Welcome to the official Phoenix Flight guidebook. I've decided to create this in response to a question on the Q&A. The system seen in Phoenix Flight is sometimes considered complex due to the many moving parts, rules, and mechanics within it.
This will be a guide on magic, cores, spells, and anything else that you should know regarding a mage. If this does well and people want to see more, I'll create guides for other topics, such as Dungeons and Monsters or the Nations and their Laws.
Enjoy, and if you're confused or want more clarification on a topic, please ask in the comments, and I'll do my best to answer it!
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Mages
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The term 'mage' refers to a being able to perform magic or utilize mana. The world is filled with mages, with over ninety-nine percent of the population having the ability to tap into mana, but it wasn't always this way.
In the past, humans lacked the ability to control mana. Only the beings stronger than them on the food chain, Elves, Giants, Dragons, and Angels, had the power to control and use the mana in the air. This all changed when the creation of witches occurred.
A witch was, in a way, the prototype of a mage. They possessed the same kind of Core that dragons had, and this was because a witch was the offspring of a human and a dragon. All witches were born female and inherited several traits from their parents. In the present, many witches are far weaker than the first generations, as the Dragon Blood within them is distant and being filtered out; however, the witches still possess powerful Cores and special abilities of their own.
With the creation of witches, it was discovered that the human race excelled at creating offspring with other races. Elves, giants, and sometimes, albeit rarely, even angels would hook up with humans. The children made from these unions possessed Cores just like their parents.
Since Angels were so rare and Giants were far too big, Elves were the main race that created offspring with humans. Dragons also created kids; however, when a male was born, the males lacked anything special about them, and only the witches were special.
As more elves and humans bred, it caused the race of man to start to slowly gain Cores naturally. The kids of humans and elves would have a Core, then those kids would go on to mate with more humans, and their kids would be born with Cores. At this time, mankind was considered a lesser species, and so it began to be outlawed for humans to have Cores.
This all changed when the entity known as Haru arrived, and she freed mankind. Haru is famous, as while witches and the offspring of humans and elves had Cores, they weren't trained, and so they didn't know how to use mana or perform spells. Haru was the first human ever to perform a spell and utilize mana the same way the higher species could.
Haru also possessed a gift. She was able to create Cores and sources of energy, and using this power, it spread throughout the world, and soon every human, even those who weren't the children of Elves, had Cores and could use mana. Under Haru's training, they learned to use spells and perform extraordinary feats.
Thus, mages were born.
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Mana/Qi
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Mages draw in mana, but what is mana truly?
Mana refers to a type of energy that exists everywhere. It is in the air, in the trees and plants, in humans, and even in non-living things such as bricks, rocks, and the void of space. Mana is akin to a particle, as small as a molecule, but possessing enough power behind it that it can defy the laws of physics and break the world in two.
Because mana is everywhere, it has been given many different names by different cultures. Most of the world, Gallenth, Esteria, and Mordheim, use the name mana; however, Rossum refers to mana as Qi. Despite having different names, mana and Qi work the exact same way. Other lands use different names as well, such as a faraway land on the other side of the world, which calls mana "Pero."
Despite mana being everywhere, it is unseen, just as how the naked eye cannot simply spot the molecules that make up the world. Mana is the building block of the universe, being scattered inside of molecules, hiding; however, when a mage is around, they are able to stir up mana.
Mana comes in two forms. Chaotic mana refers to the mana that is everywhere. This mana is sightless and colorless and so small that it can't be seen or felt, but it does exist. Unique mana refers to the mana that a mage gives off. This mana has a color, a shape, an element, and a feeling behind it, and it is determined by the user.
For example, Davi Hawker possesses mana that resembles blue flames, and it is often described as cold and wet. Olivia Lot possesses mana that resembles red slime, and it is a constricting and powerful feeling.
Each mage has a unique type of mana that only they can create. Unique mana is made from chaotic mana, as mages naturally draw in the chaotic mana around them, and their Cores convert that mana into their own personal energy. The type of Core a person has, as well as the life they lived, determines the feeling of their unique mana.
When enough mana is gathered, it takes on a shape and a force, possessing its own field of energy that can freely contain and distort mass. By absorbing and converting chaotic mana into unique mana, a mage can coat parts or even all of their body in mana, which dramatically increases their strength, speed, and durability. This allows mages to move with superhuman speed and unleash devastating power.
This can all be done wordlessly as well, without casting a spell, as it's simply a byproduct of gathering enough mana.
Every mage is different, and thus every mage can hold a different amount of mana or tap into a different amount at once. Because of this, some mages aren't able to bring out a ton of mana's true power and can barely increase themselves, while other mages can raise their power to a level that allows them to wipe out cities with a single strike.
The amount of mana a mage can control, as well as the speed at which they recover mana, determines how powerful they truly are.
When a mage uses some of their mana, they tap into their Core, which holds their energy within themselves. As they lower the mana in their Core, the Core will naturally start to absorb mana slowly in order to refuel. The state of the body determines how fast this process is as well as how strong the Core is.
Eating food, sleeping, taking a break, or performing Joint Cultivation are all good ways to recover mana/Qi rapidly.
When a mage runs out of mana entirely, they can collapse and black out, as mana is tied to their stamina and physical health. This also means a mage can run out of mana if their body is damaged badly.
This will be explained more in the Core section.
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Spells/Schools
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Besides enhancing the body with mana, a mage can also perform a spell, using their own personal mana.
Unlike techniques, spells require a verbal component in order to work. This is because spells break the laws of the world and do the impossible. In order to prevent something like this from getting out of hand, the Lord of Order, the strongest Angel, created a Vow, placing it onto mana itself, limiting the usage of Spells and requiring them to be spoken.
In order to cast a spell, it must be spoken in the correct way. A spell is broken up into three components: Level, Type, and Intent.
Level refers to the level of the spell. There are five levels, and each level is ten times stronger than the last. This means a spell that is of the level of Row is ten times weaker than a Vil-level spell, which is one level higher than it. Spells also cost more mana to use, the higher their Level, going up by ten.
The five levels are Row, Vil, Ril, Vow, and finally Full. Row is the weakest and lowest level. All mages that can use spells can instantly use Row level, so long as they have a proper Core, know the spell, and have enough mana. Using Vil simply requires a mage to have enough mana to cast a spell at its level.
For example, Row Flame Bolt is a weak spell that allows the user to throw out a bolt of fire. Let's say this spell costs two mana to cast. The mage uses two mana each time they use it. Let's say their total amount of mana is ten. This means they can cast Row Flame Bolt five times before they run out of mana. In order to cast Vil Flame Bolt, they would need enough mana to cast Row Flame Bolt ten times, as Vil Flame Bolt is ten times stronger. This means they would need a total amount of mana equal to twenty.
As long as the mage has enough mana to cast a spell, Row and Vil are simple since they require a total amount of mana. All spells cost different amounts of mana; typically, the more a spell can do determines how much mana it costs, and the user's school grade also affects the cost.
Someone skilled in Destruction would be able to cast Flame Bolt easier than someone specialized in Restoration, so for them, it might only cost one mana to cast.
Some spells can also be level-locked. For example, Vil Blood Cerberus can only be used at the level of Vil, Ril, Vow, or Full. It cannot be used at the Row level. This is because some spells have built-in vows that allow them to gain a greater strength of power by refusing to use them at a weaker level. Some mages will put this vow onto their spells themselves, and other times the spell will naturally come with this vow already locked onto it in order to further boost its power.
The second word of a spell is the Type. "Type" refers to what kind of spell the mage is casting. Row Flame Bolt is a flame spell. A mage can only use the magic that they were born with. All mages have a type of magic they can use, and this type is the only one they can naturally cast with.
Ken Yuan is a fire mage, and so all her spells must include Flame as the second component of her spell. This means she cannot cast spells that lack Flame in them. Row Water Bolt, Row Blood Bolt, and Row Ice Bolt are all spells she can not perform.
The last component of a spell is the Intent. Intent refers to the action, and it comes down to the final word in a spell. Row Flame Bolt has the intent to create a bolt of fire that the user can send at their enemy.
Intent is able to vastly change, however, as it is up to the user on how they personally view or think of Intent. Because of this, two mages can have the exact same spell but view their spell as working differently. Row Flame Sword could create a longsword of fire for one mage, as his intent is to create a sword of fire that he holds and swings around, while another mage might create a katana, or a greatsword, or even a flying sword, as their intent isn't to use it but instead to launch it at the enemy.
Intent can change in the moment as well. One second, a mage might use Row Flame Bolt to fire a bolt out of their hand, but then if they lose their arms, their intent might change to shooting it out of their elbows or even their feet. A mage freely decides what they want the Intent to be. This can also sometimes cause spells to fail, as if a mage is unfocused or picturing too much, it can cause the intent of the spell to grow wild and untamed.
In order to cast a spell, a mage must know that spell and be able to use its school of magic. Learning a new spell used to require extensive study and being put through life-or-death fights, which would cause the Core to level up naturally to save the user's life; however, today learning spells simply requires the right school of magic and buying them from a shop.
There are six primary schools of magic—Destruction, Restoration, Conjuration, Alteration, Enchantment, and Illusion.
Destruction allows a mage to use their spells to attack. Things like Bolt, or weapons, fall into this tier. Restoration enables a mage to use their spells to heal and recover themselves or other mages. Conjuration allows a mage to create something out of their mana. It often works well with Alteration, which allows a mage to alter the properties of something. Enchantment enables a mage to add onto and code their spells to give them special effects. Lastly, Illusion allows a mage to create something that isn't actually there or bewitch the minds of others.
Most mages will have two schools they're good with, two schools they're okay with, one school they're bad with, and one school they simply can't use, no matter how hard they try. Sometimes a mage might be bad at all schools but can use them all equally, or they might be good at all schools at once.
Spell falls into a type of school and, in some cases, can fall into multiple types. Row Blood Scythe is both Conjuration and Alteration. Conjuration is used to create the scythe, while Alteration is used to make it sharper and to control and bend it.
When casting a spell, a mage can also add on a school, most commonly Enchantment, in order to tweak the spell; however, this requires having a high Enchantment stat and forming a Vow.
A Vow is a promise made with mana and allows a person to tweak or entirely alter the properties of the spell; however, it must be a fair trade. For example, a mage can add a vow that increases the damage of their Row Fire Bolt spell, but they must also offer up something equal to the vow. Usually, it'll cause the spell to cost more mana, but they might also add on a restriction to it, such as the inability to cast Row Fire Bolt at higher levels.
Vows can be temporary, or they can last forever, depending on what the Vow is and how different something is being changed. Row Shadow Armor is a spell that has a permanent vow; however, Olivia's Blood Snake is a temporary Vow that requires her to remake it each time she uses the spell.
It is said that vows are created through the Lord of Order. The Lord of Order gazes upon a mage when they create a vow, and he determines if they are fair or not. Should a mage break a Vow or fail to live up to the promise offered up, the Lord of Order is also the one who forces them to 'repay' the debt that they are owed.
Besides the six schools, there are also two additional schools that are extremely rare and require a mage to unlock. These schools are Curses and Blessings.
Both schools allow a mage to add them onto any other spell as a passive, and they are free additional effects that can be used without forging a vow, making them extremely powerful.
Curses add a negative property to the spell, which eats away at mana, allowing spells to penetrate barriers, and it also leaves a 'curse' upon the target, which is a powerful debuff that can affect how they operate. To use a curse, a person must be full of malice and hate, using despair to fuel their mana.
Blessings allow the user to supercharge either themselves or someone else, giving them a vast boost of power, and they can cancel and shut off curses. To use a blessing, a person must first be blessed by the Almighty or one of his angels, who most commonly is the Lord of Order.
Spells are very powerful and are a mage's primary form of combat. Learning multiple spells and mastering the ones you know is key to becoming strong.
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Techniques/Skills
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Besides spells, mages also have techniques and basic skills that they can use for combat. Rossum's possess something known as a Qi Lines Core, which is considered the best for using techniques and skills.
But what are techniques and skills? In short, they refer to something a mage can do by using mana, without casting a spell. These don't require the mage to have a specific type of Core or type of magic; they instead just need to understand the technique and skill to use it.
A Technique is a special move that is a mix of martial arts and mana, which allows the mage to perform something that surpasses human limits. These techniques come in thousands of different styles and forms and are used mainly in Rossum and Mordheim.
The Sky Cutting Sword is a technique that allows the user to unleash a single powerful slash that splits all matter in front of them in two. It also destroys all magical barriers. Way of Self Iron is a technique that allows the user to absorb an attack and channel it through their body, hitting someone back with all the power they stored up. An Old Bird's Flapping Wings is a breathing technique that allows the user to channel energy in the air and rapidly draw it back into their body, giving them a refill of all the energy they lost.
Just as there is a spell for everything, there is a technique for everything. Also, just like with spells, a person is required to have a 'body' meant for the technique. Not everyone can use any type of technique.
Techniques basically work like spells but are physical in nature. They still use mana but require the user to perform a series of movements based on the technique to fire it off.
Mana Skills are like techniques, but a little different. A technique requires the user to have the correct body and proper way of thinking to utilize it, but Mana Skills are moves that all mages can use as long as they learn them or are strong enough.
There are two kinds of Mana Skills: Basic Skills and Advanced Skills.
Basic Skills are learning how to channel mana into the body to give it a boost of power, learning how to walk on water or walls and even air, and learning how to put mana into weapons to sharpen them and power them up.
Advanced Skills require the mage to have an evolved Core and require them to know how to use chaotic mana. Advanced Skills are things like Mana Step, which allows a mage to teleport through space seemingly; Mana Strike, which allows a mage to unleash a single decisive strike that collapses space before them; and Mana Skin, Mana Muscles, Mana Bones, and Mana Blood, which allow the user to withstand attacks that can warp even space and time.
There are also things called Special Skills or Special Traits. A Special Skill is a type of skill that the user can learn through repeated actions, but unlike normal skills, it requires the user to have a specific kind of Core or way of living. Resistant traits that negate damage, Sensing traits like Danger Sense, or healing traits like Quick Regeneration, fall into this category.
By repeatedly exposing oneself to fire, the Core can evolve and cause them to gain Flame Resistance; however, in some cases, their bodies simply can't learn how to become resistant to something. This is true for things like Quick Regeneration and Danger Sense as well.
Davi Hawker has a body that doesn't work well with Quick Regeneration, and so no matter how much he gets healed up, he'll never develop the skill. Olivia Lot has Quick Regeneration but lacks the mind or way of thinking needed for Danger Sense, and she is bad at developing Elemental Resistances.
What makes Special Skills truly good is that they are able to evolve and change. These skills can eventually shift into ones that make the target immune to an element or unlock new techniques and powers they can use.
Learning how to use spells, skills, and techniques is very important if a mage wants to reach the level of the Knights.
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Cores/Types Of Cores
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The Core is the most crucial part of a mage. A Core is the mage's soul given shape.
Chaotic mana lacks an element, and it also lacks a direction. It simply exists, not following any orders of law. When a mage is born, they have a body that looks similar to a human, but there is one thing that is different about them.
It can't be seen if you cut them open, but deep in their gut lies their soul. The soul is them. It is who they are, and both the body and the soul reflect one another. The soul itself creates a layer, and within this layer is an infinite dimension. It is here that the Core resides. Hiding deep within a pocket universe that is placed directly into a mage's soul.
This pocket universe is truly infinite in nature, and some skilled mages are even able to manifest their inner realm through a spell. Row Shadow Vault is one such spell.
The Core floats inside this inner world, and it is here that a mage is truly created. The energy of this realm is made out of a primal power known as Yin and Yang. The Core will float in either a sea of Yin or a sea of Yang. Those who possess a soul born with Yin energy contain a feminine body, while those born with Yang energy possess a male body. It is possible to switch the contents of one's energy if a mage is skilled enough, though this is an advanced technique, and most simply utilize pills.
Yin and Yang energy are vital, as they are the only sources of energy that can rapidly draw in and absorb mana. Yin and Yang can attach themselves to mana and convert the untamed power of chaos mana into a type of mana that can be filtered and controlled. The energy of the realm will draw in mana, which in turn fills the infinite void with mana that soaks the Core in it.
The Core will then further refine this mana and transform it and filter it through the realm. This causes a chain reaction to happen. Chaotic mana exists everywhere, including in a person's body. Their soul has a layer that has a universe made of Yin or Yang energy. The Yin or Yang energy draws in the mana and bathes the Core in it, and the Core then absorbs the chaotic mana and converts it into unique mana and then, in turn, pushes that new unique mana out of itself and into the infinite realm. As the realm rapidly fills with unique mana, this mana spills outside of the body and is what is felt by other mages when they sense who a person is.
What determines the feeling of a person's unique mana is based on who the person themselves is and the kind of soul they have. The soul itself is shaped by the energy it is filled with and the Core that resides inside of it. There are many kinds of Cores, and a Core falls into a 'type' and a 'style'. It'll also possess a name.
There are seven types of Cores, and this is determined by what kind of magic the Core can use. The seven types are Wind, Earth, Water, Fire, Lightning, Light, and Dark. Each type of magic contains various forms of magic.
For example, Ash is a mage who uses air magic. Air magic falls into the Wind typing. All forms of magic can fall into one of these seven types.
Air magic, Mist magic, Sound magic, Telekinesis magic, Force magic, Slashing magic, and anything else that could be associated with cutting or manipulating the air fall into the category of Wind Cores.
Rocks, Metal, Gems, or types of magic that can manipulate nature fall into the Earth Core typing.
Water, Ice, or other various liquid-based magics fall into Water Core typing.
Types of magic that can manipulate or raise heat, such as Fire, Lava, Smoke, or Steam, fall into Fire Cores.
Lightning Cores are the domain of particle-based magic, such as Electricity, Thunder, Photons, Plasma, and anything else.
Lastly, Light and Dark are unique, as they cover more abstract things. Dark can manipulate the laws of the world, such as Gravity, Space, and Time, while Light manipulates the laws of life, such as Blood, Flesh, Bone, and Souls. They can also control particles of light or shadows, respectively.
Certain types of magic can fall into the same category as Cores as well. For example, Lava manipulates rocks and fire, so a mage with Lava magic could have either a Fire Core or an Earth Core. However, they will only have one Core, not both. Just as a mage can only have access to one type of magic, they can only have access to one kind of Core.
The type of Core a person has is essential for discovering what type of enchanted weapons they can use. Enchanted weapons with powerful effects fall into a Type as well that is identical to the Core types—Wind, Water, Earth, Fire, Lightning, Light, and Dark. A mage can only bond to a type of enchanted gear that is the same type of Core as them.
Storymaker is a Light-type weapon, and thus, only someone with a Light-type Core could bond with it. Davi possesses shadow magic, which falls into a Dark-type category, and therefore, he cannot bond with it or use Storymaker. Olivia Lot, however, has blood magic, which falls into the Light typing, and thus, if she were to get her hands on Storymaker, she could use it.
Besides a type of magic, Cores also have specific styles, which determine what your Core is. These styles are determined based on where you were born, who your parents are, and which nations accept you as a citizen.
These styles of Cores determine how the Core operates and what it can and can't do. The main ones are Peasant Cores, Circuit Cores, Qi Lines, Mask Cores, and lastly, Golden Cores.
Peasant Cores are the most common. Everyone who has a Core is born with a Peasant Core, and it is then converted into a new type of Core when they're accepted by a nation and brought into its fold. Peasant Cores are blank Cores that can't do anything special. Most nations lack Peasant Cores, except for Gallenth, which is full of them. Peasant Cores have a single strength behind them, which is that they can be converted entirely into any other type of Core, so long as the requirements are met.
Circuit Cores were created by the King of Esteria. He based them on Haru as well as dragons. The Cores dragons and witches had were vastly similar to Circuit Cores, and when the king created the first Circuit Core, he passed it down to all his people. Circuit Cores are able to bond with the System, something created by the King, which allows them to use digital Grimoires as well as bring up system boxes if they become Knights. It also allows them to bond with enchanted weapons better than others. The King can also watch and view those who have Circuit Cores.
Qi Lines are from Rossum and are unique, as they lack the proper Core structure. Most Cores take the form of a ball of energy, but Qi Lines are dozens of lines etched throughout the user's inner world. This causes a strange effect where they are unable to possess a proper type of magic, nor do they have an appropriate type of Core. Because of this, the people of Rossum can't bond with enchanted weapons that require a type of magic, and they also can't use spells.
A Spirit Core is a Core that allows someone with Qi Lines to break the rules previously established. A Spirit Core comes from a Spirit, which is a type of creature found only in Rossum. It is able to enter the body of someone with Qi Lines and become a Core that is similar to a Peasant Core or a Monster Core. It has a type of element and a type of magic, and that is the type the person with Qi Lines can use while they have access to the Spirit Core.
Mask Cores come from Mordheim. A Mask Core is considered by many to be one of the best Cores in terms of raw power. A Circuit Core allows someone to enchant with powerful godlike weapons, but a Mask Core allows someone to break the established rules. It is believed the Lord of Order is the one who monitors all forms of magic since he created the Vow that limits how spells work, making it so a person only has one type of magic. Mask Cores break this rule.
Core Masks is a technique that those with Mask Cores can perform. In order to use a Core Mask, a person must have an understanding of their own Mana as well as Chaotic Mana. They must also be able to visualize in their mind the person they wish to be the most.
Just like with wearing a mask to hide one's identity, a Core Mask allows a person to hide the type of their Core from the Lord of Order, and it creates a 'glitch-like' effect. Their mana color turns pitch black and becomes chaotic as they now channel pure chaotic mana rather than unique mana. They also gain the ability to stack an extra type of magic onto their already established type, wearing it like a mask.
For example, Titania Midsummer uses Shadow-type Magic; however, the Mask she wears is a Flame type. While in her Core Mask, she is able to use Shadow-Flame Magic.
While wearing a Core Mask, the mage still has their old type of magic, but they've masked it behind another type. This allows them to perform spells that they don't usually have. The Mask they wish to put on is based on someone they know. Sometimes it can be someone they love, or it might be a close friend, or it might even just be someone they feel a connection to or want to be like. While donning the mask, they gain the spells that person can use as well as the schools of magic that person has access to.
As an example, if Davi Hawker were to create a Core Mask of Olivia Lot somehow, he would gain Shadow-Blood magic, and despite not having access to the Restoration school or Destruction school, he could use any spell Olivia knew because while the mask was on, the world would assume that he was Olivia Lot.
A person can only have one Core Mask, and once that mask is forged, it is impossible to get another one. By using a Core Mask, a mage is able to alter their way of combat completely, and this is why the Spell Swords of Mordheim are so feared.
Golden Cores are considered to be even stronger than a Mask Core. While Mask Cores allow a mage to gain a secondary type of magic and use schools they normally can't, Golden Cores simply destroy everything that is in their way.
The Golden Core was invented by King Sylas and was meant to mimic the power of Haru, or the Almighty. He was unable to achieve this level of power, as those two were simply godlike, so instead he turned his gaze to the third-strongest being in the universe, the Lord of Order.
The Golden Core can only be held by those who contain the royal bloodline of King Sylas. It is the rarest type of Core, and the vast majority of people in Gallenth lack this Core and instead use a Peasant Core. The Golden Core is simply a ball of unlimited power.
Unlike other Cores, which are stuck inside of the user's inner realm, the Golden Core is able to seep out and affect the real world. This is because it is so massive that it actually surpasses the size of the infinitely sized realm that it resides in.
It is said that a newborn baby with a Golden Core will have more mana than even the King of Esteria. The Golden Core is so vast and dense that it can also be used to attack. A normal mage has to use a spell in order to bring out the full effects of their mana, but those with a Golden Core can simply lob pure mana out at high speeds, attacking with a force that surpasses the level of Row.
In a lot of regards, it is impossible for those with Golden Cores to safely fight, as they possess too much mana to safely cast spells. Instead, they pilot powerful suits of armor, using their Core as something akin to a nuclear reactor that lets them give energy to weapons of mass destruction. Even someone with only twenty-five percent of a Golden Core would most likely find themselves with more Mana than they knew what to do with.
Despite being the strongest, only a tiny fraction of Gallenth's population possesses Golden Cores due to how much the royal bloodline has been diluted. Those who do have the ability to awaken a Golden Core also can not do so easily, as it would require someone with royal blood to invite them to Gallenth. This fact alone is the sole reason Gallenth is not standing at the top of the world.
When a mage is born, their peasant Core is often transformed fully into another type of Core, so long as they're born within a nation and recognized as part of that nation. In rare cases, a mage might be born with two types of Cores, or they might gain an additional Core at a later date.
This does not mean they have two Cores at once. Instead, they have one Core that is now being split into various smaller Cores. This causes a diluted effect, and thus the Core loses power. It is better to have one Core rather than multiple smaller Cores. The more Cores a body has, the worse off they'll be, and it can even drive them mad.
Monster Cores are created when a mage is exposed to a dungeon for longer than they should be. It is akin to a tumor being created from radiation. It appears within the soul and latches onto the central Core and will slowly devour it. When it grows bigger than the actual Core, it takes over.
This causes a mage to slowly mutate and transform. Eventually, they'll shatter fully and become a full-fledged monster. This drives them insane and breaks their mind, and they must be put down should this happen.
Heart Core is the final known Core. It was the Core that Haru had. Many consider this to be the same Core the Almighty possesses. No one knows how she got it, but it is now a fraction of what it once was. The Heart Core allowed Haru to cast true magic and perform spells never before seen, at levels well beyond Full. Now that she is gone, it is known that the King uses fractions of her Core to create Knight Gear.
Knight Gear is a powerful weapon that is forged from two enchanted items merging together and is implanted with a tiny piece of Haru's Heart Core. Knight Gear allows a mage to gain a second type of magic, similar to a Core Mask. However, they can only use this new type through their weapon, and unlike a Core Mask, which gains new schools and can merge them with their original spells, Knight Gear can only use spells the user knows.
For example, the Lance of Victory, Tori, has Light magic, and she uses a lance that has gained the ability to tap into Psychic magic. Whereas a Spell Sword would cast their spell as Light-Psychic, Tori can only use Psychic spells and can only rework spells she has; thus, it is limited but still considered valid.
Certain descendants of Haru can also tap into a fraction of the Heart Core naturally, and this allows them to alter how their spells work to a small extent, similar to the effect of a vow, but this Vow is not seen by the Lord of Order. An example of this is Tori, who is said to superheat her Light, turning it into fire, and thus, in a way, she can also use fire magic.
This process is infrequent and requires a lot of mana and is very limited as well as risky, so most mages who can do this simply don't use it in favor of using their Knight Gear instead.
The last thing about a Core that is important is its name. Every mage has a special Core name, and this name is akin to their actual name or true self. It is based on several factors, but mainly their type of magic, their kind of Core, the energy of yin or yang in their soul, and the life they lived.
All these factors decide what the person's soul is and thus what their true name is. This is why Olivia Lot is referred to as the Witch of Red or why Davi is known as the Child of the Abyss.
These names represent the path that a person is on and their inner world. It is who they are and who they will become. A destiny that has already been written out by a quill.
That is what it means to be a mage.
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And this is the first of what might be multiple databooks? Not sure. Still workshopping it. Anyway, thanks for reading. Merry Christmas!