Arcane mimicry

A mage's path of study was dull and tedious, spent immersed in books all day, exploring the truths of the arcane. His study of runes had already yielded some results, and Patrick had successfully mastered three rune combinations.

Page = Tir Rune (Tir) + Ral Rune (Ral)

Insight = Pul Rune (Pul) + Ral Rune (Ral) + Sol Rune (Sol)

Lore = Ort Rune (Ort) + Sol Rune (Sol)

Runology significantly improved flexible command of magic and the ability to focus and control it, making it highly beneficial to the study of the arcane. A rune was a combination of arcane circuits and Arcane Nodes inscribed with mysterious pictographs, which could be engraved onto equipment. Runes differed from other engraved items: individual runes possessed magic-enhancing properties, but specific combinations—"runewords"—could grant even more wondrous abilities when arranged in a particular order and engraved together into equipment.

After runology, Patrick selected several spells to study,

Divination: Detect Senses,

Abjuration: Domain of the Gap,

Conjuration School: Counterspell,

Transmutation School: Arcane Power,

to prepare for advancement. A mage's studies and advancement required more than reading books and attending classes. Though theory could guide practical magical research, practice was often the only standard for testing truth. Practice, training, attunement, mastery-magical experimentation was also a process of rejecting falsehood and seeking truth. Arcane knowledge was inexhaustible. Truth and falsehood, error and correctness: through experiments, one distinguished false and erroneous knowledge and learned arcane truths. Though the knowledge gained was often only a drop in the ocean, it was enough for every elven arcanist to devote a lifetime of effort to it.

Counterspell and Arcane Power were both basic mage abilities in the game. Memories sprouted in his mind. Unlike before, he could no longer cast an ability simply by pressing a key. He needed Spiritual Power to begin constructing it, and casting speed also required the support of Spiritual Power.

This was also a distinction between divine and arcane magic. With divine magic, the caster held a particular faith and borrowed power for personal use from the object of that faith-the source of divine power. For example, Shandris Feathermoon's Prayer to the Moon Goddess (the Moon Goddess's orbital cannon) allowed her to defeat all of Orgrimmar's adventurers alone. Even young Garrosh Hellscream was no match for her. This, too, involved borrowing power through faith;

Shandris Feathermoon was a Night Elf with pure faith in Elune. As Tyrande Whisperwind's adopted daughter, she had maintained her faith in Elune ever since she became aware of the world.

If the source of divine power refused to provide him with power, or his connection to it was severed for some reason, he would have no power at all. Thus, divine spellcasters had to show the utmost humility and loyalty toward their source of divine power, devoting their faith to it completely.

Arcane magic was different. Its casters either possessed an innate talent for manipulating a certain kind of energy or learned a method of manipulating it through later study, allowing them to cast freely without borrowing power from anyone or anything.

The arcane was also distinct from frost, fire, and shadow, but through Arcane Magic, mages could manipulate energies of other attributes, such as frost and fire.

Patrick had experimented many times, successfully using arcane power to simulate and cast Fireball and Frostbolt. Arcane energy simulated the energy of other spells, changing its own state to achieve a spell's effect: arcane mimicry. The arcane simulated the fire element, and a scorching fireball appeared near Patrick, spinning and flying.

The fire element simulated through the arcane was no different from a Fireball formed by gathering the fire element itself. In fact, the simulated Fireball was even easier to control and command. Pure arcane energy surpassed elemental power in both stability and controllability.

As the arcane mimicry experiment continued, the mana within Patrick began to drain away, and he developed an intense craving for the Sunwell's energy radiating through his surroundings,

a craving for command of power, for the fullness of energy. His Spiritual Power began to spread, threads of it extending outward to sense his surroundings. A Third-Ring Mage's Spiritual Power was limited. Patrick had consciously trained his earlier on, and it seemed a little stronger than that of other mages at his level. Patrick began gathering arcane energy in his palm again. An orb of arcane energy formed there, round and full, its energy whirling in his hand. His Spiritual Power spread out, and the orb began floating and spinning in the air. In his mind, Patrick simulated the appearance of flames, feeling their scorching temperature, feeling the light and heat they gave off.

The spinning arcane orb began turning dark red. It had become a fireball emitting light and heat. He could clearly see flames flowing across its surface-a direct manifestation of arcane mimicry. Flames driven by arcane energy were rich in arcane power. Patrick carefully maintained this mass of energy, keeping it from dissipating, while the fireball whirled around him with a low hum.

Patrick continued gathering arcane energy in his palm. If arcane mimicry could fully simulate every basic property of the fire element, then it should also be able to simulate the Earth Element and wind elements, which belonged to the Four Elements alongside fire.

A second, smaller arcane orb formed in his palm. The earth element symbolized the strength and unyielding nature of rock and earth. The pure arcane energy in his hand began changing color, its hue growing dense and heavy. The originally clear, transparent arcane energy was replaced by the dense yellow-green earth element. The earth-element orb lacked the fire element's violent heat, displaying instead the earth element's own hardness and weight.

The Fire Element orb and Earth Element orb hovered in the air. He could only grit his teeth and keep supplying the mana they consumed. Heaven knew how much mana and Spiritual Power Prince Kael'thas consumed keeping three orbs circling above his head all day. Patrick felt his magical power dwindling and his mind growing increasingly heavy. With the Sunwell's radiation, his magical power could replenish quickly, but mental fatigue was not so easily relieved.

The Sunwell's existence amply supplied the elves' magical needs, and Patrick was no exception. He stepped up his absorption of arcane particles from the air to make up for his depleted mana. He absorbed mana faster and faster, feeling as though he were parched earth meeting a stream, beginning to soak up water madly, craving vast amounts of energy to enter his mind and consciousness.

Something seemed a little wrong. High Elves were heavily dependent on arcane energy, even to the point of addiction, but his craving for arcane particles was far too intense today. There was something involuntary about it. His body was forcefully absorbing the arcane particles radiated by the Sunwell, as though driven by a suppressed instinct. The fatigue in his mind was slowly easing. His command of the arcane and his Spiritual Power were increasing, and his mana and Spiritual Power began leaping with excitement together once more.

"Am I about to advance?" Patrick could not help smiling. His Spiritual Power felt swollen and full, and he felt as though he had advanced. His mind grew lively and cheerful. The arcane flowed slowly through his body, and that feeling of saturation returned, better than before. His understanding and control of the arcane had become clearer.