To begin a classical magic first energy must be collected. This stage must be finished before the calculation stage begins as in many cases the act of collecting actively changes the calculations required for the calculation stage. Moreover for the same reason a magician can’t perform the calculation and then collect the required energy.
Collection methods:
Photonisim.
Photonisim is the most common method of collection by far. While 9 in every 10 classical magicians use photonisim as their main form of energy collection 1 in every 1000 magicians doesn’t use photonisim in any capacity. The main reason for this is that even using exclusively photonisim doesn’t have too many demerits and being far easier to use one form of energy collection than it is to juggle many. It is assumed that 98% of all energy redistributed by classical magic was first collected by photonisim.
Photonisim is the collection of energy from light. While it is technically slower in places with low light levels there is always the opportunity to gain energy from photonisim (with one exception) and classical magicians are used to waiting. Photonisim causes the magician in question to become greyscale, their body loosing intensity and vibrancy of colour. Few magicians have optimised this process so far that they are capable of redusing themselves to no more than black silhouettes. There is technically a level further than this, called Stygian, where the magician no longer looks black but rather appears as a featureless three dimensional hole in space as they absorb all colour but magicians capable of this level of optimisation are rare.
Continuous casts:
- Laser: Technically a continuous cast laser isn’t typically considered a continuous cast for three reasons. First because all other continuous casts are exceptionally rare where as one in ten classical magicians are capable of some form of laser. Second is despite the fact it is a contimouous cast laser is typically short lived. Third is that no-one capable of using laser became famous for the action of using laser. Laser forms a high powered beam of light. It is typically quite easy to determine the strength of a magician from their laser as the laser light ranges through the rainbow scale from red (low) to violet (high). While this is true in most cases it isn’t unheard of for a red laser to outpower a violet one.
- Lost in illusions: Most magicians capable of using lost in illusions fall into two categories. Those who can use it for long periods of time but lack the creativity to do a lot with it and those who are incredibly inventive by fail to keep the magic running for more than a few seconds. The problem with lost in illusions being the complexity of the associated cast. While it may be possible to use the energy collection to remove light and magic to create it, it is far too easy for the magic to trip over itself and terminate it early. Others simply aren’t that ambitious in their aims, creating a small parallax errors and changing where they appear in space. Magicians capable of maging actual illusions and capable of keeping them up for longer than 7 seconds have all made their mark on history. It is worth note that lost in illusions is incapable of true invisibility to all observers.
- Dark rule. The most difficult photonic continuous cast. Dark rule not only requires an individual have the mental capacity to upkeep a complex continuous cast, but also requires the magician to be capable of obtaining Stygian and have a method of detection that doesn’t rely on vision. Magicians capable of fitting all three of these conditions are exceptionally rare and held positions at the top of the magical world. Dark rule turns the surroundings of the magician stygian. Not only making it impossible to see but also making this the only conditions where photonisim doesn’t work. Dark world slowly encroaches on the surrounding area as so to slowly advance and within the effected area is a truly anti-magical magic.
Kineticisim.
Magicians which for whatever reason cannot use photonisim frequently become use kineticisim. Not that it is as good as photonisim, or even a viable replacement. It is just that in comparison to other forms of energy collection kineticisim has the least disadvantages. For those suffering photonic deficiency syndrome (read genetic magical illness that prevents the use of photonisim) kineticisim frequently becomes their primary form of energy collection.
Kineticisim is the collection of energy from movement. Kineticisim causing an object to move slower than it otherwise should. Some practitioners capable of completely stopping movement. The problem they face is unfortunately by nature a common one. The majority of magicians can only perform energy collection on themselves or things they directly control (such as the clothes they wear). Kineticisim requires that the magician is moving while most would prefer to remain static while performing complex calculation within their head. Moreover, a magician using kineticisim on themselves will move slower than they otherwise should. Requiring a talent in timing, prediction, dynamic awareness and decisiveness in order to know when to prioritise magical speed over physical speed and vice versa. Avoiding things getting understandably more difficult to avoid when you can’t move fast.
Continuous casts:
- Frozen world: There are many different degrees to frozen world. The simplest is that a magician is capable of freezing the very air that comes into contact with their body, forming makeshift armour the magician can effectively break off parts and control them freely. The first sign of improvement is to be able to add things that touch the armour to the armour. Magicians capable of freezing large chunks of space without requiring direct physical contact have been pivotal in many wars.
- Cease and catch fire: Where frozen world has the ability to create Cease and catch fire is the power to destroy. When kineticisim is used on a flame more often than not the flame goes out. Talented magicians can use kineticisim on a flame without putting it out. This flame appearing to slow down to a crawl, anything that touches this flame is consumed in an instant, leading to the growth of the flame, reaching out for more things to burn. The few capable of surviving their own flame having made permanent changes to geography.
Stasisim
Stasisim has many sub forms and as such can come with many prefixes attached to it however all run off an incredibly similar process. Stasisim and it’s derivative forms revolve on the concept of deriving energy from chemicals. Due to this stasisim is conditional in it’s use, requiring a material element which the user may or may not have access to. Stasisim being very good as a supplemental form of energy collection but a very poor choice of a magicians main focus of energy collection. In most cases stasisim being limited to the chemicals the magician can physically carry around with them.
Traditional stasisim: Magicians carry a supply of materials around with them. The most efficient fuels in a mass or volume to energy conversion being materials which burn, due to not needing to carry the air around for them to burn.
Self-Bio stasisim: Magicians which use the sugars, fats and even muscle in their own body as a source of energy. Trading out stamina, mass and strength in order to cast. Self-Bio stasisim requires an element of discipline and knowing ones limits. It being all too easy for magicians to kill themselves. Self-Bio stasisim is the hardest type of energy collection to recognise and is typically used to supplement other energy collection or fuel an unexpected magic.
Bio-Plantae stasisim: Magicians which draw energy from nearby plants. The obvious disadvantage being that most plant’s aren’t the easiest of things to carry around. Bio-plantae stasisim is seldom used but rather is well known due for being the sole energy collection for a famous individual.
Bio-animalia stasisim: Magicians which draw energy from nearby animals. Magicians in this category frequently form strong bonds with a small number of animals instead of using any animal that happens to be around. While this can cause death in a similar way to self-bio stasisim considering the fact that magicians use pets for this purpose it is not a common occurrence.
Ore stasisim: Ore stasisim is trained to all magicians which police other magicians. Despite having a laundry list of problems associated with the energy collection method. Ore stasisim uses crystals and rocks as forms of energy collection. The energy collection is small and slow and very limited but the continuous casts associated with which are incredibly useful against other magicians.
Electro stasisim: Among the rarest form of energy collection. Despite being faster and more readily available than photonisim electro stasisim has the crippling weakness of being among the most difficult to understand, let alone train with. Electro stasisim uses practically any two materials but depending on the materials used not only defines the rate of power extracted but perhaps uniquely is that materials used in electro stasisim do not completely decay. Sure they loose effectivity over time but there is almost always a way to reverse the process.
Continuous casts:
- Clockwork discharge: (Traditional) As the most common form of stasisim involves the carrying of flammable materials in large volumes such magicians are likely to explode. Other than the negative effects of standing in an explosion this is bad as it leaves magicians that use stasisim without a form of energy collection. Clockwork discharge is designed to mitigate this somewhat. If a magicians energy storage explodes tey find themselves with an excess of energy for an instant. Clockwork discharge causes the explosion to implode and recoup some of this energy. This leading to a subsequent pattern of explosions ad implosions as the magician uses magic, the size of the explosions depending on the magic released and the rate depending on the speed. Magicians that can wait several minutes between explosion and detonation rare and capable of single headedly deleting city’s and towns.
- Gears: (Self-Bio) Magicians that use self-bio stasisim have exceptionally low stamina and incredibly levels of fragility. The exception to this are those that use Gears doubling the physical capabilities of the magician. Speed, strength, stamina and so on. Gears is special in that it can also act multiple times on a single individual, resulting in exponential growth. There are however two disadvantages to gears. Each gear gets progressively more difficult to control on a mental level so few magicians are mentally capable of using too many gears. Gears also has the tendency to destroy magicians from within, the magic eating them alive, such that those mentally capable of using multiple gears may not have physical capability. Magicians that wish to use gears to a high level having to study magic and train their body. Magicians capable of gear have dominated brawls and physical fights.
- Gardener: (Bio-plantae) The continuous cast that shares it’s name with the individual who made bio-plantae a form of energy collection recognised Askellion over. The gardener was a hero renown for using bio-plantae as his sole form of energy collection. For every kill he made he planted a seed soon after, having a self-imposed rule where he could not take a second life until he had helped another take root. Unfortunately for his enemies the gardener continuous cast means the planted seeds become fully grown in but a few instants. Not only were many of these plants hazards in and of their own but with each developed plat the gardener hero had access to a greater source of energy collection. A number of small forests following behind where the gardener had fought.
- As one: (Bio-animalia) Magicians that use bio-animalia stasisim are known to have a special connection with their partners. Unquestionable loyalty and impossible teamwork skills. The two moving as one entity a common occurrence. As one takes this further. Not only does As one allow a gears like effect for the magicians partner but it allows for collaborations which would otherwise be possible. Riding on animals far too small to be conventionally ridden, standing on parts of animals which seemingly defies all physics. AND MARK
- Crystalline Entombment: (Ore) One of three continuous casts expected of policing magicians, as the simplest it is by far the most common. That said Crystalline entombment is an incredibly simple and low requirement continuous cast, more so than laser. What separates Crystalline entombment from laser is the lack of individuals trained in Ore stasisim and the fact that crystalline entombment has the single longest cast known to exist. There only being a select few issues with crystalline entombment. The first is the material component. Provided a policing magician has a crystal larger than a target the target can be trapped within the crystal, regardless of the targets power. The purer the crystal the easier the upkeep of crystalline entombment, to the extent that with pure crystals policing magicians can all but forget about trapping something in a crystal. Crystalline entombment requiring no energy collection or processing requirements at this level. Leaving a policing magician to sleep, perform other magic or even use crystalline entombment on multiple targets at once. The other issue is that crystalline entombment can turn individuals capable of wiping out civilisations into harmless statues. That said the instant the magician willingly releases the cast, or dies, the magic ends and all those they have trapped are released. While policing magicians rarely mark their name in history practically all of them have been pivotal to the continued existence to the blessed.
- Magnetism: (Electro) The few magicians capable of electro stasisim are easily recognisable due to their pendant to create lightning mindlessly. Considering the flashiness of this primary cast the continuous cast is surprisingly tame in comparison. Those unfamiliar with such magicians may overlook the continuous cast entirely. Never realising it’s there. Magicians that use electro stasis seemingly having a natural talent for manipulating magnetism, even in materials which do not normally show magnetic effects. The few electro stasis magicians to exist have all been locally famous for utilising such a conceptually difficult energy collection, Ending up more renown for their energy collection more than the associated continuous cast.
Assimilateisim
A notably rare form of energy collection due to the negative associations commonly made to it. Not that assimilatisim is necessarily evil but rather many people who practiced assimilatisim in the past have had less than desirable ideals. Photonisim may be the most common form of energy collection but only comes in fourth for energy collection rate. Electro stasisim comes in third but comes with the caveat that it is technically complex. Assimilatisim surpasses both of these combined but is in a constant power struggle for the title of first place. The thing is that Assimilatisim is the utilisation of of the energy collection of others. There are two methods of assimilatisim, both with their negative connotations.
Death mages are individuals who force assimilatisim on others. As this link s forced it can only be forced on one target at a time but unfortunately for the target this ends one of two ways. Either the target starts their own energy collection but gains no energy hence loosing the ability to use classical magic, the energy being donated to the death mages own reserves. The alternative is the forced activation of self-bio stasisim, which continues until the target dies leaving the death mage an immense amount of energy to do with as they wish. Such magicians are unmatched by individuals and small groups.
Cult leaders through whatever means are a magician which has a group liked to them. Due to this the magician can draw power from a number of sources. This being more powerful than a group of magicians for two reasons. The first is the single minded focus the primary magician results in unmatched speeds than multpiple magicians trying to collaboratively cast. The second being much more fundamental. Classical magic is exceptionally prone to interfering with other classical magics with a similar purpose or aim, with only one magician this interference never takes place. As such cult leaders often exhibit power 10 times greater than the sum of the parts would suggest. While building large enough groups to be unrivalled is difficult, especially with poliecing magicians actively nipping such groups and their leaders before they can grow, the few that succeed have power rivalling that of entire kingdoms if not forming kingdoms of their very own.
Continuous casts:
- Amrita: (death mages) True Immortality is outside the realm of classical and while an arcane glyph could theoretically exist if it does no one has discovered it. This hasn’t stopped several individuals getting close, those who walk the knife edge between life and death. While such individuals can still be killed the energy they drain from the living is added to their own long-lived. Allowing unnaturally long lifespans. That said there is something separating younger amrita users from the older ones. Reports of individuals in their 60’s is suspicious, policing magicians aggressively hunting individuals that get much older without supporting reasons. As such those that live for any significant period of time also know the power of anonymity.
- Dark ritual: (Cult leaders) Energy is collected ceaselessly without end. Without the processing taking place neither does the realisation. As such power is simply amassed with no where to go. Reaching up to and beyond the limits of magic itself. The exact processes behind this, and hence the name, varies by group that attempts a dark ritual but all results are the same. Powers that should not exist on Askellion are conjured into being. It is though that Abominations were brought into Askellion by a dark ritual. Similar theories exist as to the origin of the blight. Daemon Lords are known to be summoned by Dark Rituals. Each dark ritual involving the amassing of power that should not be trifled with. None the less many still attempt these dark rituals. Ripping magic itself apart, attempting to peak behind the curtain that is magic, with aims ranging from immortality to godhood. While not many dark rituals have reached completion those that have permanently reshaped the face of Askellion on a cultural, geographical and historical standpoint.
Chaomancy
Chaomancy is so rare it is considered the impossible energy collection. Few high profile magicians accept it is real but once every few generations the impossible will happen and confirm the rumours. That said only magicians that have seen it with their own eyes will believe it real. There being so much about it that logically doesn’t make sense. Chaomancy cannot be taught, only intuitively rediscovered. Chaomancy is also impossible without magic to first kickstart the process. As such all chaomancy collection is by definition various forms of continuous casts. Continuous casts are mentally demanding to learn in the first place. Learning one with no basis collection to build from being basically impossible. The simplest way to describe chaomancy is the energy gained by mixing things. This doesn’t make a lot of sense except through the “mixing things=things moving=kinetisism”. This is not true, despite a wide number of Chaomancy users first being able to use kinteisism. Chaomancy doesn’t work on pure materials but is otherwise unlimited in scope. Skilled chaomancers capable of emulating a death mage’s amrita including inanimate objects in the scope.