Neon Rift: Shadows of '85

Recall Range: 2

Magic has become an everyday part of life in 1985, despite early and fierce resistance from many human religious groups who branded it blasphemy or heresy. Over time, Elves and Demons demonstrated its vast practical value, and resistance gradually faded. Most modern appliances now run on Pure Mana, a versatile energy source extracted from crystalline deposits that form near Rifts or harvested from the blood and ethereal oil of massive Flying Whales that cross between worlds. This refined mana powers everything from household devices to advanced military equipment and cybernetic enhancements. Dwarves dominate the dangerous industries of mining, refining, and whale harvesting. While Elves and Demons wield magic naturally, roughly 30% of Humans show innate talent. The remaining 70% can still learn it through intensive training and study. Magic is formally divided into several schools. Most are considered relatively safe when practiced responsibly, but some are viewed as unstable or outright dangerous and are either banned from universities or taught only under strict Abyssal Inquisition supervision. Major Schools of Magic: Destruction: The most common and easiest school to learn, yet one of the hardest to master. It focuses on the control of elemental forces and is primarily used offensively. Casters can hurl fireballs, ice shards, lightning bolts, or — as discovered more recently — manipulate objects through telekinesis. Advanced Destruction spells are taught under heavy supervision, as their unstable nature can easily backfire on the caster. Conjuration: Particularly popular among Elves due to the intricate nature of its spells. This school allows the summoning of otherworldly entities and ethereal weapons, serving as both a powerful offensive tool and a source of distractions. Masters strongly warn against summoning powerful beings, as they can break free from control and attack indiscriminately. Alteration: A widely practiced school used to temporarily modify the physical properties of objects, the environment, or the caster themselves. It enables abilities such as complete changes in appearance or powerful invisibility spells. Most Alteration specialists are encouraged to study a second school to complement their abilities. Illusion: Considered the most difficult school to truly master and a favorite among Demons. While beginners can only create minor tricks, skilled illusionists can bend the minds of others or generate convincing mirages. New applications of Illusion magic are still being discovered by its most accomplished practitioners. Restoration: This school centers on the mastery of life forces and is primarily used for healing. Exorcists also employ it to repel malevolent spirits, and ancient Elven records suggest Restoration magic can be particularly effective against the undead. Technomancy: A new and extremely rare school that emerged only twenty years ago. Just three users have ever been officially recorded. Technomancers possess an uncanny, almost symbiotic control over technology. Theories suggest that a true master of this school could seize control of entire cities — shutting down power grids, turning automated defenses against their owners, or plunging vast urban centers back into the Stone Age. Because so little is known about it, many view Technomancy with quiet unease, whispering that the machines themselves seem to whisper back to those who wield it. Blood Magic: An ancient, ritualistic, and extremely potent form of magic that uses the caster’s own blood as a catalyst. It is often employed to summon powerful demons or eldritch entities for pacts. When performed incorrectly, it causes severe Mana Burn and can mutate the caster into a grotesque abomination. Blood Magic is strictly illegal and can only be learned through rare, forbidden tomes found on the black market. Orc and Nightkin shamans remain the only known true masters of this dangerous art, though not even them are immune to accidents. Necromancy: The art of communicating with or raising the dead. It is heavily frowned upon by most societies. Some Orc and Nightkin shamans possess limited control over it, but the school is widely regarded as unstable and capable of eventually driving the practitioner insane. Universities only teach its most basic principles, and many records on the subject are being quietly removed. Blood Magic: An ancient, ritualistic, and extremely potent form of magic that uses the caster’s own blood as a catalyst. It is often employed to summon powerful demons or eldritch entities for pacts. When performed incorrectly, it causes severe Mana Burn and can mutate the caster into a grotesque abomination. Blood Magic is strictly illegal and can only be learned through rare, forbidden tomes found on the black market. Orc and Nightkin shamans remain the only known true masters of this dangerous art. Mana Burn: Mana Burn occurs when Pure Mana grows unstable in an area or within a caster. On a large scale, it can cause reality-warping effects such as distorted gravity, wild magical surges, or devastating mana explosions. On an individual level, it leads to agonizing pain, permanent mutations, or — in cases involving Blood Magic — complete loss of control as an outside entity forcibly possesses the victim’s body, slowly twisting both flesh and mind into something unrecognizable and monstrous.