Magic & Deities

Magic in Hanami is a very subtle and quiet force but an important one nonetheless. Only in the songs of bards will you find creatures that can summon bolts of lightning or wield the elements. In reality, one's magic is simply an extension to their connection with the world around them. It drives a being's understanding and respect for their element and gives them access and knowledge of it that no other creature can access. It also drives the longing to be with their element. A harpy with clipped wings, a mermaid living on the land or an elf kept in a dark cave will not die but they will grow weaker. And until they are reunited with their element, there will always be the feeling that they are not where they ought to be.

Magic can never be used to create or destroy something in nature, only to influence and change it's state of being. However, it requires a lot of energy to accomplish even small feats of magic. Thus, the ability to perform successful incantations requires not only excellent spiritual control but consistent timing and rhythm. And different races have used different aspects of music to accomplish this- Mermaids and dwarves use their voices to sing, satyrs and centaurs typically use instruments and harpies, elves and humans typically use dance to cast spells. 

Number is also an important factor in spell-casting. One elf practising magic alone for an hour may be able to change a candle's light from yellow to blue. But a city of elves who have come together to practise magic for an hour may be able to render their city invisible to those who are not looking for it whilst they are chanting.

Most magical creatures have an ability. This is the unique and individual manifestation of their magic within them. It is not a powerful ability but one they have more ease in performing than other general uses of their magic. This may include, changing the colour of light for an elf or understanding the songs of a bonded bird for a harpy, etc.


Paladins and drifters use divine magic. For paladins, they devote themselves entirely to a deity in order to receive magic in return for their loyalty. It takes years of devotion for a paladin to earn magic on a similar level of the other races. On the other hand, drifters are beings resurrected by a deity and receive weak powers (weaker than that of other races) as well as the ability to shift into the patron animal of that deity.

Hybrids do not possess any magic. But rather than seeing that as a negative aspect, it is instead seen as a symbol of the utmost freedom. Hybrids are not tied down to a specific element nor bound to the Earth as the other races are. Instead, they are free to become whatever they wish to be.