(02-01-2015, 07:57 AM)Chicken Nugger Wrote: /Sounsyysignal
So... one of the first things I should bring up is that "Black Magic" is illegal. Incredibly illegal. Like a life sentence in a gaol illegal.
So, bit of history.
3000 years ago the world was covered in snow and ice in an era known as The Age of Endless Frost (aka the 5th Umbral Era). People were starving and freezing. There was a plague that was wiping out those who weren't freezing to death. Then lo, mankind discovers magic which allows him to kindle fire without tinder. The first Magi was born. Now modern day Thaumaturgy traces its roots back to this early form of magic which ended that Umbral Era and ushered in the 5th Astral Era.
For many years these early Magi prospered with their magicks, but one of Thaumaturgy's greatest limitations was that it required one to expend their own aether, ultimately limiting ones ability to their gods-given aetherial fortitude. One such Magi, a woman named Shatotto, aspired to be the greatest Magi the world had ever seen, capable of any feat and wielder of any power. However, her aetherial stores were not sufficient to accomplish her dream. So she discovered a means of attaining the aether from a more abundant source - the planet. This technique she devised merely used the caster's body as a channel through which the planet's aether was conducted. This technique was later coined "Black Magic" likely because it killed the land immediately surrounding the caster. With this power Shatotto was able to accomplish incredible feats of sorcery. Her most famous achievement was bringing down a star and using its fragments to create a series of staves called Stardust Rods.
This all happened during the early years of the 5th Astral Era. Having paved the way for even greater magical knowledge and practice, the Magi of the world began dabbling in ever greater and more catastrophic experiments. It's about this time that White Magic is brought into existence. The Elementals of the world, sensing a damage wrought to the world by the overuse of this "Black Magic" gifted their own magic of Succor upon the Magi of Amdapor. For a time, the Amdapori were able to bring balance to the world by matching the destruction with succor and healing. But as the path to ever greater glory wound on, even White Magic could not outweigh the calamity wrought. So began the War of the Magi.
We do not know who exactly started the war, but we do know the White Mages of Amdapor and the Scholars of Nym sought to bring an end to Black Magic. But the war was devastating. In their pursuit of greater and greater power, Black Mages began experimenting with the beyond, making lustful deals with Voidsent beings for their immortal magicks in exchange for allowing these demons into our world. Amdapor was wiped out by one of the Voidkings Diabolos and the White Mages were only barely able to seal the portal in time.
In the end, the cost of the war was so great that the world had been almost entirely drained of aether. In one final act of fury and desperation, the Elementals conjured a great flood which wiped the taint of magic from the world. The survivors outlawed Black Magic and for many decades to come magical users were prejudiced harshly by their fellow man. Which leads us to Belah'dia and eventually Ul'dah, Sil'dih, and modern day Thaumaturgy and the religion surrounding it. But I'll cut myself off there cuz this has gone on quite long and your question was more directed at Black Magic.
So yes, Black Magic, incredibly dangerous, taboo, and illegal. Most people have forgotten it even existed. However, it is still practiced cautiously by a few people in the world. The Beast Tribes, for example, still practice Black Magic. But the art cannot truly be taught, it must be discovered, studied, and practiced. Ququruka, from the Black Mage story quests, devoted his entire life (120+ years) to studying and learning the art.
Now I'm not one to dictate how someone RPs their character so if you want your character to be a Black Mage there's a few lore-safe ways to go about it that I can suggest.
1) You find a Black Mage soulstone in Southern Thanalan/Qarn/Belah'dia/Invisible City whatever and that turns you on to the idea of harnessing the darker arts.
2) Consorting with the Beast Tribes and being taught the ancient magicks from them. Most Beastmen are not actually hostile, just extremely jaded by a few decades of being treated like shit by the Races of Man.
3) Discovering the secrets of Black Magic in one of the ancient tomes found in the Order of Nald'thal's library. (Disgustingly and against all established lore on the topic, the Coco brothers leading the Order of Nald'thal are actually Black Mages and not Thaumaturges, so they might also steer you down a darker path. Screw you SE.)
And also because you brought it up - White Magic was also banished from the world but was brought back in secret by the Elementals 500 years ago and gifted to the Padjal, a race of the Elementals' own creation. The Padjal have been entrusted with safeguarding its power and the knowledge of it pretty exclusively. SE hints however that there are nefarious entities attempting to also gain access to the old Succor via Amdapor so that has opened a shaky avenue for people wishing to RP (lore-abidingly) as White Mages. But even so, if a Black Mage and a White Mage passed each other on the street, neither should be any the wiser because they're both forgotten/forbidden practices that probably should not be broadcasted publicly.
Hope this helps! ^^; As I said, I'm not here to dictate how anyone plays so if you wanna be a Black Mage, go for it! I'm just here to give the lore behind being one.
