Fields

A field is the invisible but very tangible aura around a magical being that is made up of Mona. Only galdori and wicks have tangible fields, which alert other magical persons to their power and presence. It is possible to identify a galdor or wick by the feel of his field. Passives and humans do not have fields in the strict galdori sense, but can sense them.

Why Fields Exist

Fields exist because the mona have long memories. The mona closest to a galdor's area of expertise will congregate inside his or her field, and sometimes mona that have been previously called upon will hover around the galdor who cast them, creating a temporary log of the spells that galdor cast. This contributes to the different field "signatures" by which galdori recognize each other. For example, the side effects of a physical magic field will center around the inner ear, since physical magic most often interferes with things like gravity and poles. A complex spell known as the chronicle can read the remaining mona and discern some of the spells a galdor has used previously.

Two galdori with very similar fields might be less effective when engaged in combat, because the mona in the two fields recognize each other and are often reluctant to attack. Fields are similar because the galdori have similar areas of expertise or practice many of the same spells.

Uses and Etiquette

In galdori culture, a field is used as another means of communication; it can be used for social posturing as well as warning others about one's relative power. They can be "flexed" and "pulsed" mentally, and can send signals that body language and words could not effectively convey.

There are standards of etiquette when it comes to field use. It is not considered rude for a galdor to explore the field of another and attempt to test its boundaries; this is as expected as a respectful bow and is often taken as a way of getting to know another person. However, this interaction can easily become hostile or invasive if not done with the proper care. Someone with a stronger field than someone else would be rude to push their field out in an imposing manner, unless the intent was to intimidate or frighten. Galdori are discouraged from exploring the fields of complete strangers until they have been introduced.

Putting one's emotions into one's field is a common way of communicating without speaking, but the information conveyed is usually vague or subtle enough to be almost entirely subconscious. Only two galdori who know each other well would be able to sense the emotion of the other merely from the field surrounding them. Allowing strong emotion to seep into one's field can often make the space uncomfortable for others; as with showing too much emotion in public, it is frowned upon. This can, however, be used strategically to indicate hostility while remaining outwardly polite, or impatience while appearing quite content to wait. Galdori are less consciously aware of emotions they pick up from fields than those picked up from facial expressions, tone of voice or body language.

To allow your field to completely envelop another is an act of incredible intimacy, usually reserved only for close family members and lovers. The mere act of overlapping in one another's space does not achieve this envelopment, however; it is a conscious choice to merge fields.

It is not considered uncivilized to have a show of power when the situation calls for it, as long as it is not too proud or too aggressive. Aggressive field interaction often makes the air grow warmer, and all those caught up in the two fields are aware of the conflict. Before and during spell combat, fields are often used to intimidate or encourage submission; the dominant field often has the advantage.

Field Growth

As children, galdori and wicks have no field until they come of age. Once a spell has been cast, the field begins to appear. It is usually formless until the child has picked a magical specialty, at which point the field begins to establish its own identity and signature. The process of field grown has some physical side effects, similar to teething in babies; it can cause discomfort and headaches.

When a galdor's magical ability increases (during the onset of puberty, for example, or after the true name has been discovered) the field around them grows stronger. It continues to grow based on magical ability, experience and age, until death.

Perception of Fields

Galdori are the most attuned to subtle changes in a field, as they have the strongest fields themselves. They can pick up on signals and emotions sent through the field; sometimes, galdori send these signals inadvertently when experiencing a strong emotion, though most galdori try to keep their fields neutral so as not to give away their feelings.

Humans, although they have no fields, can still sense a galdor's field (many describe the sensation as "woobley", a word which was invented to mean "how fields feel" for lack of a better one), and even a wick's (substantially weaker) field.

It is impossible to "see" a field; they are invisible to the eye. They can be detected and measured by certain magic.

One can generally sense a field from around five feet away, though, depending on the strength of the field, it might be perceptible from up to ten feet (for very powerful galdori). Young people tend to have smaller fields than older people.

Auralogy

Auralogy is a belief system surrounding the meaning of fields in relation to the cosmic order of being.

There is little science behind the practice of auralogy, but many people believe in it nonetheless.

There is a popular tally book series for young girls called Auralogy, Secrets of Destiny (for Young Ladies) that claims to be able to predict a perfect made based on a series of compatible factors in one's field. In addition to these books, papers often public weekly supplements involving up-to-the-minute auralogy tips. Many young people breathlessly read the papers every week in hopes of finding their true love through this serial publication. Advice like "Seek the man with the green-shift field" or "Your true love will be bastly in the sunlight" is commonplace.

Concealing the Field

It is possible to "suck in" or "dampen" your field, temporarily making it completely unnoticeable as if you were a human or a passive, though this makes it very difficult (nigh-impossible!) to cast and cannot be maintained for long. It is also very uncomfortable.

There is a complex spell that can conceal a galdor's field; it requires very advanced knowledge of magic, and must be constantly maintained. The spell requires a state of meditative calm; one slip-up and the field restores itself. It is an extremely painful state to remain in for long. One cannot cast spells while maintaining the disguise. It also has been known to damage one's relationship with the mona, making future casting unreliable. Most galdori consider it far too dangerous and painful to attempt.

Passive Fields (or Nexi)

The nexus is the name given to the aura of resonating energy that surrounds passives. This nexus is completely imperceptible to most people; only someone who has spent a great deal of time with many different passives would be able to differentiate it. It differs in size between passives, but is normally comparable to a wick field.

Most passives and galdori are not aware of the nexus; it is not currently public knowledge.

Terminology

There are many terms used solely for the purposes of discussing the "feel" of fields. See these in Magical Terminology.