#cee draws

luke manning ref image

from "we buried the wrong guy"

faceless!!!

DEFINITION

A magia conduit is a tool that mages and some priests use to wield magia, meaning, it's something that they require in order to do magic. It's a type of crystal called nightlite that has unparalleled magia conductive qualities, and functions as, well, a conduit through which people are able to access magia in the air. This crystal is typically cut into gems and used as jewelry. By far the most popular metal to encase it in is gold, as it's significantly conductive as well, and may provide help in smoothing the link to magia. Any person wishing to do magic must have a magia conduit on their person. There are many factors that impact its functionality, however.

ORIGINS

Nightlite gets its name from its night-like appearance, which is especially prominent in the dark as it has a slight glow to it (when cut and polished, it loses the glow). See the illustration below:

It's commonly found in caves strewn about the continent; although, at the present time, there is much less of it left due to the mining for conduits. It does not seem to form anymore either, nor is it possible to transmute. Nightlite was found very early on but its magia-related qualities were discovered much later. When scholars first started theorizing that magic could be done by anyone, not just priests (see this post for a bit more info on that), they spent years trying to find ways to achieve that. At some point, they turned to folklore, as nightlite was well-known among the common people. Those that dabbled in worship believed it was a manifestation of the deities and brought miracles into their homes if placed somewhere inside. Some saw it as a tool for curses and thus either seeked it out for nefarious purposes or avoided it as best they could. And some thought that if gifted to a newborn upon their birth it would bring the child good fortune for the rest of their lives. In short, there were as many beliefs as there were communities—and all had to do with mystical abilities (this was likely caused by accidental casting, so most of those beliefs had some truth to it). And so, when scholars began investigating this crystal, they quickly discovered that it, indeed, was just what they'd been looking for. On a separate note, nightlite has baffled geologists ever since they started investigating it and still does to this day. Although it looks like a regular crystal and can be cut and polished, its physical properties and structure is entirely unlike any other crystal. For example, it doesn't conduct heat at all, never sinks despite being heavier than all known crystals, tastes vaguely like burnt wood, makes no sound when hit—so far, nightlite remains a mystery to geologists, although a lot of effort it being put into uncovering its nature.

USAGE

What kind of magia conduit a mage has depends on what kind of mage they are. In short, the smaller the gem is, the less magia they can command, but the more precise their control will be. Imagine a hammer vs a spear. It depends what your needs are. For all-rounder mages (jack-of-all-trades types), they usually go with an average-sized necklace, a comfortable middle. A necklace is also the standard for students until they get a personalized one and most priests that use one. Those that tend to command larger amount of magia and don't require much precision, such as abjuration mages (they deal with protection magic, basically), typically go for arm braces or pendants with large gems. In contrast, those that need much more precision, like transmutation mages, opt for rings or delicate bracelets. Charm mages are somewhat unique in this regard. They're the only type that command magia primarily through speaking, and so they tend to wear conduits as earrings or hair/head pieces—something that would be closer to one's mouth. An example (how Quil's looks like):

Now, sometimes it's in your best interest that others can't tell where your conduit is, so some tend to hide or otherwise disguise them. Some, however, like Merridie mages, wear so much jewelry with so many fakes that it can be difficult to tell which is the real one. Some don't try to hide it at all, thus showing how confident they are in their own abilities.

Magia conduits are also typically linked to one specific mage at a time. This is done to ensure the best possible flow and control. Each person differs in so many ways both physically and spiritually, so it's only natural they'd use magia differently, too, to some extent. That's why personalized conduits are a must for most mages. It's possible to wield magia with another's conduit, but it won't listen to you as effectively. It's common conduits to be passed down from parent to child if they come from a mage family. It's said that conduits that are family heirlooms work more efficiently for their new wielders as the more they've been in a family line, the more exposure they've had to it and thus are better adapted for it. This also means that they function more poorly to anyone not from the family line. In addition, more prominent families also have specific designs for their conduits. Quil's family, for example, go for more triangular and sharp designs. Some of such conduits have a reputation of their own, and children may even compete for them. It's considered high honor to inherit an old conduit. (As a note, whilst Quil did inherit his own, he had it remade into a ring as it used to be a hair piece. This was a very controversial move within the family lol.)