Difference between revisions of "SLAY Magic System"

Revision as of 15:49, 27 December 2023

This content describes the magic system used in SLAY, a serial podcast created and written by Scott Sigler.

Elements of Magic

Filaments

Magical energy is a consumable resource. It is generated by harvesting emotional energy from the "purblind," which are those that can't see the magical world around them.

Filaments are gathered from the purblind by "pullers."

Kinds of filaments:

• Love
• Hate
• Energy
• Fear
• Etc, all forms of emotions can be pulled into filaments.

How filaments are made

Filaments are gathered by "spinners." Spinners are specialists who focus on one kid of thread. They are similar in concept to the specialists in BLADE RUNNER, who work on skin only, or eyes only. etc.

Alternate names

"Filaments" are often called "threads."

Fibers

Filaments are bound into fibers by "spinners." Fibers are more concentrated versions of the same. Fibers can be of a single emotion, or can be made in emotional pairs (such as anger and mistrust) to make material for simple spells.

Meshwork

Complex spells require weaving of fibers into "mesh," which is comparable to a net, a web, or, when denser and more powerful, to fabric. The most powerful of all is a tapestry.

Magic Materials?

What if metal can't hold magical energy? What if only wood and gems can? How does that impact the concept of magic?

Silver still kills certain things because it's poisonous to those things.

Every spell and bit of magic must first be made into a physical object before its power can be used. Once a physical object is made, anyone can use it if they know how to activate it.

Magic Practitioners

• Pullers: Those who gather filaments. Pullers tend to specialize in harvesting threads from one emotion or a cluster of similar emotions. Pullers often have means to manipulate purblind into feeling those emotions at a high level, which makes harvesting easier.
• Spinners: Those who fashion filaments into fibers.
• Weavers: Those who weave fibers into meshwork (spells and magical items). Weavers combine fibers to make particular kinds of "mesh." Weavers have to combine particular kinds of magic in a recipe format (a-la eye of newt, pinch of salt, etc.). Weavers combine filaments into physical objects that have magical properties, such as spells, magic items, weapons, etc.

Magical Items & Techniques

Tension Knots

A kind of magical tripwire that, when crossed, alerts the weaver or activates a pre-spun spell.