Magic

Magic permeates all of Mycena Cave. Before the great winter, the cave was full of a quiet sort of magic, one that affected some of its inhabitants but little else. Then the Sorceress came and poured her power into it, and her magic mingled with the cave’s, combining and spreading throughout the many caverns. This magic has settled into Mycena Cave’s walls and floats in the air, and it seems to be thickest in the far caverns where few have ventured.

Most Mycenians are able to tap into the Cave’s magic to some extent, though many of them aren’t aware of their ability. Some Mycenians use magic instinctively, while others have spells or potions to help them direct the power. Everyone approaches magic in their own way, and this often results in different abilities for different individuals. While one Mycenian might specialize in stabilizing structures with elemental magic, another could be very good at coaxing bread to rise in cold places. Magic can be powerful, but it can also be subtle, depending on the wielder.

Magic is more reliable near the mouth of the Cave, where it can be depended on to do what one expects it to do. The farther one travels into the Cave, the more concentrated and volatile the magic becomes, resulting in strange and unexpected sights in the far caverns. Magic tends to be stronger in these depths, but because it’s so unpredictable, it’s much more difficult to harness.

The Sorceress chose this cave to house her people through the great winter because of its magic, which helped her preserve everyone in their stone forms until the cave had stabilized enough to be inhabited. Her power, combined with the cave’s, kept most individuals’ identities intact while they slept.

When a Mycenian carves a sleeping stone, they draw on the Cave’s magic, whether or not they’re aware of it. The magic guides the carver’s hand and gently pulls the individual out of sleep, leading them back into the waking world. If the magic is corrupted during this process, or if a stone was deposited where the magic is weak, the sleeping Mycenian may slip their tether and disappear into the spirit world. The Mycenian holiday of Halloween (see: Chapter 1 - Halloween) celebrates these spirits, remembering the Lost with affection and drawing their spirits into the living world for a brief while.

The Sacred Tree was grown out of magic, and it channels magic to bind individual Mycenians’ destinies together and to create new life. Magic is heavily concentrated in the cavern where the Sacred Tree stands, as well as in the caverns where the Tree’s offshoots appear (see: Chapter 2 - The Sacred Tree).

In the outside world, individual appearances were influenced at birth by the environment, which included a variety of factors ranging from weather and geographical features to the strength and type of magic in the area. Because of this, the majority of Ineki and Drasilli from the same region looked nearly identical to one another coat-wise, being differentiated instead by characteristics such as face shape, scent, and magical markers. These individuals are now scattered throughout the Cave, but many similar-looking Mycenians likely originated from the same part of the outside world or from very similar environments.

In areas where magic is highly concentrated, an individual’s appearance may be changed in unexpected ways. There were regions in the outside world where every villager looked markedly different due to the effects of magic. Inside the Cave, young Mycenians born from the Sacred Tree are transformed by the Tree’s magic, which is why sprouts often look so different from their parents. Adults who wish to alter their appearance may visit Mystery, a sorceress who lives beside a magically charged cavern. Thanks to her expertise, she is able to manipulate the cavern’s magic to a degree, which she uses to help other Mycenians.

Every spring, the world and its magic is renewed. There are a handful of days in which magic is weaker, though it remains strong enough to support sleeping stones and other Cave inhabitants who depend on magic for survival. Flowers bloom abundantly as the year heads deeper into spring, marking the return of magic and welcoming new life.

The bone monster, which is fueled by Mycena Cave’s magic, loses much of its animation during the start of the season and grows less alert for a brief while. Many Mycenians take the opportunity to slip outside for a glimpse of the outside world, though most take care to return before the bone monster revives again so that they aren’t trapped outside until the following year.