Encyclopedia of Science and History, volume M

Encyclopedia of Science and History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

MAGIC is a generic name for an entire set of phenomena that are just beginning to become explicable. Magical effects have been observed since antiquity, although there is some doubt as to whether some ancient accounts describe overwhelming physical phenomena (earthquakes, tidal waves, northern lights, etc.) or actual magical events. Magical effects are created through highly unpredictable events and are commonly, though incorrectly, considered to be separate from the concept of "technology" and advancement. Historically wizards lived separate from society because their ability to study came only with the solitude of hermitude. This bit of historical fact has led to the common fallacy of writing, even followed in this encyclopedia, that refers to "magic" and "technology" as though they were seperate things. The study of magic is fundamentally the same as that of technology; the scientific method as illustrated by G Galilei provides the standards of action, though often guesswork and intuition yield the correct answer just as they do in the sciences. Magical research is an arduous process, similar to chemisty, that depends on eventually finding the right combination of material, verbal, manual, and somatic components that will cause a useful magical effect semicontrollably occur. A reproducible magical effect is called a spell. Most spells require all four components, but there are some which do not.

The current theory as to the "how" of magic is that magical energy exists in a similar fashion to electric charge, excepting the fact that such charge can decay and release a high-energy magical particle. If the right magical lenses are used, these high-energy particles, with extra-dimensional existence, can be focused, hopefully to create a useful effect. Naturally, failure often involves damaging explosions. It is thought that the human mind, perhaps by virtue of its istropic powers is an actual magical lens (see Gregor Thuhelm) that, by arranging itself in a proper pattern, can focus the power. How can the mind be arranged in such a pattern? By thinking about various things. It has been experimentally found that the only efficient way to force the brain to produce viable lenses is to require the spellcaster to speak aloud a description of the scene he is envisioning. It is this concentration (distraction from which causes spell failure and possible harmful effects) that focuses the power of magic. A secondary consideration is that arranging the much larger area of the body through the somatic component allows an additional focusing of magic on the target area. The exact use of the manual component is unknown, but one wizard speculates that since manual coordination becomes repetitive so quickly, the manual component might act to focus the unconscious (super-ego) area of the mind just as the verbal could be thought to focus the conscious (ego) and, to stretch the analogy, the somatic component, the physical (id). The material component serves to provide a source of the charge for the magical decay. The procedure by which the component is induced to decay is unknown; perhaps the mind has some innate magical power itself which suffices only to induce decay of other magics. It is widely known that mithril fragments provide the most powerful natural source of magical energy in the world; it is a source that provides an extremely constant source of energy. The most interesting fact is, though, that machining different shapes of mithril produce "magical batteries" of varying strengths. The greater the curvature, the more intense the fields produced.

Verbal components are short pieces of text (recital time, 30 seconds to one minute) in normal languages; a caster must know a language fluently to cast spells written in that language. Spells are normally not translatable except by a trained magical translator fluent in both languages and well-versed in spell theory. Spell components tend to be poetic in form and partake of alliteration and also devices, but this is mainly to aid in memorization and recitation ability under demanding circumstances (combat); the actual form of the component could be a business letter if it happened to work.

The discovery and use of magic spells has been divided into five major areas of study depending on the targets affected: biomancy, physomancy, chronomancy, telemancy and sorcery. For more information on these, consult the article on the Sorceror's Tetrahedron. For contemporary opinions on magic and its effects, look at recent papers by Zempo Altapec, Sheila Kayesmith, and Kilian Rhyen.

Training in magic is accomplished through several means. Almost all universities have classes in the basic components of spell theory and cast; most can teach up to level V knowledge of any spell theory and up to level V of a spell. Magic guilds, located in the larger cities can provide similar training without the rigor of the semester system. To proceed beyond such training it becomes necessary to join a magic college, all of which are located in Dun Cess or obtain a personal tutor. Magic colleges charge a membership fee of 50 silver pieces per month or 600 per year for membership. See also the Institute for Advanced Sorcery, the Physomancy Foundation, the Seminary on Magical Symmetry, the Biotechnic, the Royal and Ancient and New Society of Chronomancers, and the Telemantic Conservatory.

MAGICAL FALLOUT is the common term for chaotic effects associated with the use of magic. Usually unnoticeable, they become significant only when oral spells are garbled and disrupted, or when massive amounts of magic is correctly applied. The effects can be temporary or permanent, harmful or beneficial, and widespread or confined. The Bermuda Parallelepiped is believed to be the result of magical fallout, as is the mutated area of the Bending Branch Forest following the satellite crash in 10006. There is a related phenomenon, anti-magical fallout, that, thankfully, has not been encounted in large amounts due to the fact that anti-magic is much less understood, and used much less frequently than "regular" magic.

MALACHITE is a traditional, green ornamental stone used by the dwarvish and gnomish militaries to indicate excellent performance without regard to rank. It is also an imporant ore of copper, being the earliest known source of the metal during the Chalcolithic period. The malachite deposits of Pavimentum and Uchebnik were mined to extinction; the Aranian mountains, the Grignard Range, and the Sprines provide most of the world's contemporay sources of the ore. Malachite is no longer of high importance, the need for copper having decreased with the development of steel.

MALCOLM is the traditional name taken by elvish revolutionaries.

MALCOLM X was a famous drow elf orator and rhetorician who instigated the Elvish Uncivil War with his fiery pleas to the enslaved drow elves. He was captured by the high elves and executed for treason by beheading. However, his body disappeared from the Carthage cemetery; popular rumor suggests that Shellywa, his sole worshippee, returned him to life as a powerful lich as his reward for faithful service and martyrdom.

MALIK is the Druidic god of Time. He is symbolized by a coiled rope, indicating their belief in the repetitive and predetermined flow of time and events. Many sacrificial victims of Malik are hung by just such a rope. See also El-Hajj and Shabazz.

MALMO (pop. 8,500) is the capital of the Dukedom of Falwell. It is the home of the Northern Expanse Trading Company, a firm for whom nearly one-quarter of the population works.

MANCOPHOBIA is an irrational fear of magic.

MANDITE is an extremely rare, lustrous, ferric metal. Next to mithril it ranks as the most valued substance in the world. Mandite is incredibly strong; much less material (hence bulk) is required than with other metals. Mandite has been found in the Grignard Range (c. 9100), the Sprines (c. 9250), and the Vyrican Range (c. 9600), but in each case the ore was small and quickly extracted. All major mineral companies conduct regular assays for possible sources of the resource, but no hints have become public as to their success. Manditic objects are rare and very valuable.

MANIFEST DESTINY is a philosphy that extols that whatever race is in ascendancy has a moral imperative to enlarge its domain of contro, even to the point of subjugating other peoples. The right of manifest destiny goes only to the strongest, though this is a moot point since the only group capable of enforcing this right is the strongest. Proponents of this philosophy argue that manifest destiny is good owing to its rigid destruction of inferior phenomena. "Anyone that grows stronger survives because he is stronger. He must take steps to eliminate the weaker. Eventually this must lead to the quickest evolution of the strongest," reads the first sentence of Claim the Horizon, a modern work by Chaim Potash espousing the philosophy.

MANIFEST DESTINY COMPANY was a brief political, philosophical, and economical experiment in the Confederacy in the early 9900's. A consortium of business and poltical leaders gathered together to yphold the tenets of Manifest Destiny and to commit themselves to spreading humanity and human values over the whole of the world. The group failed for a number of reasons, including the facts that most voting and shopping citizens of the Confederacy fell under at least of the memberss' criteria for weakness, the government would not officially support the organization, and the members fell to incessant bickering and interal warfare over who was strongest of them all. The organization passed away three years after its inception in a fourteen way duel of its members. All of the combatants died, though one survived long enough to intone: "The orcs did it."

MARBLE PALACE (Neorome) is the residence of the Supreme Prelate and administrative center of the Universal Church.

MARIGOLD, ORDER OF was an order of Universalist knights located in the Northern Sprines, directly to the east of Milton in Pieschland. After being founded in 9910 by Ribu Jian, it was disbanded in 10015 at the church's behest and its members transferred to the Order of Carnation in Forsythia. The exact reasons for its disbandoning are not known, but increased violence with (more) indigenous races like gnomes and trolls, as well as the general inhospitaliy of the terrain may have contributed.