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To preface, this post is meant to elucidate some of the properties of magic: how it exists and functions in the world of Runeterra. For the purposes of this post, I will not go into much depth regarding the complex magics, and will instead primarily refer to the main 3 “streams”. Points will be backed up using reliable sources, Scathlocke being the Head of all things Narrative and Worldbuilding-wise in Lore. That being said, until Riot releases information on Universe or Nexus, (while unlikely) things are liable to change regarding information provided by Rioters in twitter and boards replies, thus should be taken with a grain of salt. submitted by Psyr1x to loreofleague [link] [comments] __________________________________________________________________The Origins of Magic:As Runeterra, an amalgamation of the Spiritual and Material/Physical realms, was created by an unknown race of Celestials using the World Runes, all magic can be said to have roots in the Celestial Realm. While that might make it seem superior, being the originator, think of it more like it fostered the growth of the realms to becoming their own distinct units. In the League of Legends Universe (main), magic exists in three distinct forms: Celestial, Spiritual and Elemental. From there, you have multiple blends and combinations. N.B. The energy produced by those of the Void is NOT magic. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1137415463535693824 __________________________________________________________________Fundamentally, each main stream encompasses specific concepts, one is not inherently better than the other and, to varying extents, each is able to mimic some of the effects of the other:
Magic exists ambiently; flowing as metaphysical rivers and streams throughout the world similar in concept to ley lines. Areas where magic is high in concentration will commonly produce the most number of natural born mages, to the point where it is less likely for one to not possess the ability to use/do magic. The reverse is true for those born in an area where ambient magic is low in concentration. This is evidenced with Ionia and Ixtal, being fonts of Elemental and Spiritual magic respectively, whereas a region like Demacia; surrounded and founded upon magic nullifying petricite, very few mages are produced. https://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2017/04/dev-on-vastayan-evolution/ Each stream of magic flows from an origin source: Celestial magic flows from the Celestial Realm as well as the World Runes, Spiritual Magic originates from the Spiritual Realm, and Elemental Magic from the Physical realm, all suffusing into the material plane. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1229983493188284418Regions where the barriers between realms are weakest and the magic flows strongest are known as “fonts” of magic. Ionia is an example of this in regards to spirit magic. To varying extents, use of each main branch can mirror the other and produce similar effects, even if not strictly the same source/magic type (e.g. all can produce fire). https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1229983493188284418As said before, Ionia is a font of spirit magic. The barriers between the mortal and spirit realm are less distinct, thereby allowing the two to interact in strange, exotic manners. As a result, spirit magic suffuses and saturates the lands of Ionia. However, raw concentrated spirit magic has chaotic, unpredictable effects upon reality, making the environment a dangerous place. As such, humans erected Quinlons in Ionia to restrict and filter the flow of magic from the fonts. Quinlons being man-made magical filters that limit the amount of magic flowing from the spirit realm into Ionia... they also filter out the more chaotic/negative energy, concentrating it into a liquid-like substance (IchoTears). When tattooed upon the skin or consumed, this concentrated negative magic enables the use and manipulation of shadow magic (used to great effect by Zed and his Order). Currently, the agreement between humans and Vastaya has been shattered: The Quinlons are restricting too much magic, and Zed’s Order actively alters some to fuel their shadow magic. The vastaya, requiring magic to live similarly to how we need air to live, are understandably not too ecstatic. https://www.leagueboards.net/thread/8c0b14a1-6a72-420b-a4f7-fe97a02684e2/show-threadhttps://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2017/04/dev-on-vastayan-evolution/ Theoretically, Targon would serve as a font of Celestial magic seeing as the barriers between the mortal and Celestial Realm are thinnest near the peak, thereby allowing the easiest interaction and allowing the magic to suffuse onto the physical plane. A region serving as a font of magic doesn't necessarily mean only that type of magic is present. It just acts as a source. One doesn't have to be on a ley line/stream to do magic... the effects and efficiency just increase with proximity, similar to a wifi/cell signal. As they encompass the entirety of Runeterra, you are almost always guaranteed to have some signal (barring specific scenarios/anomalies.) https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1257086236704960512https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1257098176290410496 __________________________________________________________________How Magic is Used:Anyone and everyone can learn to harness magic, however, not everyone is born with the talent. These lucky individuals are known as mages.https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1159016781278789636From what we’ve seen, mages don't quite generate magic per se, they access what is naturally present, interacting with the ambient magic in the environment rather than directly producing it. More akin to vessels than generators, their strength and aptitude likely depends on how much they can store, channel, shape and emit (as well as restore) at any given time. But, as said by Ryze in “From the Ashes” magic likes to be used, not stored… similar to the air we hold in our lungs… a quite apt comparison that will be explained further below in theory crafting. This is the trend for most mortals. Those born of magic, those with magic WITHIN them, as part of them, often referred to as "magical" beings, are far more attuned to the magic out there in the world, able to interact and shape magic in ways most can’t even begin to fathom due to their intrinsic link. An example being the Vastaya, who are more innately connected to magic, requiring it to live (like how we need to breathe oxygen to survive). Their use of magic still follows the same principle of not being innately generated, yet their connection allows them to perceive and interact with the worlds in exotic ways. The Vastayashai’rei, the ancient ancestors of our modern Vastaya further demonstrate this: Originally mortals, they learnt how to be completely 1:1 between the material and spirit realms, taking in the spirit realm and becoming deathless, manipulating the magics of each realm… effectively becoming “super mages”. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1273305085360005120 The Axiomata is a system solely related to Elemental Magic and its manipulations to varying effects. It serves as a formulaic/diagrammatic system of understanding and manipulating elemental magic inspired by the flow of the natural “currents” of magic but itself isn't one of the flows, merely one understanding. It's a system of teaching and learning elemental magic, akin to studying strict formulas (or Axioms) based on rules. The benefit to it is that anyone can learn it, Ryze's critique of it would be that it limits and restricts magic's potential. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1242485570854465540 In “The Axiomata” (Short Story), a ley line was "tapped" and “swum” through, enabling Aliay to interact with the world in a broader, more encompassing fashion thereby allowing him to see and experience the outside world and glimpse ongoing events outside of Ixtal. In terms of those who seem to directly challenge the established "magic isn't produced innately" principle, in a sense, they don't. Looking at the Aspects (the hosts more so than the actual Celestial Aspects) and the Ascended, they are directly (and indirectly for the Ascended) rigged to the Aspects, thereby serving as conduits and as such, are able to channel their power. Using Leona’s color story, "The Light Bringer" as an example: “Leona let the fire into her blood, feeling the ancient creature merge its essence with hers more completely, becoming one with her senses and gifting her with perceptions not of this world.”and “She reached deep inside herself, drawing on the awesome power from beyond the mountain. The sun emerged from behind its highest peaks as Leona thrust her hand to the light.”On the other hand, we have Syndra who seemingly produces magic. To an extent this is true, what she presumably does still falls in line with the fundamental concept of mages. While not officially shown on the League Universe, if we go by the original version of "The Dreaming Pool", "The Dreaming Cave" (which was edited for clarity and to cut down on length) Instead of being relegated to only using the ambient natural magics of the physical world, Syndra is able to rip magic directly from the Spiritual Realm. “Syndra conjured another dark sphere—all of her bitterness, resentment and anger made manifest. Torn from the spirit realm across the threshold into reality, it hovered above her hand, slowly spinning.” It's something that is unique to her and can be quite dangerous to the natural lands (as we know that pure, concentrated spirit magic flowing can have adverse, chaotic effects.) https://www.leagueboards.net/thread/74fd339a-b9be-4a95-a933-d9c149777e28/show-thread Her magic leaches the lands of the natural, ambient magic, thereby causing something akin to "magical fallout" and irradiating the environment. This implies her magic is flooding and washing out the natural magics of the land… replacing it with hers: Raw, concentrated Spirit magic. We know, from the information about Quinlons, that spirit magic in high concentrations is dangerous and adversely affects the physical realm, particularly when negative. Something further suggested in Syndra’s Biography: ”Such negativity had a strange, unpredictable effect on reality, and Syndra had grown far beyond his ability as a mentor.”And further falls in line with information given to us about Fae’lor in “The Dreaming Pool” and “Sisterhood of War Part 1: Old Wounds” regarding the quality of the lands of the island before and after Syndra’s first and second rampages. The fact that Syndra's mood state mirrors the effect of the Quinlons further substantiates this. __________________________________________________________________ In regards to the specifics of how mages utilize magic (theory work that falls in line with everything we know):https://preview.redd.it/z47osvjxe5751.png?width=770&format=png&auto=webp&s=2cc0054b80e620b420db0c1392adc18081f1cbe0 This is a graph detailing the process of breathing, specifically as it relates to the volume of air present in the lungs at any given time. Tidal Volume is the range of normal, unconscious breathing: The volume inhaled and exhaled normally. As shown in the graph, after breathing out at Tidal Volume (the decline at that level), there's still more air present in your lungs due to them not having fully deflated. Thus, even after breathing out at normal levels)more air may be expelled: Expiratory Reserve Volume. The reverse is true for the process of inhalation: Inhalation at Tidal Volume, then continuing to inhale to reach the Inspiratory Reserve Volume. (Deep breath in-> inspiratory reserve volume, deep breath out-> Expiratory reserve volume)... inhaling and exhaling a lot more air than you will in normal breathing... with the normal breathing level being tidal volume. Big breaths In and Out usually require conscious intent, whereas the Tidal Volume is usually unconsciously regulated. After reaching the Expiratory Reserve Volume, more air still remains in the lungs, known as the Residual Volume. This is almost never accessed and exhaled, requires rigorous intent, and is dangerous to attempt. The total span of these is the Total Lung Capacity. Now, to apply this concept to mages: Most mages seemingly don’t consciously draw upon magic, rather they passively draw in and absorb magic, similar to the tidal volume of breathing. Following this logic, there would remain a base level of magic that "exists" within the mage... This doesn’t mean it is innately produced, it is just a sink that's partially filled. (For comparison, relate it to the Expiratory Reserve Volume.) As such, most mages will only know about emitting magic... not absorbing it, because most of the time, they're just consciously pushing out and manipulating magic, instead of consciously drawing it in. More adept mages know how to consciously draw in more magic than they'd normally have access to, and know how to regulate the intake, use and emission: Ryze in “From the Ashes” is an example of this, displayed when trying to teach Kegan: “You do not create the air you breathe,” the sorcerer said. “You draw it inside you, letting it sustain you. You use it as your body requires, and then release it as you exhale. It is never yours. You are just a vessel for it. You breathe in, you breathe out. You are a channel through which air flows.”And “Therein lies the problem,” his master observed, reading his posture. “I told you the air was not yours, yet you are thrilled with yourself for how long you kept it inside you. It is the same with magic. You want it, believing it can be owned. You cling to it, forgetting that you are merely a channel through which it passes. You choke it in your heart, and in your hands. And so the magic is strangled in your grip, because you see it as something to bind to your will. It is not, and never will be. It is like air. You must draw in what exists around you, use it for a moment, then let it free.” Lissandra, in “Legend of the Frozen Watchers”, is another example: “Summoning every last iota of the ancient magic around her, including that of her allies, she sacrificed everything to seal the rift-between-realms with True Ice, entombing the Watchers within it.” When you try to take a deep breath in, the air eventually starts fighting to get out... the balloon is strained; you can't retain that level and, inevitably, the air escapes. Similarly to Ryze's explanation of why Kegan was failing at storing the magic. From this, I posit what happens with mages around petricite is similar to what happens when you enter a vacuum: Those unaware and not consciously regulating the level of air will have their breath stolen. However, if you are aware, and know about the base concepts of consciously breathing, you will be able to store your air for a period of time before it gets taken. And with training, the level you are able to store, and the duration of which the breath may be held, increases. (You can relate this to holding your breath underwater, you know not to exhale... and if prepared, you know to inhale more than normal and hold your breath.) Petricite nullifies magic by absorbing it, effectively sapping and stealing the mage’s reserves. For those aware of its properties, and adept at manipulating magic, they would be able to “hold their breath” i.e. hold their magic tightly for a short while, enabling them to continue controlled usage of it. An example of this is seen in the Ryze Cinematic, "Call of Power", when Ryze performs magic in the Petricite Forest. It should be noted this isn't a literal 1:1 transition of concepts, it’d likely be much harder to recognize and consciously regulate the levels of magic (as displayed by Kegan), but the fundamental concept would remain the same. To be clear though, this does not speak to the shaping of magic and how it manifests for each mage. How each mage manifests the phenomenon is tied to their ideals and the cultural influences shaping it and to an extent, is ultimately personal: e.g. Lux being tied to "light", and those in The Freljord being more inclined to ice and shamanistic magics etc. As said before, each person's approach to magic is pretty unique... Even within the Yun Tal, there are proficiencies and unique understandings/perspectives of shaping magic, this is what enables them to keep making new axioms and experiment further). To use an example that ties back to the theory proposed, Sylas' innate approach is to be able to see/sense it and copy/take that "template"... Akin to a copiecheater in class who takes someone's homework. If he learned, he likely would have the capacity to do his own crafting of spells/magic. You can consider it the reverse of Lissandra/Ryze... in a sense (theory-wise), he's currently only able to inhale consciously and exhale passively (tidal volume-> Inspiratory Reserve Volume) but not quite able to do it passively. His "tidal volume" is negligible, but his "lungs" are very elastic so can inhale a lot, however, similarly to an untied balloon, would be forced to expel most of the magic once it's not being consciously drawn in. Added to this, there is likely a limit to how much he can take in at any given time, less he risks being overloaded. The Petricite would therefore act as the containeoxygen tank for the magic absorbed... allowing him to access it whenever needed.. whereas without it, he's constantly been shown to immediately use the magic upon absorbing (can't hold it for long...if at all). In regards to why he can't consciously absorb ambient magic, it's likely too diffuse and "unconcentrated"/""unstable", whereas the magic stored in petricite and other mages etc already has a stable template... concentrated in once place, thereby enabling to have a firmer "grasp". Sorta like how u can pick up a block of ice, but doing the same with water or vapor is much harder.... it "slips" out. Relating back to if his base volume is low, but the "elastic potential" of his "vessel" is high, the diffuse magic absorbed wouldn't be much in the first place, plus he hasn't innately adapted an application to shaping the magic himself, so he naturally does what he's best suited to: Inflating his proverbial balloon by filling with the concentrated, stabilized templates of others and emitting it (or storing in the petricite). TLDR on mages, and Scath’s thoughts on the theory: https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1274390411448991746 Relevant Reads on Universe: https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/from-the-ashes/ __________________________________________________________________Flavor of life information regarding entities seemingly comprised of magic: Spirits and Celestials.Spirits:Spirits are the natural denizens of the Spirit Realm, everything that exists upon the physical realm is said to have a spiritual reflection, as learned in Riven's color story, "Seams and Scars". “I’m a mender,” she said as she held the pottery out to a wide-eyed Riven. “No need to replace anything.”The concept of “time” exists differently from how it does in the physical realm… if it exists at all (Evidenced by Bandle City, as well as the Vastaya Forests). Many spirits seemingly start as something primordial, shapeless, and barely sentient before being tied to varying concepts, fundamentally shaping their interaction with the world, as somewhat evidenced by Evelynn and the nature of the Spirit Gods (Spirit gods, if completely forgotten, revert to the state described). It is not known if this is true for all residents of the spirit realm. Yordles are fundamentally different from other spirits encountered. I.e. they are much more physical and “substantial”. The Spirit Realm itself is also comprised of “pocket dimensions” that do not have a physical realm correlation. The Glade is an example of this, the dimension of the Fae (of which Lulu’s companion, Pix, is a part of). It is theorized that Bandle City may be an offshoot of The Glade. When mortals die, their souls are transported to the Spirit Realm, upon whence they’ll be placed in the Afterlife/world. Many "afterlife/afterworld" pocket dimensions exist, Mitna Rachnum (Mordekaiser's death realm) is one of them. Rarely (relatively speaking) do souls make their way into Mordekaiser's realm however. The Shadow Isles deserves mention as the catastrophe that occured warped the rules of the natural worlds, as well as life and death. The raw necromantic (spiritual) magic that suffuses the lands has warped reality and stilled the passage of time. It has become a region of undeath as a result of the trapped souls being unable to truly pass on. Aside from Yordles, the Fae and souls, other spirits exist, those standing out being Demons and Spirit Gods: All demons are spirits, not all spirits are demons. I.e. Demons are a specific type of spirit. (This is for actual demons, not entities that have been labelled demonic despite being of human/physical or even celestial origin.) They subsist and feed on emotions, specifically those that are negative or overabundant to the point of negativity/overindulgence. They also perpetuate these feelings either directly, or indirectly in mortals. E.g. Evelynn feeds on agony and pain, and will seduce then torture people, feeding off of their pain. Tahm Kench on the other hand, subsists on misery resulting from greed, gluttony and addiction. He will tempt the person, and when they fall prey to that, will feed off of them. Demons can feed incrementally or devour the person wholly... sometimes literally, sometimes metaphorically. Generally it ultimately results in the person's death. Spirit Gods are best described as “spiritual embodiments of concepts and cultural ideals”. They are ancient beings granted relevance aeons prior to common mortal existence. They hearken back to when the barriers between realms were ephemeral, thus could gain footholds in the physical plane and mortal cultures. It is theorized that they were originally spirits of certain concepts that managed to link themselves to the culture of mortals, gaining power, form and true sapience due to the increasing worship and cultural attention. Others hypothesize that they themselves were completely “born” of the combined perceptions of a staunch faith. Whatever they may be, it has been noted to be incredibly unlikely for a new Spirit God to form as the conditions of the current worlds do not favor it. Instead it’ll be more likely for an already established entity to fill that attention. Points to note regarding Spirits:
*Nagakabouros has been confirmed to be a Spirit God, born of the Spirit Realm. The true scope of her being is not known beyond being linked with Life, Chaos and Motion. Other examples of Spirit Gods include Kindred, the Freljordian Demigods and Janna. Demons include Fiddlesticks, Raum, Nocturne, Tahm Kench and Evelynn. Celestials: Those of the Celestial Realm are known as Celestials. The antithesis of the Void and its denizens, The Watchers. The Celestial Realm and its inhabitants are heavily centered around creation and maintenance. Not much is known about these timeless entities however they played a key role in the creation of the cosmos as well as Runeterra and its development as a whole. Fate and the celestial machinations guiding mortal existence can be interpreted by looking to the heavens however, to the ire of some, Mortals are not beholden to these preset destinies, and instead often create their own. The Celestials that we know of are Aurelion Sol, his kin, The Aspects, Bard, and Soraka. Aspects are the pure ideals/celestial concepts made “personified”, and will occasionally bind with a mortal host and traverse Runeterra to do whatever work is needed. *(Edited in for clarity:) The Ascended are indirectly rigged to Aspects (celestial concepts). Ascension doesn't necessarily grant them celestial magic, it dramatically magnifies all of their previous traits. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1222583655794524160_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ I see you’ve reached the end, my weary traveler. Feast on some cookies and recoup. In regards to any questions and theories, happy to discuss in the comments. If in relation to the various creatures and their more specific interactions with Magic, The Great Chronicler, Sharjo, is doing a TL;DR on the Races of Runeterra which will likely touch on many of those aspects. So I'll leave that to him. For awesome, quick questions or more in depth conversations with fans of the Lore of League, join the discord server :D https://discord.gg/dYyW6KTThanks for bearing with me! Hope this explained things in a clear manner. |
To preface, this post is meant to elucidate some of the properties of magic in lore: how it exists and functions in the world of Runeterra. For the purposes of this post, I will not go into much depth regarding the complex magics, and will instead primarily refer to the main 3 “streams”. Points will be backed up using reliable sources, Scathlocke being the Head of all things Narrative and Worldbuilding-wise in Lore. That being said, until Riot releases information on Universe or Nexus, (while unlikely) things are liable to change regarding information provided by Rioters in twitter and boards replies, thus should be taken with a grain of salt. submitted by Psyr1x to leagueoflegends [link] [comments] __________________________________________________________________The Origins of Magic:As Runeterra, an amalgamation of the Spiritual and Material/Physical realms, was created by an unknown race of Celestials using the World Runes, all magic can be said to have roots in the Celestial Realm. While that might make it seem superior, being the originator, think of it more like it fostered the growth of the realms to becoming their own distinct units. In the League of Legends Universe (main), magic exists in three distinct forms: Celestial, Spiritual and Elemental. From there, you have multiple blends and combinations. N.B. The energy produced by those of the Void is NOT magic. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1137415463535693824 __________________________________________________________________Fundamentally, each main stream encompasses specific concepts, one is not inherently better than the other and, to varying extents, each is able to mimic some of the effects of the other:
Magic exists ambiently; flowing as metaphysical rivers and streams throughout the world similar in concept to ley lines. Areas where magic is high in concentration will commonly produce the most number of natural born mages, to the point where it is less likely for one to not possess the ability to use/do magic. The reverse is true for those born in an area where ambient magic is low in concentration. This is evidenced with Ionia and Ixtal, being fonts of Elemental and Spiritual magic respectively, whereas a region like Demacia; surrounded and founded upon magic nullifying petricite, very few mages are produced. https://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2017/04/dev-on-vastayan-evolution/ Each stream of magic flows from an origin source: Celestial magic flows from the Celestial Realm as well as the World Runes, Spiritual Magic originates from the Spiritual Realm, and Elemental Magic from the Physical realm, all suffusing into the material plane. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1229983493188284418Regions where the barriers between realms are weakest and the magic flows strongest are known as “fonts” of magic. Ionia is an example of this in regards to spirit magic. To varying extents, use of each main branch can mirror the other and produce similar effects, even if not strictly the same source/magic type (e.g. all can produce fire). As said before, Ionia is a font of spirit magic. The barriers between the mortal and spirit realm are less distinct, thereby allowing the two to interact in strange, exotic manners. As a result, spirit magic suffuses and saturates the lands of Ionia. However, raw concentrated spirit magic has chaotic, unpredictable effects upon reality, making the environment a dangerous place. As such, humans erected Quinlons in Ionia to restrict and filter the flow of magic from the fonts. Quinlons being man-made magical filters that limit the amount of magic flowing from the spirit realm into Ionia... they also filter out the more chaotic/negative energy, concentrating it into a liquid-like substance (IchoTears). When tattooed upon the skin or consumed, this concentrated negative magic enables the use and manipulation of shadow magic (used to great effect by Zed and his Order). Currently, the agreement between humans and Vastaya has been shattered: The Quinlons are restricting too much magic, and Zed’s Order actively alters some to fuel their shadow magic. The vastaya, requiring magic to live similarly to how we need air to live, are understandably not too ecstatic. https://www.leagueboards.net/thread/8c0b14a1-6a72-420b-a4f7-fe97a02684e2/show-threadhttps://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2017/04/dev-on-vastayan-evolution/ Theoretically, Targon would serve as a font of Celestial magic seeing as the barriers between the mortal and Celestial Realm are thinnest near the peak, thereby allowing the easiest interaction and allowing the magic to suffuse onto the physical plane. A region serving as a font of magic doesn't necessarily mean only that type of magic is present. It just acts as a source. One doesn't have to be on a ley line/stream to do magic... the effects and efficiency just increase with proximity, similar to a wifi/cell signal. As they encompass the entirety of Runeterra, you are almost always guaranteed to have some signal (barring specific scenarios/anomalies.) https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1257086236704960512https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1257098176290410496 __________________________________________________________________How Magic is Used:Anyone and everyone can learn to harness magic, however, not everyone is born with the talent. These lucky individuals are known as mages.https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1159016781278789636From what we’ve seen, mages don't quite generate magic per se, they access what is naturally present, interacting with the ambient magic in the environment rather than directly producing it. More akin to vessels than generators, their strength and aptitude likely depends on how much they can store, channel, shape and emit (as well as restore) at any given time. But, as said by Ryze in “From the Ashes” magic likes to be used, not stored… similar to the air we hold in our lungs… a quite apt comparison that will be explained further below in theory crafting. This is the trend for most mortals. Those born of magic, those with magic WITHIN them, as part of them, often referred to as "magical" beings, are far more attuned to the magic out there in the world, able to interact and shape magic in ways most can’t even begin to fathom due to their intrinsic link. An example being the Vastaya, who are more innately connected to magic, requiring it to live (like how we need to breathe oxygen to survive). Their use of magic still follows the same principle of not being innately generated, yet their connection allows them to perceive and interact with the worlds in exotic ways. The Vastayashai’rei, the ancient ancestors of our modern Vastaya further demonstrate this: Originally mortals, they learnt how to be completely 1:1 between the material and spirit realms, taking in the spirit realm and becoming deathless, manipulating the magics of each realm… effectively becoming “super mages”. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1273305085360005120 The Axiomata is a system solely related to Elemental Magic and its manipulations to varying effects. It serves as a formulaic/diagrammatic system of understanding and manipulating elemental magic inspired by the flow of the natural “currents” of magic but itself isn't one of the flows, merely one understanding. It's a system of teaching and learning elemental magic, akin to studying strict formulas (or Axioms) based on rules. The benefit to it is that anyone can learn it, Ryze's critique of it would be that it limits and restricts magic's potential. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1242485570854465540 In “The Axiomata” (Short Story), a ley line was "tapped" and “swum” through, enabling Aliay to interact with the world in a broader, more encompassing fashion thereby allowing him to see and experience the outside world and glimpse ongoing events outside of Ixtal. In terms of those who seem to directly challenge the established "magic isn't produced innately" principle, in a sense, they don't. Looking at the Aspects (the hosts more so than the actual Celestial Aspects) and the Ascended, they are directly (and indirectly for the Ascended) rigged to the Aspects, thereby serving as conduits and as such, are able to channel their power. Using Leona’s color story, "The Light Bringer" as an example: “Leona let the fire into her blood, feeling the ancient creature merge its essence with hers more completely, becoming one with her senses and gifting her with perceptions not of this world.”and “She reached deep inside herself, drawing on the awesome power from beyond the mountain. The sun emerged from behind its highest peaks as Leona thrust her hand to the light.”On the other hand, we have Syndra who seemingly produces magic. To an extent this is true, what she presumably does still falls in line with the fundamental concept of mages. While not officially shown on the League Universe, if we go by the original version of "The Dreaming Pool", "The Dreaming Cave" (which was edited for clarity and to cut down on length) Instead of being relegated to only using the ambient natural magics of the physical world, Syndra is able to rip magic directly from the Spiritual Realm. “Syndra conjured another dark sphere—all of her bitterness, resentment and anger made manifest. Torn from the spirit realm across the threshold into reality, it hovered above her hand, slowly spinning.” It's something that is unique to her and can be quite dangerous to the natural lands (as we know that pure, concentrated spirit magic flowing can have adverse, chaotic effects.) https://www.leagueboards.net/thread/74fd339a-b9be-4a95-a933-d9c149777e28/show-thread Her magic leaches the lands of the natural, ambient magic, thereby causing something akin to "magical fallout" and irradiating the environment. This implies her magic is flooding and washing out the natural magics of the land… replacing it with hers: Raw, concentrated Spirit magic. We know, from the information about Quinlons, that spirit magic in high concentrations is dangerous and adversely affects the physical realm, particularly when negative. Something further suggested in Syndra’s Biography: ”Such negativity had a strange, unpredictable effect on reality, and Syndra had grown far beyond his ability as a mentor.”And further falls in line with information given to us about Fae’lor in “The Dreaming Pool” and “Sisterhood of War Part 1: Old Wounds” regarding the quality of the lands of the island before and after Syndra’s first and second rampages. The fact that Syndra's mood state mirrors the effect of the Quinlons further substantiates this. __________________________________________________________________ In regards to the specifics of how mages utilize magic (theory work that falls in line with everything we know):https://preview.redd.it/cyl0eju0l4751.png?width=512&format=png&auto=webp&s=b5eec68c1033cb9628b72a5b41fa02b3d650676eThis is a graph detailing the process of breathing, specifically as it relates to the volume of air present in the lungs at any given time. Tidal Volume is the range of normal, unconscious breathing: The volume inhaled and exhaled normally. As shown in the graph, after breathing out at Tidal Volume (the decline at that level), there's still more air present in your lungs due to them not having fully deflated. Thus, even after breathing out at normal levels)more air may be expelled: Expiratory Reserve Volume. The reverse is true for the process of inhalation: Inhalation at Tidal Volume, then continuing to inhale to reach the Inspiratory Reserve Volume. (Deep breath in-> inspiratory reserve volume, deep breath out-> Expiratory reserve volume)... inhaling and exhaling a lot more air than you will in normal breathing... with the normal breathing level being tidal volume. Big breaths In and Out usually require conscious intent, whereas the Tidal Volume is usually unconsciously regulated. After reaching the Expiratory Reserve Volume, more air still remains in the lungs, known as the Residual Volume. This is almost never accessed and exhaled, requires rigorous intent, and is dangerous to attempt. The total span of these is the Total Lung Capacity. Now, to apply this concept to mages: Most mages seemingly don’t consciously draw upon magic, rather they passively draw in and absorb magic, similar to the tidal volume of breathing. Following this logic, there would remain a base level of magic that "exists" within the mage... This doesn’t mean it is innately produced, it is just a sink that's partially filled. (For comparison, relate it to the Expiratory Reserve Volume.) As such, most mages will only know about emitting magic... not absorbing it, because most of the time, they're just consciously pushing out and manipulating magic, instead of consciously drawing it in. More adept mages know how to consciously draw in more magic than they'd normally have access to, and know how to regulate the intake, use and emission: Ryze in “From the Ashes” is an example of this, displayed when trying to teach Kegan: “You do not create the air you breathe,” the sorcerer said. “You draw it inside you, letting it sustain you. You use it as your body requires, and then release it as you exhale. It is never yours. You are just a vessel for it. You breathe in, you breathe out. You are a channel through which air flows.”And “Therein lies the problem,” his master observed, reading his posture. “I told you the air was not yours, yet you are thrilled with yourself for how long you kept it inside you. It is the same with magic. You want it, believing it can be owned. You cling to it, forgetting that you are merely a channel through which it passes. You choke it in your heart, and in your hands. And so the magic is strangled in your grip, because you see it as something to bind to your will. It is not, and never will be. It is like air. You must draw in what exists around you, use it for a moment, then let it free.” Lissandra, in “Legend of the Frozen Watchers”, is another example: “Summoning every last iota of the ancient magic around her, including that of her allies, she sacrificed everything to seal the rift-between-realms with True Ice, entombing the Watchers within it.” When you try to take a deep breath in, the air eventually starts fighting to get out... the balloon is strained; you can't retain that level and, inevitably, the air escapes. Similarly to Ryze's explanation of why Kegan was failing at storing the magic. From this, I posit what happens with mages around petricite is similar to what happens when you enter a vacuum: Those unaware and not consciously regulating the level of air will have their breath stolen. However, if you are aware, and know about the base concepts of consciously breathing, you will be able to store your air for a period of time before it gets taken. And with training, the level you are able to store, and the duration of which the breath may be held, increases. (You can relate this to holding your breath underwater, you know not to exhale... and if prepared, you know to inhale more than normal and hold your breath.) Petricite nullifies magic by absorbing it, effectively sapping and stealing the mage’s reserves. For those aware of its properties, and adept at manipulating magic, they would be able to “hold their breath” i.e. hold their magic tightly for a short while, enabling them to continue controlled usage of it. An example of this is seen in the Ryze Cinematic, "Call of Power", when Ryze performs magic in the Petricite Forest. It should be noted this isn't a literal 1:1 transition of concepts, it’d likely be much harder to recognize and consciously regulate the levels of magic (as displayed by Kegan), but the fundamental concept would remain the same. To be clear though, this does not speak to the shaping of magic and how it manifests for each mage. How each mage manifests the phenomenon is tied to their ideals and the cultural influences shaping it and to an extent, is ultimately personal: e.g. Lux being tied to "light", and those in The Freljord being more inclined to ice and shamanistic magics etc. As said before, each person's approach to magic is pretty unique... Even within the Yun Tal, there are proficiencies and unique understandings/perspectives of shaping magic, this is what enables them to keep making new axioms and experiment further). To use an example that ties back to the theory proposed, Sylas' innate approach is to be able to see/sense it and copy/take that "template"... Akin to a copiecheater in class who takes someone's homework. If he learned, he likely would have the capacity to do his own crafting of spells/magic. You can consider it the reverse of Lissandra/Ryze... in a sense (theory-wise), he's currently only able to inhale consciously and exhale passively (tidal volume-> Inspiratory Reserve Volume) but not quite able to do it passively. His "tidal volume" is negligible, but his "lungs" are very elastic so can inhale a lot, however, similarly to an untied balloon, would be forced to expel most of the magic once it's not being consciously drawn in. Added to this, there is likely a limit to how much he can take in at any given time, less he risks being overloaded. The Petricite would therefore act as the containeoxygen tank for the magic absorbed... allowing him to access it whenever needed.. whereas without it, he's constantly been shown to immediately use the magic upon absorbing (can't hold it for long...if at all). In regards to why he can't consciously absorb ambient magic, it's likely too diffuse and "unconcentrated"/""unstable", whereas the magic stored in petricite and other mages etc already has a stable template... concentrated in once place, thereby enabling to have a firmer "grasp". Sorta like how u can pick up a block of ice, but doing the same with water or vapor is much harder.... it "slips" out. Relating back to if his base volume is low, but the "elastic potential" of his "vessel" is high, the diffuse magic absorbed wouldn't be much in the first place, plus he hasn't innately adapted an application to shaping the magic himself, so he naturally does what he's best suited to: Inflating his proverbial balloon by filling with the concentrated, stabilized templates of others and emitting it (or storing in the petricite). TLDR on mages, and Scath’s thoughts on the theory: https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1274390411448991746 Relevant Reads on Universe: https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/from-the-ashes/ __________________________________________________________________Flavor of life information regarding entities seemingly comprised of magic: Spirits and Celestials.Spirits:Spirits are the natural denizens of the Spirit Realm, everything that exists upon the physical realm is said to have a spiritual reflection, as learned in Riven's color story, "Seams and Scars". “I’m a mender,” she said as she held the pottery out to a wide-eyed Riven. “No need to replace anything.”The concept of “time” exists differently from how it does in the physical realm… if it exists at all (Evidenced by Bandle City, as well as the Vastaya Forests). Many spirits seemingly start as something primordial, shapeless, and barely sentient before being tied to varying concepts, fundamentally shaping their interaction with the world, as somewhat evidenced by Evelynn and the nature of the Spirit Gods (Spirit gods, if completely forgotten, revert to the state described). It is not known if this is true for all residents of the spirit realm. Yordles are fundamentally different from other spirits encountered. I.e. they are much more physical and “substantial”. The Spirit Realm itself is also comprised of “pocket dimensions” that do not have a physical realm correlation. The Glade is an example of this, the dimension of the Fae (of which Lulu’s companion, Pix, is a part of). It is theorized that Bandle City may be an offshoot of The Glade. When mortals die, their souls are transported to the Spirit Realm, upon whence they’ll be placed in the Afterlife/world. Many "afterlife/afterworld" pocket dimensions exist, Mitna Rachnum (Mordekaiser's death realm) is one of them. Rarely (relatively speaking) do souls make their way into Mordekaiser's realm however. The Shadow Isles deserves mention as the catastrophe that occurred warped the rules of the natural worlds, as well as life and death. The raw necromantic (spiritual) magic that suffuses the lands has warped reality and stilled the passage of time. It has become a region of undeath as a result of the trapped souls being unable to truly pass on. Aside from Yordles, the Fae and souls, other spirits exist, those standing out being Demons and Spirit Gods: All demons are spirits, not all spirits are demons. I.e. Demons are a specific type of spirit. (This is for actual demons, not entities that have been labelled demonic despite being of human/physical or even celestial origin.) They subsist and feed on emotions, specifically those that are negative or overabundant to the point of negativity/overindulgence. They also perpetuate these feelings either directly, or indirectly in mortals. E.g. Evelynn feeds on agony and pain, and will seduce then torture people, feeding off of their pain. Tahm Kench on the other hand, subsists on misery resulting from greed, gluttony and addiction. He will tempt the person, and when they fall prey to that, will feed off of them. Demons can feed incrementally or devour the person wholly... sometimes literally, sometimes metaphorically. Generally it ultimately results in the person's death. Spirit Gods are best described as “spiritual embodiments of concepts and cultural ideals”. They are ancient beings granted relevance aeons prior to common mortal existence. They hearken back to when the barriers between realms were ephemeral, thus could gain footholds in the physical plane and mortal cultures. It is theorized that they were originally spirits of certain concepts that managed to link themselves to the culture of mortals, gaining power, form and true sapience due to the increasing worship and cultural attention. Others hypothesize that they themselves were completely “born” of the combined perceptions of a staunch faith. Whatever they may be, it has been noted to be incredibly unlikely for a new Spirit God to form as the conditions of the current worlds do not favor it. Instead it’ll be more likely for an already established entity to fill that attention. Points to note regarding Spirits:
*Nagakabouros has been confirmed to be a Spirit God, born of the Spirit Realm. The true scope of her being is not known beyond being linked with Life, Chaos and Motion. Other examples of Spirit Gods include Kindred, the Freljordian Demigods and Janna. Demons include Fiddlesticks, Raum, Nocturne, Tahm Kench and Evelynn. Celestials: Those of the Celestial Realm are known as Celestials. The antithesis of the Void and its denizens, The Watchers. The Celestial Realm and its inhabitants are heavily centered around creation and maintenance. Not much is known about these timeless entities however they played a key role in the creation of the cosmos as well as Runeterra and its development as a whole. Fate and the celestial machinations guiding mortal existence can be interpreted by looking to the heavens however, to the ire of some, Mortals are not beholden to these preset destinies, and instead often create their own. The Celestials that we know of are Aurelion Sol, his kin, The Aspects, Bard, and Soraka. Aspects are the pure ideals/celestial concepts made “personified”, and will occasionally bind with a mortal host and traverse Runeterra to do whatever work is needed. *(Edited in for clarity:) The Ascended are indirectly rigged to Aspects (celestial concepts). Ascension doesn't necessarily grant them celestial magic, it dramatically magnifies all of their previous traits. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1222583655794524160_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ I see you’ve reached the end, my weary traveler. Feast on some cookies and recoup. In regards to any questions and theories, happy to discuss in the comments. If in relation to the various creatures and their more specific interactions with Magic, The Great Chronicler, Sharjo, is doing a TL;DR on the Races of Runeterra which will likely touch on many of those aspects. So I'll leave that to him. For awesome, quick questions or more in depth conversations with fans of the Lore of League, join the discord server :D https://discord.gg/dYyW6KTThanks for bearing with me! Hope this explained things in a clear manner. |
To preface, this post is meant to elucidate some of the properties of magic in lore: how it exists and functions in the world of Runeterra. For the purposes of this post, I will not go into much depth regarding the complex magics, and will instead primarily refer to the main 3 “streams”. Points will be backed up using reliable sources, Scathlocke being the Head of all things Narrative and Worldbuilding-wise in Lore. That being said, until Riot releases information on Universe or Nexus, (while unlikely) things are liable to change regarding information provided by Rioters in twitter and boards replies, thus should be taken with a grain of salt. submitted by Psyr1x to loreofruneterra [link] [comments] __________________________________________________________________The Origins of Magic:As Runeterra, an amalgamation of the Spiritual and Material/Physical realms, was created by an unknown race of Celestials using the World Runes, all magic can be said to have roots in the Celestial Realm. While that might make it seem superior, being the originator, think of it more like it fostered the growth of the realms to becoming their own distinct units.In the League of Legends Universe (main), magic exists in three distinct forms: Celestial, Spiritual and Elemental. From there, you have multiple blends and combinations. N.B. The energy produced by those of the Void is NOT magic. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1137415463535693824 __________________________________________________________________Fundamentally, each main stream encompasses specific concepts, one is not inherently better than the other and, to varying extents, each is able to mimic some of the effects of the other:
Magic exists ambiently; flowing as metaphysical rivers and streams throughout the world similar in concept to ley lines. Areas where magic is high in concentration will commonly produce the most number of natural born mages, to the point where it is less likely for one to not possess the ability to use/do magic. The reverse is true for those born in an area where ambient magic is low in concentration. This is evidenced with Ionia and Ixtal, being fonts of Elemental and Spiritual magic respectively, whereas a region like Demacia; surrounded and founded upon magic nullifying petricite, very few mages are produced. https://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2017/04/dev-on-vastayan-evolution/ Each stream of magic flows from an origin source: Celestial magic flows from the Celestial Realm as well as the World Runes, Spiritual Magic originates from the Spiritual Realm, and Elemental Magic from the Physical realm, all suffusing into the material plane. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1229983493188284418 Regions where the barriers between realms are weakest and the magic flows strongest are known as “fonts” of magic. Ionia is an example of this in regards to spirit magic. To varying extents, use of each main branch can mirror the other and produce similar effects, even if not strictly the same source/magic type (e.g. all can produce fire). As said before, Ionia is a font of spirit magic. The barriers between the mortal and spirit realm are less distinct, thereby allowing the two to interact in strange, exotic manners. As a result, spirit magic suffuses and saturates the lands of Ionia. However, raw concentrated spirit magic has chaotic, unpredictable effects upon reality, making the environment a dangerous place. As such, humans erected Quinlons in Ionia to restrict and filter the flow of magic from the fonts. Quinlons being man-made magical filters that limit the amount of magic flowing from the spirit realm into Ionia... they also filter out the more chaotic/negative energy, concentrating it into a liquid-like substance (IchoTears). When tattooed upon the skin or consumed, this concentrated negative magic enables the use and manipulation of shadow magic (used to great effect by Zed and his Order). Currently, the agreement between humans and Vastaya has been shattered: The Quinlons are restricting too much magic, and Zed’s Order actively alters some to fuel their shadow magic. The vastaya, requiring magic to live similarly to how we need air to live, are understandably not too ecstatic. https://www.leagueboards.net/thread/8c0b14a1-6a72-420b-a4f7-fe97a02684e2/show-threadhttps://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2017/04/dev-on-vastayan-evolution/Theoretically, Targon would serve as a font of Celestial magic seeing as the barriers between the mortal and Celestial Realm are thinnest near the peak, thereby allowing the easiest interaction and allowing the magic to suffuse onto the physical plane. A region serving as a font of magic doesn't necessarily mean only that type of magic is present. It just acts as a source. One doesn't have to be on a ley line/stream to do magic... the effects and efficiency just increase with proximity, similar to a wifi/cell signal. As they encompass the entirety of Runeterra, you are almost always guaranteed to have some signal (barring specific scenarios/anomalies.) https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1257086236704960512https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1257098176290410496 __________________________________________________________________How Magic is Used:Anyone and everyone can learn to harness magic, however, not everyone is born with the talent. These lucky individuals are known as mages.https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1159016781278789636From what we’ve seen, mages don't quite generate magic per se, they access what is naturally present, interacting with the ambient magic in the environment rather than directly producing it. More akin to vessels than generators, their strength and aptitude likely depends on how much they can store, channel, shape and emit (as well as restore) at any given time. But, as said by Ryze in “From the Ashes” magic likes to be used, not stored… similar to the air we hold in our lungs… a quite apt comparison that will be explained further below in theory crafting. This is the trend for most mortals. Those born of magic, those with magic WITHIN them, as part of them, often referred to as "magical" beings, are far more attuned to the magic out there in the world, able to interact and shape magic in ways most can’t even begin to fathom due to their intrinsic link. An example being the Vastaya, who are more innately connected to magic, requiring it to live (like how we need to breathe oxygen to survive). Their use of magic still follows the same principle of not being innately generated, yet their connection allows them to perceive and interact with the worlds in exotic ways. The Vastayashai’rei, the ancient ancestors of our modern Vastaya further demonstrate this: Originally mortals, they learnt how to be completely 1:1 between the material and spirit realms, taking in the spirit realm and becoming deathless, manipulating the magics of each realm… effectively becoming “super mages”. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1273305085360005120 The Axiomata is a system solely related to Elemental Magic and its manipulations to varying effects. It serves as a formulaic/diagrammatic system of understanding and manipulating elemental magic inspired by the flow of the natural “currents” of magic but itself isn't one of the flows, merely one understanding. It's a system of teaching and learning elemental magic, akin to studying strict formulas (or Axioms) based on rules. The benefit to it is that anyone can learn it, Ryze's critique of it would be that it limits and restricts magic's potential. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1242485570854465540In “The Axiomata” (Short Story), a ley line was "tapped" and “swum” through, enabling Aliay to interact with the world in a broader, more encompassing fashion thereby allowing him to see and experience the outside world and glimpse ongoing events outside of Ixtal. In terms of those who seem to directly challenge the established "magic isn't produced innately" principle, in a sense, they don't. Looking at the Aspects (the hosts more so than the actual Celestial Aspects) and the Ascended, they are directly (and indirectly for the Ascended) rigged to the Aspects, thereby serving as conduits and as such, are able to channel their power. Using Leona’s color story, "The Light Bringer" as an example: “Leona let the fire into her blood, feeling the ancient creature merge its essence with hers more completely, becoming one with her senses and gifting her with perceptions not of this world.”and “She reached deep inside herself, drawing on the awesome power from beyond the mountain. The sun emerged from behind its highest peaks as Leona thrust her hand to the light.” On the other hand, we have Syndra who seemingly produces magic. To an extent this is true, what she presumably does still falls in line with the fundamental concept of mages. While not officially shown on the League Universe, if we go by the original version of "The Dreaming Pool", "The Dreaming Cave" (which was edited for clarity and to cut down on length) Instead of being relegated to only using the ambient natural magics of the physical world, Syndra is able to rip magic directly from the Spiritual Realm. “Syndra conjured another dark sphere—all of her bitterness, resentment and anger made manifest. Torn from the spirit realm across the threshold into reality, it hovered above her hand, slowly spinning.”It's something that is unique to her and can be quite dangerous to the natural lands (as we know that pure, concentrated spirit magic flowing can have adverse, chaotic effects.) https://www.leagueboards.net/thread/74fd339a-b9be-4a95-a933-d9c149777e28/show-threadHer magic leaches the lands of the natural, ambient magic, thereby causing something akin to "magical fallout" and irradiating the environment. This implies her magic is flooding and washing out the natural magics of the land… replacing it with hers: Raw, concentrated Spirit magic. We know, from the information about Quinlons, that spirit magic in high concentrations is dangerous and adversely affects the physical realm, particularly when negative. Something further suggested in Syndra’s Biography: ”Such negativity had a strange, unpredictable effect on reality, and Syndra had grown far beyond his ability as a mentor.”And further falls in line with information given to us about Fae’lor in “The Dreaming Pool” and “Sisterhood of War Part 1: Old Wounds” regarding the quality of the lands of the island before and after Syndra’s first and second rampages. The fact that Syndra's mood state mirrors the effect of the Quinlons further substantiates this. __________________________________________________________________In regards to the specifics of how mages utilize magic (theory work that falls in line with everything we know):https://preview.redd.it/jjzkxm9gwud51.png?width=770&format=png&auto=webp&s=ffd090eed5d8322403af7a85462e025aa99fd724 This is a graph detailing the process of breathing, specifically as it relates to the volume of air present in the lungs at any given time. Tidal Volume is the range of normal, unconscious breathing: The volume inhaled and exhaled normally. As shown in the graph, after breathing out at Tidal Volume (the decline at that level), there's still more air present in your lungs due to them not having fully deflated. Thus, even after breathing out at normal levels)more air may be expelled: Expiratory Reserve Volume. The reverse is true for the process of inhalation: Inhalation at Tidal Volume, then continuing to inhale to reach the Inspiratory Reserve Volume. (Deep breath in-> inspiratory reserve volume, deep breath out-> Expiratory reserve volume)... Inhaling and exhaling a lot more air than you will in normal breathing... with the normal breathing level being tidal volume. Big breaths In and Out usually require conscious intent, whereas the Tidal Volume is usually unconsciously regulated. After reaching the Expiratory Reserve Volume, more air still remains in the lungs, known as the Residual Volume. This is almost never accessed and exhaled, requires rigorous intent, and is dangerous to attempt. The total span of these is the Total Lung Capacity. Now, to apply this concept to mages: Most mages seemingly don’t consciously draw upon magic, rather they passively draw in and absorb magic, similar to the tidal volume of breathing. Following this logic, there would remain a base level of magic that "exists" within the mage... This doesn’t mean it is innately produced, it is just a sink that's partially filled. (For comparison, relate it to the Expiratory Reserve Volume.) As such, most mages will only know about emitting magic... not absorbing it, because most of the time, they're just consciously pushing out and manipulating magic, instead of consciously drawing it in. More adept mages know how to consciously draw in more magic than they'd normally have access to, and know how to regulate the intake, use and emission: Ryze in “From the Ashes” is an example of this, displayed when trying to teach Kegan: “You do not create the air you breathe,” the sorcerer said. “You draw it inside you, letting it sustain you. You use it as your body requires, and then release it as you exhale. It is never yours. You are just a vessel for it. You breathe in, you breathe out. You are a channel through which air flows.”And "Therein lies the problem,” his master observed, reading his posture. “I told you the air was not yours, yet you are thrilled with yourself for how long you kept it inside you. It is the same with magic. You want it, believing it can be owned. You cling to it, forgetting that you are merely a channel through which it passes. You choke it in your heart, and in your hands. And so the magic is strangled in your grip, because you see it as something to bind to your will. It is not, and never will be. It is like air. You must draw in what exists around you, use it for a moment, then let it free.” Lissandra, in “Legend of the Frozen Watchers”, is another example: “Summoning every last iota of the ancient magic around her, including that of her allies, she sacrificed everything to seal the rift-between-realms with True Ice, entombing the Watchers within it.” When you try to take a deep breath in, the air eventually starts fighting to get out... the balloon is strained; you can't retain that level and, inevitably, the air escapes. Similarly to Ryze's explanation of why Kegan was failing at storing the magic. From this, I posit what happens with mages around petricite is similar to what happens when you enter a vacuum: Those unaware and not consciously regulating the level of air will have their breath stolen. However, if you are aware, and know about the base concepts of consciously breathing, you will be able to store your air for a period of time before it gets taken. And with training, the level you are able to store, and the duration of which the breath may be held, increases. (You can relate this to holding your breath underwater, you know not to exhale... and if prepared, you know to inhale more than normal and hold your breath.) Petricite nullifies magic by absorbing it, effectively sapping and stealing the mage’s reserves. For those aware of its properties, and adept at manipulating magic, they would be able to “hold their breath” i.e. hold their magic tightly for a short while, enabling them to continue controlled usage of it. An example of this is seen in the Ryze Cinematic, "Call of Power", when Ryze performs magic in the Petricite Forest. It should be noted this isn't a literal 1:1 transition of concepts, it’d likely be much harder to recognize and consciously regulate the levels of magic (as displayed by Kegan), but the fundamental concept would remain the same. To be clear though, this does not speak to the shaping of magic and how it manifests for each mage. How each mage manifests the phenomenon is tied to their ideals and the cultural influences shaping it and to an extent, is ultimately personal: e.g. Lux being tied to "light", and those in The Freljord being more inclined to ice and shamanistic magics etc. As said before, each person's approach to magic is pretty unique... Even within the Yun Tal, there are proficiencies and unique understandings/perspectives of shaping magic, this is what enables them to keep making new axioms and experiment further). To use an example that ties back to the theory proposed, Sylas' innate approach is to be able to see/sense it and copy/take that "template"... Akin to a copiecheater in class who takes someone's homework. If he learned, he likely would have the capacity to do his own crafting of spells/magic. You can consider it the reverse of Lissandra/Ryze... in a sense (theory-wise), he's currently only able to inhale consciously and exhale passively (tidal volume-> Inspiratory Reserve Volume) but not quite able to do it passively. His "tidal volume" is negligible, but his "lungs" are very elastic so can inhale a lot, however, similarly to an untied balloon, would be forced to expel most of the magic once it's not being consciously drawn in. Added to this, there is likely a limit to how much he can take in at any given time, less he risks being overloaded. The Petricite would therefore act as the containeoxygen tank for the magic absorbed... allowing him to access it whenever needed.. whereas without it, he's constantly been shown to immediately use the magic upon absorbing (can't hold it for long...if at all). In regards to why he can't consciously absorb ambient magic, it's likely too diffuse and "unconcentrated"/""unstable", whereas the magic stored in petricite and other mages etc already has a stable template... concentrated in once place, thereby enabling to have a firmer "grasp". Sorta like how u can pick up a block of ice, but doing the same with water or vapor is much harder.... it "slips" out. Relating back to if his base volume is low, but the "elastic potential" of his "vessel" is high, the diffuse magic absorbed wouldn't be much in the first place, plus he hasn't innately adapted an application to shaping the magic himself, so he naturally does what he's best suited to: Inflating his proverbial balloon by filling with the concentrated, stabilized templates of others and emitting it (or storing in the petricite). TL;DR on mages, and Scath’s thoughts on the theory: https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1274390411448991746https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1274401745242738688 Relevant Reads on Universe: https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/from-the-ashes/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_GB/story/axiomata/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/leona-color-story/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/champion/syndra/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/the-dreaming-pool/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/ahri-colohttps://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/legend-of-the-frozen-watchers/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/race/vastaya/https://www.reddit.com/syndramains/comments/8zpvyx/the_dreaming_cave_short_story_text_for_those_that/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/for-demacia/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/flesh-and-stone/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/galio-color-story/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/shackles-of-belief/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_us/story/demacian-hearthttps://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/xayah-color-story/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/sisterhood-of-war-i/https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/sisterhood-of-war-ii/ __________________________________________________________________Flavor of life information regarding entities seemingly comprised of magic: Spirits and Celestials.Spirits:Spirits are the natural denizens of the Spirit Realm, everything that exists upon the physical realm is said to have a spiritual reflection, as learned in Riven's color story, "Seams and Scars". “I’m a mender,” she said as she held the pottery out to a wide-eyed Riven. “No need to replace anything.”The concept of “time” exists differently from how it does in the physical realm… if it exists at all (Evidenced by Bandle City, as well as the Vastaya Forests). Many spirits seemingly start as something primordial, shapeless, and barely sentient before being tied to varying concepts, fundamentally shaping their interaction with the world, as somewhat evidenced by Evelynn and the nature of the Spirit Gods (Spirit gods, if completely forgotten, revert to the state described). It is not known if this is true for all residents of the spirit realm. Yordles are fundamentally different from other spirits encountered. I.e. they are much more physical and “substantial”. The Spirit Realm itself is also comprised of “pocket dimensions” that do not have a physical realm correlation. The Glade is an example of this, the dimension of the Fae (of which Lulu’s companion, Pix, is a part of). It is theorized that Bandle City may be an offshoot of The Glade. When mortals die, their souls are transported to the Spirit Realm, upon whence they’ll be placed in the Afterlife/world. Many "afterlife/afterworld" pocket dimensions exist, Mitna Rachnum (Mordekaiser's death realm) is one of them. Rarely (relatively speaking) do souls make their way into Mordekaiser's realm however. The Shadow Isles deserves mention as the catastrophe that occurred warped the rules of the natural worlds, as well as life and death. The raw necromantic (spiritual) magic that suffuses the lands has warped reality and stilled the passage of time. It has become a region of undeath as a result of the trapped souls being unable to truly pass on. Aside from Yordles, the Fae and souls, other spirits exist, those standing out being Demons and Spirit Gods: All demons are spirits, not all spirits are demons. I.e. Demons are a specific type of spirit. (This is for actual demons, not entities that have been labelled demonic despite being of human/physical or even celestial origin.) They subsist and feed on emotions, specifically those that are negative or overabundant to the point of negativity/overindulgence. They also perpetuate these feelings either directly, or indirectly in mortals. E.g. Evelynn feeds on agony and pain, and will seduce then torture people, feeding off of their pain. Tahm Kench on the other hand, subsists on misery resulting from greed, gluttony and addiction. He will tempt the person, and when they fall prey to that, will feed off of them. Demons can feed incrementally or devour the person wholly... sometimes literally, sometimes metaphorically. Generally it ultimately results in the person's death. Spirit Gods are best described as “spiritual embodiments of concepts and cultural ideals”. They are ancient beings granted relevance aeons prior to common mortal existence. They hearken back to when the barriers between realms were ephemeral, thus could gain footholds in the physical plane and mortal cultures. It is theorized that they were originally spirits of certain concepts that managed to link themselves to the culture of mortals, gaining power, form and true sapience due to the increasing worship and cultural attention. Others hypothesize that they themselves were completely “born” of the combined perceptions of a staunch faith. Whatever they may be, it has been noted to be incredibly unlikely for a new Spirit God to form as the conditions of the current worlds do not favor it. Instead it’ll be more likely for an already established entity to fill that attention. Points to note regarding Spirits:
*Nagakabouros has been confirmed to be a Spirit God, born of the Spirit Realm. The true scope of her being is not known beyond being linked to the concepts of Life, Chaos and Motion. Other examples of Spirit Gods include Kindred, the Freljordian Demigods and Janna. Demons include Fiddlesticks, Raum, Nocturne, Tahm Kench and Evelynn. Celestials: Those of the Celestial Realm are known as Celestials. The antithesis of the Void and its denizens, The Watchers. The Celestial Realm and its inhabitants are heavily centered around creation and maintenance. Not much is known about these timeless entities however they played a key role in the creation of the cosmos as well as Runeterra and its development as a whole. Fate and the celestial machinations guiding mortal existence can be interpreted by looking to the heavens however, to the ire of some, Mortals are not beholden to these preset destinies, and instead often create their own. The Celestials that we know of are Aurelion Sol, his kin, The Aspects, Bard, and Soraka. Aspects are the pure ideals/celestial concepts made “personified”, and will occasionally bind with a mortal host and traverse Runeterra to do whatever work is needed. *(Edited in for clarity:) The Ascended are indirectly rigged to Aspects (celestial concepts). Ascension doesn't necessarily grant them celestial magic, it dramatically magnifies all of their previous traits. https://twitter.com/LaurieGoulding/status/1222583655794524160_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ I see you’ve reached the end, my weary traveler. Feast on some cookies and recoup. In regards to any questions and theories, happy to discuss in the comments. If in relation to the various creatures and their more specific interactions with Magic, The Great Chronicler, Sharjo, is doing a TL;DR on the Races of Runeterra which will likely touch on many of those aspects. So I'll leave that to him. For awesome, quick questions or more in depth conversations with fans of the Lore of League, join the discord server :D https://discord.gg/dYyW6KTThanks for bearing with me! Hope this explained things in a clear manner. |
"Death is a neighbor to be feared. Life is kin to be dreaded. Agony abides with light...fury and shame dwell in shadow...in their illustrious presence, I simply...consume a single leaf from the garden..."
submitted by dourdan to BarryPepper [link] [comments] Welcome to my novel, inspired by Barry Pepper's role in Crawl (2019) Chapter 1: Envy, Wrath Nobody ever imagines themselves as a victim. I certainly didn't. I admit I was kind of a cocky little shit so maybe I deserved to be here: half-naked in a swamp with a bullet in my chest. I think there was also a bullet in my head, either that or I cracked my skull on something while in the process of crawling out of my makeshift grave. "I am Army Master Sergeant Adam Severgine," I said out loud to no one. I needed to remain conscious, I needed to survive. This was no different from a deployment. Except instead of fighting for my country, for the chance to prove myself, I was fighting to dig myself out of a shithole of my own creation. "I am Adam Severgine, husband, father...addict." Tears filled my eyes. My wife and daughter were miles away in Biloxi, Mississippi. I had no fear of death and dying but eventually, they would find out how badly I fucked up. I lost thousands of dollars in gambling, booze, heroin, meth. I should have just gotten out when I had the chance. Instead, I turned tricks, ran drugs; I became a bitch to avoid becoming a bitch. The idea made me laugh. "Ow..." Fuck, I'm going to die. "No, you're not." The male voice sounded calm, serene. "Do you even know where you are?" ‘I know I'm imagining you, whatever the fuck you are.’ "Because the mighty Master Sergeant Adam could never be communicating with an angel," the voice said with a laugh. The grass in front of me started to blow in the wind. \swish* *crunch* *swish* *crunch** The blades of grass seemed to grow taller, their shadows forming the shape of a man with long wavy hair. "Is that what you are?" I asked with a chuckle. A sharp pain struck my side; I definitely had broken ribs. As the angel came closer, he seemed to materialize into a mortal form; olive skin, green eyes, and hair that seemed to be streaked with red, blue, purple and gold. "What do you think I am?" "You kind of look like the Lord, Jesus Christ," I said, my voice starting to slur into a southern accent as I felt my mind drifting away. The angel laughed as he ran his fingers through his rainbow hair. "I'll take that as a compliment." He then reached over his shoulder and pulled on a golden cloak out of thin air. "Are you ready to go?" "Go where?" The angel shrugged. "Does it matter?" "I guess not." Any place had to be better than dying alone in the swamp. The angel reached out his hand. "You can call me Leo." I took his hand, as I did, a series of letters flashed before my eyes; 'E-N-V-Y.' The letters were in thick black font as if someone was throwing them at my face. But why 'envy'? I jolt awake, in full uniform, outside of a commander's office. I had been here before but where was I? "Come in," said a female voice. I knew who it was; Lt General Allyssa Blake. I was back at my station in Alaska. Still afraid of how the hell I managed to travel back in time I took a breath and entered the office giving the appropriate salute. The much younger woman had blonde hair, light blue eyes, and lips that made me dream of what she looked like out of uniform. "At ease," she said with her soft breathy voice. She returned the salute and motioned for me to take a seat. Allyssa never sounded like an officer. She gave off ASMR, that tingly feeling down your spine. She was pageant-queen beautiful, brilliant, but more than anything she was kind. Her wonderful heart was the only thing keeping me from bending her over the desk and fucking her brains out. Sat down, focusing my eyes on the floor. I at least knew what this meeting was about. "Thank you for meeting with me Ma'am." "Of course, Sergeant. Do you still want the transfer?" Was this a memory or a test? "The transfer to Mississippi?" "Yes, unless there was another position you were interested in pursuing." "Sorry, I'm just a little one edge as of late. I apologize for the nature of my request I-" My daughter was sick, my wife was cheating on me because she was 'lonely.' I needed to be home, to reclaim my family. "Hey," she stood up and took my hand. "I love you, Adam. You're a good guy. You're going to go home and you're going to fix this. I already have a replacement lined up." "You do?" This part was new. I never stuck around to learn who she put in my position. "Lawrence will take over." "Lawrence Heath?" Lawrence Heath was an Air Force liaison officer. He had more training and education then I did so from a technical standpoint he was a good choice. But he was also Alyssa's ex who transferred to Japan after she miscarried their son. "He wants to marry me," her voice was so angelic, calm. Time stood still. I can feel a sharp pain in my chest. "Leo? Please tell me this is a dream." Leo placed his hand upon my shoulder. "What do you remember about Lawrence?" "H-He never actually hurt her." "Alyssa miscarried in the middle of the office. You drove her to the hospital. You held her hand while she cried. Where was he?" "He was at work. He came to her as soon as he could. I loved her like a sister, and I know it broke her when he left. But she loved him." I reached my hand to touch Alyssa's frozen cheek. "I hope they found happiness." "Impressive," Leo said, starting a slow clap. I turned to see my guardian angel sitting on an office chair, his rainbow hair flowing about his face. "I wonder how someone so noble ended up in a place like this." "What?" With a jolt, I was back in the swamp. My chest felt like it was being crushed and my head was throbbing. In my hands, I felt an unbearable burning sensation. But I knew perfectly well why that was. Shooting up heroin between your broken fingers tends to fuck shit up. I forced myself to scoot backward until I felt myself leaning against a massive tree. The rough bark cut into the skin of my back and neck, but I was still grateful for the opportunity to rest. Lighting cracked the sky, forming a distinct series of patterns, 'W-R-A-T-H'- Wrath? I couldn't help but smirk. I mean, I had plenty to be angry about. So, I was actually curious as to where the angel was going to take me next. "I'm ready." I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming, breath. I could hear the sound of a plane landing. My skin was no longer in pain, but my heart as beating a mile a minute as I stood in the cool airconditioned TSA waiting room. I knew where this was. When I opened my eyes, I was meeting my daughter. My wife and I had tried for years to conceive but it was never meant to be. At the age of thirty, we started the process to adopt from China. After years of waiting, we stood hand in hand at the immigration office of Jackson, Mississippi. China had been our last hope. For whatever reason, we were unable to even get on a waiting list for a European or North American baby. That was another reason I was nervous. The little girl was already six months old. What if she took one look at me and decided, 'Nope, I'm not going to be able to love these military-redneck white folks?' I was scared. Fate had a reason for never blessing us with a biological child. As the adoption rep put the baby in my arms, I felt only the light of God's love. "Hello, Cece." My wife scoffed, "I thought we agreed on a name- Annabelle-Rylie?" "Felicity June Severgine," that's her name, my daughter's name. The next few moments flew by in a blur, but a painful number of them were of me abandoning my family. As the years passed, I saw myself in uniform leaving for deployment; moments when I truly believed that I might not come back alive. Other times I was just in sweatpants and a t-shirt as I kissed my family goodbye. Before my eyes, Cece transformed from a toddler to a teen. I suddenly felt a wave of nausea. The last time I saw Cece she was no longer the beautiful girl I remembered. I closed my eyes and fell to my knees. "Oh, God..." I knew what I was going to see; my angel my reason for living, in a medically induced coma. "She never told you what really happened," said Leo's disembodied voice. I stood up to see the angel standing over Cece's bed. "My wife told me it was pneumonia." I'd never made it to my daughter's side to see for myself. "Marni told you that, knowing it would take you at least a month to get home. The wounds healed by then. And what didn't heal could be explained away. Ironically, after a seizure, she did develop a sepsis infection in her lung that mimicked pneumonia." Leo made his way to Cece's side and held her hand. "But you didn't see what she looked like the day of the phone call." Leo kissed Cece's forehead. "I'm so sorry little one, this will only last a moment." I had a feeling I was not supposed to hear that last part. Cece had a breathing tube but as time regressed it vanished, replaced with the monstrous number of wounds. She cried, then screamed. Her face covered in bruises, cuts, and clearly broken bones. Her clothing transformed into a short blue dress; one I had never seen before. Time stood still as my government issue phone rang. I hit my thigh only to feel no pockets. The phone was in the palm of my hand. "Hello?" "Hi, Daddy." I remember this conversation. She said she came home from a dance. Homecoming, Prom? "I went to a party," Cece's said, her voice cracking with sadness. "It was great." Silence. Leo poked my arm. "Hey, it's your line." With trembling hands, I moved the phone to my mouth to speak. "That's great, baby." "Should go," she said as her breathing became labored. It was clear she was trying not to cry. "I-I love you, Daddy." Marni came in the room just as Cece hung up. "Hi, sweetie, do you feel up to talking to the police officers? They need to get your statement and do a rape kit." "Yes, Mom," Cece glanced at the phone, giving it a squeeze. "I'll be ok. I just wish Dad was here." I got to see the rest of the scene. According to her statement, she had been raped, beaten and left for dead. That was how she escaped. When her date (and his three friends) thought she was dead, they locked her in the trunk. She remembered what her father had told her about how to escape a trunk and managed to not only kick out the tail light but also get the trunk open while the piece-of-shit car was going forty down a backroad. Battered and bloody she ran for her life until she found her way to the main street. Leo placed his hand upon my shoulder. "What would you have done if you knew the truth? "I would have fucking killed the bastards." "Really?" Leo waved his hand, to focus back on the scene. Marni took a seat, holding Cece's hand. "What did you tell your Dad?" "Nothing. I didn't want him to be disappointed in me," she said, burying her face in her pillow. "I could ever be disappointed with you," I said out loud. I knew she couldn't hear me, that hurt more than anything. But not more than the feeling of my leg getting blown off. A sharp pain shot through my leg. Suddenly I was back in terrorist occupied Iraq, riding in a supply convoy. A larger truck ran us off the road, into an IED. At least that's what I was told. The vehicle I was in exploded, and I was pinned under the rubble. Somehow my leg was extracted from the mess and sent along with the rest of my broken body to Landstuhl, Germany where I spent the next few weeks waking up. At the time, my home station was in Colorado Springs, Colorado. That was where my wife was living with a then eleven-year-old Cece. I remember I’d asked that I be transferred back to my family; if I was going to die, I wanted to die at home. My superiors, the US military; they owed me that much. My next memory was of Cece staying by my side. I'd suffered burns over twenty-five percent of my body, there were bone shards in my hips and my leg had been put back together with pins and rods. It was a unique sensation, to be a living mass of pain. The local medical team determined that I would never walk again. So, the goal was to make me comfortable. I was allowed at-home hospice care. This meant that I was placed under the attention of a nurse for administering therapy, and medications, but during the majority of the week my wife was tasked with wound care. At least she was supposed to be. My wife never touched me. To do so would have meant to show some level of compassion. I remember Cece asked the nurse to teach her how to change the dressing on my leg. I have to assume the nurse thought she was curious and adorably sweet. Because otherwise, it was not the safest practice. I closed my eyes. When I awoke, I was back in that wonderful moment. "Cece?" "Hi, Daddy," my little daughter said in a calm whisper as she donned oversized medical gloves. “Hi, Sweetheart,” I replied in a horse whisper. “If I hurt you, I’m really sorry.” She changed out the gauze, using a bottle of peroxide to wash the open wounds. I flinched but tried my best to stay quiet. "Mom said that I needed to say goodbye," Cece explained as she worked with a gentle touch. "She told me the only reason you came home is because you're too sick to go back. I don't believe her." She finished in silence before getting a clean blanket from the closet. "You're going to walk again." She cuddled by my side, resting her head on my shoulder. "Superheroes don't die." My heart filled with a sense of faith that I didn't know was possible. She spent her summer by my side; changing my bandages, helping with physical therapy. I was also working with a therapy nurse who was impressed by my level of strength. For Cece's twelfth birthday she had a party at the on-base movie theatre. I paid the bills but Marni took on the responsibility of making the day special for our daughter. Cece invited her entire class, she looked so genuinely happy. I arrived in my wheelchair. As the movie played, it was 'Step Up', some kind of dance movie from the golden age of hip-hop music. The movie was played on the projector as background noise, as the kids ate pizza and talked. I waited in the back until she noticed me. "Dad!" She broke off a conversation with several friends to run over to me. "Oh my god! Did you just get here? How was your therapy appointment?" From my wheelchair, I reached to the cane at my side and I stood up. Cece cupped her hands over her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. I took my first (pain-stricken) steps since the accident that should have taken my life. I stood tall, strong, as Cece threw her arms around me. "I love you, Daddy. You're my hero." she paused to wipe tears from her eyes. "But does this mean you're leaving again?" I was. I could have taken medical retirement, stayed with my family. But I needed the money. I needed to pay off a mortgage, send my daughter to a good college: I wanted to make my family proud. So, I took a position in Alaska as a squadron lead. That’s when the addictions started. painkillers lead to heroin. loneliness lead to gambling and prostitution. all because I left behind the one person who truly cared. The world went dark. I was sitting alone in an empty theatre as Leo appeared on the screen. "Hi, Adam. Wow, this is certainly an interesting view." "Yeah," I replied in a weak voice. "Well, I have to ask, what would you have done if you knew the truth about your daughter's assault?" All I could do was laugh. The situation was clear now: I was dead and this was Hell. "You really want to know?" Leo shook his head. "Look, I'm not a sadist, I just have a job to do. I was human once, just like you. And no, you're not in hell." “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.” The man laughed as he turned towards the theatre and with one swift motion, seemed to jump from the screen. He walked towards me, with the fabric of the curtain attached to his back like wings. "So, what would you have done? Her attackers were never prosecuted. If you had a moment with those boys in a soundproof room with just your revolver, what would you do?" I thought for a moment. I had no one to blame but myself. "I would eat my gun." Was Cece dead? I needed to know. If she was gone, I truly wanted to die. Leo approached me, placing a hand upon my shoulder. "Much better, on to the next test." I gripped his arm. "Why should I trust you?" Leo rolled his eyes. "Maybe because I'm the one with the magic powers." "You're my driver," I said in a tone that came off ruder than intended. "But what would happen if I said I'd rather walk to my final destination." Leo chuckled and shrugged. "Hell, if I know. Maybe someone will find your body. Maybe you'll reunite with Cece in heaven. Or maybe she'll survive and grow up believing that her hero abandoned her. What do you want from me?" "You said you were human once- I want to know something about you." Leo cupped his hand to my face, tracing a finger along my jawline. He appeared to be studying my features, which gave me an opportunity to study his. "What do you see when you look at me?" "You have green eyes," I said in a whisper. His eyes were hypnotic, his breath; warm, comforting, human. "I know what it feels like to love someone until it hurts." Leo leaned in and kissed my lips, breathing a long constant stream of air that seemed to crackle with electricity. Chapter 2: Lust, Greed 'All you need is love? Love? Love is all you need?' The voices hummed in my ear. They weren't singing, they were asking. I know where I am and I don't want to open my eyes. "How does that feel?" asked a voice that was not Leo. It was Dr. Ethan Rogers, my physical therapist. He was a younger man; late twenties, early thirties, with blond hair and blue eyes- the most all-American soldier you could ever hope to meet. And he was massaging my naked thigh with a vibrator. I know I'm hard, and I know what he's about to do next. "I'm going to put this inside you," he said in a most professional tone of voice. I could have attacked him, punched him in the face, or at the very least or at least said no. But it felt so good. I knew my scar tissue was prominent. It was a disgusting crater that ran along the entirety of my leg. I stayed in shape; my body was lean, muscular but that seemed all for show. I needed to look the part of a soldier, maybe if I was lucky, I would be able to pass my physical. My legs were for running, training. My cock was for pissing. My ass was for shitting. It had been months since I allowed myself to feel sexual pleasure. "Just relax, let yourself go." Damn it feels incredible. My eyes open on their own, staring straight into the blinding room light. The bulb is blinking forcing me to blink. Letters form in the shape of the light. 'L-U-S-T.' Yeah, I guess so. But it wasn't a lust for sex. I feel him inject my leg; my broken, mangled leg. My leg that existed for the sole purpose of causing me unbearable pain, akin to the fires of hell. In a matter of moments, all of that was but a memory. He told me he was giving me morphine but I knew it had to be something stronger. That shit fucked with my head. Like a cool wave of tranquility; life death and every emotion in-between. "I can get you a prescription for morphine, maybe even fentanyl.” His voice is calm, cool, like an ice tea on a hot day. “All you have to do is submit to me." All I could do was laugh. "Sure, sounds great." My speech was slurred. This man was the devil and I willingly jumped headfirst down the rabbit hole into Hell. I was physically fit. Dr. Ethan Rogers knew he could rent me out to anyone who had a fetish for dominating. Over the next year and a half, I lived as a sex-slave. I was bound, gagged. I sucked cock and even let men fuck me in my on-base housing. I was a human party favor, but I was always well compensated. I took their pills, so many pills, all the colors of the rainbow. Most of the time, I never knew what any of it was, only that it was my prize. And when given vials of heroin, meth and God knows what else, I shot up in my arms, legs, but mainly my hands just because no one at my actual job seemed to notice my hands. It was a perfect system. By day I was a soldier; a flawless, reliable worker who could be counted on for any job. I was a great husband and father who was working tirelessly to make sure his family would be taken care of. I worked myself to the bone, playing through the pain. But at night I was free. Until the day my heart stopped. I awoke in Alysa Blake's room, on her sofa. "Wow, you fucked up." The general looked like her actual youthful age. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun. "Aly?" I tried to speak but immediately had to vomit. General Blake had a bucket waiting by the side of my head. "You're going to stay here for a while." She placed a cold washcloth to my neck focusing on my artery. "This is going to help with the pain in your chest." I shook my head. "But, what about my leg?" "You're not the only one living with chronic pain." Alyssa took my hand a placed it on her hip, just below her abs. There was a massive scar. I knew the story; she had been shot in the hip; the bone and surrounding tissue had to be rebuilt. This was likely the reason for her later miscarriage. "I'm not giving you anything for your leg. You're probably going to have another seizure from all the drugs you already took." I tried to move, to sit up- anything. But the pain seemed to course through my body. I wanted to cry or scream, but no sound was coming from my parched throat. I gripped my head as a massive migraine pounded my vision. In the midst of my agony, I didn't even notice Alyssa leave and return with a blanket until the moment she cuddled by my side. "I'm going to stay with you." I nodded, with a noticeable lump in my throat. "Talk to me about Cece." Alyssa put her arms around me as she rested her head on my chest. “What is she like?” I knew what this was. This moment, it was the opposite of lust. Nothing was worth more than my family, my daughter "She's a dancer." "A dancer?" "I think my wife has her in gymnastics and cheerleading but she..." I swallowed hard thinking about the last time we talked. Cece asked if she could send me a link to a video of her ballet recital. She loved ballet, she wanted to be a choreographer. She sent the link but my Alaska internet was too weak to see it without an extensive amount of buffering. And the camera had been placed so far back I could barely make out her face. I told her as much, but that I would love to see her dance someday. "Have you seen any of her performances?" I nodded. "C-Can I have some water?" "Sure." Alyssa turned away, attempting to sit up. Try as a might, my arms wouldn't let her go. "I feel sick. But, more than anything, don't want to cry in front of my commanding officer." Alyssa glared at me with a look of seriousness. "I found you in your room bleeding from your ass. I performed CPR until you were lucid enough to walk with your arm around my shoulder." She only lived a few houses down and often visited. I couldn't remember making the walk to her house but it wouldn't be the first time. I had the habit of dialing her number when I was too high to think straight. "My apologies Ma'am." She reached for my hand, stroking between my fingers. "If I was here as your commanding officer you would be in a hospital awaiting a medical discharge." Her fingers paused on an open sore where I injected regularly. "I'm here as your friend, because what you need right now is a friend." I knew she wasn't wrong. "Thank you." "So, tell me about the time you saw your little girl dance." My hands were trembling as my eyes filled with tears. "She sent me a USB." "She sent you a file on a flash drive? Wow, that's really sweet." "Cece had somehow used her phone to record a solo piece in her backyard. I didn't recognize the song, something Gaelic sounding about finding your wings to touch the sky." With the warm memory in my heart, my body relaxed. "That sounds like the theme from the movie Brave," Alyssa said as she sat up. "Wow, that brings back memories. Anyway, I'm going to get you some water now." Brave? Of course, it was. Alyssa returned with a bottled water and a straw. "Take small sips." Once it appeared like I was not going to vomit again she took her place back on my chest, holding me close. "You need to go home." "I know." I stroked her hair as I looked up at her stucco ceiling. "You need to research a position at a base closer to your family,” she said as she kissed my cheek. “And I will sign off on it." "Thank you." Now I just wish she talked me out of driving down to the states. Maybe I wouldn't have fucked up as badly as I did. A lonely drive, six hours on the road, maybe eight. Behind the wheel of a rented SUV carrying all my worldly possessions, I thought I could keep focus, I thought I- And here comes the crash. I opened my eyes, but all I see is darkness. "Leo, are you there?" I could feel someone grab my hand, pulling me from the vehicle. It wasn't Leo, but rather a younger male, possibly a teen. "Wow, Leo was right, you are fucked up." The kid pulled me out of the vehicle, seemingly indifferent to my level of pain. "You should grab your wallet and suitcase. We have a bit of a walk into town.” I did as he asked. I could recall what happened at this moment in time. While it did not include a Native American surfer-boy, I knew where we were headed. "How long did you manage to stay clean for?" the smug teen asked. I turned to him with a look of contempt. He stood maybe 5'9", and although he had an attractive face and youthful demeanor, I would have no problem punching his lights out. "Really, old man?" The boy laughed. "Master Sergeant Adam Severgine," I said with a groan. "I know," he said, happily, skipping down the road. "I'm Jamie. Welcome to Oklahoma." "How old are you? And where's Leo?" "Leo will meet us in town. And as for me-" Jamie did a backflip landing in front of my face, close enough to kiss my lips. "I'm legal." "Are you a guardian angel too?" "Are you asking if I have powers?" "I am," I replied through gritted teeth. I could remember how long the original walk took me. By the time I got to town, my leg was killing me. "That's not why you got high off your ass." "Oh, fuck you!" "You got clean just long enough to pass a physical, for the job transfer. And then you started using again like the fucked-up junkie that you are!" Jamie continued doing flips and cartwheels down the empty road. I focused on my own path looking down at my boots as I walked. My leg was mostly healed, to the point where I could walk unassisted, I could even drive. But I still felt an ache, a chronic pain that would never go away no matter what drugs I took. Jamie appeared in front of me, lifting my face to look into his eyes. "I'm bored and I miss my boyfriend so I'm going to do you a favor." He punched me in the face with all the force of a fighter jet. I awoke on the floor of a casino. And I do mean floor: My eyes opened to reveal the sight of paramedics working frantically. They had apparently just finished restarting my heart. When I looked straight ahead, sitting at a slot machine was Jamie. The little punk was doubled over in laughter. Leo stepped out of the shadows. He raised a finger giving the 'give me a second' sign. He embraced Jamie, speaking to him in a quiet tone. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but at least Leo was calming him down. When Jamie finally stopped laughing, the couple walked to the elevators. A tall older man, in a suit, came over to check on the scene. He was the hotel manager and a former Marine. We talked for a while, with me telling him my situation. He kindly offered to give me a room for the night, free of charge. It was the least he could do for a fellow soldier. Yes, it was only for one night. I could contact the rental agency and they could send a new car to my location. But until then he offered to buy me dinner and give me a tour of the hotel and casino. Everything was going great. After hanging out with my new friend I took a seat at one of the many the table poker tables. I was by no means an expert but I preferred tables, to computer-generated games of chance. That was when I met Lola. She looked like a typical cocktail waitress, just a few years away from retirement. She was possibly old enough to be my mother (either that or she had just spent too much time in the sun,) but she was undeniably beautiful. She made sure to flirt, playing with her long blonde hair as she brought me free drinks. "Drink up," she said, before taking a shot. She cupped my face, forcing the shot of whiskey down my throat. "It's on me, love." Next thing I knew she was on my lap. I was winning hand after hand; she was truly my good luck charm. When I was too drunk to walk, she offered to escort me to my room. I remember collapsing on to the bed. I could feel her hands, her long nails, then her mouth. When I was ready, she started to ride me. Talking dirty in a way that my wife never did, I gave her full control. she got on her knees and wanted me to fuck her from behind. I did, and what was when a man barged in with a master key. It was the manager. My memory is blacking in and out but I remember him getting on the bed. He and Lola are laughing. They offer me cocaine. The next morning, I awoke to the sight of Lola in my bed. Her naked chest was moving, so I had no immediate reason to panic. Jamie stood in the corner wide-eyed. "Wow, I was raped to death by a demonic cult and even I found that disturbing." Leo walked through the wall to stand at Jamie's side. "And this isn't even the worst of it." I tried to sit up but my body hurt. "Why, the fuck, are you even here?" Just my luck, I had a pair of fuck-boy morons for guardian angels. Leo sighed. He approached the bed, stroking Lola's hand. "You can't change the past." He made a turn to the closet, grabbing my phone from my pocket. "But you can choose your future." I was lucid enough to move my arm and unlock my screen. I had wi-fi. I clicked on my email. it was open to a message from Cece, starting with a link that I had never seen before. "Greed.mov?" Leo shrugged. "You should probably take a look." I clicked. There was Cece in her blue dress, sitting on her bed. "Hi, Dad. I'm a little nervous. I really like Jason, and well, I wish you could have met him. He's so much like you. He wants to join the Marines, travel the world. I mean, I guess I'd write to him. A lot of my friends are planning on getting married, so their boyfriends don't cheat. It's really stupid. Jason says he loves me, he wants to marry me. I'm pretty sure he just wants to fuck me." Cece looked down at her silver ring. It had belonged to my grandmother who passed away before Cece was born. I had given it to my daughter on her sixteenth birthday. It was only then, on that video, did I notice where she wore it. She wore it like a wedding ring: a purity ring. Cece looked to the side, at her computer, to press a few keys. "I hope this will help my anxiety." The music starts to play, it was a slow, Celtic, song. I watched as she moved her arms, in a graceful ballet pose. She appeared to be free-styling a dance piece, in her room, dancing on her bare feet. It was truly breathtaking. But why was the file titled 'greed.mov'? "I can't wake up without you, Dad." The voice was not coming from the phone. I nearly screamed at the sight of Cece's broken, bloody form. Jamie put his arm around Cece, patting her shoulder. "Don't worry, she's still in a coma." The creepy, undead version of my daughter leaned her head on Jamie's shoulder. She turned just enough to look at me with her dark, innocent, eyes. "When you rocked me to sleep, you would tell me stories. I think you assumed I couldn't hear you or what I wasn't paying attention." "You couldn't even talk." For the first two years, I was so nervous about being a father, that I would unload all of my horrific stories on to Cece like a verbal diary. she didn't speak a word until she started preschool at age three and even then, I never heard anything from her teachers about my stories. "Knowing so much about your past is why I always had such respect for you." Cece took a step forward, reaching out her hand. "I know what you saw, what you experienced. It made you the person you are." When she came closer, her hand hit a glowing wall of energy. She nodded her head knowingly. We weren't in the same space. "Jamie said you're going to make your way back to me." I knew our time was short so I had only one question to ask. "Why greed?" "You told me I was your treasure; I was everything you ever wanted." "I'm so sorry." "That wasn't meant as an attack. Not at you, not ever." Cece moved closer. She was able to sit on the bed, her hand caressing the fabric. Her moves were careful and deliberate. I would have given anything to be able to touch her hand. I knew in my heart this wasn't an illusion, this was my daughter. Cece pursed her lips and continued, "There's an old saying, 'Shoot for the moon, even if you fail, you'll be among the stars.' Well, what happens when you reach the moon but it's not the finish line that you thought it would be. You always want more, I did anyway. that's why I let Jason go as far as he did. I thought I could have it all; I'd go to college and have a hot, long-distance boyfriend. maybe we'd meet up in Europe where I would audition for a ballet company. At least that's what I thought." Cece wiped tears from her eyes. "He was dating me as a practical joke. I was the nerdy-science geek who was also a dancer. The rumor was that I clearly wanted to be fucked, but my stern military daddy was keeping me inline." She paused for a moment, looking into my eyes. "I guess he was half right. I knew Jason's plan was to make me choose between you and him. And what's really messed up is, I would have chosen him. I was greedy." Cece took a few steps back, her form already starting to fade. "I miss you so much, Dad. Please come find me." Leo cracked his knuckles. "Well, this was fun but we have miles to go before we sleep. So-" He turned to Jamie. “Yeah, I know.” Jamie nodded, with a sigh, as Cece vanished. Next, Leo turned to me, with hesitation. "This next part is going to hurt." "More than seeing my dying daughter?" Leo clicked his tongue as he moved to Jamie's side. "Adam, how much do you remember about your trip from Oklahoma to Louisiana?" "Do I remember who shot me and left me for dead int he Louisiana swamplands?" I clearly did not. "Do you want to know?" Leo asked, twirling a lock of his rainbow hair. "I mean I'm supposed to show you, orders from the big boss," he said, motioning towards heaven. "But I think it would be a little cruel." Jamie's eyes lit up. "Can we just give him a summery? He'll feel just as shitty but we won't have to watch it!" Leo pursed his lips, clearly trying to hide laughter. "Jamie..." Leo took a breath to calm down. "None the less you are correct. But to stay in line with the," he made the pointing gesture again, "I'll give him just enough to dwell on during our hike back to civilization." Jamie leaned against a wall as Leo stepped towards me. He crawled into bed, positioning himself on top of me like a snake. His long hair trickled against my face. "You good, Adam?" "As good as I can be." "I'll make this quick." Leo closed his eyes. I did the same. The images flashed before my eyes like the world’s worst vacation slideshow. Oh, God. More sex, drugs, a few suicide attempts. Luckily it would only last three weeks. I apparently went on the mother of all drug binges. I didn't want to go home, and I knew why. My daughter was sick, but my wife… my beautiful, kind, wife, Marni-Lynn was a fucking whore who’d torn my heart out a long time ago. next: https://www.reddit.com/BarryPeppecomments/ev0ow9/trials_of_adam_ch3_4/ |
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