Stolen/Gifted magic would it recover?

[Senko 459]

I was just thinking about Tirek's stealing magic and Celestia/Luna/Cadence giving theirs to Twilight and the implications. Do you think its all the magic they'll ever have and that each spell reduces it, that its a constnatly regenerating source and once given theirs regenerates while that which was given/taken is slowly used up, that its just a power source (battery) and isn't directly tapped for spells, something else?

[fare67t 242]

Hmmm...

In my opinion, think of it like this: Imagine a unicorn's (or whatever else's) "power" as an expandable power source / generator, like the ones found in Sim building games. They can provide power / magic up to a certain point / limit, but unlike actual generators, this upper limit can expand and grow higher. So in my opinion, giving someone your magic / having it stolen is like giving someone that generator and/or plugging it into something else.

[ShadOBabe 18,984]

I believe magic is a regenerating source for all ponies, but that when magic is stolen or gifted like it is in the show, the actual source of magic is being taken from within them.

So for example, a unicorn could exhaust their magic by running themselves ragged, but would get it back with enough rest. But when it’s stolen by someone like Tirek, he’s actually taking not just their current supply, but also what creates the magic to begin with.

[Hierok 11,829]

1 hour ago, Senko said:

I was just thinking about Tirek's stealing magic and Celestia/Luna/Cadence giving theirs to Twilight and the implications. Do you think its all the magic they'll ever have and that each spell reduces it, that its a constnatly regenerating source and once given theirs regenerates while that which was given/taken is slowly used up, that its just a power source (battery) and isn't directly tapped for spells, something else?

Magic is energy, just like we have. I think you need to see it the same way. It can become very low, but after a meal, or during a strong emotion, it will get better and so it regenerates back.

Edited November 18, 2019 by Hierok

[Fhaolan 4,468]

I like to think of it this way: There may be a point past which it can't regenerate, as draining *all* of your magic damages the 'generator' in some way. Or maybe if you don't leave at least something in the lines, the engine may need to be artificially primed once the tank is refilled.

[Senko 459]

Hmmm interesting concepts I admit I lean towards magic is genetic so the idea it can all be taken and never recover just sits wrong with me.

On 11/18/2019 at 6:06 PM, Hierok said:

Magic is energy, just like we have. I think you need to see it the same way. It can become very low, but after a meal, or during a strong emotion, it will get better and so it regenerates back. 

Starlight's comments certainly support that and I'd be personally happier as I said if it did regenerate after being given/taken admitedly we don't see long term after Tirek's or Cozy's attack if it would recover in time.

Of course it gets weirder with the animals like Cebererus being able to give up the magic that lets them be what they are turning them into multiple animals.

Edited November 19, 2019 by Senko

[nightshroud96 116]

2 hours ago, Senko said:

Hmmm interesting concepts I admit I lean towards magic is genetic so the idea it can all be taken and never recover just sits wrong with me.

Starlight's comments certainly support that and I'd be personally happier as I said if it did regenerate after being given/taken admitedly we don't see long term after Tirek's or Cozy's attack if it would recover in time.

Of course it gets weirder with the animals like Cebererus being able to give up the magic that lets them be what they are turning them into multiple animals.

I think for the animals' case like Cebererus, the magic there was what was maintaining their fused forms together.
Giving that up caused the fusion to be undone and thus reverting back to all those animals that the creature in question was comprised of.

Though that seems to imply they weren't originally like that to begin with.

[Ittoni 536]

I think it's more like stamina. Every unicorn can exercise their magic knowledge and the more they learn the more their magic stamina increases. That also allows them to use it in small quantities for easy magic which in turn will regenerate quickly enough to not get tired and flex that magic muscle at the same time, or they can use it all at once for a difficult spell but they will just get tired after that, if they suddenly have to use it all they have they will get tired and run out of magic stamina but they will just have to rest to recover.

If they get magic from someone, either stolen or gifted, it's like your stamina bar increases immensely and that not only allows you to instantly be able to do more advanced stuff but that upgrade is permanent until you get rid of that magic or is taken away from you. So if you use it all you will get tired and will have to wait until it regenerates or you rest enough your mind to try again. It's like a permanent energy drink you took to recover stamina, or like you took a stamina potion made out of unicorn parts to increase your stamina wheels which will regenerate like a permanent upgrade but will only disappear if certain condition happens, like said unicorn coming back for it, it will only take away its own magic leaving you with what is yours only, the upgrade is gone.

How do they can suddenly do crazy spells that they might not have knowledge beforehand then? because I think unicorns don't have to learn to do every spell, only understand the nature of casting it to achieve it, like learning to cook, you learn that you can boil and fry things and that will be sufficient to do a lot of things if you just try because almost everything can be fried or boiled, but to do something more complicated like baking or prepare an specific meal you will have to learn how to first to understand the nature of it before experimenting and do it by yourself or create new recipes.

Edited November 19, 2019 by Ittoni

[Ittoni 536]

I would think that for example Tirek draining magic from others is not permanent so to speak. I think the creatures that got stolen their magic will eventually recover with time and rest but it just takes way longer for it to happen, but is like trying to learn to walk again from zero, you are not recovering per se, you are generating the energy to do it again since your magic muscle will be tired, small and hard to move, like an actual muscle but magical and ethereal I would think. It's like you suddenly got very ill and there's three possibilities, either you recover entirely but will take you months or even years for it to happen, your body and mind become so tired that they fail to recover and become magically crippled permanently, or you recover partially with some side effects or with much less capacity to perform magic permanently. Like any disease.

Edited November 19, 2019 by Ittoni

[fare67t 242]

Spambot / troll left, so meh~

Edited November 19, 2019 by fare67t
removed reference to a spammer

[Senko 459]

Of course if you go with the muscle analogy it may not atrophy and thus a more powerful pony drained/gifting will need longer than one who has little magic to recover.

[Goat-kun 2,496]

It depends. Are they plugged in? Is there residual mana in the mana pool that cannot be (easily) used for spells?