On Quickfire
Written by the triad mage Ezekiel Solberg, in the Tower of Magi, in 843 IE
Quickfire is a magical phenomenon that consists of intensely hot flames fuelled by arcane energies. Spreading through the air as fast as a grown man can run, it is one of the most deadliest feats of magic known to man today. Quickfire is originally started by a spell, but under certain conditions it may be preserved for years, to be released much later without additional spell castings. The spell that creates the flames is relatively simple, in that a reasonably advanced combat mage may cast it with no more difficulty than, say, a common firestorm, though at much greater expense of magical strength (The formula that is used – of use of course only to a mage who has also mastered the shift of magical energies involved – is derived from Soruharvan; ‘Maia Rauné’, ie. ‘Fire Fly’). The crystals used for storing Quickfire – also dubbed ‘Phoenix Eggs’ for their fiery content – are significantly harder to produce or obtain. Requiring great skill in crystallomancy and knowledge of complex high-energy magic, their making is now suggested to originate in the civilization of the Vahnatai. Evidence from adventurers hints at their use of Phoenix Eggs in traps long before the idea was discovered and researched by the Empire. While the simplicity of the spell suggests frequent use in combat, it is actually one of the most rarely cast spells of fire, due to the indiscriminate, total destruction it wreaks. Far more common is its use in magical traps and defence mechanisms; situations requiring no mage actively casting the spell and thus endangering him- or herself. It has also been, however, a tool used for sabotage, as an account of the Pralgradian Civil War by the historian Taron Gregor Merallion relates:
211 IE [...] The Doomguard [Ed. Note: A humanoid, magical steel construct that is capable of inflicting severe harm in combat, specifically because of its amazing ability to split and reproduce when hit, rendering even a single such object a deadly opponent] was diverted from its intended destination when the SAFT ship carrying it was commandeered by Solaran forces, and its cargo seized. It was later stolen from the Solaran warehouse by rebels, and brought as far as the port city of Dalak, where it was stolen by SAFT mercenaries and subsequently retaken by Solarans. In an act of sabotage, a small force of rebels infiltrated the Solaran fortress where it was held waiting for transport by teleporter. The rebels succeeded in inserting a Phoenix Egg crystal into the construct, which later caused it to disintegrate and those near it to be killed while it was being examined by Solaran mages. [...]
This occurrence indicates that Phoenix Eggs in human hands predate the first contact between Vahnatai and the Empire in this century, and we can only assume that the secret had been passed down to the archmagi of that age from long ago, and later lost in the Empire’s restriction of magic. The Quickfire spell, however, has been widely known in almost all times. A tome written in the first century of the Imperial Era by the wizard Barnabas describes the properties of the Quickfire spell as follows:
And finally, most dreadful sight of all, the Quickfire: Bounds it knows not, spreading indefinitely, as fast as a grown man can run, burning with savage fury all that stands in its way. Yet, the wizards who first created it, whoever they were [Ed. Note: All human knowledge of the Vahnatai race – if such ever existed – was lost long before that era, and the civilization was only rediscovered during the Empire War, twenty years ago.] included an additional formula into the spell. Well they did so, for without it, the flames would surely devour at last the world in their endless raging. Due to the included formula, the flames will die when the light of day touches them. The formula itself is believed to be separately usable as a curse (causing the victim to be instantaneously slain by sunlight, much like some Undead are), but no case of its use in this way has been documented. [Ed. Note: This is theorized to have been the curse Erika Redmark was struck with prior to her banishment to Avernum.]
By far, Quickfire is the most devastating magical effect known to mankind today. It is a flame that only has to be kindled once by a spell, and then continues to fuel itself without further influence. Spreading through the very air at unbelievable speed, it is one of the most terror-instilling sights to even the most hardened adventurer.
According to recent study at the Tower of Magi, the magical nature of Quickfire is more peculiar than perceived to be: Conventionally, Quickfire is often thought a magical fire that simply spreads through all open spaces that allow it to pass. This is a mistaken notion; yet, even the above-average mage is rarely aware of the true principle behind the workings of the phenomenon:
We have now discovered Quickfire to be more like a virus, a disease that affects not living beings, but the magical plane of energy (sometimes referred to as ‘Chyaralia’, derived from the Soruharvan tongue), from which, indirectly, mages draw their strength. Normally, the energy that flows through the arcane planes is separated from the physical world, and is accessible only by magic users, or can be channelled via standing sources such as altars and runes. Now, Quickfire acts like a rift in the plane, allowing tremendous amounts of energy to pour through in a short time. This is transformed into heat as it enters the physical plane, and immediately ignites the very air. That is the reason why even fire immunity does not protect fully from Quickfire, and why barriers only act as a temporary blockade to the inferno: The rift unravels the magical bindings in short time, like a rip in a fabric. Fortunately, while the rift spreads through the magical planes, it cannot extend through solid physical objects and is therefore blocked by walls. If it were not, the resulting destruction would be truly catastrophic.
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Quickfire is a magical phenomenon that consists of intensely hot flames fuelled by arcane energies. Spreading through the air as fast as a grown man can run, it is one of the most deadliest feats of magic known to man today. Quickfire is originally started by a spell, but under certain conditions it may be preserved for years, to be released much later without additional spell castings. The spell that creates the flames is relatively simple, in that a reasonably advanced combat mage may cast it with no more difficulty than, say, a common firestorm, though at much greater expense of magical strength (The formula that is used – of use of course only to a mage who has also mastered the shift of magical energies involved – is derived from Soruharvan; ‘Maia Rauné’, ie. ‘Fire Fly’). The crystals used for storing Quickfire – also dubbed ‘Phoenix Eggs’ for their fiery content – are significantly harder to produce or obtain. Requiring great skill in crystallomancy and knowledge of complex high-energy magic, their making is now suggested to originate in the civilization of the Vahnatai. Evidence from adventurers hints at their use of Phoenix Eggs in traps long before the idea was discovered and researched by the Empire. While the simplicity of the spell suggests frequent use in combat, it is actually one of the most rarely cast spells of fire, due to the indiscriminate, total destruction it wreaks. Far more common is its use in magical traps and defence mechanisms; situations requiring no mage actively casting the spell and thus endangering him- or herself. It has also been, however, a tool used for sabotage, as an account of the Pralgradian Civil War by the historian Taron Gregor Merallion relates:
211 IE [...] The Doomguard [Ed. Note: A humanoid, magical steel construct that is capable of inflicting severe harm in combat, specifically because of its amazing ability to split and reproduce when hit, rendering even a single such object a deadly opponent] was diverted from its intended destination when the SAFT ship carrying it was commandeered by Solaran forces, and its cargo seized. It was later stolen from the Solaran warehouse by rebels, and brought as far as the port city of Dalak, where it was stolen by SAFT mercenaries and subsequently retaken by Solarans. In an act of sabotage, a small force of rebels infiltrated the Solaran fortress where it was held waiting for transport by teleporter. The rebels succeeded in inserting a Phoenix Egg crystal into the construct, which later caused it to disintegrate and those near it to be killed while it was being examined by Solaran mages. [...]
This occurrence indicates that Phoenix Eggs in human hands predate the first contact between Vahnatai and the Empire in this century, and we can only assume that the secret had been passed down to the archmagi of that age from long ago, and later lost in the Empire’s restriction of magic. The Quickfire spell, however, has been widely known in almost all times. A tome written in the first century of the Imperial Era by the wizard Barnabas describes the properties of the Quickfire spell as follows:
And finally, most dreadful sight of all, the Quickfire: Bounds it knows not, spreading indefinitely, as fast as a grown man can run, burning with savage fury all that stands in its way. Yet, the wizards who first created it, whoever they were [Ed. Note: All human knowledge of the Vahnatai race – if such ever existed – was lost long before that era, and the civilization was only rediscovered during the Empire War, twenty years ago.] included an additional formula into the spell. Well they did so, for without it, the flames would surely devour at last the world in their endless raging. Due to the included formula, the flames will die when the light of day touches them. The formula itself is believed to be separately usable as a curse (causing the victim to be instantaneously slain by sunlight, much like some Undead are), but no case of its use in this way has been documented. [Ed. Note: This is theorized to have been the curse Erika Redmark was struck with prior to her banishment to Avernum.]
By far, Quickfire is the most devastating magical effect known to mankind today. It is a flame that only has to be kindled once by a spell, and then continues to fuel itself without further influence. Spreading through the very air at unbelievable speed, it is one of the most terror-instilling sights to even the most hardened adventurer.
According to recent study at the Tower of Magi, the magical nature of Quickfire is more peculiar than perceived to be: Conventionally, Quickfire is often thought a magical fire that simply spreads through all open spaces that allow it to pass. This is a mistaken notion; yet, even the above-average mage is rarely aware of the true principle behind the workings of the phenomenon:
We have now discovered Quickfire to be more like a virus, a disease that affects not living beings, but the magical plane of energy (sometimes referred to as ‘Chyaralia’, derived from the Soruharvan tongue), from which, indirectly, mages draw their strength. Normally, the energy that flows through the arcane planes is separated from the physical world, and is accessible only by magic users, or can be channelled via standing sources such as altars and runes. Now, Quickfire acts like a rift in the plane, allowing tremendous amounts of energy to pour through in a short time. This is transformed into heat as it enters the physical plane, and immediately ignites the very air. That is the reason why even fire immunity does not protect fully from Quickfire, and why barriers only act as a temporary blockade to the inferno: The rift unravels the magical bindings in short time, like a rip in a fabric. Fortunately, while the rift spreads through the magical planes, it cannot extend through solid physical objects and is therefore blocked by walls. If it were not, the resulting destruction would be truly catastrophic.
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