WELCOME
Magic
Welcome to the Astrolytes Magic Guide!
Magic is a major part of life on Craven, even if not every ‘lyte chooses to learn it! It plays a role in many day-to-day activities, and each island pretty much run on its basic abilities.
Astrolytes will always be more drawn to the magics that match their home faction, and Subspecies lytes will always be drawn to the magic that correlates with their species, regardless of faction! Despite this, they can choose whatever magic they’d like to learn — it’ll just be significantly more difficult!
Each element has a color dedicated to it, and this is the color an Astrolyte’s lamps glow when actively using magic!
Generally, ‘lytes with more lavalamp placements learn slowly but can perform more powerful feats of magic once they get the hang of it, and ‘lytes with fewer placements learn quickly but perform abilities more lightly.
Degrees
There are 3 degrees of magic: Zero Degree, First Degree, and Second Degree!
Zero Degree encapsulates spells, charms, and other little abilities that aren’t directly connected to an element!
First Degree, also known as Basic Magic, is the very first type of magic that can be learned! It consists of 4 elements: Growth, Burn, Sky, and Flow.
In order to learn a Second Degree [or Secondary Magic], the correlating First Degree magic must be learned to at least a Novice Level! It consists of 4 elements as well: Mind, Strike, Decay, and Freeze.
An Astrolyte can learn a maximum of 3 First Degree magics and 2 Second Degree magics!
After 5, different magics start to get muddled together or outright forgotten.
Levels of Knowledge
There are 3 “levels” or “stages” of magic knowledge: Novice, Median, and Expert!
Novice is the basic level of magic that many ‘lytes are expected to know. This is the most common level of magic, as it doesn’t require as much effort to learn while still offering a few useful abilities [albeit generally weak ones].
Median is a more advanced level, and is typically the sign of a fairly high-level magic user. This is the max level expected for the average ‘lyte, generally being where most stop and apply their skills elsewhere.
Expert is the most advanced level of magic that an Astrolyte could possibly learn. You really only see ‘lytes at this level if their job hinges on it, and anyone who simply practices magic as a hobby would stop well before they get here.
Astrolytes can only learn 1 magic to Expertise, and it must be either the First or Second Degree magic that correlates with their birth faction. The only natural exceptions are Subspecies, who can only learn the magic they’re connected to to Expertise.
There is a certain item that allows a lyte to become an Expert on a magic from outside of their faction, but they are fairly difficult to come by.
Magic Types
First Degree & Second Degree
Growth Magic
A First Degree magic type connected to Florya and Pygmylytes.
It is based around the living and nonliving parts of nature.
Corresponding Secondary Element: Mind
Stereotype
Calm, kind, and caring, the Growth element is often attributed towards motherly and sensitive personalities. ‘Lytes who learn it tend to be more patient and productive, and it isn’t uncommon for them to prefer being on their own or among one or two friends rather than in a large group.
Abilities
Novice
○ Restore Plants
○ Basic Healing
○ Manipulate Dirt / Sand / Small Rocks
○ Manipulate Organic Material [Small]
Median
○ Speed Plant Growth
○ Sense Ground Disturbances
○ Cause Tremors
○ Manipulate Minerals / Large Rocks / Familiar Plants
Expert
○ Communicate With Plants / Animals
○ Create Fissures / Send Seismic Waves
○ Advanced Healing
○ Full Plant / Mineral Control
Burn Magic
A First Degree magic type connected to Aitsua and Dracolytes.
It is based around fire, smoke, and heat.
Corresponding Secondary Element: Strike
Stereotype
Impulsive and reckless, the Burn element can be connected to an.. interesting array of personalities, to say the least. ‘Lytes who learn it seem to be blind to consequences, so depending on the situation, it can lead to them being very fun and adventurous or short-tempered and explosive.
Abilities
Novice
○ Sense & Pinpoint Higher Temperatures
○ Increase Temperatures / Absorb Heat
○ Change Flame Color
○ Manipulate Existing Flames
Median
○ Major Heat Resistance
○ Control Smoke
○ Ignite
○ Infrared Vision
Expert
○ Conjure Flames
○ Breathe Fire
○ Explode Object
○ Full Flame / Heat Control
Sky Magic
A First Degree magic type connected to Unkiri and Sunlytes.
It is based around air and wind.
Corresponding Secondary Element: Decay
Stereotype
Open-minded and tranquil, the Sky element tends to be matched with dreamers and innovators. It’s common for ‘lytes who learn it to be individualistic and prideful in their own, relaxed way, and they’re usually set on making improvements in the world around them.
Abilities
Novice
○ Sense & Harness Small Air Currents
○ Increase Speed
○ Basic Sound Manipulation
○ Levitate Objects [Small]
Median
○ Predict Weather Patterns
○ Create Small Vacuums
○ Advanced Sound Manipulation
○ Levitate Objects [Large]
Expert
○ Echolocation
○ Flight / Personal Levitation
○ Create & Harness Gale Winds / Tornadoes
○ Full Air / Gas Control
Flow Magic
A First Degree magic type connected to Zima and Nagalytes.
It is based around water and liquids.
Corresponding Secondary Element: Freeze
Stereotype
Friendly, outgoing, and optimistic, the Flow element is often connected to bright and happy personalities. ‘Lytes who learn it tend to get along with others and easily adapt to new situations, making it so they work best surrounded by a group!
Abilities
Novice
○ Sense & Pinpoint Higher Humidity
○ Create Bubbles
○ Alter Water Currents
○ Manipulate Vapor & Water Droplets
Median
○ Condense Vapor / Create Clouds
○ Create Small Jets / Fountains
○ Create Whirlpools
○ Manipulate Small Amounts of Water
Expert
○ Underwater Breathing
○ Walk on Liquids
○ Harness Waves / Floods
○ Full Water / Liquid Control
Mind Magic
A Second Degree magic type connected to Florya and Mythlytes.
It is based around thoughts and the mind.
Corresponding Basic Element: Growth
Stereotype
Independent and disconnected, the Mind element is often connected to those just considered an odd bunch. 'Lytes who learn this element are rarely aggressive or mean any harm to those around them, they just have their unique way of going about life and are perfectly fine on their own.
Abilities
Novice
○ Sense Nearby Presences
○ Detect Lies
○ Predict Responses
○ Manipulate Simple Thoughts
Median
○ Hypnosis / Illusions
○ Limited Mind Reading & Telepathy
○ Teleportation & Astral Projection [Short Range]
○ Manipulate Complex Thoughts
Expert
○ Full Teleportation & Astral Projection
○ Full Telepathy
○ Future Sight
○ Shapeshift
Strike Magic
A Second Degree magic type connected to Aitsua and Zaplytes.
It is based around electricity, energy, and metal.
Corresponding Basic Element: Burn
Stereotype
Energetic and peppy, the Strike element is commonly associated with very quick-thinking and fast-paced lytes. Those who learn this element like to keep busy and are excellent at meeting deadlines and finishing projects they're passionate about, even if they can be a tad overbearing at times.
Abilities
Novice
○ Sense & Pinpoint Electricity
○ Static Charge
○ Change Magnetic Properties
○ Manipulate Existing Electricity
Median
○ Bend Metal
○ Increase Electrical Charge
○ Power Small Devices
○ Create Electricity Bolts
Expert
○ Paralyze
○ Power Large Machines
○ Harness & Create Lightning
○ Full Electricity / Metal Control
A Second Degree magic type connected to Unkiri and Bonelytes.
It is based around death and deterioration.
Corresponding Basic Element: Sky
Stereotype
Respectful and well-revered, Decay is surprisingly connected to an honorable set of lytes. Although they may be a bit absentminded or accidentally destructive every now and then, those who learn this element are pretty positively seen, at least in places where the magic is common.
Decay Magic
Abilities
Novice
○ Alter Transparency
○ Detect Illness
○ Deteriorate Organic Material
○ Lower Heart Rate
Median
○ Petrify
○ Reanimate [Short Term]
○ Withering Touch
○ See Spirits
Expert
○ Invisibility
○ Reanimate [Long Term]
○ Possess
○ Speak to the Dead
Freeze Magic
Stereotype
A Second Degree magic type connected to Zima and Plushlytes.
It is based around ice and frozen solids.
Corresponding Basic Element: Flow
Stoic and self-interested, the Freeze element tends to be connected to a less-than-social group. Lytes who learn this element tend to be quite prideful and work very hard to keep up a good reputation, even if their vanity can be a bit blinding during even the best of times.
Abilities
Novice
○ Sense & Pinpoint Lower Temperatures
○ Form Icicles
○ Freeze Liquids [Small]
○ Manipulate Existing Ice / Frozen Solids
Median
○ Condense Liquid / Create Solids
○ Create Snow Flurries
○ Frost Breath
○ Major Cold Resistance
Expert
○ Freeze Without Liquid
○ Freezeframe
○ Harness & Create Glaciers / Snowstorms
○ Full Ice / Frozen Solid Control
Zero Degree
Zero Degree magic isn’t exactly an “official” magic as the First and Second Degree elements are! It consists of quick charms and spells that aren’t connected to any specific element, and it is most often used as a nice, easy way to learn a helpful skill or two without fully going down a magical path. Most of these tricks are short-term or don’t have a very heavy effect on anything, but they can be quite useful in the moment! Even Lavalings can learn these if they can find a spellbook or collection of charms!
Note: Zero Degree magic is a sort of "free to use" resource in the group! Anyone is free to incorporate them into their stories, especially official ones once they are listed. Please note that these are a bit difficult to come across in the Astrolytes world, only last for a couple hours at most, and are linked to no element - try to keep uses of it canon!
Affinities
Occasionally, a Lavaling may be born with what is called an affinity! This is where a magical trait gets passed down during breeding, resulting in the child being able to perform a simplified Novice ability. The type of magic & ability depends on what magic the parents have, and the Lavaling often does it as a reflex rather than on purpose, but it can make learning magic easier later in life!
Inherent Magic
A stronger and more prevalent version of the affinity, inherent magic is a phenomenon that only occurs in Subspecies! It is a recent development, caused by the late arrival of the year's Lavalyte. Since the Grand Vitae finally reopened, Subspecies have been able to naturally perform an Expert level skill matching their connected element!
These abilities are often weak at first, but can be controlled and mastered on their own with enough practice. They are present in all Subspecies at all ages, though it was recorded that those who experienced the initial spike of magic were temporarily subject to a more standard affinity reaction, where abilities activated at random. Due to how new this magical development is, not much is currently known about the exact limits or strengths inherent magic possesses!
Inherent Abilities
Their lavalamps do glow the correlated magic color whenever they perform these abilities!
Pygmylytes: Communicate With Plants / Animals
Dracolytes: Breathe Fire
Sunlytes: Flight / Personal Levitation
Nagalytes: Underwater Breathing
Mythlytes: Future Sight
Zaplytes: Paralyze
Bonelytes: Speak to the Dead
Plushlytes: Freezeframe
Laws on Magic
While magic is generally a trusted system, there are a few notable rules in place to prevent any major disturbances from ‘lytes with less than ideal motives.
○ Lavalamp placements must be visible when performing magic!
This is especially true in major cities / during special events. Their strong glow usually makes this difficult to accomplish anyways, so purposely trying to conceal magic use is automatically seen as suspicious.
○ Only Novice abilities can be performed in lamperies!
No high-level magic should be used in or around any lampery unless it’s to protect those inside, and even then, only trusted magic users are really allowed to do that.
○ Only licensed magicians can teach others & perform in public!
While this isn’t the strictest of laws, it’s generally accepted that licensed magicians tend to be more trustworthy with their skills, and are allowed to use them in official jobs and performances. Self-taught magicians are still free to use what they know, but it’s usually encouraged for them to keep it to personal events and such and away from large crowds / workplaces just in case.
Dimagic / Trimagic / etc.
The ability for an Astrolyte to use more than one type of magic at once is an extremely rare talent, presumed extinct or fake! Many have theorized that it’d take a very powerful magic user to even attempt it, considering it’d require an immense amount of energy to tap into 2, 3, even 4 magics simultaneously. It’s more often used in stories as something Lavalings can see as a kind of superhero more than a skill ‘lytes seriously discuss.
While it may be impossible for a single lyte to combine magics, that’s not to say multiple couldn’t! It’d require a strong connection between the users or at least a lot of focus, but it’s definitely possible for 2 or 3 separate ‘lytes to combine their knowledge to either make a certain magic ability stronger or mix abilities together.
Pantomagic
The ability for an Astrolyte to learn / perform every magic is impossible! Magic is a skill like any other, which means it’s unreasonable for a lyte to perfect every single aspect of it. It also means it can be forgotten over long periods of disuse, so knowing every ability would most likely require constant magic use to achieve! Much like Dimagic, this is more of a concept for stories rather than something that’s taken seriously.