Imperial magic does not fall exclusively into just one category. Rather, spell lists and even individual spells will often involve more than one kind of magic. However, the Imperial penchant for classification has allowed them to isolate the essential characteristics of different magical effects, leading to thorough analysis and subsequent progress in understanding the nature of magic.
- C. Maronis Superbus
The Official Colleges of Magic are generally based on the categories that Imperial magic is divided into. There are some differences, for logistical reasons.
The College of Aquileia
Named after the city
where it was founded and is still located, one
of the most
ancient in the Empire, and the location of Emperor's Summer Palace. The
college deals
with the arts of creation Alchemy, Vis Concordia, and Vis Veritas. The
Emperor's
personal guard often receive training at the latter. The College of
Healing is most
closely (though not exclusively) associated with the Aquileia schools
as well.
The College of Merinium
Named after the city
where it was founded, and where it existed
until the cataclysm.
The city (a port) was sunk in the destruction (though many of the
materials kept
at the college were either retrieved or were duplicated in other
collections) of
that event, however, and only the name remains. The College is now
located on a vast
estate a day's ride outside the capital, Nova Traiano. This college
houses the programs
that focus on the domination or control of a specific type of being or
force(s) Elementalism
(the domination of the elements), Summoning (the mastery of elementals,
demons, etc.),
and Vis Ingenia (the control of other individuals).
The College of Falerna
Named after a great
master of the arts, Aulus Quirina Falerna, this
school is
devoted to those magics that physically manipulate or alter the world
in general.
This College includes the schools of Sorcery, Thaumaturgy, and
Wizardry. The College
of Oppositio is very closely associated with this College, and located
near by, since
most of their magics come from these fields (except detect and analyze
magics, etc)
The Minor Colleges
These schools are the College of Reate and the College Soranus. The College Reate (named after the Reatine hill, the second highest hill in the pre-Cataclysm city) deals with healing Vis Sanatia, which primarily draws on Vis Concordia for it's magic, but has spells that are in the fields of Sorcery, Vis Veritas, and others. It is located in the capital of the Empire. The other minor College, College Soranus, named after its first Magister Grandis, is that of Vis Oppositio. As mentioned before, it is located very near the College of Falerna, and shares some of their buildings as well.
The College of Caerimonia Excelsia
This is the school
devoted to Ritual or High magic. Students here
have generally
reached a point of advanced study in one of the other colleges. Many of
them are
graduates of another college when the y actually enter the program full
time. This
is a very prestigious College to attain a significant rank in, as
ritual magic is
considered not only very powerful, it is considered the most pure way
of working.
This College also has the greatest library of any of the schools. Not
only do they
have books of ritual formulae on a vast number of topics, they also
have copies of
most of the lists, background skills, etc. that the other Colleges
have. This is
because, from a very early time it was decided that all the information
should be
duplicated. C.C.E. was chosen for this because they were in favor with
the Emperor
at the time, and because they had a very secure library facility. Note:
the library
and some classrooms are in the capital, a different location than the
teaching laboratories.
Since ritual magic, at higher levels, is the most potentially dangerous
of all the
types of magic, the practicum is taught in a more remote location, in
the hills about
a half day's ride from the capital
.
Sorcery: destructive/deconstructive magic, that which destroys or damages something (making doors go away ala Undoor, healing spells that kill disease-bearing microbes, mentalism magic that destroys memories, etc.).
Alchemy: magic that constructs or improves physical things, ala the conventional alchemist.
Elemental: magic that directly manipulates the elements. The "elements" are those things of the natural world that are physically & magically irreducible. They include earth, air, fire, water, light, darkness, electricity/lightning, etc.
Vis Concordia: restoring or rebuilding the natural state or order of something, the harmonious re-knitting of something's substance according to its innate identity & nature. Normally incorporates healing magic, but not exclusively. Vis Sanatia (healing): more of an effect than the nature or source of magic.
Vis Ingenia (enchantment): affecting others' minds, wills, and perceptions. This doesn't include "physical" hologram-like illusions, which are fey effects foreign to Imperial magic, but does include mentalism spells that control the target's perceptions from within the mind. Examples include Spirit Mastery, certain Mentalist base lists, etc. Fey illusion magic is unique and outside normal Imperial study. Some connection to Faerie is required to learn and cast it. While some daring mages may attempt to learn it, they (like all mortals) come away forever changed from their efforts.
Wizardry: the technical side of magic, including spell enhancements, glyphs, wards, etc. Work in this area allows for the creation of words and circles of power. This includes magic that protects against other magic.
Summoning: the summoning of creatures, elementals, and demons to perform the mage's bidding. Includes various controlling and binding magics specific to summoned beings.
Manipulation: the control of force and energy to act counter to the natural course of things, like silencing sound or using telekinesis. Often the catch-all for many magical effects.
Vis Veritas: enhancing one's own physical and mental abilities, including gathering information by one's self through detection and sense-enhancing magics. This also includes things speed up the caster, make her more skilled at something, or enable her to survive in extremely inhospitable environments.
Caerimonia Excelsia (high magic): not really a unique type of magic, but instead the art of ritual magic. Rituals can be used with any of the above categories, but because of its importance, ritual magic is studied as its own subject. Note, however, that low magic (I. incultus formare) is not studied in the Imperium. It is considered hedge magic since it allows the untrained but magically talented individual to inefficiently cast magic (i.e. someone who has power but knows no spell lists). It is also considered to inneffectual to bother with by serious mages.
Vis Oppositio: Not
a unique type of magic, but rather, like
Vis Sanatia,
an "effect." This is magic that counteracts other magic. Generally a
course
of study in this subject would include spells for percieving and
analysing magic
as well as destroying, modifying it, or reflecting it back on its
caster.