Voidal Shifting

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Art by: {{{Ostric90 on Deviant Art}}} Void Translocation

Voidal Shift is also known as Voidal Transportation and is one of the four Alteration subforms of Arcane magic.The art of voidal shifting can be seen as a child of translocation, entering the void through a similar means. The complex factor that separates the two is the anchor. The anchor is a unique conglomeration of mana and voidal energies; this is used instead of Translocation’s studying and research of the particular object you are sending into the void. As such Voidal Shifting was split up into it’s own subform of Arcane Magic.

History

For years have mages tried to replicate the capabilities held by the old, transporting yourself across the very essence of reality through methods lost within time. Most followed the methods of long dead mages, once powerful now nothing grander than frail bones and with it lost their methods.

As these ancient practices revealed themselves to aspiring mages secrets became unlocked; evocation, alteration, conjuration. All exposing themselves within their magnificent beauty and yet others remaining shrouded with mystery, the ancient likes of Rasmot failing to scribe the delicate art of teleportation in turn leaving others to experiment. One of these would be the famed void translocationist Elindor, his eternal mission to cast his body across the rooms of the mages guild only ever resulting in mediocre success and near-death. Despite years of research he only ever came close to unlocking the potential that was locked beneath secrecy, brushing against its fragile bubble but unfortunately it continued to float aimlessly away.

Passing time led an usual pairing to once again strive for this lost achievement; one a high elf with the purist nature and the other a curious human. Each had their goals and neither could achieve such alone, thus forming their contracted bond until research had exposed and popped the once floating bubble of knowledge that was teleportation. Months passed with bounding ideas as each experimented within their own means; transporting flesh, walking the void, gateways, portals.. It felt as if every possible method had its inevitable conclusion, failure. Hope dwindled between the pairing whilst their false-friendship fell to frustration as every technique continued its path to nowhere. Quite suddenly a single spark of an idea befell the two, no particular origin nor starting point and yet it acted as the key to the restraining lock placed upon them.

You see they’d forgotten what they dared manipulate, for the void does not operate within such linear methods as our own realm but instead a confusing vortex of chaos and destruction. Traversing it is like attempting to find the end of an endless hedge maze, an impossibility with the only true direction and paths being its eternal connection to the plains of existence. The issue with entering the void was not its authority over reality nor the power it emits but the direction it lacks, traversing between realms stood a higher chance of bringing you merged with a wall over behind your attacking threat. Thus they had their final variable to the complex equation of teleportation; direction.

Now another question dawdled upon them; how do we bring direction? After considering such a notion for many a day they determined that attempting to bring such to the twisting abyss of the void was a task not suitable for man. Instead they would use the linear realm they walked upon and use that to bring direction, a guiding point to drag their unknowing bodies across the once winding paths of the void. Experiment after experiment, day after day, month after month. Each time a single variable changed, manipulated and practiced as the foundation become formed.. Sculpting the perfect device for their purposes.

Then the final experiment occurred as the unlocked door finally swung open after the many passed months, a single focal point of mana and voidal energies that held no significance to any other. However to them this small, isolated and black dot that stained existence meant absolutely everything for they had produced the final variable and with it the equation finally had its answer.

Learning Voidal Shifting

Like most forms of magic Voidal Shifting can’t be learnt from simply reading some books and scrolls. Instead a person needs to find a willing teacher to learn such a strange, yet, useful magic. Most students are as such visiting the Mage Guild or other well known magical places to find a possible teacher for themselves.

Abilities

Voidal Shifting is known to have four forms in general, being split up into the original form and three newer forms. However, a student is always required to learn the basic form first and can afterwards learn the other ones, allowing each Voidal Shifter to be able to utilize their power to the maximum. At the beginning all students are learning about the anchors and the limitations to those, yet after they did so it is a much simpler concept for them to enter the void, as the anchor aids within this.

Voidal Shifting

The standard form of Voidal Shifting is known for it’s creation of anchors as guidelines from one place to another. When the anchor is formed upon the desired location the mage needs to force their willing frames through similar means to that of void translocation; the anchor then acts as a guide. However it's less guide and more forced action, dragging the unknowing frame through the twisting confusion of the void and spitting the mage out at the predetermined location. However the process does not operate the same upon foreign objects, the anchor only tugging upon the person and clothes/weapons that may adorn their frame.

Material Shifting

A new skill derived through study of voidal shifting use, instead of projecting one's self through the void the mage would do this to an object, taking it and shifting it to the designated location, though an odd property is noted that before the object is shifted it would be slowly covered in a shroud of the casters aura, alerting the unsuspecting if they catch sight of such. This feat is normally learned around a later age, though mishaps can happen such as shifting the object slightly off or too short of the destination, finally mastering such a feat around reaching Tier 4.

Group Shifting

With theory one can send themselves through the void but what about their friends? Through testing and study comes a new ability with voidal shifting to focus the magic and shift a willing person from point A to B. This would, of course, follow the same properties as normal shifting not exceeding normal standards in any way. The only difference notable is that a shroud of the casters aura would begin to cover the target, alerting anyone if they were unsuspecting. One last thing to be noted, the caster cannot shift with their target, thus they would need to move the target before moving themselves if need be. However large group shifts are not unheard of, with the many feats circling rituals can induce.

Brisk Step

Known as “Blinking” to some, this is a quick use of voidal shifting over a small area. This tactic is employed by mages who want to get escape areas as fast as possible. Unlike standard shifting, the Brisk Step can only move linearly, be it forward, backward, or diagonally; furthermore, when the magic user “Blinks” over, an arcanic trial - typically the color of their aura - will follow, rather than an explosion of ethereal energies. Once the mage reappears, the trail fades at their being.

Redlines of Voidal Shifting

Voidal Shifting has several redlines of what a mage can do and what a mage can’t do. As such those redlines should be followed at any time and breaking them can result in a removal of your magic permissions.

Voidal Shifting Redlines

• Anchors must always be cast in a field of vision of the mage.
• Teleporting on the Y axis (Up and down) is really difficult, and is mostly impossible. Shifting basically is prohibited to areas which can’t be reached normally.
• A mage can only shift themselves, if they didn’t learnt how to shift another person.
• Due to the anchor being created previous to the entrance of the void, a mage is only able to shift in straight lines.
• Mages can not shift through spaces they couldn’t normally walk through, such as iron bars, glass or small spaces in walls.

Material Shifting Redlines

• The object needs to be in line of sight.
• An object can’t be shifted further than the normal shifting distances.
• Organic materials can’t be shifted.
• The shifting object needs to stay still, else it can’t be shifted.

Group Shifting Redlines

• The person needs to be in line of sight.
• The further the person is away from the mage, the longer it takes to prepare and activate the spell.
• An individual can’t be transported if they are moving around drastically. As such no one can be shifted against their will, since they can simply move around to avoid such.
• Mages can’t shift together with their targets.

Brisk Step Redlines

• Mages can only move in linear directions.
• The mage can’t move further than six meters.
• A mage can only blink a few times, until they are too exhausted to move and to cast.
• Mages can’t go through solid objects, as stated in the previous redlines before.

Trivia

• Voidal shifting was found after research on Voidal Translocation, leading to the discovery of anchors; which is why it is considered to be the child magic of voidal translocation.
• Some mages are known to use Voidal Shifting within cities to travel faster from one point to another.

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