The magic of Ehris: A working theory of magic

Unbeknownst to the majority of people in Ehris, the world in which they live is rather young. Remnants of the inexplicable forces that were involved in the creation of the world are still very much a part of the land. These energies suffuse the land, binding everything and everyone together. These energies have not yet dissipated, and they form the basis for the magic of Ehris.

True to the nature of Ehris, there is no formal structure to the working of magic in the land. Chaotic waves of inexplicable force cascade through the world as an unseen storm, unknown to any but the most discerning. Those daring enough reach into this chaos and attempt to pull from it some aspect of change – which they endeavor to harness and control. Most fail, and their minds are swept away into the great storm. But there are on occasion a few who succeed. These are the Callers of Ehris, an elite and dying breed of individuals who command fear, respect and power throughout the land.

The primordial surging of energy, the remnants of the forces used to create the land, is referred to as Aria Sha’il – the great storm. When the Caller “calls forth” energy from the great storm he/she attempts to gain control over one aspect of it. This aspect is a small portion of one of the energies of the Aria Sha’il. The aspect is harnessed and brought under control through a combination of the strength of the Caller’s will and the use of an enchanted seal. The seal acts as a focus and allows the Caller to temporarily capture the aspect and use it to enact change.

The founding races of the world developed their own methods to harness and control the aspects of the Aria Sha’il – some with more success than others. The scholars and Callers of old charted forty-nine different aspects that had been successfully called from the Aria Sha’il. In addition, there were eleven unproven aspects known (aspects that were believed to exist but that had never been successfully called). The aspects were named according to the kinds of powers that could be manifested through their use.

Over time, many of the founding races died off (or were destroyed) and with them the knowledge of how to access the energies of the world. The few that remained became isolated, and the collective knowledge that they once shared was divided.

In present day Ehris, there are but a handful of active Callers in the world compared to long ago. The Callers of present day Ehris have access to only a handful of the aspects that were once utilized. The knowledge and understanding of the Aria Sha’il has all but been lost. Most believe that any and all power they have comes from the Arlith, that they have been given the ability to channel his power. A select few others believe that they are invoking sacred names, but do so via passages that have long ago lost any real meaning.