Part 73: Regarding the Origins of Bright and Dark Magic

Regarding the Origins of Bright and Dark Magic

As theory of magic advances, and as the works of Dark magicians and wizards past are analysed, a fundamental truth regarding magics Bright and Dark becomes clear- both are, essentially, complex elaborations of more fundamental magics, as devised by intelligences of the highest order. Both are fundamentally tied to the nature of thinking beings as thinking beings, and, in fact, both exhibit a certain substrate of techniques that would be familiar to any Sorcerer- in fact both draw upon Sorcery as a fundamental basis! Neither is Sorcery unadulterated, however, and in fact recognizing the fact that Sorcery is built into their substrate is only possible through a careful compilation of theory verified by measures taken to exclude the influence of Sorcery entirely from operations of Bright magic, in which case Bright magic fails entirely.

Into this substrate are bound elements of another magical force, varying between Bright and Dark magic. Bright magic, which as is known perfects the body and mind of recipients, in fact draws upon significant elements of the power of Nature, drawing upon the ordered substance of the worlds and the life that exists within them. It seems clear that Bright magic was in fact deliberately created and designed drawing upon elements of both Nature magic and Sorcery, which exist naturally in the worlds- and the subtlety and intellect that this combination was built upon seem to exceed that of any wizard of history. This supports in all respects the idea that Bright magic was in fact the invention of the Bright Gods, though now we begin to glimpse what the methods they employed to create it must have been. Notwithstanding the fact that Bright magic draws upon forces of Nature and Sorcery, nonetheless in practice it is entirely its own force, for the abilities of mortal Sorcerors and Nature magicians would be hard-pressed to create such a synthesis in their own work.

Dark magic, for its part, degrades, decays, and destroys, and it is not unsurprising to learn through study that into the substrate of Sorcery supporting Dark magic forces of Chaos have been integrated. This likewise exhibits a degree of intelligence and skill beyond any mortal innovation, and one can confidently attribute the invention of Dark magic to the Dark Gods, a deliberate creation to act in service to their ends.

As it is clear in the case of both Bright and Dark magic that the work of the gods is in fact a use of magic naturally-occurring, though exhibiting a great excellency of skill and knowledge, I believe this supports the theories that hold that the worlds existed before the gods, the worlds uncreated but shaped by the will and power of the gods when the gods came to be. Were the worlds and the magic of the worlds but a product of the gods, one should imagine that the forces that represent the gods themselves would be an unpolluted fundament, rather than the works of the gods being a skillful combination of other forces. Even so, the Bright Gods prove themselves worthy of our worship and admiration, being the great benefactors of all thinking beings who will accept their aid.