THE BADDEST IN THE WORLD
MAGIC & MAGICAL TOOLS
The article is divided into three parts.
The first will show you how magic works in The Baddest in the World (that is, how it is practiced, what it involves, the magical laws…).
The second part talks about the magical items and the magic into the book such as the Stone of Ages.
In the third and final part, it explains how one can learn to become a wizard!
Of course, all this information is taken from the book.
FIRST PART
“HOW MAGIC WORKS” Presented by The Baddest in The World
MAGIC IS A SERIOUS MATTER!
“Good morning, good evening, good afternoon or goodnight, apprentices! It depends on which part of the world you’re in!
It is me, The Baddest in the World, speaking to you! You may call me sir, your highness or—if you prefer—your eminence. Even His Holiness is acceptable, you know. I’m certainly not being modest, let’s be clear about that.
We are all gathered here today to understand… ‘How on Earth does magic work?????’
Well then, get ready, because it’s not as simple as drinking a glass of water. It requires hard training, effort, and dedication.
Enough talk! Let’s get started right away, good heavens!”
STAFFS AND MONKS
“So. You need to know that there is only one way to cast any spell. Unless you are a stone monster like me. In that case, everything sorts itself out, because a stone monster is the body of a spirit channeled inside it. And a spirit is made of roughly 70% raw magic. And that’s why I can cast any spell straight from the palm of my hand. But you can’t, losers! Ha!
Every mage must have their own staff. A staff is a very useful object: it can be used for fighting, for gaining a certain sense of regality, and—if you’re lazy—for leaning on. There is one drawback, though: if the staff is destroyed… its owner will die! Yes indeed, because the sorcerer’s soul is contained in that very staff. So, to sum up: unless you are stone monsters, to cast any spell you will need a magical staff. These can be of all kinds; it doesn’t matter what shape or size they have.
But don’t think that a staff alone is enough to turn you into a mage! As they say… clothes do not make the monk! Later we will see in detail how to become powerful sorcerers.”
Additionally, magical spells don’t necessarily have to be spoken aloud, but they must all be in an old language: Gaelic in the case of England. If we moved to Italy, it would be Latin. In short, it depends on which part of the world you’re in.
OR THE WISDOM OR THE LIFE!
“You absolutely need to know that magic has been officially forbidden ever since those fools started condemning people for witchcraft during that chaotic time long ago… (see article “The Lore”).
So we mages are forced to hide our abilities. Also because the Council (see article “MG: Magical Hierarchy”) is very strict about these things and could even decide to imprison you in the Underworld.
The point is this: ordinary people must not, under any circumstances, know about magic. It would be too much for their weak minds. So there is no problem in practicing it, as long as it is in secret. Although it would be funny to see everyone despairing and going crazy after discovering the existence of magic. Accept reality!
Only a few people manage not to lose their minds, like Annie (see article: “The Characters”), but that is another story.”
WHITE MAGIC (THE KIND THAT SUCKS)
“There is a distinction between White Magic, or Good Magic, and Black Magic, or Dark Magic. Yes indeed, even the magical system is racist.
But no, I’m joking!!
The first one honestly sucks, because it doesn’t include the interesting things, the villain stuff. And I’m mostly interested in those. But I know, I know, they’re immoral spells, and it’s right that you master both.
White Magic is the one that heals, that allows you to receive only positive things. All great wizards practice it. Even if it sucks, it’s good not to focus only on Dark Magic or only on Good Magic, because both are useful. So it’s important not to exclude either one.”
BLACK MAGIC (THE COOL ONE)
“Black Magic is the one that allows only harmful actions, or actions that damage someone else. Among the various possibilities are murder, disintegration, Voodoo practice, possession…
Of course, unfortunately, this kind of magic is even more strictly forbidden than White Magic. It was even banned in the times when everyone had free access to magic (see article: “The Lore”)!
Within the ranks of Dark Magic there are also various objects, most of them historical, which have been classified as Forbidden Curses. Here are some of them below. Click on the title to see ’em.
Enjoy the read!”.
THE FORBIDDEN CURSES
SECOND PART
“MAGICAL TOOLS” Presented by The Baddest in the World
INTRO
“Welcome back. Where were we? Ah, right! It was my course on magic! Perfect. Now, in this second part, since I imagine you’ve grasped the basics of magic, we’ll explore some magical objects, including… MY STONE! THE STONE OF AGES! IT MUST BE MINE!”
THUNDERBOLT
This is my weapon! It is made of a staff approximately 8 inches long, with a fairly hard-to-press button that, when pushed, unleashes a large bolt of lightning. This lightning, called the Thunderbolt, occasionally releases smaller ones.
The Thunderbolt has three important abilities, along with many others that I won’t list here because there are too many:
- It can freeze: when the Thunderbolt comes into contact with a living being—and in some cases even an object—it freezes its movements until it is completely immobilized, trapped in an eternal prison.
- It can harden: the lightning becomes solid, perfect for use in sword combat.
- It can extend: it deforms to reach any point, or stretches out to be used like a grappling hook.
Yes indeed, it is truly the greatest weapon one could ever imagine! One last thing: the Thubderbolt is not unique, although only a few specimens are still in circulation; most of them are sealed in the Underworld.
THE STONE OF AGES
Apologies, I think I got carried away with excitement…
But really, just look at it! Isn’t it magnificent? Now, take notes!
This is no ordinary stone. Just by touching it, you can sense its power. It might be the most powerful thing in the entire world! If you come into possession of the Stone of Ages, you will become the Lord of the Universe, and all of Earth will be in your hands! Isn’t that wonderful?
No one really knows who created it, but it seems to have existed since the beginning of time.
Because of its immense power, many dark wizards try to claim it…
Myself included!
THE TABLES OF AGES
I know, I know what you’re about to say: ‘They copied the Stone’s name!’
Well, not exactly. These Tablets and the Stone of Ages are actually connected. It seems that, by bringing them together, one can create an amulet even more unstoppable than the Stone itself.
As for the Tablets, they allow you to resurrect any person from the Underworld (see chapter ‘MG: Magical Hierarchy’).
COSMIC SIMPHONY & THE COSMIC WHITLE
The Cosmic Symphony is the hypnotic music produced by the Cosmic Whistle. As can be inferred from the name, it was the power of King Cosmic (see the article “The Characters”), and it allowed him to turn anyone who listened to his music into his slave.
However, this magic did not work once, and that marked his downfall…
REPULSION
This is not an object, but rather a spell. Since it is very important—and the only spell of this significance in the book—I decided to include it.
It consists in being able to foresee a glimpse of the future, even if it is not always entirely reliable, and also in being able to free oneself from the power of a Lightning Bolt (see the next item).
Like any powerful spell, however, it has a dark side: the more you use it, the more it wears down your mind, gradually leaving you defenseless. I therefore advise you not to practice it too often!
HETNOPLASMA
A liquid (also present in the minestrone that makes up spirits) contained in a special vial recognizable by an “H” on the cap. It allows one to stop time at will for a few minutes.
THE GUARDIANS
They are used in the magical world to keep under control something that one wants to make sure remains safe. These can be corpses or monsters, but zombies and Octopuses (see the character in the article “The Characters”) are also commonly preferred.
They are useful because they cannot die and cannot feel pain or fatigue, but even they are not invincible…
THIRD PART
“LET’S BECOME WIZARD!” Presented by The Baddest in the World
Well, we have reached the final act of our article! Here you will find out how to become full-fledged magicians, young apprentices!
Speaking of young people… did you know that I am almost 400 years old by now? Don’t be astonished… among us stone monsters, that is anything but unusual. In fact! I know some individuals who are much older than me, around 2000 years old! With my mere 400 years, I am what you humans would call an adolescent among my kind. If we make a comparison, I would say I am roughly fifteen years old.
But that had nothing to do with it.
So, how does one become a magician? How can I explain it to you in just a few lines? Well, know this: it is certainly not a walk in the park. To manage even a single spell, it takes more than a week, even for the simplest one of all!
And also, it is important that you know that magic can do everything. EVERYTHING!
Everything except floating, but that is not relevant at the moment.
The secret is this: always keep in mind that everything is possible. Nothing prevents you from performing one spell instead of another. Anything you can imagine doing, can be done with magic.
Once you have grasped this concept, the second important thing is not to start with the idea that you already know how to do everything. No one becomes a magician like that, all of a sudden—with the exception of very special cases, of people who practice such powerful spells that they already start with a title like “Second Order Sorcerer”—but it is all the result of hard training.
A public service announcement: a simple way to recognize a wizard is to take a close look at their clothing—somewhere, there must be a symbol of the Knights Templar. Many choose the cross (I have one on my necklace) or the pyramid with the eye.
This dates back to the times when the Templar ruled magic (see the article “The Lore”).
There is also a book for learning: The Manual. Every magician, from the simplest apprentice like you to the strongest, has one. This tome contains all existing spells (unfortunately excluding the Dark ones) and is richly decorated inside.
Well then, apprentices, until next time. I hope you have learned something, but even if you haven’t… that is not my business!