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* ''Literature/TheLastBinding'': MagicalSociety's standardized [[MagicalGesture gesture-based]] magic elides many older practices. Some, like RunicMagic and [[FisherKing blood-pledges with magical estates]], are partly integrated, but traditions that work with things like {{Ley Line}}s and [[GreenThumb enchanting plants]] are largely overlooked as [[UnequalRites weak or unimportant]]. [[spoiler:"Standard" magic turns out to be powered by an ancient contract with the fae, whereas other magic draws directly on the land.]]
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* In ''Anime/OutlawStar'', old magic has all but vanished from the universe, with most of what's left stored in Caster shells for later use. The Space Pirates use Tao magic instead.
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* In ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'', magic was practiced by races like the elves more than a thousand years before the gods descended to the Lower World. It's still practiced in the present day by the elves and certain magic schools like the ones in Altena, but even the strongest of these spells tends to be vastly inferior in destructive power to magic granted by falna or a grimoire.
to:
* In ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'', ''Literature/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'', magic was practiced by races like the elves more than a thousand years before the gods descended to the Lower World. It's still practiced in the present day by the elves and certain magic schools like the ones in Altena, but even the strongest of these spells tends to be vastly inferior in destructive power to magic granted by falna or a grimoire.
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* ''Manga/Overlord2012'': The Dwarf Craftsman arc sees Ainz go to the dwarf lands looking for runesmiths. However, rune magic has been more or less abandoned by the dwarves, as enchanting items with tiered magic is far more efficient and requires less training (although rune magic doesn't involve material costs). Ainz revives the art of making runic items thanks to having a few cheap runic items with him, inviting dwarf craftsmen to work in Carne. He also orders his demonic minions to fake a weakness to runic weapons so as to increase demand for them.
to:
* ''Manga/Overlord2012'': ''Literature/Overlord2012'': The Dwarf Craftsman arc sees Ainz go to the dwarf lands looking for runesmiths. However, rune magic has been more or less abandoned by the dwarves, as enchanting items with tiered magic is far more efficient and requires less training (although rune magic doesn't involve material costs). Ainz revives the art of making runic items thanks to having a few cheap runic items with him, inviting dwarf craftsmen to work in Carne. He also orders his demonic minions to fake a weakness to runic weapons so as to increase demand for them.
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* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The oldest form of [[ElementalPowers bending]] is the manipulation of pure LifeEnergy, which can [[SuperEmpowering grant]] and [[DePower remove]] the other bending powers. It's a lost art by the time of [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original series]] until the [[LastOfHisKind last]] [[TurtleIsland Lion Turtle]] grants it to [[TheChosenOne Avatar]] Aang; he and his {{Reincarnation}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' are the only humans known to use it.
to:
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** The oldest form of [[ElementalPowers bending]] is the manipulation of pure LifeEnergy, which can [[SuperEmpowering grant]] and [[DePower remove]] the other bending powers. It's a lost art by the time of [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original series]] until the [[LastOfHisKind last]] [[TurtleIsland Lion Turtle]] grants it to [[TheChosenOne Avatar]] Aang; he and his {{Reincarnation}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' are the only humans known to useit.it.
** Firebending, as practiced by the Fire Nation, is driven by anger and rage, thus Aang [[spoiler: and Zuko, in the midst of his CharacterDevelopment]] has trouble with it. However, he eventually discovers the style of the original firebenders whose power derives more generally from passion.
** The oldest form of [[ElementalPowers bending]] is the manipulation of pure LifeEnergy, which can [[SuperEmpowering grant]] and [[DePower remove]] the other bending powers. It's a lost art by the time of [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original series]] until the [[LastOfHisKind last]] [[TurtleIsland Lion Turtle]] grants it to [[TheChosenOne Avatar]] Aang; he and his {{Reincarnation}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' are the only humans known to use
** Firebending, as practiced by the Fire Nation, is driven by anger and rage, thus Aang [[spoiler: and Zuko, in the midst of his CharacterDevelopment]] has trouble with it. However, he eventually discovers the style of the original firebenders whose power derives more generally from passion.
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* It simply doesn't work as well, though because OlderIsBetter, this justification is rare.
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* It simply doesn't work as well, though because OlderIsBetter, OlderIsBetter in fantasy, this justification is rare.
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* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', "Lost Magic" refers to ancient forms of magic that have been almost entirely lost to the modern day, making users exceedingly rare. Lost Magic, such as Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer tends to be extremely powerful relative to the typical forms used by the average wizard, and are often only learned from incredibly old tomes or practitioners (i.e. dragons).
to:
* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', "Lost Magic" refers to ancient forms of magic that have been almost entirely lost to the modern day, making users exceedingly rare. Lost Magic, such as Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic tends to be extremely powerful relative to the typical forms used by the average wizard, and are often only learned from incredibly old tomes or practitioners (i.e. dragons).
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** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' 1[[superscript:st]] Edition: Among humans, the Old Faith is a nature-based religion with {{Druid}}ic magic that predates both the [[WizardingSchool Colleges of Wizardry]] and the [[ReligionIsMagic pantheons of the Old World]].
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** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' 1[[superscript:st]] Edition: Among humans, the Old Faith is a nature-based religion with {{Druid}}ic magic that predates both the [[WizardingSchool Colleges of Wizardry]] and the [[ReligionIsMagic pantheons of the Old World]]. Later editions drop these mechanics and describe the Old Faith as having been subsumed into the cults of various nature gods.
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* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Rune magic is an extremely ancient art practiced solely by the dwarves, and even they have only a few who've mastered it. Part of it is because many were lost in the destruction of the dwarf empire, another because they only pass down knowledge orally, but also because dwarves are very long-lived and dubious of the skill of anyone who hasn't been a runesmith for at least hundreds of years.
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* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Rune magic ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'':
** RunicMagic is an extremely ancient art practiced solely by the dwarves, and even they have only a few who've mastered it. Part of it is because many were lost in the destruction of the dwarf empire, another because they only pass down knowledge orally, but also because dwarves are very long-lived and dubious of the skill of anyone who hasn't been a runesmith for at least hundreds ofyears.years.
** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' 1[[superscript:st]] Edition: Among humans, the Old Faith is a nature-based religion with {{Druid}}ic magic that predates both the [[WizardingSchool Colleges of Wizardry]] and the [[ReligionIsMagic pantheons of the Old World]].
** RunicMagic is an extremely ancient art practiced solely by the dwarves, and even they have only a few who've mastered it. Part of it is because many were lost in the destruction of the dwarf empire, another because they only pass down knowledge orally, but also because dwarves are very long-lived and dubious of the skill of anyone who hasn't been a runesmith for at least hundreds of
** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' 1[[superscript:st]] Edition: Among humans, the Old Faith is a nature-based religion with {{Druid}}ic magic that predates both the [[WizardingSchool Colleges of Wizardry]] and the [[ReligionIsMagic pantheons of the Old World]].
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[[folder:Visual Novel]]Novels]]
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* Two variations show up in ''VisualNovel/DiesIrae''. First is Rusalka who uses a much older type of magic compared to the Die Ewigkeit that everyone else uses. While this magic is stated to have been much more common in ancient times, it is near extinct now. And then there is the man who taught her magic, Mercurius, who on top of the magic he taught Rusalka also uses a type of magic that is so inconceivably ancient that he is the only one who uses it. [[spoiler:This is cause it is a type of magic from the prior universe that he is originally from and as he is now the current ruling God, meaning he taps into a source of magic that is [[SerialEscalation even more ancient than that]], allowing him to warp the fabric of reality to his whims and is the source of all magic. And the reason this magic is so rare now is due to him nearing the end of his life]].
** From the spinoff story ''VisualNovel/DiesIraeInterviewWithKazikluBey'' there is the character Methuselah who is of TheOldGods variety and is a God of TheSacredDarkness from ancient times and as such can use darkness in all it's forms in ways no one else can. As a result of this he is also known as The Last Arcane.
** From the spinoff story ''VisualNovel/DiesIraeInterviewWithKazikluBey'' there is the character Methuselah who is of TheOldGods variety and is a God of TheSacredDarkness from ancient times and as such can use darkness in all it's forms in ways no one else can. As a result of this he is also known as The Last Arcane.
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* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Caster is able to wield spells from the Age of Gods that vastly outstrip the raw firepower of modern day magecraft. Due to possessing the ability to use Divine Words lost to humans in the present, she can incredible feats with a single word when it would take entire teams of modern-day magi chanting for several minutes to do the same.
to:
* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Caster is able to wield spells from the Age of Gods that vastly outstrip the raw firepower of modern day magecraft. Due to possessing the ability to use Divine Words lost to humans in the present, she can perform incredible feats with a single word when it would take entire teams of modern-day magi chanting for several minutes to do the same.
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[[AC: Anime and Manga]]
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** In ''Literature/TheColourOfMagic'', the dryad Druellae calls her magic "Not your weasel-faced tame magic, but root-and-branch magic, the old magic. Wild magic." Rincewind remembers just enough magical theory to understand what she's doing (which, ironically, is a {{magitek}} Faraday disc), and that UU strictly forbids it.
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** In ''Literature/TheColourOfMagic'', the dryad [[OurNymphsAreDifferent dryad]] Druellae calls her magic "Not your weasel-faced tame magic, but root-and-branch magic, the old magic. Wild magic." Rincewind remembers just enough magical theory to understand what she's doing (which, ironically, is a {{magitek}} Faraday disc), and that UU strictly forbids it.
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* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': [[BlackMagic Sith sorcery and alchemy]] is something of a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] as, while many of it's secrets have been lost in the millennia before the RuleOfTwo, often gets rediscovered by Sith lords who go raiding the old Sith temples for an edge on their competition.
[[AC: Live-Action TV]]
[[AC: Live-Action TV]]
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* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': [[BlackMagic Sith sorcery and alchemy]] is something of a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] as, while many of it's its secrets have been lost in the millennia before the RuleOfTwo, it often gets rediscovered by Sith lords who go raiding the old Sith temples for an edge on their competition.
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* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The oldest form of [[ElementalPowers bending]] is the manipulation of pure LifeEnergy, which can [[SuperEmpowering grant]] and [[DePower remove]] the other bending powers. It's a lost art by the time of [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original animation]] until the [[LastOfHisKind last]] [[TurtleIsland Lion Turtle]] grants it to [[TheChosenOne Avatar]] Aang, and he and his {{Reincarnation}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' are the only humans known to use it.
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The oldest form of [[ElementalPowers bending]] is the manipulation of pure LifeEnergy, which can [[SuperEmpowering grant]] and [[DePower remove]] the other bending powers. It's a lost art by the time of [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original
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* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'', most humans can only use magic by drawing from a magically-charged object. Viren and his daughter Claudia figure out how to take magic from living magical creatures, albeit at terrible costs to themselves (and to the creatures.) Later, Prince Callum figures out another, less harmful way of using magic, [[spoiler:by learning to comprehend arcana on an instinctive level]], tapping into an even older magic than even Viren and Claudia's.
to:
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'', most humans can only use magic by drawing from a magically-charged object. Viren and his daughter Claudia figure out how to take magic from living magical creatures, albeit at terrible costs to themselves (and to the creatures.) Later, Prince Callum figures out another, less harmful way of using magic, [[spoiler:by learning to comprehend arcana on an instinctive level]], tapping into an even older magic than even Viren and Claudia's.Claudia's.
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Old Magic is a system of FunctionalMagic that has been mostly or entirely replaced by a newer system of magic, which might be refined from it or completely unrelated. There are various reasons the old system may have fallen out of favor:
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Old Magic is a system of FunctionalMagic that has been mostly or entirely replaced by a newer system of magic, which might be refined from it or completely unrelated. This paradigm may be enforced by a BanOnMagic of the older kind. There are various reasons the old system may have fallen out of favor:
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** ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'', in the novel of that title, is an older form of magic that turns out to have been effectively suppressed (mostly by preventing wizards from having children, because an eighth son of an eighth son is always a wizard, and if ''he'' has an eighth son, they'll be a sourcerer); this was necessary because sourcery is self-reinforcing WildMagic that tends to grow in power until it threatens to destroy the world.
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** ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'', in the novel of that title, is an older form of magic that turns out to have been effectively suppressed (mostly by preventing wizards from having children, because an eighth son of an eighth son is always a wizard, and if ''he'' has an eighth son, they'll be a sourcerer); this was necessary because sourcery is self-reinforcing WildMagic that tends to grow in power until self-reinforcing; the cost of using it threatens to destroy is the growing danger of destroying the world.
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** ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'', in the novel of that title, is an older form of magic that turns out to have been effectively suppressed (mostly by preventing wizards from having children, because an eighth son of an eighth son is always a wizard, and if ''he'' has an eighth son, they'll be a sourcerer); this was necessary because sourcery is self-reinforcing WildMagic that tends to grow in power until it threatens to destroy the world.
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* In ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'', magic was practiced by races like the elves more than a thousand years before the gods descended to the Lower World. It's still practiced in the present day by the elves and certain magic schools like the ones in Altena, but even the strongest of these spells tends to be vastly inferior in destructive power to magic granted by falna or a grimoire.
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* In the 1998 ''[[Series/Merlin1998 Merlin]]'' miniseries, the old form of magic is treated as under threat by the spread of Christianity. All of the magical creatures [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve only exist while people believe in them]], so this is a big problem. As time passes. Christianity gains power and "the Old Magic" gets weaker. Eventually Merlin traps himself and the evil Queen Mab in a time bubble where years pass outside and people stop believing in the Old Magic as a real thing, relegating it to something that only exists in fairy tales.
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* ''Videogame/FinalFantasyXIV'': The lore of ''Final Fantasy XIV'' is divided into perpetual cycles of prosperity (known as "Astral Eras"), followed by apocalyptic cataclysms that lead to sharp decline (known as "Umbral Eras"). Many of these cycles were thus dominated by different forms of magic.
** In the original "Astral" era, there was the society of the Ancients, also known as the [[spoiler:Amaurotines or, as modern people know them, "Ascians"]]. Their magical abilities and technology were on a level that no one has even approached since. By all accounts, they were a wise and benevolent race of scholars whose innate magical abilities were so strong that each one was a minor RealityWarper. They were able to [[SummonMagic will concepts and ideas into being]], with stronger or more complex concepts and ideas usually requiring an assembly of their best and brightest to research and refine. [[spoiler:Ultimately, they were destroyed by their own fears and negative feelings brought to life; [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the fear that their great civilization would one day fall actually led to the creation of a cataclysm]] that unwove the laws of physics and caused horrifying monstrosities to come to life.]]
** Modern humanoid races began to learn magic in the Second Umbral Era. Magic in this period of time was heavily based on prayer, which led to the rise of theocracies as the major powers, leading into the Second Astral Era. It's later hinted that these prayers [[spoiler:were basically weaker versions of the magics the Ancients were capable of. The difference being that while the Ancients had so much magical power that they were capable of sustaining their summoned ideas on their own, the weaker mortal races that followed after relied upon strong external sources of aether to do the same.]]
** In the Third Astral Era, the Allagan Empire was formed utilizing extremely powerful Magitek and magical power that came to dominate most of the world. To this day, most of the secrets of their magic and how it worked has been lost.
** In the Fifth Astral Era, three magocratic societies arose: Nym, Mhach and Amdapor, who used White Magic, Black Magic and Arcane (Scholar) magic respectively. These societies went to war with one another, leading into a conflict known as the War of the Magi that inevitably caused a great flood and destroyed civilization in the Sixth Umbral Era. Centuries later, most of the secrets and capabilities of the White, Black and Scholar mages have been lost, with most people eager to keep it that way. Red Mages, in fact, were created based on the idea of keeping Black and White magic balanced.
[[AC: Visual Novel]]
* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Caster is able to wield spells from the Age of Gods that vastly outstrip the raw firepower of modern day magecraft. Due to possessing the ability to use Divine Words lost to humans in the present, she can incredible feats with a single word when it would take entire teams of modern-day magi chanting for several minutes to do the same.
** In the original "Astral" era, there was the society of the Ancients, also known as the [[spoiler:Amaurotines or, as modern people know them, "Ascians"]]. Their magical abilities and technology were on a level that no one has even approached since. By all accounts, they were a wise and benevolent race of scholars whose innate magical abilities were so strong that each one was a minor RealityWarper. They were able to [[SummonMagic will concepts and ideas into being]], with stronger or more complex concepts and ideas usually requiring an assembly of their best and brightest to research and refine. [[spoiler:Ultimately, they were destroyed by their own fears and negative feelings brought to life; [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the fear that their great civilization would one day fall actually led to the creation of a cataclysm]] that unwove the laws of physics and caused horrifying monstrosities to come to life.]]
** Modern humanoid races began to learn magic in the Second Umbral Era. Magic in this period of time was heavily based on prayer, which led to the rise of theocracies as the major powers, leading into the Second Astral Era. It's later hinted that these prayers [[spoiler:were basically weaker versions of the magics the Ancients were capable of. The difference being that while the Ancients had so much magical power that they were capable of sustaining their summoned ideas on their own, the weaker mortal races that followed after relied upon strong external sources of aether to do the same.]]
** In the Third Astral Era, the Allagan Empire was formed utilizing extremely powerful Magitek and magical power that came to dominate most of the world. To this day, most of the secrets of their magic and how it worked has been lost.
** In the Fifth Astral Era, three magocratic societies arose: Nym, Mhach and Amdapor, who used White Magic, Black Magic and Arcane (Scholar) magic respectively. These societies went to war with one another, leading into a conflict known as the War of the Magi that inevitably caused a great flood and destroyed civilization in the Sixth Umbral Era. Centuries later, most of the secrets and capabilities of the White, Black and Scholar mages have been lost, with most people eager to keep it that way. Red Mages, in fact, were created based on the idea of keeping Black and White magic balanced.
[[AC: Visual Novel]]
* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Caster is able to wield spells from the Age of Gods that vastly outstrip the raw firepower of modern day magecraft. Due to possessing the ability to use Divine Words lost to humans in the present, she can incredible feats with a single word when it would take entire teams of modern-day magi chanting for several minutes to do the same.
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The oldest form of [[ElementalPowers bending]] is the manipulation of pure LifeEnergy, which can [[SuperEmpowering grant]] and [[DePower remove]] the other bending powers. It's a lost art by the time of [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original animation]] until the [[LastOfHisKind last]] [[TurtleIsland Lion Turtle]] grants it to [[TheChosenOne Avatar]] Aang, and he and his {{Reincarnation}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' are the only humans known to use it.
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** [[spoiler:It turns out the First Ones actually used their technology to weaponize the even older magic of Etheria. They also altered the She Ra line, containing their power within a sword so the First Ones could control them. Their tampering also weakened ''all'' the magic in Etheria, which becomes a major plot point in season 5]].
to:
** [[spoiler:It turns out the First Ones actually used their technology to weaponize the even older magic of Etheria. They also altered the She Ra line, containing their power within a sword so the First Ones could control them. Their tampering also weakened ''all'' the magic in Etheria, which becomes a major plot point in season 5]].5]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'', most humans can only use magic by drawing from a magically-charged object. Viren and his daughter Claudia figure out how to take magic from living magical creatures, albeit at terrible costs to themselves (and to the creatures.) Later, Prince Callum figures out another, less harmful way of using magic, [[spoiler:by learning to comprehend arcana on an instinctive level]], tapping into an even older magic than even Viren and Claudia's.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'', most humans can only use magic by drawing from a magically-charged object. Viren and his daughter Claudia figure out how to take magic from living magical creatures, albeit at terrible costs to themselves (and to the creatures.) Later, Prince Callum figures out another, less harmful way of using magic, [[spoiler:by learning to comprehend arcana on an instinctive level]], tapping into an even older magic than even Viren and Claudia's.
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Old Magic is a system of FunctionalMagic that has been mostly or entirely replaced by a newer system of magic, which might be refined from it or completely unrelated. There are various reasons the old system may have fallen out of favor:
* Its secrets were kept by only a few, and are now mostly lost.
* Its use depends on having a connection with unpleasant or unsavory gods, especially TheOldGods who nobody wants to have relations with anymore.
* It has an extra cost compared to new magic, such as [[BloodMagic blood]] or [[YourSoulIsMine souls]].
* It depends on special sources of energy that are now [[TheMagicGoesAway mostly depleted]].
* It's unpredictable or unreliable, possibly a form of WildMagic.
* It's associated with a group (ethnic, religious, gender, etc.) that is subject to prejudice by the current cultural authority, and is thus suppressed.
* It simply doesn't work as well, though because OlderIsBetter, this justification is rare.
Another take on Old Magic is that it's exceedingly simple, to the point that just about anyone can use it if they have basic knowledge. However, this also means that it's very easy to anticipate and counteract, so it's seldom actually useful in conflict.
Because of the ChekhovsGun principle, once Old Magic is mentioned in a setting it's bound to come into play at some point. Maybe the villain uses it because they are too desperate or sociopathic to care about the costs. Maybe the heroes use it because it's the only thing that can solve their specific problem, and they just have to deal with the extra problems it causes. Or maybe there's an ArchaeologicalArmsRace underway to find the secrets of this old magic so that it can be rediscovered and exploited.
Because of the link to antiquity, Old Magic is often associated with {{Precursors}}. It might be dependent on a forgotten LanguageOfMagic or a PrimordialTongue, and it might work on different rules than the magic system everyone knows, making it a form of WrongContextMagic.
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!!Examples:
[[AC: Anime and Manga]]
* In ''Manga/BlackClover'', the Heart Kingdom, being a country rich in nature, uses magic attributes found in nature (water, lightning, plant, etc.) and natural mana as [[InstantRunes runes]] to empower their spells. The Clover Kingdom abandoned the protection of natural mana long ago as the country became more technologically advanced. The country lost the techniques of natural mana rune arrays and, in turn, developed more eccentric magic attributes like chain, spatial, and steel that their Old Magic counterparts did not have.
* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', "Lost Magic" refers to ancient forms of magic that have been almost entirely lost to the modern day, making users exceedingly rare. Lost Magic, such as Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer tends to be extremely powerful relative to the typical forms used by the average wizard, and are often only learned from incredibly old tomes or practitioners (i.e. dragons).
* ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'': most of the magic in the world is performed by magicians and Djinns by using the [[PureEnergy Rukh]] composing the elements of nature, combining them with formulae to achieve their effects. However, after the magic-intensive Magnostadt arc, other types of older, far more rare magics have shown up, including [[AlchemyIsMagic Alchemy]] (shown by the Magi Yunan) and Solomon's magic, which allows him to pretty much manipulate and twist the laws of physics itself. [[spoiler: Aladdin later masters both magics]].
* ZigZagged in the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' series. In the [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha first season]], every mage uses a tradition of magic later dubbed the "Midchilda System", after the current central hub of the magic-using worlds. However, [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs season two]] introduces characters wielding the much older "Belkan System", once used throughout the Belkan Empire, AbusivePrecursors of the current magic civilization. While not inherently more powerful than the Midchildan System, the Belkan one is much more geared towards combat, making its users a major threat. However, in the ten-year TimeSkip before the [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers next season]], Midchildan combat mages reverse-engineer Belkan magic and fuse the two systems into the so-called "Modern Belkan System", which becomes the most common form of Belkan-style magic in the multiverse, while the Old Belkan system more or less dies out again.
* ''Manga/Overlord2012'': The Dwarf Craftsman arc sees Ainz go to the dwarf lands looking for runesmiths. However, rune magic has been more or less abandoned by the dwarves, as enchanting items with tiered magic is far more efficient and requires less training (although rune magic doesn't involve material costs). Ainz revives the art of making runic items thanks to having a few cheap runic items with him, inviting dwarf craftsmen to work in Carne. He also orders his demonic minions to fake a weakness to runic weapons so as to increase demand for them.
[[AC: Literature]]
* In ''Literature/BlackTrillium'', specifically in Creator/JulianMay's sequel timeline, the magic of the eponymous Trillium artifacts is older than even the NeglectfulPrecursors. In the final installment, a bad guy attempts to use his own, incredible old magic to kill Princess Kadya, wielder of one of said artifacts, only to be killed by the blowback, having admittedly forgotten that OlderIsBetter in the setting and that one of the artifacts' basic powers is protecting their wielder's life.
* The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** In ''Literature/TheColourOfMagic'', the dryad Druellae calls her magic "Not your weasel-faced tame magic, but root-and-branch magic, the old magic. Wild magic." Rincewind remembers just enough magical theory to understand what she's doing (which, ironically, is a {{magitek}} Faraday disc), and that UU strictly forbids it.
** SympatheticMagic is considered "so old it hardly counts as magic anymore", and every witch and wizard knows well the importance of destroying hair and nail clippings so that they can't be misused. Likewise, the Tooth Fairy collects the teeth of children specifically so that they can't be used for such magic. Unfortunately, in ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'' this only makes the Tooth Fairy's castle a major target for someone wishing to control all the world's children at once.
* ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'': Elder Sorcery, which uses [[EntropyAndChaosMagic pure Chaos]] for power, was [[BanOnMagic outlawed]] as soon as the Dragaeran Empire was founded. All Dragaerans can perform a safer form of sorcery through their psychic link to the [[PowerSource Imperial Orb]], whereas Elder Sorcery has a nasty habit of [[MagicMisfire going haywire]] and dissolving the sorcerer and their surroundings.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Harry being imbued with protection by Lily's HeroicSacrifice is referred to by Dumbledore and Voldemort as "old magic", apparently predating the spells-and-potions type magic that is currently widespread. When Voldemort uses more old magic to resurrect himself, he incorporates Harry's blood so that he'll gain Lily's protection for himself. In so doing, he inadvertently gives Harry an extra layer of protection against himself.
* In ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', Aslan is resurrected by the "old magic" on the Stone Table where he is sacrificed, because he was innocent, a rule the White Witch seems to have forgotten. Who placed this magic and why are never explained, though in ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew'' we see that Aslan personally created Narnia, so he would naturally know about such magic and may have put it there himself specifically for this occasion.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', the practice of making magic rings was once common, but stopped when it was discovered that Sauron had made a Master Ring that controlled the rest. Since then, most have been destroyed or lost, save for the nine rings that empower the Ringwraiths, and the three Elven rings that were made without Sauron's knowledge and that he can't directly influence.
* Creator/AlanGarner's ''Literature/TheMoonOfGomrath'' deals with the leakage of Faerie back into the real modern world (TheSixties Britain). The Wizard Cadellin is a Guardian of the High Magic and speaks, in a somewhat sniffy and condescending way, about the wild untamed Old Magic being a thing for women and witches, and that it's a damn good thing this was tamed and shut off from the world. He is not best pleased that Susan gave it a doorway to return when she lit wendfire on Gomrath Eve.
* ''Literature/OldKingdom'': The original form of magic is Free Magic, the manipulation of [[WildMagic raw power]]. Given its corrosive effect on the bodies and [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity minds]] of its users, the [[PhysicalGod Bright Shiners]] created the [[BackgroundMagicField Charter]] to filter magic through a safer system of runes, and Free Magic was [[BanOnMagic outlawed]].
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': [[BlackMagic Sith sorcery and alchemy]] is something of a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] as, while many of it's secrets have been lost in the millennia before the RuleOfTwo, often gets rediscovered by Sith lords who go raiding the old Sith temples for an edge on their competition.
[[AC: Live-Action TV]]
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode The Shakespeare Code]]", the Carrionites are aliens who use word-based "science" which is basically magic by any other name. The Doctor is able to use its principles against them, banishing one temporarily by announcing their name.
-->'''The Doctor''': The power of a name. That's ''old magic''.
* In the 1998 ''[[Series/Merlin1998 Merlin]]'' miniseries, the old form of magic is treated as under threat by the spread of Christianity. All of the magical creatures [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve only exist while people believe in them]], so this is a big problem. As time passes. Christianity gains power and "the Old Magic" gets weaker. Eventually Merlin traps himself and the evil Queen Mab in a time bubble where years pass outside and people stop believing in the Old Magic as a real thing, relegating it to something that only exists in fairy tales.
[[AC: Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'': Bonisagus codified a unified theory of magic when he founded the [[MagicalSociety Order of Hermes]], which became the standard for magical instruction in the Western world. However, his research overlooked many older traditions, including various hedge magics, Norse rune magic, Canaanite {{Necromanc|er}}y, and even the lost [[IKnowYourTrueName language of Adam]], which are less versatile but can accomplish results that Hermetic theory thinks impossible.
* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Rune magic is an extremely ancient art practiced solely by the dwarves, and even they have only a few who've mastered it. Part of it is because many were lost in the destruction of the dwarf empire, another because they only pass down knowledge orally, but also because dwarves are very long-lived and dubious of the skill of anyone who hasn't been a runesmith for at least hundreds of years.
[[AC: Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'': The Demon Firesage is described by its Soul item description as the last practitioner of the old fire magic arts before the Chaos Flame transformed him into a demon. Unlike every other fire-based creature in the game, he does Magic damage instead of Fire. This is because his fire is treated as a Spell, whereas most fire-base magic is connected to the First Flame in a relatively new art called Pyromancy.
[[AC: Web Original]]
* ''Literature/VoidDomain'': Rune magic is seen as archaic and is [[UnequalRites no longer taught]] in WizardingSchool in favour of [[MagicWand wands]] and {{alchemy|IsMagic}}. In practice, it's a BoringButPractical way to make portable, semi-permanent enchantments, so Eva does a lively trade in selling runes to her classmates.
[[AC: Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', the indigenous demons and witches of the Boiling Isles evolved a gland on their heart that allows its inhabitants to cast spells on command. However, it is implied that witches were originally able to draw power from the Isles itself in the form of [[GeometricMagic glyphs]] found in the environment called "WildMagic", something that Luz discovers and learns how to harness.
* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'':
** The language of the First Ones hasn't been spoken in a thousand years, but Adora is able to read it without having learned it. The magic sword that allows her to transform into She-Ra, as well as other First Ones "technology," is also this.
** [[spoiler:It turns out the First Ones actually used their technology to weaponize the even older magic of Etheria. They also altered the She Ra line, containing their power within a sword so the First Ones could control them. Their tampering also weakened ''all'' the magic in Etheria, which becomes a major plot point in season 5]].
* Its secrets were kept by only a few, and are now mostly lost.
* Its use depends on having a connection with unpleasant or unsavory gods, especially TheOldGods who nobody wants to have relations with anymore.
* It has an extra cost compared to new magic, such as [[BloodMagic blood]] or [[YourSoulIsMine souls]].
* It depends on special sources of energy that are now [[TheMagicGoesAway mostly depleted]].
* It's unpredictable or unreliable, possibly a form of WildMagic.
* It's associated with a group (ethnic, religious, gender, etc.) that is subject to prejudice by the current cultural authority, and is thus suppressed.
* It simply doesn't work as well, though because OlderIsBetter, this justification is rare.
Another take on Old Magic is that it's exceedingly simple, to the point that just about anyone can use it if they have basic knowledge. However, this also means that it's very easy to anticipate and counteract, so it's seldom actually useful in conflict.
Because of the ChekhovsGun principle, once Old Magic is mentioned in a setting it's bound to come into play at some point. Maybe the villain uses it because they are too desperate or sociopathic to care about the costs. Maybe the heroes use it because it's the only thing that can solve their specific problem, and they just have to deal with the extra problems it causes. Or maybe there's an ArchaeologicalArmsRace underway to find the secrets of this old magic so that it can be rediscovered and exploited.
Because of the link to antiquity, Old Magic is often associated with {{Precursors}}. It might be dependent on a forgotten LanguageOfMagic or a PrimordialTongue, and it might work on different rules than the magic system everyone knows, making it a form of WrongContextMagic.
----
!!Examples:
[[AC: Anime and Manga]]
* In ''Manga/BlackClover'', the Heart Kingdom, being a country rich in nature, uses magic attributes found in nature (water, lightning, plant, etc.) and natural mana as [[InstantRunes runes]] to empower their spells. The Clover Kingdom abandoned the protection of natural mana long ago as the country became more technologically advanced. The country lost the techniques of natural mana rune arrays and, in turn, developed more eccentric magic attributes like chain, spatial, and steel that their Old Magic counterparts did not have.
* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', "Lost Magic" refers to ancient forms of magic that have been almost entirely lost to the modern day, making users exceedingly rare. Lost Magic, such as Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer tends to be extremely powerful relative to the typical forms used by the average wizard, and are often only learned from incredibly old tomes or practitioners (i.e. dragons).
* ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'': most of the magic in the world is performed by magicians and Djinns by using the [[PureEnergy Rukh]] composing the elements of nature, combining them with formulae to achieve their effects. However, after the magic-intensive Magnostadt arc, other types of older, far more rare magics have shown up, including [[AlchemyIsMagic Alchemy]] (shown by the Magi Yunan) and Solomon's magic, which allows him to pretty much manipulate and twist the laws of physics itself. [[spoiler: Aladdin later masters both magics]].
* ZigZagged in the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' series. In the [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha first season]], every mage uses a tradition of magic later dubbed the "Midchilda System", after the current central hub of the magic-using worlds. However, [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs season two]] introduces characters wielding the much older "Belkan System", once used throughout the Belkan Empire, AbusivePrecursors of the current magic civilization. While not inherently more powerful than the Midchildan System, the Belkan one is much more geared towards combat, making its users a major threat. However, in the ten-year TimeSkip before the [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers next season]], Midchildan combat mages reverse-engineer Belkan magic and fuse the two systems into the so-called "Modern Belkan System", which becomes the most common form of Belkan-style magic in the multiverse, while the Old Belkan system more or less dies out again.
* ''Manga/Overlord2012'': The Dwarf Craftsman arc sees Ainz go to the dwarf lands looking for runesmiths. However, rune magic has been more or less abandoned by the dwarves, as enchanting items with tiered magic is far more efficient and requires less training (although rune magic doesn't involve material costs). Ainz revives the art of making runic items thanks to having a few cheap runic items with him, inviting dwarf craftsmen to work in Carne. He also orders his demonic minions to fake a weakness to runic weapons so as to increase demand for them.
[[AC: Literature]]
* In ''Literature/BlackTrillium'', specifically in Creator/JulianMay's sequel timeline, the magic of the eponymous Trillium artifacts is older than even the NeglectfulPrecursors. In the final installment, a bad guy attempts to use his own, incredible old magic to kill Princess Kadya, wielder of one of said artifacts, only to be killed by the blowback, having admittedly forgotten that OlderIsBetter in the setting and that one of the artifacts' basic powers is protecting their wielder's life.
* The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** In ''Literature/TheColourOfMagic'', the dryad Druellae calls her magic "Not your weasel-faced tame magic, but root-and-branch magic, the old magic. Wild magic." Rincewind remembers just enough magical theory to understand what she's doing (which, ironically, is a {{magitek}} Faraday disc), and that UU strictly forbids it.
** SympatheticMagic is considered "so old it hardly counts as magic anymore", and every witch and wizard knows well the importance of destroying hair and nail clippings so that they can't be misused. Likewise, the Tooth Fairy collects the teeth of children specifically so that they can't be used for such magic. Unfortunately, in ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'' this only makes the Tooth Fairy's castle a major target for someone wishing to control all the world's children at once.
* ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'': Elder Sorcery, which uses [[EntropyAndChaosMagic pure Chaos]] for power, was [[BanOnMagic outlawed]] as soon as the Dragaeran Empire was founded. All Dragaerans can perform a safer form of sorcery through their psychic link to the [[PowerSource Imperial Orb]], whereas Elder Sorcery has a nasty habit of [[MagicMisfire going haywire]] and dissolving the sorcerer and their surroundings.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Harry being imbued with protection by Lily's HeroicSacrifice is referred to by Dumbledore and Voldemort as "old magic", apparently predating the spells-and-potions type magic that is currently widespread. When Voldemort uses more old magic to resurrect himself, he incorporates Harry's blood so that he'll gain Lily's protection for himself. In so doing, he inadvertently gives Harry an extra layer of protection against himself.
* In ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', Aslan is resurrected by the "old magic" on the Stone Table where he is sacrificed, because he was innocent, a rule the White Witch seems to have forgotten. Who placed this magic and why are never explained, though in ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew'' we see that Aslan personally created Narnia, so he would naturally know about such magic and may have put it there himself specifically for this occasion.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', the practice of making magic rings was once common, but stopped when it was discovered that Sauron had made a Master Ring that controlled the rest. Since then, most have been destroyed or lost, save for the nine rings that empower the Ringwraiths, and the three Elven rings that were made without Sauron's knowledge and that he can't directly influence.
* Creator/AlanGarner's ''Literature/TheMoonOfGomrath'' deals with the leakage of Faerie back into the real modern world (TheSixties Britain). The Wizard Cadellin is a Guardian of the High Magic and speaks, in a somewhat sniffy and condescending way, about the wild untamed Old Magic being a thing for women and witches, and that it's a damn good thing this was tamed and shut off from the world. He is not best pleased that Susan gave it a doorway to return when she lit wendfire on Gomrath Eve.
* ''Literature/OldKingdom'': The original form of magic is Free Magic, the manipulation of [[WildMagic raw power]]. Given its corrosive effect on the bodies and [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity minds]] of its users, the [[PhysicalGod Bright Shiners]] created the [[BackgroundMagicField Charter]] to filter magic through a safer system of runes, and Free Magic was [[BanOnMagic outlawed]].
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': [[BlackMagic Sith sorcery and alchemy]] is something of a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] as, while many of it's secrets have been lost in the millennia before the RuleOfTwo, often gets rediscovered by Sith lords who go raiding the old Sith temples for an edge on their competition.
[[AC: Live-Action TV]]
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode The Shakespeare Code]]", the Carrionites are aliens who use word-based "science" which is basically magic by any other name. The Doctor is able to use its principles against them, banishing one temporarily by announcing their name.
-->'''The Doctor''': The power of a name. That's ''old magic''.
* In the 1998 ''[[Series/Merlin1998 Merlin]]'' miniseries, the old form of magic is treated as under threat by the spread of Christianity. All of the magical creatures [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve only exist while people believe in them]], so this is a big problem. As time passes. Christianity gains power and "the Old Magic" gets weaker. Eventually Merlin traps himself and the evil Queen Mab in a time bubble where years pass outside and people stop believing in the Old Magic as a real thing, relegating it to something that only exists in fairy tales.
[[AC: Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'': Bonisagus codified a unified theory of magic when he founded the [[MagicalSociety Order of Hermes]], which became the standard for magical instruction in the Western world. However, his research overlooked many older traditions, including various hedge magics, Norse rune magic, Canaanite {{Necromanc|er}}y, and even the lost [[IKnowYourTrueName language of Adam]], which are less versatile but can accomplish results that Hermetic theory thinks impossible.
* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Rune magic is an extremely ancient art practiced solely by the dwarves, and even they have only a few who've mastered it. Part of it is because many were lost in the destruction of the dwarf empire, another because they only pass down knowledge orally, but also because dwarves are very long-lived and dubious of the skill of anyone who hasn't been a runesmith for at least hundreds of years.
[[AC: Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'': The Demon Firesage is described by its Soul item description as the last practitioner of the old fire magic arts before the Chaos Flame transformed him into a demon. Unlike every other fire-based creature in the game, he does Magic damage instead of Fire. This is because his fire is treated as a Spell, whereas most fire-base magic is connected to the First Flame in a relatively new art called Pyromancy.
[[AC: Web Original]]
* ''Literature/VoidDomain'': Rune magic is seen as archaic and is [[UnequalRites no longer taught]] in WizardingSchool in favour of [[MagicWand wands]] and {{alchemy|IsMagic}}. In practice, it's a BoringButPractical way to make portable, semi-permanent enchantments, so Eva does a lively trade in selling runes to her classmates.
[[AC: Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', the indigenous demons and witches of the Boiling Isles evolved a gland on their heart that allows its inhabitants to cast spells on command. However, it is implied that witches were originally able to draw power from the Isles itself in the form of [[GeometricMagic glyphs]] found in the environment called "WildMagic", something that Luz discovers and learns how to harness.
* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'':
** The language of the First Ones hasn't been spoken in a thousand years, but Adora is able to read it without having learned it. The magic sword that allows her to transform into She-Ra, as well as other First Ones "technology," is also this.
** [[spoiler:It turns out the First Ones actually used their technology to weaponize the even older magic of Etheria. They also altered the She Ra line, containing their power within a sword so the First Ones could control them. Their tampering also weakened ''all'' the magic in Etheria, which becomes a major plot point in season 5]].
