Winds of Magic

From HammerWiki

This article is about the background and origins of magic in Warhammer. For wizards in WAR, see Spellcaster. For magical spells in WAR, see Spells. For resistance to said spells, see Resistance.

The Winds of Magic, called the Aethyr in Eltharin, is the name given by magic users for the invisible currents of magical energy which flow across the world. The source of all the Winds of Magic is the Realm of Chaos, and just as the emblem of Chaos has eight arrows, so does magic have eight winds. When raw chaotic magic enters the world and encounters physical material, it is refracted into the eight 'colors', each of which can be used to create spells which are characteristic of the elemental nature of the magic being used. Human wizards generally only have an affinity with a single color of magic, and each of The Empire's Colleges of Magic are centered around the use of only one wind of magic. Elf magic users are more proficient and are able to use the full spectrum. Since all sources of magic involve playing with the essence of Chaos itself, all magic use carries with it an inherent risk.

[edit] Overview

There are eight winds of magic, which also translate into eight magic resistance types:

Runic Name	Color	College of Magic	Lore
Hysh	White	The Light Order	Light
Chamon	Yellow	The Gold Order	Metal
Ghyran	Green	The Jade Order	Life
Azyr	Blue	The Celestial Order	Heavens
Ulgu	Grey	The Grey Order	Shadow
Shyish	Purple	The Amethyst Order	Death
Aqshy	Red	The Bright Order	Fire
Ghur	Brown	The Amber Order	Beasts

Beyond the eight winds of magic, there are two more magical elements:

Runic name	Color	Common name
Qhaysh	Silver/Rainbow	High Magic
Dhar	Black	Dark Magic

See below for more detail on the Winds and their spheres of influence.

[edit] Other Forms of Magic

Various races in the World also use combinations of various magic specialised to them. The Dwarfs use the magic inherent in Runes. The Necromancers and Vampire Counts use Dark magic specialised for the Undead, the Greenskins use their own peculiar brand of Waaagh! magic and the various Chaos followers use raw forms of magic (probably related to Dhar), the Lore of Tzeentch, the Lore of Slaanesh and the Lore of Nurgle. Followers of Khorne do not use magic, they prefer up close-and-personal combat, though they do not falter from the use of enchanted weapons.

[edit] Divine Magic

Divine magic is magic and power which comes from the gods of the Warhammer World. It is related to the Aethyr, but not quite the same as conventional magic, seeming to have a lot to do with how much favour one has with a particular deity. Among humans especially, divine magic allows those with little or no affinity with the Aethyr to become proficient magic users. The Righteous Fury invoked by Warrior Priests of Sigmar is a form of divine magic, and many magic users among the followers of Chaos receive their spellcasting abilities as gifts from their patron god. The "Nekeharan Incantations" used by the Liche Priests of the Land of the Dead is a form of Divine Magic which draws on the power of the Nehekharan Gods. Among Elves, the distinction is less clear, as the Elves believe that all magic and anything to do with the Aethyr is ultimately related to the gods somehow.

[edit] Runes

Runes are arcane symbols and writings which often have magical power. Runes are used extensively by the Dwarfs, and to a lesser degree by the High Elves, Dark Elves and Chaos. In addition many languages are made up of mostly runes, and so contain mystical power simply in the writing of them, examples are Khazalid and Eltharin.

[edit] The Winds explained

[edit] Hysh

Hysh is the white wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Light. The wind of Hysh blows wherever there is light, so it is no surprise that the sun is the most important source of this magic. Hysh is at its most potent during the hours of daylight, and during the day it is absorbed into all solid things that are lit by the sun, from which it can be drawn at night by one skilled enough. It is only in the darkest places of the world, deep under the earth, where the Lore of Light has no power. Conversely, mountaintops therefore provide strong amounts of Hysh energy, being closest to the light of the sun.

Hysh is the magic of illumination, the abstract of high-mindedness and consciousness in its most general sense. It is intangible, diffused and all permeating, needing the total focus of will and an absolute determination of mind to make use of it. It is perhaps the most difficult of the colours to bend to one's will.

[edit] Chamon

Chamon is the yellow wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Metal. Chamon is supposed to be the densest of the colours of magic, and is attracted to heavy metals such as gold and lead. Spells involving Chamon frequently make use of these two metals; gold as a magical conductor, lead as a magical insulator. Compared to other magics, Chamon is rooted in the physical world, and it is relatively easy to get to grips with its basic concepts, although it has deeper complexities which make it difficult to truly master.

[edit] Ghyran

Ghyran is the green wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Life. Ghyran is closely tied to nature, water and the flow of the natural essence of life through the world. It is strongest near sources of water or in areas where life grows in abundance - around rivers and lakes, by springs, in forests and woods. Rainfall is known to unleash a torrent of Ghyran energy where it falls. The strength of Ghyran magic is generally affected by the seasons - it is most potent in spring and summer, and it declines during winter. Ghyran magic can be used in a wide range of spells - as well as giving vital energy and providing healing, it can be used to manipulate the natural environment and control water in all its forms.

[edit] Azyr

Azyr is the blue wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of the Heavens. The wind of Azyr is light and insubstantial, and after passing into the world from the Realm of Chaos it quickly dissipates into the upper portions of the heavens. Azyr is the Aethyr's metaphysical drive for inspiration and that which is out of reach. It is creativity and the desire to emote.

It is inherently paradoxical. Azyr gives shape to abstract concepts, seeks to find meaning within the unknowable, and provides narrative for that which has none. The Lore of Heavens is commonly associated with dreams, theory and divination.

[edit] Ulgu

Ulgu is the grey wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Shadows. Ulgu is a mysterious wind, which spreads disorientation and confusion amongst those it touches. It is spoken of as a thick grey fog, and it is drawn to still lowlands and waterways where natural mists gather at dawn. Ulgu invokes the sensation of being lost, or perplexed by something that you can't quite put your finger on. The Shifting Isles off the coast of Ulthuan are shrouded with the power of Ulgu, and provide an impenetrable maze to protect the isle from invaders.

[edit] Shyish

Shyish is the purple wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Death. The power of Shyish comes from the ending of things, the slow decline of the soul, and the certainty and terrible awe of death that all sentient creatures must face at some point. Shyish tells us that even though physical form must inevitably come to an end, creation is permanent, and there exist forces larger than our mortal selves that deserve respect and even reverence. Shyish is drawn to places where death must be faced, or where things are brought to an end. It blows strongly around battlefields, lingers around gallows and courts of justice, and hangs in the mournful silence around fresh graves. It is said to be strongest around times of obvious transition, when one state ends and another begins. Dawn and dusk are the most obvious examples of this, but also spring and autumn, and the equinoxes that mark the beginning of the end for winter and summer.

[edit] Aqshy

Aqshy is the red wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Fire. Aqshy blows down from the north as a hot and searing wind. Temporal heat acts as a conduit for Aqshy, and so spells involving Aqshy almost always involve fire. It collects around open flames, volcanoes and dry deserts scorched by the sun. It is also attracted to wherever there is excitement and argument, courage and vehemence, since Aqshy is the Aethyric coalescence of passion in its widest possible sense. Aqshy is wielded by the order of Bright Wizards who have their power-base in the Bright Wizard College in Altdorf.

[edit] Ghur

Ghur is the brown wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Beasts. Ghur is the coalescence of bestial spirit, the predator and the prey. It flows around the wild, untamed places, where the touch of civilization has not yet been felt. It is a savage wind, as unreasoning as it is devoid of malice.

[edit] Dark and High Magic

[edit] Dhar

Dark magic, or Dhar, is the form of magic that draws power directly from the primal energies that flow into the world from the Realm of Chaos. Because spells cast using dark magic use multiple strands of the raw, unrefined winds of magic, they tend to have very powerful effects. In addition, because dark magic involves "crushing" and "mashing" the winds of magic into unstable combinations, forcefully bending them to the casters will these spells can be extremely destructive and tend to be associated with wildly unpredictable side-effects (mutations, insanity, etc). Spellcasters working with Dhar must possess supreme strength of mind and an almost megalomaniacal confidence in their ability to control the forces they seek to command.

Unsurprisingly, Dark Elves are the most renowned for their use of dark magic, although specialised strands of Dhar are used by Necromancers and Vampires to control the Undead. Daemons (as well as various other, lesser Dark Spirits such as Dark Sprites) are strongly drawn to Dhar, and it is inevitably involved whenever spells are used to summon them. When dark magic slows and settles, it undergoes a process of 'aethyric stagnation' and forms dense, heavy concentrations of magic known as True Dhar, known to be the most potent magical energy in the world. Over extremely long periods of time, these concentrations of magic can solidify into the highly volatile, mutagenic substance known as Warpstone. Since Chaos feeds on strong emotions, places where great negative emotions such as fear, hatred and horror have been felt also attract Dark Magic. Since Dark Magic provides the motivating power to animate the Undead, areas where Dark Magic is strongest (whether by "aethyric stagnation" or by strong emotions) attract or spawn Undead. These areas include the Desolation of Nagash, the cursed province of Sylvania in the Empire, the Bretonnian city of Mousillon, the swamps south of Skavenblight and the Mound of Krell in the Grey Mountains, but are far from restricted to these places.

[edit] Qhaysh

Qhaysh sometimes known as High Magic is magic that combines seperate strands of the eight winds of magic and refines them further into a more advanced and pure form. By doing so, High Magic spellcasters are able to form spells of incredible power and complexity. The greatest High Magic spells ever cast have literally shifted continents and destroyed whole armies at a time. The elite High Elf Archmages are renowned for the use of this powerful form of magic, which they tend to associate closely with their gods. The Slann Mage-Priests of the Lizardmen taught the elves how to wield magic and are also capable of casting High Magic spells.