Hmmm. Where to start? Scale seems good. You are correct in that Conjurer's do not draw on the same scale as was done during The War of the Magi. For the most part, no one is really drawing on the same levels of aether as the war. It is also worth noting that part of the problem was giant levels of being drawn on constantly as the war escalated. In terms of scale, think of it being similar to two armies of primals going at each other, or lots of effects being aether fueled on the scale of Lousioux's massive spell to summon The Twelve at the end of 1.0. Constant, really massive aether drawing. Everything was happening on such a massive scale that the flood was needed so that things could balance out again. Individual conjurer's are not drawing in aether on those levels just by casting a cure spell. Further, they are taught to replace the aether they draw on with their own personal stores.Â
Second, while a aether is a limited resource it does replenish itself over time. It seems that it comes back faster in living people than in the land, however. Casters also employ a variety of techniques to replenish their own stores quickly. Can a caster draw on so much that they can harm themselves and or die? Yes, but they do have other methods to regenerate their personal aether that they can employ first.
Next, Black Magic primarily draws from the Void. This can harm the land, but in a more indirect sense. The Void being the land of Voidsent and demons and things, it is mostly taboo because of that association. That and the fact that it has very little other purpose than to burninate things really really well. Touching the Void is a no no, mostly because the Void is a big ravenous maw that wants to eat all the aether it can get. Putting a tether to the Void on the regular ole planet attracts Voidsent who pretty much want to do the same thing. Still, it is all a matter of degree and scale. Moderation in all things, and what not.Â
Lastly, there is a paradox because no one school of casting is completely right or completely wrong. They are all just different methods of channeling aether to make stuff happen. Each follower of a particular school thinks there way is the best way for x,y, and z reasons. What they are all really doing is chasing the same thing down a different road. One can argue that their particular method of stick shaking and mumbo jumbo is the best way to make magic happen. That is fine, they are not wrong because that is what works for them. That is what they have been taught. That does not mean that there way is the only way, because clearly other ways work. One giant unknowable truth, many different ways to understand a piece of it. Like... Paradigms in White Wolf's Mage: the Ascension, sorta.Â
I hope this helps a little.
Second, while a aether is a limited resource it does replenish itself over time. It seems that it comes back faster in living people than in the land, however. Casters also employ a variety of techniques to replenish their own stores quickly. Can a caster draw on so much that they can harm themselves and or die? Yes, but they do have other methods to regenerate their personal aether that they can employ first.
Next, Black Magic primarily draws from the Void. This can harm the land, but in a more indirect sense. The Void being the land of Voidsent and demons and things, it is mostly taboo because of that association. That and the fact that it has very little other purpose than to burninate things really really well. Touching the Void is a no no, mostly because the Void is a big ravenous maw that wants to eat all the aether it can get. Putting a tether to the Void on the regular ole planet attracts Voidsent who pretty much want to do the same thing. Still, it is all a matter of degree and scale. Moderation in all things, and what not.Â
Lastly, there is a paradox because no one school of casting is completely right or completely wrong. They are all just different methods of channeling aether to make stuff happen. Each follower of a particular school thinks there way is the best way for x,y, and z reasons. What they are all really doing is chasing the same thing down a different road. One can argue that their particular method of stick shaking and mumbo jumbo is the best way to make magic happen. That is fine, they are not wrong because that is what works for them. That is what they have been taught. That does not mean that there way is the only way, because clearly other ways work. One giant unknowable truth, many different ways to understand a piece of it. Like... Paradigms in White Wolf's Mage: the Ascension, sorta.Â
I hope this helps a little.
