The Ban of White Magic/Black Magic

[Dalvy]

Astromancy was developed by Sharlayan thousands of years ago. We aren't sure how long ago or for what purpose, but my wild, wild guess is that it caused the Ice-element Calamity by blocking out the sun.

[myahele]

Astromancy was developed by Sharlayan thousands of years ago. We aren't sure how long ago or for what purpose, but my wild, wild guess is that it caused the Ice-element Calamity by blocking out the sun.

Which might explain their hoarding of knowledge, perhaps Alexander the Machine (not primal) was even the cause?

[Warr_of_Lint]

What really confuses me about the White Magickery ban is that I don't think "White Magic" was ever clearly defined; it seems to be Conjuring, but a higher title. Conjurers and White Mages, in the current setting, both appear to draw their magic powers from the same source and use it to similar ends.

There doesn't seem to be any real restriction on learning Conjuring or using it, except when it conflicts with the will of the Elementals. But then again, White Mages (Padjal) are held by the same constraints.

So when exactly does a Conjurer become a White Mage? Is Conjuring somehow not "White Magic"? White Mages don't receive any category of skills that clearly define them from Conjurers in the way that Archers v Bards, or Lancers v Dragoons do.

[myahele]

It's been a while, but I think the difference is that Conjury you are asking the Elementals to borrow some aether and they give you some more or less.

WHM of today don't seem like how they were back then, for one thing they are beholden to the Elementals. As far as I know when it comes to current WHM you can get as much aether from the environment to power up your spells (but you should not). But that's because the Elementals trust you (through as series of trials) to not get more than you should and which is why they only gift WHM to a select few Padjals.

[treuhavik]

[Astromancy]my wild, wild guess is that it caused the Ice-element Calamity by blocking out the sun.

This... is actually a pretty solid theory. How exactly did you come to this conclusion, If I may?

We aren't sure how long ago or for what purpose, but

This [Calamity of Ice] would've been the birth of the 5th UA, by the way. So, at least a few thousand years ago.

[liljramos88]

So how did astrologians star the calamity? So basicaly astrologians sucked the aether out of space. Lol

[Velox]

snip

White magic is the magic of succor. All Conjuers learn to use white magic, but to a very limited extent allowed by the elementals.

For example, the elementals allow a person to utilize 20% of the total white magic spectrum. After training to use that white magic, that person is now called a Conjurer.

However (not counting the special-case PC), the elementals allow a padjal to utilize 100% of the white magic spectrum. They do this so that the art doesn't die out completely (in case it's ever needed in the future under some dire circumstance). After training to use that white magic, that padjal is called a White Mage.

All White Mages are Conjurers, but not all Conjurers are White Mages.

[Velox]

Continued due to being in smartphone...

That being said, the Ampadori were capable of much more powerful forms of white magic than even the padjali of today. Their spectrum of knowledge was far greater having dedicated all their resources to it before the limit placed by the elementals. They were so powerful in white magic they were borderline gods, able to reshape the very fabric of existence, able to create and destroy matter at will.

The War of the Magi did cause a lot of problems, but the elementals also feared that the Ampadori also became far too powerful in such a dangerous magic. After the flood to wipe the slate clean (remove all the bad seeds from destroying Hydaelyn with their silly war), this was why they also placed strict limits on white magic's use.

[Kikoten]

I read on a timeline somewhere that White Mages caused one or three of the past calamities. I thought, My God! It really WAS the healer's fault!

[WyrahFhurrst]

snip

Well, yes and no. White Mages are an advanced form of Conjurer. Conjurers only cast magic with the help of the aether around them. White Mages, though, do actually have an internal well of aether of sufficient size that they can make use of it, but they augment it with external aether. The Padjal do this with the blessing of the Elementals, only pulling in as much aether as they are permitted. The Amdapori, though, during the War of the Magi did not worry about the will of the Elementals. They used their magic freely and began to consume the aether, the lifeforce, or the Elementals and brought them to the brink of death. The Elementals called upon the Elemental of Nihility, Oha-Sok who raised the waters of the flood and ended the Fifth Astral Era.

Conjury is much less a weaker form of White Magic than White Magic is an advanced form of Conjury. One could phrase this as saying that a Conjurer doesn't use White Magic, but a White Mage uses Conjury. The Padjal can use both, being gifted by the Elementals with a well of aether that they can call upon and therefor the capacity to wield White Magic.