Void Magic

Overview
Void Magic is a branch of magic that originates from a place known as "The Void ", a place of nothingness and oblivion. This type of magic manifests many of the Void's traits into physical and supernatural form, corrupting reality around itself and serving Void Walkers as they see wish, slowly consuming it's users as well. However, oftentimes void energy can't come from nothing, having to corrupt the mana, spirit, matter, or the emotions of its users in order to take form. Only the purest forms of void (Null) can come from nothing, however, that is power ungraspable by mere mortals or even gods.

Prerequisites
There are many ways a person can obtain void magic or a form of empowerment from the void. Most often, people must have something known as "The Gift" infused within their beings in order to learn void magic. This "gift" is often formed if the person or creature has had exposure to void energies at a younger age, or if they have been marked by one of the many eldritch Void Lords that reside in the Void. Other times, people can become infused with void magic by those who have the gift, granting them special abilities and enhancements. Finally, people who sacrifice both material objects and people have the chance of gaining attention from within the void, and can be granted power by said beings.

Empowerment by the Void can come in many forms, from physical mutations to arcane power. However, they must have some form of energy to support their powers, such as mana, spirit energy, or even a person's emotions. Void Walkers with the gift must have one of these sources of power for the void to corrupt and be turned into usable energy. It also must be required to empower other creatures and objects. As mentioned before and, objects and matter can also be sacrificed to gain the attention of a patron eldritch. For those already possessing the gift, however, they can also sacrifice objects and creatures, turning them into void energy they can use. The quality of the object or person determines how much energy a Void Walker will get when sacrificing, objects containing one of the 3 sources of power being major factors.

Objects sacrificed, ones with no affinity for any of the 3 power sources, will often yield the least amount of energy. Objects with emotional energy, such as sentient objects, are the 2nd worst when it comes to yielding void energy. As for objects infused with enchantments cast from spirit or mana, they yield the most power.

As for the 3 natural energies, they are often times judged from least to most powerful in this order: Emotional, Arcane (Mana), and Spirit (Soul) Energies. Emotional energy is composed of energy that radiates of emotions, of which the Void has the least compatibility for. Arcane energy or mana is often found within mages and other beings of power. As for soul energy, that is found within a creature or person's very soul. All these sources of energy can be converted into void energy.

Capabilities
There are 3 schools or "sects" of void magic, each using varying amounts of the 3 sources of void energy. The schools are known as Twilight, Eclipse, and Nightmare. Each school brings it's own unique powers to the battlefield, each having their own techniques and ways.

 Twilight 

The school of Twilight is the school of control and construction, creating and enchanting using void energy. Master's of this school have a great force of will and much creativity, as it is required when creating effective constructs and enchantments.

Void Manipulation is the art of shaping void energy and controlling it to whatever is within the scope of a Void Walker's power and imagination. The most basic students of void manipulation can create things such as walls, fling void bolts, and sometimes create weapons out of void energy. Master’s of this art can create almost living constructs, advanced weaponry, and they are able to control all 4 forms of void energy. The 4 forms of void energy are Stable Void, Unstable Void, Ethereal Void, and Crystallized Void. Stable Void Energy is exactly what it sounds like, condensed void energy that can be shaped at will. This type of energy often appears as a smooth and clear surface made of void energy, and often one of the various colors void magic can appear as (Blue, Jade, Black, Purple, etc). Unstable Void Energy (Corruption) however, is void energy unbound, and one of the most volatile. This is often crudely shaped into bolts, weapons, or other shapes to cause mayhem to the Void Walkers enemies. This energy can inject void corruption into the various objects or entities it hits (see the school of Eclipse for the effects of void corruption). Void corruption often appears as black and crude void energy, often dripping like oil and radiating an eldritch chill. The last and most rare type is Ethereal Void Energy. Ethereal Void is a spirit/gas-like void energy that is invisible and has a presence in both the physical and the Ethereal (Spirit World). It can only be sensed and controlled by those with spirit release or void sense (Those that have the Gift). This energy can bypass all physical objects unless they are heavily enchanted against such actions, and are often used for enchanting and spells involving spirits, as they can interact directly with the spirit world. Finally, there is Crystallized Void, or dormant void energy. This energy often appears as a crystal in one of the many colors void magic can appear. This is often used as a form of storing void energy, or it is used for enchanting and void crafting. These crystals can also appear naturally in the Void or in areas filled with void corruption. They often can be enchanted to have different properties, such as self-replication, having various auras, and whatever else the Enchanter or Crafter wishes.

Branding is one of the many practices of both enchanters and soul manipulators. Branding is the practice in which a Void Walker takes a piece of a person or creature's soul, leaving behind a gaping spiritual wound that cannot be healed or made whole. The Void Walker then enchants the soul piece with their desired enchantment, which then manifests on the person or creature's skin as a black tattoo or "brand". This ability can be used to create the greatest of servants. The branded entity can be enchanted with a large variety of enchants. Some examples of enchants can include control of bodily functions, movement, etc, having the ability to see through a person's eyes, being able to off any damage you take onto your servant, and much more. It is mostly up to the imagination of the enchanter, who only needs the amount of void energy required to power enchantments both big and small.

Rituals are a form of spellcasting for the greater minds amongst the gifted ones. They often consist of complex rituals that are meant to cast a spell or enchant a particularly large area or object. They oftentimes include rune circles, altars, burning sacrifices, chanting in eldritch languages, and other activities that would appease Void Lords and gain their favor and help in the ritual. It is often wise to ask the assistance of a Void Lord, as rituals take large amounts of void energy depending on the area size, the power required to enact the enchantment, etc. Some example of spells and enchantments are the following: an enchanted fog that never blows away, a curse that causes mosquitos to become enraged and swarm people, a strong aura of fear that is cast from the enchanted area or object, a staff allows the user to smite people with massive storms of void lightning, and much more.

Runes/Enchanting is one of the more passive arts of the school of Twilight. Enchanting is the art of infusing spells into an object. This can be used for a large variety of enchantments, however, in order to power such enchantments, it must have a supply of void energy. The power source can be from a person's spirit energy, by large bursts of emotion, or simply by using the user's supply of mana. When each of these power sources is filtered through the void, it provides a great amount of void energy for the artifact to use. There are downsides to enchanting and powering artifacts using the void. Void-borne artifacts can accelerate the decay of various parts of a person, the mind, body, and soul. Void-borne artifacts can also leak void corruption into their surroundings if they are damaged or if the enchanter didn't bind the spells and artifact well enough. There are also a few differences between void runes and enchanting. Enchanting has a level of stealth, requiring a person to have true sight or some sort of magic detection to detect. As for runes, they are inscribed or painted onto the outside of an artifact, making them less stealthy and far more detectable. Runes, however, aren't limited to the amount of energy an artifact can store, making them able to power enchantments of far greater power. The only downside to that is they can be broken or wiped away if not properly protected, destroying its capacity to cast spells. Runes can also be made on the fly, in the dirt or using paint and chalk.

Void Crafting is the other form of craftsmanship void walkers can take, unlike enchanting, however, it manipulates objects on a physical level. Objects and material can have their form or density permanently changed. For example, if someone had 1 ton of iron, they could magically compress all that iron into a ball the size of a marble. It keeps its weight, density, etc, but it has been reduced to the size of a marble, making it far easier to store. If a person wanted to make a suit of armor, but they were limited in supply in metal, they could gather other materials to make into armor. Bone, for example, could be compressed and shaped into armor, or even combined with small amounts of metal to create a powerful unnatural "alloy". This can be used to create objects that would normally be horrible crafting material and permanently change them into something you could use to build an entire city, an artifact, weapons, and much more. It takes a great deal of energy though. This art can be used for all the following professions: Blacksmithing, architecture, cooking, making clothes, and much more.

Energy Absorption is the manipulation of energy combined with the perpetual greed and hunger of the void. Due to the void being corrupting and ravenous in nature, Void Walkers can use void energies to attract and draw in the 3 forms of power. This is done by casting out a large net of Ethereal Void and "catching" all loose or vulnerable energies floating around in the air. Scavenging for power with this technique can allow Void Walkers to greatly replenish their energies as long as they have a source of unbound energy nearby. This same technique can be modified to negate on-going spells, weaken enchantments, dispell long range manipulation, and much more. Finally, a Void Walker can even sap the bio-electricty that allows a person's body to function, causing a slow and almost sleep-like death as their life energy is sucked away.

 Eclipse 

The school of Eclipse is the school of corruption and reality warping, it deals in destruction and chaos. Masters of this school are corrupted psychopaths, sadistic murders, often being people who have nothing left to lose.

Corruption is a torturer's tool, used by the most cold-hearted void walkers. There are a few types of corruption, mental corruption, physical corruption, and soul corruption. Mental Corruption is when a void walker attacks a person or beast's brain, filling it with Ethereal or Unstable void. This will slowly warp the person's mind into something completely devoid of positive emotion, changing their basic nature/how they think to that of a cunning eldritch. Those who are affected mentally by void corruption either immediately turn insane in a burst of violence and murder, or they watch and wait for when the time is right. Physical Corruption is the ultimate embodiment of cruelty, for if someone is completely corrupted physically, there is no saving their bodies. It either warps them until they turn into a decomposing husk, or their body completely bonds with the invading void energies, making them eldritch. This often forced change will cause mutation based on how long they are affected or how much corruption is being pumped into them. Finally, there is Soul Corruption… A person’s soul is the gateway to their body and mind, as it is the core of a person. Those who have their soul corrupted will have their bodies and minds immediately corrupted, mutating them in all the aforementioned ways. The only other difference to Mental and Physical corruption Soul corruption has is it damns their souls to an afterlife of darkness and isolation in the Void. Master void corrupters often use Ethereal void as their weapon of choice, filling the soul of a person or beast the energy. Void corruption isn't very effective in small doses unless it is left to rot at a person or environment. The point in which it becomes unhealable is when the corruption has overtaken at least 60% of a person's body. One must be careful when playing with corruption, it is a force that can quite quickly overcome their master.

Golemancy is an art of the void often used by druids, shamans, and other people who were more attuned with the natural elements of the universe. With this ability, void walkers are capable of controlling a Void corrupted form of the elements. This is accomplished by filling nearby material with Void Corruption of some kind, either using Unstable Void or Ethereal Void. Constructs comprised of Void Corruption are often called Curse Golems, this is due to the fact they are filled with Void Corruption and because they aren't limited to a single element like most elementals. In some cases, master void walkers can even take seemingly harmless material such as household items and create a wicked Curse Golem out of it. It all depends on the amount of energy you have to keep it moving, some enchanters can allow them to be fed continuous energy through power gems and crystals. Due to energy consumption being their only downside, it isn't unknown for a master Void Walker to create golems bigger than a house, or even the houses themselves into golems! These creatures can become quite formidable, and often sow chaos and destruction wherever they go.

Summoning is the art of appeasing eldritch and asking them for aid in battle, research, spying, and all sorts of things. A void walker may summon almost an endless amount of eldritch from the Void. Depending on the power the void walker can muster, whether from his own power or other sources, void walkers may even summon the avatars of void lords. To do this, void walkers must have knowledge on reality warping, knowledge about eldritch and their various wants/needs, and having the power to spring said eldritch out of the void. Once these 3 things have been gained, a void walker may summon forth a spout of Ethereal Void to split open a summoning portal in reality. If an apprentice void walker has no knowledge of what they are summoning, it could spell disaster. The reason for this is without said knowledge, then you don't know how much power you will need to bind them to your will and/or form a contract. If this moment in non-reality conversation/haggling cannot be accomplished, then the eldritch will be free to roam the world, or worse, kill its summoner. It is very important a void walker studies upon this subject before experimenting, as the more summonings cast means the more their current reality will splinter and weaken. This fracture, in reality, may allow for the easier summoning of eldritch, but it causes many of its natural laws to break, or even allows eldritch to summon themselves to aforementioned reality. One must be very careful when attempting any feat of summoning.

Reality Warping is the power over the mortal realm and reality itself, as well as all its rules and laws both natural and supernatural. This art can be used in two ways, absolute destruction of all barriers of reality, or the careful control and manipulation of it to a void walker's favor. Void walkers with training in reality warping can use it to temporarily manipulate time, space, gravity, etc. This is a very powerful and complex art, requiring either an extreme amount of training in willpower or an extreme amount of chaotic emotion. Master's of reality warping can accomplish feats such as anti-gravity, tearing holes in the barriers of reality, speeding up their internal clock to allow themselves to react to events with extreme quickness, etc. The greatest of those who use the art of reality warping have even been known to summon black holes of both great and small power. Reality Warping is a very chaotic power, breaking the limits the universe put into place.

Polymorphy is the dark and twisted power over flesh and blood. This branch of Eclipse magic is often used as a way to cruelly twist and mutate the bodies of an opponent. It can be used by calculating void walkers with large amounts of will power to modify and enhance their servants, but this is quite rare. Polymorphy is where a void walker takes Ethereal Void and casts it at a creature of flesh and blood. With this, they can change and manipulate flesh, and use it to mutate someone, graft extra limbs to their bodies, heal scars and wounds, etc. This process is extremely painful, feeling as if someone's very blood is being boiled and moved within their bodies. This can be done either temporary in the form of a curse, or it can be a permanent change using either a brand or by sacrificing some of the void walker's own energy. Polymorphy works twice as well on subjects who are already corrupted with the Void. Polymorphy works quite well in guiding half corrupted husks, corrupted subjects who are falling apart due to their bodies rejecting the corruption, into their fully converted eldritch forms. Polmorphy has many uses, whether it be used for malicious intent or for enhancement/healing.

Metamorphosis is the one, true form of a void walker. Metamorphosis is the fully realized form of a void walker, as it is a reflection of their inner eldritch. When a void walker has grown quite powerful or is overflowing with void corruption, this inner beast can become released. Metamorphosis is when the void walker overloads themselves with the gift of the Void, mutating their bodies into full eldritch for either a short or permanent time. This change is often permanent for those who have become overwhelmed by void corruption, and it is temporary for masters of the void. While in this form, void walkers gain a very large amount of casting power, as well as many physical advantages depending on their form. Overall, Metamorphosis forms tend to have magic/void resistance, increased physical prowess, as well as a far larger pool of power in which they can draw from. The form they take either depends on what their subconscious sees as a powerful eldritch. Oftentimes, it is not accurate enough to completely copy an already existing eldritch, and the form cannot be changed to be different from what it came to be on the first transformation. The other way in which a metamorphosis form is chosen is if the void walker has a patron eldritch. Upon their first transformation, the eldritch may change it to whatever they wish, often changing them to reflect themselves or their minions in some way. It is quite a powerful ability, dependent on the amount of power the void walker has. Void walkers can also enhance their metamorphosis forms by creating objects of power that represent their form in some way (Note: If a void walker dies while in metamorphosis, their artifact can potentially gain the power to turn any of its users into aforementioned metamorphosis form). In the end, if the void walker has the right patron, view, or amount of power, they can grow to become quite fearsome.

 Nightmare 

The school of nightmare is the section of void magic more suited for mystics, witches, and other creatures whom would use the void, yet live outside its boundaries and rules in the mortal realm. It's generally more utility based magic is often not preferred by the beings of the void and of those corrupted, as they prefer more destructive forms of magic. However, there still are a few more cunning eldritch who use its art, much to the dismay of those they manipulate.

Telepathy is a great tool used by many who possess various magics, the void walkers can also utilize this gift. Those of the school of nightmare have their minds bolstered with Ethereal Void, causing their brains to work on overdrive, allowing them to use it in ways others could never achieve. With this, void walkers can read minds, speak psychically to others or allow them to do the same, to transfer memories, emotions, even consciousnesses between minds, to control the body by taking over another's mind, to enter another's mind and dreams, to fuse together many different minds to accomplish a certain task, to ravage the fragile brain of an enemy with psychic power, and even implanting/manipulating the memories of a person. There are even rare cases in which a void walker will use his powers to heal those less mentally fortunate. The one downside to such powers is allowing Ethereal Void to pass through your mind, slowly corrupting and turning it into a more eldritch mindset. Otherwise, it is quite a powerful tool to be utilized by many.

Illusion