Chainfire Magic
The spell is explained as a complicated memory altering magic. But it is not as simple as erasing the memory of everyone directly, as this is merely Subtractive magic. Also, simply attempting to erase the memory because it uses Subtractive magic, has a strong probability of destroying portions of the mind, thus killing the subject. A death spell, can for instance, make it seem like a person is dead, but everyone still remembers the person existed. Also, if you tried to erase the knowledge of even a simple person like a woodcutter, the nature of reality would be such that all too obvious gaps in memory would be noticed, such as how the woodcutter's wife got her food and wood if she were crippled. For this reason, some wizards came up with a workaround, using some energy to warp reality itself or at least human perception of it. False memories are automatically created to fill the gaps in reality, almost as if someone went back in time and changed them.
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Famous quotes containing the word magic:
“Magic is akin to science in that it always has a definite aim intimately associated with human instincts, needs, and pursuits. The magic art is directed towards the attainment of practical aims. Like other arts and crafts, it is also governed by a theory, by a system of principles which dictate the manner in which the act has to be performed in order to be effective.”
—Bronislaw Malinowski (1984–1942)