RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes

Sounsyy · **05-09-2015, 04:42 PM**

I have a Hellsguard alt I'd like to RP one of these days who is a former prelate of the Order of Nald'thal, but currently an Alchemist working as a field medic for the Immortal Flames. Now, while I haven't yet gotten a chance to RP him (cuz Sounsyy takes up what little time I do have) I don't think I'd RP him as using Fire or Ice or Thunder at all. The 2.0 class mechanics of THM really bore me... from a lore standpoint... when I know what they used to be. So when I get around to playing on Merlgeyss, I'll roleplay him as a true part of the Order. Astral and Umbral magic, carrying out Vengeance Orders, sucking people's aether out of their chest. If I wanted to throw fireballs... I'd be a Conjurer. But that's just me.

Now lore, because it's me. Gonna dump a THM lore compilation of mine here. (Kinda for my own reference because it's getting frikkin ridiculous trying to go back and find each post.) But hopefully it'll be helpful for those wanting to RP Thaumaturges to go back and get some background for the roots of the Order!

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Reiner Dorn · **05-09-2015, 05:08 PM**

(05-09-2015, 04:42 PM)Sounsyy Wrote: I have a Hellsguard alt I'd like to RP one of these days who is a former prelate of the Order of Nald'thal, but currently an Alchemist working as a field medic for the Immortal Flames. Now, while I haven't yet gotten a chance to RP him (cuz Sounsyy takes up what little time I do have) I don't think I'd RP him as using Fire or Ice or Thunder at all. The 2.0 class mechanics of THM really bore me... from a lore standpoint... when I know what they used to be. So when I get around to playing on Merlgeyss, I'll roleplay him as a true part of the Order. Astral and Umbral magic, carrying out Vengeance Orders, sucking people's aether out of their chest. If I wanted to throw fireballs... I'd be a Conjurer. But that's just me.

Now lore, because it's me. Gonna dump a THM lore compilation of mine here. (Kinda for my own reference because it's getting frikkin ridiculous trying to go back and find each post.) But hopefully it'll be helpful for those wanting to RP Thaumaturges to go back and get some background for the roots of the Order!

Aether and the Mechanics of the Magi

Foci of the Magi

Understanding Thaumaturgy

Aether, Ceruleum, and Thaumaturgy

Ossuary vs Sacrarium

Necromancy and Thaumaturgy

Sounds like a perfect Runestone competitor

Mercurias · **05-09-2015, 05:38 PM**

M'sato was just...BAD at Thaumaturgy. After a full year of study, the best he managed was to be able to use a bone charm to light candles and make ice cubes.

SayonaraRevival · **05-10-2015, 08:01 PM**

hmm, I've been lurking this thread. but now I'm wondering if I missed something, because I haven't seen any lore or explanations on how thaumaturgy or black magic gets related to the void. how are they related to the void, if it is at all, or is that just a comparison? is one relevant, while the other's not?

I haven't played much in the THM quests because I hate the DPS queues and getting swiftcast isn't my priority right now, but does anything ever explain that in-game? just totally curious how they are related since I enjoy reading loredumps here.

(I don't know if this question really justifies a new thread, and I don't really remember if there's a 'Stupid Lore Questions' thread here -- I didn't see one. maybe it's the gw2 forum instead I'm thinking of, lmao.)

Chris Ganale · **05-10-2015, 08:09 PM**

Void comes up in the BLM quests. BLM, unlike THM, is intrinsically tied to the void.

Sounsyy · **05-10-2015, 08:34 PM**

(05-10-2015, 08:01 PM)SayonaraRevival Wrote: how are they related to the void, if it is at all, or is that just a comparison? is one relevant, while the other's not?

(05-10-2015, 08:09 PM)Chris Ganale Wrote: Void comes up in the BLM quests. BLM, unlike THM, is intrinsically tied to the void.

This is actually a common misconception. Black Magic, in and of itself, has absolutely nothing to do with the Void. Shatotto, the original inventor of the technique, never had any connection with the Void. Black Magic is very simply a technique which alters the aether source of Thaumaturgy from the caster's aether to the Lifestream's aether. That is all Black Magic is, a technique.

Shatotto wished to perform the greatest feats of magic the world had ever seen, however, she - like the Alchemist Coco brother from the THM quests - was severely limited by her own personal aether reserves, stunting her Thaumaturgy abilities. So after many years of study she discovered a method for using the planet as a fuel source for her magic instead of her own reserves, thereby giving her a seemingly unlimited fuel source for her spells. Using this technique, Shatotto was able to bring down a star.

As Shatotto's Black Magic technique gained popularity across Eorzea, the Magi of the 5th Astral Era began competing against one another for the more impressive magics, the more destructive displays, the most powerful conjurations. The Magi were no longer limited by their own aether reserves, they were only limited by their own imagination. Magi near the end of the Era were able to animate entire mountains, revive men from death, bring down stars, move or level entire cities. So after gaining all of this power, what greater feat could be accomplished? What was more powerful than the world? The answer: the world beyond ours.

This is the time period when Black Mages began experimenting with the Void. The damage to Hydaelyn caused by their spells tore holes in our physical plane of existence, allowing aether-starved beings from the Beyond to stumble into our world. With practice, Black Mages were soon able to open portals on purpose and pull beings from the World Between Worlds into our own. In exchange for aether, these beings promised the Black Mages their powers, their magic, their servitude. And so the Magi of Qarn used these Voidsent in their great War of the Magi against the nations of Amdapor and Nym. With the power of the Voidsent, these two nations suffered grievous loss to the Black Mages. Until eventually the Magi of Eorzea, along with the Voidsent, had drained Hydaelyn completely of Her aether and the Elementals summoned a flood which wiped the taint of the Magi from the world. Those who survived the 6th Umbral calamity forbade further practice of any magic, particularly Black Magic, which was blamed for the War and the devastating toll it took on the world.

This is why, today, many (who are even aware of the existence of Black Magic) relate it to the horrors it drew forth from the Void 1,600 years ago. But, Black Magic is in no way intrinsically tied to the Void as a part of the magic. It was simply a byproduct of the magic that was eventually exploited during a time of war. The magic used by a Black Mage in no way differs from that of a Thaumaturge. Just the mechanics of what fuels the spell is different.

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **05-11-2015, 10:09 AM**

Thought it might be helpful to clip the THM explanation from the current Guildmaster.

[Image: 6JQ6tsb.jpg]

The important thing to notice (for me) was that they don't actually talk about the Elemental Wheel at all. (Because THM never used it in the first place). They do, however, talk about plenty about death.

JFrombaugh · **06-03-2015, 12:17 PM**

(05-08-2015, 03:09 PM)Melkire Wrote: Thaumaturgy is using your own aether to power your spells, using the gems in rods/staffs as focii. Arcanima works in a similar fashion: the arcanist provides the aether, and the geometries shape the spells rather than focii.

Wow, I always thought that Thaumaturgy was the only discipline that actually used one's own internal aether to fuel spells (hence why Thaumauturges have to learn how to shift between Astral & Umbral states of mind to recharge), and Arcanima just used geometrical patterns to shape latent aether around the caster into spells.

Though I guess when you look at the Aetherflow abilities and how you gain back MP by using it, it kind of makes sense.

Mountie · **06-03-2015, 01:24 PM**

The way I would play it, while not canon, would be tied similarly to the manner in which Shanna activates magick throughout Matthew Stover's Acts of Caine. She utilizes different objects with different inscriptions for each of her spells, such as buckeyes for her explosive spells and small polygons of glass to generate shields. These are activated by pushing her magic through them.

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THM/Magic Roleplayers - How is thaumaturgy used?

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes