From 08e0ac5224fea03aa74fca641d77ea74de53540b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Malin Freeborn <malinfreeborn@posteo.net>
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:14:07 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] overhaul magic intro
---
spells.tex | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++------------
1 file changed, 22 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)
diff --git a/spells.tex b/spells.tex
index 0a202ad2..00ec12a4 100644
--- a/spells.tex
+++ b/spells.tex
@@ -2,25 +2,35 @@
\begin{multicols}{2}
-\input{config/rules/spells.tex}
-
\noindent
-Miracle-workers transform mana into change.
-With each new sphere of magic, they can contort and shape more of the world.
+The world has a consistent logic to its workings, which you might think of as a language.
+A miracle-worker is someone who can speak sweetly to the logic of the world.
+
+The language of the world has five nouns -- Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and \textit{Fate}.
+Spellcasters can gain these as Skills in order to control these elements.
+
+The language of the world has only four verbs -- Wax, Wane, Warp, and Witness.
+Spellcasters cannot create or destroy, but they can make an element blossom or whither.
+Each of these spells is a 'level one spell', and costs 1 \gls{mp} to cast.
-Spells often gain bonuses for magical ingredients.
-The proper process can turn griffin features into a powerful dust which adds one \gls{mp} of Air.
-Using such an item means a caster with Air 2 can cast as if they had Air 3 and add 1 \gls{mp} to the spell.
+The language of the world has four adjective, referred to by spellcasters as \textit{Enhancements}.
+Each adjective increases the spell's level, and the spell's level can dramatically increase every Enhancements's effects.
+Spellcasters find this dangerous cycle intoxicating.
-So-called `low spheres' make up the basic elements of the world -- Fire, Air, Fate, et c.
-Combining the right pair of low spheres creates one of the high spheres, such as Light or Death.
-The mage can cast any spells from these domains equal to the highest of the lower spheres which comprise the spell.
+Each of these `low spheres' can combine with another to form a `high sphere' -- a new noun which the caster can speak to, and affect.
+Air and Fire create Light, Fire and Earth create Force.
+Affecting these high spheres takes considerably more skill; the caster has a rating in each high sphere equal to the \emph{lowest} of the two low spheres which comprise it.
-A mage with griffin-feather dust and Fate 1 could combine the two into a 1 \gls{mp} spell from the Death sphere, without having to spend \pgls{mp}.
-Or a mage with Fate 2 could spend 1 \gls{mp} while using the dust, and cast a spell from the Death sphere with a cost of 2.
+The primordial breath to speak this language comes from the wind, bringing inspiration to those who can listen.
+Of course, spellcasters without the patience for inspiration often resort to just gutting a giant arachnid for its webbing, mixing in some griffin-feathers, and twisting the world by force.
+A good witch leaves no part of her prey unused.
+
+\input{config/rules/spells.tex}
\end{multicols}
+\vspace{3em}
+
\section{First Level Spells}
\begin{multicols}{2}
--
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