text; un: beatrix [1]

[fiendennor]

Do you believe in magic?
If so, what do you know about it?

Comments

[fiendennor]

I'm similarly surprised, and yet, I've encountered people who don't seem to have anything of the sort where they come from. I'm not familiar with divine magic. Can you please elaborate?

[trickfoot]

Magic is so commonplace to me that I wouldn't know what to do without it, you know?

Oh! Divine magic is magic that is granted from belief in a higher power, like a god or goddess, or even nature itself.

[fiendennor]

It's similarly ubiquitous to me, though I suppose my experience is biased by virtue of most recently having been attending an academy for witches. I've never heard of that, though. Well... not entirely. I did know someone who was granted a boon by what may have been nature or magic itself. But she studied the magical arts at school the same as I did.

[trickfoot]

We have places like that as well! Our most famous one is called the Alabaster Lyceum. Most of the prolific wizards in my world studied there.

It's sort of like that? I worship and study and learn, and my goddess grants me these abilities.

[fiendennor]

That's very interesting. For humans, at least, questions of "god" and religion are usually one of theory and of faith-- by which, I mean, not knowing. Humans believe their god, or gods, are real, but have no evidence. I take it that things are different where you come from?

[trickfoot]

It is definitely different. We have physical signs that the gods once existed on our side of the astral gate. And, if you know what plane to travel to, there is a possibility to meet them.

I was fortunate to be able to meet the goddess I serve. It was an honor.

[fiendennor]

I can only imagine.
I'll confess that seems like such a strange idea to me.
I've met powerful witches, but gods-- or a singular god-- are very far from the world I live in.

[trickfoot]

It's not something that happens everyday, trust me.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, obviously. I know someone who's met them and still doesn't believe them. On the other hand, we really don't have witches in my world. I assume they're like wizards?

[fiendennor]

I have no reason to doubt you, and I don't. It's just... odd. And yes, though "witch" carries a gendered connotation-- we're almost always female.

[trickfoot]

Huh, I wouldn't have thought of it that way. Wizards were always wizards, whichever race or gender they were.

I like the separate title, though. It makes it special.

[fiendennor]

In all fairness, where I'm from, male magic-users are relatively rare. Some call themselves wizards, others call themselves warlocks. Honestly, it seems to be a matter of personal preference.

[trickfoot]

Now we have wizards AND warlocks. Wizards study their magic, while warlocks make a pact with an otherworldly entity to gain their abilities.

There's quite a few magically inclined subtypes, now that I'm thinking about it.

[fiendennor]

So the terms refer to two distinctly different types of magic? ...I must say, "pact with an otherworldly entity" to gain power doesn't exactly sound wise. It sounds like a deal with the devil. Quite literally.

[trickfoot]

Essentially. Both study arcane magics, but a wizard might focus on conjuration spells or divination spells, where a warlock would focus on what their patron gives them.

Well, anything's possible, really. I've heard some devils are quite powerful.

[fiendennor]

"Some devils"? Not just the one singular devil? Are you going to tell me you've met gods as well as devils?

[trickfoot]

I haven't met any devils personally. My friends did when they went to the Nine Hells.

[fiendennor]

I am beginning to get the sense that our worlds are very, very different.

[trickfoot]

Not so much, though! We still have magic.

[fiendennor]

True. There are absolutely points of commonality.
Then again, that seems to be the case with many worlds. There are worlds just like mine.
Down to geopolitics, even.
Except they lack magic.