The 24 Colors of Magic; Qualeland, a magical world in need of ideas.

[Bobbybobby99]

All the world around has dust, floating about, little human skin flakes and animal danders and bits of dissolved cobwebs. That's what scholars often call Mundane Dust; dust without any innate power. That is in contrast to Magical Dust; much like regular dust, it comes from humans and beasts and vermin; but it is useful. Not everyone produces that sort of dust; only perhaps one is four do so, and most can only produce enough to cast a single first magnitude spell a day. Some, however, are far more potent, for they produce far more concentrate dust; enough to raise the dead to life, produce infernos, murder people with naught but a lock of hair. There are twenty degrees of human potency; and twenty-four colors of dust.

The world is an infinite continent. There are individual, large areas (generally varying between the size of Britain and Asia), known as sections, that serve as continents for most practical purposes, nearly islands amongst great seas, connected by numerous great land-bridges. Due to magical communication and simple variant nature, most sections are relatively homogenous. A section the size of Asia, for example, would likely have the rough cultural and geographic variance of, say, Japan. The ratio of land to water is roughly equal.

The continent of Qualeland resembles medieval Britain in many ways, though it is far larger (resembling north america in size)

Spoiler: Setting

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The overall technological level is roughly fixed at thirteenth century levels. While it does progress, it does so in the opposite manor of real life; it rapidly progressed past the stone age in a few centuries, but it's been stuck at about 1200 AC for about 3 millennia. This is the result of a variety of factors.
. Magic, quite simply, makes most technology useless. This would not be true if, as in many settings, magic was rare; but magic isn't rare. One in three people can produce dust; but anyone can use it, and it often becomes a commodity in it's own right. Any technological advancements tend to pale in comparison to simple magic; and the subtler effects of large amounts of dust, that of subtle changes to the laws of physics, mean that something complex that works one year might not work another.

Spoiler: System

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Base system of Ars Magica, 5th edition.

The dust itself has it's color determined by it's level of power concentration (rainbow dust has the dust within a container shift through the colors of the rainbow in an illusion of movement, while kaleidoscopic dust randomly shifts color with individual grains to produce a kaleidoscopic effect). Units are based on the number of cups clear dust a single cup of that dust would convert to, and the number of cups clear dust it is worth; magically speaking.

Clear dust. 1 unit.
Sandy dust. 10 units.
Brown dust. 100 units.
Mahogany dust. 1,000 units.
Black dust. 10,000 units.
Crimson dust. 100,000 units.
Red dust. 1,000,000 units.
Scarlet dust. 10,000,000 units.
Orange dust. 100,000,000 units.
Amber dust. 1,000,000,000 units.
Yellow dust. 10,000,000,000 units.
Chartreuse dust. 100,000,000,000 units.
Green dust. 1,000,000,000,000 units.
Cyan dust. 10,000,000,000,000 units.
Blue dust. 100,000,000,000,000 units.
Navy dust. 1,000,000,000,000,000 units.
Indigo dust. 10,000,000,000,000,000 units.
Violet dust. 100,000,000,000,000,000 units.
Purple dust. 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 units.
Magenta dust. 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 units.
Pink dust. 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 units.
White dust. 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 units.
Rainbow dust.
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 units.
Kaleidoscopic dust.
100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 units.

Cups per day are based upon the production of clear dust; it is rather rare for high ranking spellcasters to actually use clear dust.
Fractions are based on the fraction of spellcasters at that level or higher within the population.

Rank 1. 16 cups per day. 1/3
Rank 2. 256 cups pr day. 1/9
Rank 3. 4096 cups per day. 1/27
Rank 4. 65,536 cups per day. 1/81
Rank 5. 1,048,576 cups per day. 1/240
Rank 6. 16,777,216 cups per day. 1/730
Rank 7. 268,435,456 cups per day. 1/2,200
Rank 8. 4,294,967,296 cups per day. 1/6,600
Rank 9. 68,719,476,736 cups per day. 1/20,000
Rank 10. 1,099,511,627,776 cups per day. 1/59,000
Rank 11. 17,592,186,044,020 cups per day. 1/180,000
Rank 12. 281,474,976,710,700 cups per day. 1/530,000
Rank 13. 4,503,599,627,371,000 cups per day. 1/1,600,000
Rank 14. 72,057,594,037,930,000 cups per day. 1/4,800,000
Rank 15. 1,152,921,504,607,000,000 cups per day. 1/14,000,000
Rank 16. 18,446,744,073,710,000,000 cups per day. 1/43,000,000
Rank 17. 295,147,905,179,400,000,000 cups per day. 1/130,000,000
Rank 18. 4,722,366,482,870,000,000,000 cups per day. 1/390,000,000
Rank 19. 75,557,863,725,910,000,000,000 cups per day. 1/1,200,000,000
Rank 20. 1,208,925,819,615,000,000,000,000 cups per day. 1/3,500,000,000

An individual can contain a single week's worth of dust production inside their body; this is referred to as their dust reserve. At will, a spellcaster can partially or fully empty out their dust, causing it to take on a physical form, outpouring form one of their limbs. It is entirely up to the user as to the dust's color. When their reserves are full, it dissipates from them, flake by flake; that is part of why it is called dust. It remains in existence so long as it is somehow contained; when not contained, it tends to randomly dissipate itself with Wild Magic. With force of will, dust can be forced to penetrate as much as two inches of an organic substance; this is how wands and staffs often work, being both magically reinforced and hollow (and often also talismans)

Spells can be cast from both internal and external dust, as desired, and external dust can be used regardless of it's original user. Internal dust can be used silenced and stilled, with the appropriate penalties; external dust must be triggered with a verbal and/or somatic component, and must be held or on the caster's person. Simple magical rituals are sufficient to convert one type of dust to another; they require no more than a single, personal, four syllable word, generally.

Rather than casting score being determined by technique+form+stamina+aura, it is determined by the amount of dust expended.

One cup of clear dust is sufficient to cast a spell with a casting score of 1, 2 cups of clear dust is sufficient to cast a spell with a casting score of 2, 4 cups of clear dust is sufficient to cast a spell with a casting score of 3, 16 cups of clear dust is sufficient to cast a spell with a casting score of 5, and etc. For further reference, note the amount of dust capable of being cast by a rank of spellcaster.
This may be modified by primary, secondary, and tertiary forms (see below)


Vis is the solidified form of Dust. All Vis comes in the form of ingots; stones that contain one or more pawns of it. A single working must be conducted using a single ingot. For example, a ritual spell that required two pawns of Vis could not use two separate ingots; it would have to use a single ingot with two or more pawns of Vis.
Dust can be converted to Vis; a single pawn of vis converts from or to 16 cups of clear dust, two pawns of Vis converts from or to 256 cups of clear dust, three pawns of Vis converts from to or to 4096 cups of clear dust, etc. This transaction need not be complete; 'bleeding' Vis is a term used to describe slowly converting bits and pieces of a potent ingot of Vis for extra Dust. Vis is entirely general; it does not have affinities.

There are no auras; demons, angels, faeries, and magical creatures continue to exist, and often are attracted to similar areas, but do not form auras.
Familiars are not restricted to magical creatures; they can be demons, angels, faeries, or magical creatures, with no alteration.

There is no warping, nor any twilight.

Ceremonial spells enjoy all the normal benefits of ritual spells (permanent creation, etc), and also require similar amounts of Vis.

An individual knows 24 spells by rote, distributed between ritual and formulaic spells, no matter their power.

Every practitioner has one primary form; they require one-fourth as much dust as normal to cast spells in that school. They then have three secondary forms, and they require the normal amount of dust to cast spells of those forms. Finally, they have six tertiary forms, casting from which requiring four times the normal amount of dust to cast. A practitioner generally has a single ethereal secondary art, a single elemental secondary art, and a single living secondary art, the sole exception being those with elemental magic who have the unified elements as their primary art, who may have two ethereal or two living secondary arts.

Every practitioner has one primary technique; they require one-fourth as much dust as normal to cast spells in that school. They then have two secondary techniques, and they require the normal amount of dust to cast spells of those techniques. Finally, they have two tertiary techniques, casting spells from which requiring four the normal amount of dust to cast.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary techniques and forms stack; for example, someone casting a spell with their primary technique and their primary form would require only 1/16th of the normal amount of dust. Someone casting with their primary technique and one of their tertiary forms would pay the normal amount of dust, because the two would cancel out.

In the event that someone is casting with multiple forms, use the higher amount of dust required. For example, someone casting a spell involving both their primary and secondary forms would cast as if they were using their secondary form.


Techniques.
Degrade (Perdo)
Divine (Intelligo)
Control (Rego)
Change (Muto)
Perfect (Creo)

Forms.
Living. Body (Corpus) Animal (Animal) Plant (Herbam)
Elemental. Earth (Terran) Water (Aquan) Air (Auran) Fire (Ignem)
Ethereal. Sense magic (Imaginem) Soul magic (Mentem) Dust magic (Vim)


Everyone has three major magical virtues, three minor magical viruses, two minor magical flaws, and two major magical flaws. These do not count towards their flaw and virtue totals. An individual should not have more than one virtue or flaw from the same category.
Any virtues that increase casting score by three, or halves the experience cost of learning, instead divide the amount of dust needed for a spell by four. Magical focuses divide the amount of dust needed for a spell by sixteen. Note that, though it is rare, you can have two magical focuses.

Magical abilities (as opposed to arts) require an amount of dust equal to sixteen to the power of the ability rank to be imitated. Imitating a rank of one in an ability requires sixteen cups of clear dust, imitating a rank of two requires 256 cups of clear dust, etc. They require this expenditure daily, for passive access; abilities without ranks require 16 cups of clear dust daily for access. Everyone has access to the Parma Magica ability.


Major Magical Virtues.

Defining......
Elemental magic.
Holy magic. (remove all restrictions except against sin; redefined by their god)
Chthonic magic.
Gentle gift.
Major magical focus.

Stylistic......
Deidne magic.
Tamed magic.
Flawless magic.
Mercurian magic.
Flexible formulaic magic.

Innate......
Strong faerie blood.
Greater immunity.
Ways of the land.
Vis sensitivity.
Shapeshifter.



Minor Magical Virtues.

Defining......
Affinity with Art.
Cyclic magic.
Faerie magic.
Heartbeast.
Inoffensive to animals.
Inoffensive to faeries.
Inoffensive to magical creatures.
Minor magical focus.
Special circumstance.
Verditus magic.

Stylistic......
Cautious sorcerer.
Deft form.
Enduring magic.
Fast caster.
Life boost.
Mastered spells.
Method caster.
Quiet magic.
Side effect.
Subtle magic.

Innate......
Animal ken.
Dowsing.
Enchanting music.
Lesser immunity.
Lesser purifying touch.
Magic sensitivity.
Premonitions.
Second sight.
Skinchanger.
Wilderness sense.


Minor Magical Flaws.

Defining......
Cyclic magic.
Deficient form.
Deleterious circumstance.
Offensive to humans.
Offensive to angels.
Offensive to demons.
Limited magic resistance.
Unpredictable magic.
Warped magic.
Weird magic.

Stylistic......
Careless sorcerer.
Clumsy magic.
Difficult spontaneous magic.
Disorientating magic.
Flawed magic resistance.
Incompatible arts.
Poor formulaic magic.
Short lived magic.
Slow caster.
Weak enchanter.


Major Magical Flaws.

Defining......
Blatant magic.
Deficient technique.
Waster of Vis.
Restriction; cannot have lied within the past day.
Weak spontaneous magic.

Stylistic......
Chaotic magic.
Painful magic.
Short-ranged magic.
Unstructured caster.
Magic addiction.

The main question is, does anybody have any ideas about how to make this setting unique? Unique races, various countries, other tweaks to the magic system? I'll be updating this regularly, but I'd just like some other, extra creative people to help out .

A major question would be putting a market value on dust, by the way.