Ambient magic

Ambient Magic is a form of magic known only in the Emelan Universe. It is not as well known as the traditional Academic Magic, and in fact is only one fourth times as common as Academic magic. Ambient Magic takes different forms depending on the mage and the craft he or she performs––common ones include stone, carpentry, healing, cooking, thread and needlework, pottery, fire, and weather. Ambient glass magic is described as "middling rare." Ambient stone magic is common, as stones are said to make the containers for power. Ambient Magic doesn't draw on the mage's self-created power like Academic Magic, but from the surroundings and craft items of the mage (e.g. a thread mage will get power from clothing and other woven things).Because of this, Ambient mages have difficulty controlling a great deal of power constantly flowing into them, whereas Academic mages struggle with building up their power.

Because their power is naturally tied into a craft or aspect of nature, the physical aspects of their craft, such as thread, stones, or even lightning, feel as if they are "alive" to the Ambient mage. These physical components are attracted to the Ambient mage, and from the descriptions in the books, seem to "talk" to the mage.

Forms of magic

• Thread
  • Abilities - manipulation and enchantment of thread, cloth, etc
  • Users - Sandrilene fa Toren, Dedicate Lark, Comas
  • Dedication - Earth
• Green
  • Abilities - manipulation of plants and products made from them, medicine making and magical improvement of existing (plant-based) medicines
  • Users - Briar Moss, Dedicate Rosethorn, First Dedicate Crane
  • Dedication - Earth (although Crane is an Air Initiate)
• Smith
  • Abilities - sensing and manipulation of metals, ores, and other materials used in smithing (like coal), resistance to fire and burning metal, resistance to smoke damage to lungs, varying levels of fire manipulation
  • Users - Daja Kisubo, Dedicate Frostpine
  • Dedication - Fire
• Weather
  • Abilities - stopping or forcing weather (rain, wind, lightning, etc), limited manipulation of greater natural forces (the tides, earthquakes, hurricane force, the heat of lava/magma), hearing and (rarely) seeing current events on the wind
  • Users - Trisana Chandler
    • Kethlun Warder has lightning magic, but beyond his immunity to it and ability to manipulate it in his glass-making, his levels of skill in other facets of weather magic are unknown.
    • Zhegorz Fiavrus is a wind-seer and hears voices on the wind, but it is unknown if he possess other weather magic, though it seems unlikely, as it would have caused noticeable disturbances long before.
• Dance
  • Abilities - uses related dance steps to create a desired effect (luring fish or thieves, invisibility, lifting and holding enemies in midair, etc.)
  • Users - Pasco Acalon
• Stone
  • Abilities - stone-sensing, ability to communicate with it and move it (generally with the permission of the stone), communication with and temporary protection from volcano spirits, bringing light and heat to stones and crystals, identification of non-stone materials similar to stone (pearl, coral, etc.), increasing malleability of stone, self-petrification (a dangerous practice if done on the whole body)
  • Users - Evumeimei Dingzai, Jebilu Stoneslicer
• Glass
  • Abilities - create unique glass objects with magical abilities (eg. scrying orbs or tracker/warning pellets), identification of glass works without sight through the piece's own knowledge of its form
  • Users - Kethlun Warder
• Carpentry
  • Abilities - working with wood, wood identification, strengthening of processed wood
  • Users - Niamara Bancanor, Camoc Oakborn, Arnen
• Cooking
  • Abilities - cooking, varying degrees of fire manipulation
  • Users - Jorality Bancanor, Olennika Potcracker, Gorse
• Fire
  • Abilities - manipulation of fire, other unknown abilities
  • Users - Pawel Godsforge
• Painting
• Healing
  • Abilities - extending their magic into the bodies of others to fight infection or disease and repair injuries, immunity to disease as long as their power isn't completely expended on others
  • Users - Dedicate Henna, Dedicate Superior Moonstream, Dedicate Grapewell, Dedicate Sealwort, Dedicate Willowwater
  • Dedication - Water
• Pottery
• Horses
• Birds
• Air
• Water
  • Abilities - aquakinesis, scrying and communication, relationship with aquatic creatures
  • Users - Dedicate Myrrhtide
• Earth

Combination with Academic Magic

A ambient mage can also use Academic Magic. However it is possible that undiscovered and uncontrolled Ambient Magic blocks Academic Magic. According to Niko and Tris, for every ambient mage, there are four academic mages.However, some mages are able to combine the two to a certain extent, though they are more inclined to one over the other. Tris is one of these mages.

References

Catagory:Magic