Jeremy Thomas Fuller
The Metalwood Saga / Reference Guide

Full-series spoilers

Prime Magic

Prime Magic

Prime Magic is the fundamental, universe-spanning magical system of the The Metalwood Saga. It is the power that dictates the rise and fall of civilizations across the Prime Planets (including Valaralda, Mar, and Eryn).

While mortals believe magic to be a mystical force or a gift from the gods known as the Twins, it is actually the output of unimaginably advanced alien technology. All Prime Magic originates from Xyclami (also called Guruthos), an ancient device from the lost planet of Starmist Prime.

The Source of Power

The raw energy of Xyclami is routed through an ethereal, secondary dimension called Ambarhal. From Ambarhal, the power is funneled into the physical worlds through massive, invisible conduits known as Prime Trees.

Prime Trees are not natural flora; they are generated through the sacrifice of a magical soul. To perform magic, a mage must obtain a piece of wood from one of these trees—known as Primewood—which acts as a battery and conduit connecting the user's soul back to the machine.

The Two Sides of Magic

Magic is split into two distinct reflections: the natural, structured magic of the Eldrim, and the corrupted, darker magic harvested by the Cothellon.

Lightprime (Caladmain)

Also known as the Woodways, this is the traditional, legal magic practiced by the elves on Valaralda. It draws upon the natural Prime Trees, which are formed when a mage willingly sacrifices their own life out of love or duty.

To cast Lightprime magic, four strict requirements must be met:

  1. Alignment: The mage must have a genetic soul-affinity for the specific type of magic.
  2. Material: The mage must be holding the correct type of Primewood.
  3. Investment: The mage must execute a highly skilled physical action related to their Discipline (e.g., sculpting, dancing, or performing CPR).
  4. Will: The mage must mentally focus and channel their intent into the wood.

Darkprime (Dúathmain)

Darkprime (colloquially called Metalwood due to its shiny, metallic grain) is the illegal, corrupted counterpart to Lightprime. Darkprime Trees are grown through the horrific ritual of the Darkprime Ceremony, where innocent humans are murdered so their blood can mix with the roots of a sapling.

Darkprime magic is a shortcut to power. It completely bypasses the need for Investment; a mage only needs the darkprime wood and their Will to activate the power. However, this raw conduit comes with a sinister cost: the magic is highly addictive, delivering a euphoric "sweetness" that compels the user to draw more and more power until it destroys them.

The Seven Aspects (The Woodpairs)

A mage's abilities are dictated by the Seven Aspects of the soul. Each Aspect corresponds to a specific pair of trees (one deciduous and one coniferous) and grants one Lightprime and one Darkprime power.

  • 1. Way of the Builder (Maple / Pine)
    • Lightprime: Mistweaving (Creating incredibly lifelike, three-dimensional illusions).
    • Darkprime: Fallfoiling (Controlling vertical gravity to lift or drop objects and people).
  • 2. Way of the Protector (Birch / Spruce)
    • Lightprime: Soulsoothing (Rapidly healing biological wounds, mending bones, and curing ailments).
    • Darkprime: Transmuting (Converting raw matter, such as stone or waste, into food, water, or other materials).
  • 3. Way of the Destroyer (Poplar / Yew)
    • Lightprime: Bladedancing (Magically guiding projectiles like arrows or enhancing sword strikes with lethal precision).
    • Darkprime: Mindmaster (Summoning purple clouds to compel obedience, erase memories, or control thoughts).
  • 4. Way of the Scholar (Ash / Hemlock)
    • Lightprime: Stormwarding (Summoning and controlling weather, wind, rain, and lightning).
    • Darkprime: Forcefinding (Creating impenetrable energy shields, bubbles, and kinetic blasts).
  • 5. Way of the Creator (Elm / Fir)
    • Lightprime: Leafrunning (Enhancing agility, leaping great distances, and moving laterally through the air).
    • Darkprime: Shockstriking (Generating and hurling devastating bolts of blue lightning and electricity).
  • 6. Way of the Governor (Oak / Cedar)
    • Lightprime: Strengthshaping (Massively enhancing physical strength, durability, and reflexes).
    • Darkprime: Mergemelding (Allowing the user or their weapons to phase harmlessly through solid matter or forcefields).
  • 7. The Primal Way (Willow / Cypress)

The rarest and most dangerous Aspect, located at the very center of the soul.

    • Lightprime: Soulsundering (An apocalyptic ritual that severs souls from bodies, instantly killing the victims and trapping them in Ambarhal).
    • Darkprime: Gatesending (Tearing dimensional rifts to instantly teleport across continents or galaxies; prolonged use erodes the user's memories).

Prime Mages

While ordinary mages (who possess the genetic Talent) can only access one Aspect of the soul, a Prime Mage is an almost godlike being whose soul has been fully "Unlocked," granting them access to all Seven Aspects simultaneously.

Because their souls are perfectly attuned to Xyclami, Prime Mages do not need to perform Investment (skilled actions) to use Lightprime magic; they can simply Will the magic into existence just like Darkprime.

Mages typically achieve this status by dying, passing through Ambarhal, and escaping back to the mortal realm. Known Prime Mages include Usunaar, Cariel (Magona/Segena), Arra, Lorelei, Phoenix, and Elanil. Trey and Quynn exist as extremely rare "Half-Prime" mages due to their splintered soul. Rylan bypasses standard Prime Mage rules entirely, acting as a direct "Superuser" interfacing with Xyclami's operating system.

The Dangers of Magic

Magic is not without severe risks:

  • Soulburn: The ultimate consequence of overextending oneself. If a mage attempts to channel more raw energy than their physical soul can handle, the magic incinerates them from the inside out, killing them instantly and allegedly destroying their soul permanently.
  • Addiction: Darkprime magic creates a chemical and spiritual dependency. Lower-class mages who are forced to use it continuously (such as the transmuters in The Below) become feral junkies who will die or riot without their supply.
  • Soulblindness: The use of Gatesending without proper safeguards progressively wipes away the user's memories, leaving them amnesiac.

See Also