33. Sorcery
Sorcery, something different from Magic.
From the Book, I can discern that I use Magic in an Inefficient Way.
At least if I want to have big effects on it.
The Author did say at the beginning that Sorcery is often confused with the Magic of the School of Will.
Even tough the School of Will only uses willing for Magic, making fast and announced Magic effects.
But has a bad conversation Ratio, depending on how big the effect is.
Lightning a Candle doesn’t seem to be even 1% worse, but a firebullet meeds already 5% more Mana.
I don’t know what a Firebullet is, but I can guess.
After that, he talked about that Sorcery and Magic are quite different.
Sorcery doesn’t have such potents in diverse Situation.
Sorcery doesn’t have the Fireball of Fire magic or Air Blade from Wind magic.
It seems Sorcery forms. And is abstract.
The Abstract part, it seems, is the deciding one.
Ice Magic creates Spears of ice and impales people.
Ice Sorcery freezes until everything is in Ice.
It was also said that it’s a stupid comparison since the abstract part has more potential.
As an example, Magic Fire is Hot, but Sorcery Fire can be actually cold.
Doesn’t have to, but one can decide that all heat it produces will be instantly expelled.
In reverse, Fire can absorb heat and fan itself.
Fire, Hot, Temperature. All a different Affinity, but all overlapping in some way.
As soon as there isn’t much of an overlap with the Sorcery one wants to cast, it gets less inefficient and harder to cast.
And the actually Affinity has to act as a Medium.
So even a Fire sorcerer won’t be able to redirect heat into something that isn’t fire, without going through a flame.
He can’t even control Heat really, just make flame it absorb or expel.
So one shouldn’t focus on this secondary effects alone.
One should use it in Combination with the actual Affinity to increase Lethality.
Or one can form things one couldn’t imagine with Magic.
It was already pronounced that one can do a Cold flame, but which expels heat.
So one won’t know until touching the Flame.
But what about a flame which never Burned to begin with?
One can hold one Hand into that fire and even ignite a whole wooden building.
But nothing will change through the Flame.
Like it’s an Illusion. But the Flames are real, just not burning.
On the other Hand, one can make a Dark flame, which dimes Light.
With regulating that there doesn’t come any heat out, it’s perfect for a surprise.
Or changing colour, or making a fire underwater.
Phenomena possible or impossible for Magic can be achieved with Sorcery.
On the other Hand, sorcery can never pump a spell full to maximise destruction.
But they don’t need it.
Magicians need to overcome Magic resistance with better Magic.
Increasing Output through increasing input or using a more potent Magic.
Maybe increasing the Sharpness or heat further and further.
Even if a Person mastered Beginner Magic until they can cast in their Sleep, until using enough Mana for a single spell for Napalm, it won’t hurt advanced enough creatures.
But Sorcerer? The First spell they ever learned, when it could barely affect butter, can later wipe out wyverns?
Why? Because how good one is in the spell is everything.
It means one has to train excessively, that even with a few spells, to have a big effect.
But also that a cheap spell, with barely enough Mana used that one can regenerate in seconds, could still kill dragons.
And that’s where it matters.
To affect the World in ways Magic, which follows rules of the Affinity, can never achieve.
A Magic need to be bigger, stringer, faster, heavier, colder, hotter, piercing, crushing, slicing.
But sorcery just needs to be.
When I had to compare, it would be like two swordsman.
One buys always better Equipment, while the latter increases his Skill in swordsmanship.
It’s different, naturally. But a Good comparison.
Sorcery is especially valuable for people who can’t afford to invest in spells.
Because Sorcery just needs the basics and practice.
Sorcery doesn’t has spells. One forms the Mana, how one wants.
Copying someone else is no good.
The one who made it for himself put thoughts behind it in his way of thinking.
One has to think oneself what the sorcery should do.
Potency also increase with understanding of the Affinity.
The more one knows about it, the more familiar it is to one, the better it is.
Now, let’s talk about drawbacks.
Opposed to Magicians, one can’t just overclock spells.
Even when using more Mana, it doesn’t necessarily Effect.
Bigger? Maybe, depending on Affinity, yes. Hotter? Colder? No.
Only more. One can only make more of it, not necessarily better.
Which is something that makes many turn to being Magicians.
Because Sorcery don’t have that emergency Solutions, at a beginner stage at least.
Many think it’s that something unexpected will spell the end for a Sorcerer.
But this fools! One has to prepared, regardless of profession! A surprise Attack can be fatal for both.
The difference is that nearly all Sorceries can Heal in a unique way Magic can’t.
And Sorceries can can keep Barrie’s up for cheaper then Magicians, or even have more potent Detection Magics.
But it isn’t Attack Magic or cool otherwise, just something subtle!
Do this fools know that the greatest Magus also used this kind of subtle Magics?
Why do aspiring Mana-User always turn to something flashy!
Even the Goddam Leaf Mage! Sorcery with Leaf affinity in a forest could have so much potential!
But what does he plan to use Leaf Magic for? Rake Leafs?!
In Sorcery, everything Matching one’s affinity is your Friend.
Your Eyes, your Wall, your Hands and Weapon.
In Magic, your affinity is a Tool.
A Hammer can hammer, a Screwdriver screws and a Leaf is a Leaf!
It won’t transform into goddam Leafzilla because you said Abacadraba!
You would need Sorcery for that!
I digress.
Until now, one will plants have found out uses for sorcery and benefits and disadvantages against Magic.
Now, to the Basics.
Sorcery is Mana released into the Atmosphere to mix with ambient Mana while not being nit your Mana anymore.
Then one presses one’s Intent into that Mana.
And so on. The Author ranted very long about some things, but it gave me some overview.
I wonder how Magic eductions stand in this world?