with exposed operations.