Goddess of Magic

Biodata

Background / History

The Goddess of Magic is the deity to whom ordinary mortals traditionally offer faith in order to learn magic. A believer's affinity with her determines how clearly they can perceive and manipulate the Weave: high-affinity followers can establish contact with it more easily, while low-affinity followers struggle increasingly as spells become more advanced and complex 3.

Her followers normally pray and meditate in advance to prepare the spells they intend to use the next day. This system grants a limited number of spell slots, though cantrips may be cast without slots whenever the caster can connect to the Weave 13.

The God of Knowledge's teachings demonstrate an alternative method of manipulating the Weave. His followers can learn spell models without relying on the Goddess of Magic's affinity-based restrictions or daily spell-slot system, though individual talent can still affect the speed of their training 4 16 22 50.

Abilities & Influence

Governance of the Weave

The Goddess of Magic is believed to control the Weave, the arcane medium required for conventional spellcasting 40.

• Traditional mages pray to her to receive a response from the Weave before casting spells 3 4.
• A follower with greater affinity can perceive the Weave more clearly and form complex spells more easily 3.
• Elves and half-elves are said to possess naturally high affinity and may instinctively cast several cantrips from birth 13.
• Her authority is believed to extend to allowing certain foreign gods' followers to use the Weave after receiving those gods' power 40.

Spell Slots

Conventional mage spellcasting is limited by spell slots prepared through prayer and meditation 13.

• Followers must inform the Goddess of Magic of the spells they intend to use on the following day 13.
• Cantrips do not consume spell slots, but still require a connection to the Weave 13.
• A first-rank mage ordinarily has three first-rank spell slots per day; advancing to second rank provides one additional second-rank slot, which may also be used for a first-rank spell 16.
• Spellcasters who use the God of Knowledge's method can repeatedly cast spells without spell-slot restrictions, with mental endurance serving as the practical limit instead 16 19.

Faith and Initiation

Establishing formal faith with the Goddess of Magic traditionally requires a strict initiation ritual 20.

• The prospective believer must pray in a private, quiet location and avoid interruption 20.
• A magical gem or another item connected to the goddess is used as a ritual medium 20.
• The believer must cleanse themselves, dress neatly, recite the proper prayer, and pray with devotion 20.
• Unlike most gods, she is described as comparatively easygoing toward followers changing faiths and allows believers to come and go freely 21.

Relationships

• Pete Chinar — Initially a shallow follower with low affinity. He spent nearly three years learning only a few second-tier, largely supportive spells before receiving the God of Knowledge's alternative spellcasting guidance 3 4.
• God of Knowledge (Noven) — Noven's teachings allow followers to manipulate the Weave independently of the Goddess of Magic's conventional affinity and spell-slot restrictions 4 16 22.
• Magic Hermit Society — Its mage assessments recognize only people who gained spellcasting through faith in the Goddess of Magic; foreign-god spellcasters are categorized as “wild mages,” regardless of their strength 40.

Trivia

• Pete claimed that Archmage Gande once broke through an advancement bottleneck while in mortal danger, creating the spell [Hand of Gande]; he used this story to explain his own supposed sudden increase in affinity with the Goddess of Magic 7.
• Rena's talent assessment found her affinity with the Goddess of Magic to be so low that she was considered unlikely to surpass magic apprenticeship or cast a Tier 1 spell through the conventional mage path 24.