Inside the Land of Galtimer: All Things Magic Edition

A few of my subscribers occasionally hit me with questions. Carefully wording these answers was particularly difficult. You see, the source of magic in this world is not what most of the inhabitants believe. Without further ado, here are three magic-related questions.

How far can spells go? For instance, would a fireball go on forever, off into space?

If the spell creates an object, the object will act upon regular laws of physics once out of the caster’s magical grasp. For example, if a boulder is launched, it will fly as hard and as far as the caster wills based on the “fuel” spent. Once the magic is exhausted, physics will take over like a rocket once the fuel is spent. If a fireball is thrown, then it will arc and fall the same as any other ball its size. Finally, the spell itself will fade once the energy within it is gone, so a fireball that hits nothing will eventually dissipate.

Does everyone in the world you have built have the ability to perform magic?

The short answer is “yes.” In the world of Galtimer, the “core” of every living creature creates the key ingredient for magic. Some call it a soul, others call it one’s essence. Most Mages refer to it as their “flame” for instance, referring to someone dying by saying “His flame is weak.” It’s scarcely known, but with enough training, anyone is capable of the very lowest-level magic spells. In fact, many people operate magically enchanted runes and devices without knowing that it is they themselves providing the power for the spell.

What makes the Mages stand out from these other people?

As I said earlier, the core of every human creates the fuel for magic. However, not everyone produces this “energy” at the same rate. Sooner or later, those with an abundance will unintentionally perform a feat that will show their propensity for magic. It is then that they are tasked with, at the very least, becoming an Apprentice by gaining minimal knowledge of the arts. One lacking excess “Magical Energy” can still learn to perform magic using the energy around them or the energy stored in items.

If an average person and someone with an abundance were to attend the same school, have the same teachers, and put the same effort into training, they can both potentially become a level two apprentice, but only the well-endowed with excess “magical energy” will display the minimal potential power required to become a Mage. For instance, let’s say both are given the task to, say… levitate a two-ton concrete slab. Both the student with average endowment and the average typical Apprentice, with training, will be able to cast the spell and levitate their concrete slabs… for five seconds. By the sixth second, the first will drop the slab and collapse to their knees in a sweat. The other Apprentice will maintain it and even lift it higher. LaTao, on the other hand, can send that thing into the stratosphere.

Don’t worry. At no point in “Vision of a Kingdom’s Fall” will you be bogged down from long, incantations or explanations of the origins of Magic. Though this world has a deep history and thoroughly developed magic system… it is delivered in bite-sized chunks over the course of several books. It’s a “High-Fantasy World” and system disguised as a simple system. In the beginning, you’ll get the gest of how things work. A few books in, you’ll be able to speculate. Using all the hints and “Easter eggs” I left for you, some might figure it out before I hit the double digits. If you aren't a guesser. By the end of the series, you’ll know the truth… the strange and beautifully twisted truth.

What are your thoughts on my answers? Did they bring more questions to mind? Any guesses on what my twisted twist will be? Please let me know in the comments!