Negation

Where there has been magic, there have always been those opposed to its misuse. In the early days of mortal history there was very little to stand in the way of exceptionally powerful mages save for being a powerful mage oneself. As a result, Negation was created. This discipline of rune magic is among the few that have been created by mortals as opposed to being gifted to them by the gods. With it mages are able to craft subtle wards and powerful shields. These barriers can be placed over people, objects or even entire buildings or areas.

Origins

During the early days of Ransera, when mortals wielded magic heedless of its consequences either through ignorance or ambition, there was very little to stand in their way. A group of monks devoted to Keela, Dragon Goddess of Wisdom, spent many years in contemplation on the nature of Cardinal Runes and their powers. The culmination of their work resulted in the creation of the Rune of Negation. It is said that on the day of its creation, a great wave of power billowed out from the monastery where they lived. On that day all magic in the world came to a grinding halt and lasted for several days. When the monastery was found all of the monks were gone and resting at the center of the courtyard where they conducted their ritual was the very first Rune of Negation. The monastery has since been lost to time but it is said that it is a place where only the Great Gods retain their power.

Initiation

As with all disciplines of rune magic, an aspiring warden must find a mage who is willing and able to inscribe the Rune of Negation upon their flesh. Threshold sickness for ward mages is among the most curious of them all. It is a highly psychological sickness with most mages citing they experience an overwhelming numbness, crippling depression, or a complete aversion to social interaction with a desire to go into intense reflection. Some go into a comatose state, some have even experienced the complete loss of sensation or even use of limbs. Most successfully recover from the sickness brought on by the Rune of Negation, it is among the Primal Runes with the least likelihood of fatality.

Overstepping

In terms of use, Negation is among the safest disciplines of rune magic. Overstepping with it is exceedingly infrequent as the very nature of the magic prevents most of its effects from occurring. Of course, even with its relative safety it is not completely without its dangers. In the event that overstepping does occur with the Rune of Negation the effects can be quite dramatic and are more often psychological than physical. Historically this has involved mages whose sanity has been shattered due to continued abuse. This often leads to delusions of complete invulnerability that further leads to excessively reckless actions culminating in their deaths. A hastily constructed ward that has become distorted can act erratically.

How It Works

Negation works on the principle of identity or rather, definition. Perhaps more so than most Primal Runes. The concept is simple, the application is what becomes complicated. At low levels the mage is simply reinforcing the identity of the area the barrier encompasses. This is to make the area less likely to allow for the shifting of the definition of reality that allows magic to take place. These wards are often rudimentary at best, prone to failing after negating just a few spells, and encompassing very broad ideas allowing for clever mages to circumvent them. At higher levels wards becomes far more refined. The warden seeking to construct a barrier need only tap into the power of their respective rune, determine an anchor point for the ward and build the shield around the concept of what they intend to block. After weaving this concept into the structure of the barrier, it then negates the properties corresponding to those parameters. This results in the object simply being unable to pass the threshold of the barrier or the type of magic specified simply not working within its borders.

Sustaining A Shield

Wards tend to be very persistent things unless disturbed. Even the most powerful of them will not last forever though. All wards will expire after a period of time if they are not maintained. Any mage bearing the Rune of Negation can repair a ward that has deteriorated if they are of equal or greater power than the mage who originally built it. A ward can only be willfully dispelled by the mage who created it, otherwise it must either be overpowered or simply allowed to deteriorate naturally. This goes back to the concept of identity, the wards recognize the power that created them and while other mages bearing the Rune of Negation can add to their power, they cannot take from it.

Powers and Abilities

Anchor

Acquired at Novice. Every ward has an achor. This is quite literally the point that keeps the barrier in place and serves as the focal point of its energies. The anchor is what gives the ward purpose. It is both the area where the barrier is weakest and strongest at the same time. It is weak because if the anchor is disrupted, dislodged or dispelled in any manner then the barrier is destroyed. It is strongest due to the fact that the anchor point is where the power of the ward is at its most potent. The anchor can be placed anywhere upon a person, place or thing. It should be noted that the placement of the anchor often dictates the shape and size of the ward. The smaller the area a ward has to cover, the less taxing it is to construct it. The broader the area, the more draining it is on the wizard attempting to build it.

An anchor is given its parameters during its construction. This can be done in moments or over a period of time depending on the needs of the individual. Once put in place, anchors tend to be persistent things that are difficult to change. Barriers built to ward against a multitude of things seldom have a single anchor incorporating dozens of parameters. Rather, they include multiple anchors spread out across the points of the shield that when woven together, produce a final and powerful ward.

However, changing an anchor is not impossible. It merely requires the deconstruction of the ward and the reprogramming can then take place. Once this has been done, the wizard can then rebuild the ward incorporating the new properties of the anchor.

Shieldcrafting

Acquired at Novice. The construction of a ward is something that a Negation mage must take time to do. Every barrier is custom built to cater to the needs of the wizard building it. Shapes, however, hold a power of their own and the shape of a shield can either help or hinder the efforts of a Negation mage depending on their task. Every Negation mage, from the beginner to an esteemed master, can utilize the shapes described below. The difference is in the speed at which they can be built, their efficacy, and the finesse with which they can be wielded.

Quadrilateral

Square, rectangle, or any other four sided shield. Quadrilaterals are the easiest to construct, however they are the most unyielding in the face of onslaught making them the most prone to shattering after just a few assaults. Quadrilateral shields are also some of the easiest to apply layers to.

Triangle

The quickest to build and the easiest to sustain, triangular shields are often a mage’s choice during spur of the moment incidents. However, while they are quick and easy, they are lacking in coverage and their anchor point is often the most vulnerable.

Curved

Tougher to construct but considered the most resilient shape when it comes to shields. There is an equal distribution of power across the surface of the ward making it the most adaptive in the face of onslaught. Curved shields are the most difficult to apply layers to but once finished are the most reliable.

Polygon

The most complex and difficult variety of shield to build. The strength of each area of the shield is dependent upon its overarching shape. Polygons are, however, the easiest of all shields to apply layers to.

3 Dimensional Shields

Most Negation mages prefer to work with 2D shields but there are times when 3D ones are warranted. 3D shields are the most powerful form of barrier a Negation mage can build. They are also the most demanding. It takes a considerable amount of energy and skill both to build and put in place a 3D shield, spheres, domes, cubes, cones etc. are incredibly powerful once finished but are taxing on the strength of the wizard building them. Most 3D shields are the product of several Negation mages working in tandem.

Tasking

Acquired at Novice. Tasking is the most fundamental ability in the arsenal of a Negation mage. Tasking is exactly that. It is assigning a function to the shield one is building. This can be as simple as blocking sound or as detailed as blocking a specific person, their bloodline and any weapon or magic they possess. The more detailed the task, the more time consuming and demanding it is to build.

Layering

Acquired at Journeyman. Normally, a shield’s parameters must be input into the anchor point in order to be distributed outward from this central point to the rest of the barrier. With the ability to Layer, this requirement enables the wizard to add new properties to different faces of the shield without having to disturb the anchor. A layered task however, can only be applied to a single face of the shield. As an example, the outward face of a shield can be given the property of repelling fire, such a property would not be present on the inward face of the shield unless the wizard went about adding the layer.

Tunneling

Acquired at Expert. Once an anchor has been created it usually has to be set in place in order to take effect. Such is not the case when it comes to tunneling. To tunnel is to attribute parameters to an anchor and then throw it at the intended opposing force in order to “tunnel” through it or to stop it in its tracks.

Monolith

Acquired at Master. To become a Monolith of Negation is to form an anchor out of oneself. It is a difficult technique to achieve as the Master mage must be careful to project the power of Negation without affecting themselves adversely. In forming themselves as the anchor of their barrier, they become the barrier and can then apply all the facets of their powers directly onto themselves.

Tier Progression

Novice (1-24)

The strength of the novice negation mage rests in their ability to creatively apply negating basic things. Whether that is simply blocking sound, blurring one’s perception of light, or concentrating on reinforcing the underlying identity of an object as opposed to preventing the occurrence of external forces. Their anchors and shields are slow to build and typically do not persist for very long without regular maintenance. They are limited to applying only a single parameter to their anchors at a time. Attempting to build anything more than simple 2D shields is courting overstepping.

Apprentice (25-49)

With a firm grasp on the fundamentals of Negation, the mage is now able to comfortably apply multiple parameters to their anchors at a time. Any more than a select few however is still exceedingly difficult. Their anchors and shields still take time to construct and properly affix to their decided location. Their ability to task becomes a tad more refined with the ability to take on more nuanced tasks becoming possible, such as warding against a specific mineral or a particular shape or a specific scent. Becoming overly specific however is still beyond the grasp of an apprentice.

Journeyman (50-74)

In gaining the ability to apply Layers to their shields, the Journeyman Negation mage has truly added some versatility to their practice. Constructing their anchors takes only a short amount of time as well as affixing them and building a shield outward from them. Applying a layer to the face of a shield however takes a fair amount of time, several minutes at the very least. Their grasp on the fundamental aspects of Negation have grown considerably.

Expert (75-99)

The expert Negation mage is a force to be reckoned with. The levels of nuance they can apply to their anchors and the shapes they can utilize in their shieldcrafting are vast. Building an anchor and constructing a barrier from there takes only moments. Their limitations are only the time they have to work and the amount of energy they themselves have to work with. At this level they gain the ability to project their anchors and thus Tunnel with their wards. While short lived, these snapshot anchors are invaluable in a pinch.

Master (100)

Having gained the ability to become a Monolith of Negation, the Master is a walking bulwark against any force they dedicate themselves to negating. While caution must be used so as not to negate their own effectiveness, the mage is limited only by their knowledge of how to creatively apply wards. Anchors and Shields are built and assigned tasks or even layers near instantaneously. At this stage, the only thing limiting a Master’s ability is their own energy reserves.