The Nature of Magic (Part 4) · 2:54am Feb 2nd, 2016
Sorry that it took awhile but here it is.
Life magic is a diverse and extremely useful field of magic in the sense of farming and medicine. Most soldiers in Equestria are required to know most of the basic first aid spells if they're to graduate from basic training. The Earth ponies all seem to have some affinity for Life magic as well for farming and the care of livestock. Some of the fancier spells of Life magic could make plants grow into structures, shields and walls, heel injuries, and a few others stuff that I just theorizing to be transforming living things into other living things. Despite the usefulness of this field of magic, there is still a lot of research to be done in Life magic.
Death magic is the counter balance of life magic and is consider to be forbidden field of magic. Now there are two maybe three sub-fields to death magic which I’ll only mention here because if you get caught practicing this field, you’ll be imprison and/or put to death. No exceptions!! The first part is the lethal or the killing spells, some of which will take time killing the victim while others kill instantly. This next part I’m not sure is possible is leaching which is the process of sucking the life-force out of one being into another being, usually yourself. This last part is something that’s been a part of popular culture for awhile now, the animation of the dead. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, animating the dead means bringing the dead back to life but not completely which is how you get walking mummies, zombies, and the Frankenstein Monster.
Alchemy is the creation of potions to get the desire results. Now this field of magic is the closest to actual science for it is what the scientific field called Chemistry is base off of, but alchemy often use plants and minerals and sometimes animals that have magic infused in them. It’s because of that trait, alchemy is accessible by anyone. Now there is another form of alchemy that deal with Transmutation, which focuses magic to change the properties of materials in either shape or makeup. Transmutation usually requires what’s known as a transmutation circle and magic from the alchemist own body, which can be dangerous.
Please let me know what you think.
Are most soldiers Unicorns or can other pony races do these spells also?
Oh! I replied to an email, that's why my comment is missing.
Seems like a solid headcanon. If you can extend this to 1000 words, it would make a nice fanfic.
3728225 No, Unicorns only make about a fourth to a third of the Equestrian military. plus the basic first aid spells can be done by anyone who has magic.
3728757 Can Earth pony do first aid magic?
3728700 well according to Microsoft Word I'm at 1,721 words for the whole paper on the Nature of Magic. I'll likely post the whole thing as a fanfic now that you mention it when it's done.
3728758 Yes, I stated in my earlier comment that anyone with magic could use the basic first aid spells. It just takes training.
3728766 How does an Earth pony cast spells? I've never seen it on the show before.
3730140 According to many headcanons, through direct contact. According to my headcanon, when Applejack, for example, bucks a tree, she directs the vibrations to the apple stalks to 'shatter' (for a lack of a better word) them, causing them to fall.
3728762 Sounds good!
3730596 your right there, but they also do it through Alchemy too
3730596 But Fluttershy helped Applejack buck the trees once (after she agreed to accept the help). How did the Pegasus manage to do it then?
3730674 General vibrations, though they are unconcentrated.
*Handwaves violently*
Um, can I suggest that you break your text up into paragraphs?
Its like one big wall of text.
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I wonder if it makes sense to ban spells that kill instantly during wartime?
If they are using fireball spells to burn enemies, why should they stop there?
It might be possible that trying to kill someone with death magic takes too much power.
Then again making a death spell that could wipe out enemies and leave the area relatively undamaged might be a useful thing. Then again ponies are not that mean and destructive.
I remember in early D&D manuals. Healing was actually in the necromancy area.
Bringing dead flesh to life.
What about talking to spirits?
Is that a form of death magic?
What about the binding and controlling of spirits?
Is it possible to use Life magic to alter the properties of animals or plants?
Or do you need some Chaos magic for that?
Is it possible to animate things that were never alive like clay figures using Life Magic for that?
Can you use life magic to animate golems or constructs?
Do you have room in your nature of magic talk for Chaos and Order magic?