Itheri--The Magic Pool of Flora Mages
HEY EVERYONE! I'm back with more worldbuilding as I start to write BOOK 2 of the Bestiary trilogy.
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Unlike some gods like Nebula, who is very strict with her magic, Petalvine freely gives her aspect to anyone who wishes to wield it.
In doing so, she assigns each mage a pool from which they can draw. This pool is called Itheri, from the old elvish words "ithwa" (ability) and "erilaow" (bound). Bound in this case is likely to mean "bounds," as in the space where something may function.
Before discussing the Itheri's use in magic, it's necessary to discuss its role within the mage's physiology. This magical energy weaves into every system in the person's body, and may often deplete or renew based on their physical condition. A hungry flora mage will have low Itheri, even if they haven't used their magic in days, while a mage who has stuffed himself on a Rebirth of the Phoenix banquet might be able to cast extremely powerful magic.
But this itself is also affected by the mage's skill and their practice with flora magic. An extremely skilled mage who is grievously injured might still be able to perform a cohesive spell with the proper effects. Conversely, an amateur must be in peak condition before their magic can function normally.
Note that "peak physical condition" refers to the mage's normal state. Disability does not seem to affect Itheri, as this is a permanent part of a mage's life and is incorporated into their pool. It is only affected by dynamic changes in a person's status, and will adjust accordingly.
As for Itheri levels, there does seem to be a correlation between an individual's innate magic and their initial Itheri pool. Someone with little personal magic will be able to cast low-level and simple spells, while someone with a high amount of personal magic will be able to cast the most powerful of spells. However—practice, dedication, and a close relationship with Petalvine will cause the Itheri pool to expand as it draws in and collects more innate magic from the environment. This sometimes results in a low-level mage becoming incredibly powerful as their Itheri grows.
This is unique among the gods, as innate magic level generally determines the spells someone is able to cast through their whole life.
Generally, a mage is tangentially aware of their own Itheri pool, just like one might be aware of how hungry they are. Assuming a mage is in good physical condition at the time they perform magic, their Itheri will deplete until it becomes impossible to reliably cast. Notably, Itheri depletes much slower in areas where plants would normally grow—such as forests—and much faster in areas hostile to foliage—like deserts.
It has been debated as to whether Itheri is the ENERGY a mage uses to cast, or if it's the magic itself. Many scholars of Petalvine believe that the Itheri is actually released into the environment, where it bends to the will of the mage and causes plantlife to grow on their whim. This would mean that Petalvine passively supplies a mage with her magic when they're NOT casting, which is then released at their command. (Notably, this contradicts with most schools. For example, a fire mage definitively receives their magic from the Phoenixes upon casting. Not before.)
This would also explain the mage's Godmark—flowering plants that grow at their feet when they're standing on natural soil. It is likely the release of excess Itheri, which makes sense if Petalvine is constantly supplying it.
Some mages who use both flora and water magic have reported an increase in the repletion of their Itheri. It is thought that Wheriae's influence on Petalvine's magic causes this phenomenon. This would be easier to explore if the one faun who is a conduit of both would use water magic, however, as of the writing of this article, he has refused to do so. Should this change in the future, we will update this article accordingly.
(Editor's note: Yes, we are aware that fauns can generally only be the conduit of a single god. However, the gods seem to have made an exception in one single case. Please stop NetMessaging your corrections, as our inbox is overflowing. I assure you, the previous paragraph was researched and contains no errors.)
Aside from depletion through the use of magic, Itheri may also decline if the mage using it becomes hungry, tired, or injured. Stress and shock may also cause the Itheri to rapidly dissipate. It is believed that in cases where the mage's health and well-being is compromised, the Itheri itself might take on a protective role; although it is difficult to say this for certain, flora mages who have been terribly injured have survived when they should have perished.
This might seem to contradict with the role of Faoliia, the goddess of healing. However, it seems many aspects might take on a minor protective or healing role in some cases. This does not seem to be conscious, but is an innate by-product of the infusion of magic. Notably, mages of Aeoniri who use either his time or music aspects have found that healing might occur under certain circumstances, but this is generally not intentional. Likewise, mages of Ivriarck have found that their magic might "spark" without their intent, causing the alleviation of some cardiac events in themselves and others nearby. It is not a far stretch to imagine that Itheri might also serve a similar purpose.
So what might occur when a person's Itheri pool runs out? Besides general exhaustion and malaise, low Itheri will cause a mage's spells to—for lack of a better word—malfunction. A spell intended to grow a tree might produce a stunted, gnarled thornbush instead. An intent to produce green leaves with low Itheri might result in them growing pink. Or, more troublesome, a mage who creates what might usually be a perfectly edible apple might create a poisonous fruit without realizing it, and woe be to the unlucky person who consumes it.
For this reason, it is generally recommended that a mage who senses that their Itheri might be depleted stop doing magic until they can replenish it.
Replenishment is simply a question of time and self-care. A good meal and a good rest will have the mage back at peak performance within hours, or days if they are in an area with little nature surrounding them. Some mages are known to travel with small terrarium gardens so if they are in an area unfriendly to the repletion of Itheri, they may use their captive plantlife for assistance.
