"Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring?" he asked dubiously. "What is this, a gay man's guide to accessorizing?" He scoffed, putting the book down on the free seat. "Sorry, pal, don't lean that way."
Loki rolled his eyes. "It's a novel, you bumbling fool. A rather famous one."
"Never heard of it," Tony shrugged.
"You wouldn't have," Loki said, turning back around and hunching over his work. "It was banned in every country with compulsory registration."
The Affairs of Wizards is a The Avengers Alternate Universe Fic by Pluma Desatada, notable for its excellent worldbuilding. It centers around Loki, who is a human living in a world where magic is commonplace but forbidden. Tony Stark is a manufacturer of anti-magical weaponry; when the two meet, the main plot of the series kicks in.
Can be read on AO3
. There is a small subreddit for the fic located here.
The trope page is still under construction; if you've read the fic, please add more content!
This work contains examples of the following tropes:
- All There in the Manual: After the epilogue, there is a glossary with detailed descriptions of terms commonly used in this universe.
- Armor and Magic Don't Mix: Averted by Tony's magical Iron Man armor.
- Fantastic Rank System: There are four main "titles" for magic users. Witch is a catch-all; it seems anyone who can use magic is a witch. Wizards are basically doctors of magic, and they can have many specialties. Sorcerers use Black Magic, and can raise the dead or use Mind Control. Warlocks are witches who were caught by the government and escaped. There are a number of sub-groups, cultural terms, and slang words such as "muser" (magic user) or "unnie" (a slur).
- Fantastic Science: After escaping the MAGI compound with Loki, Tony throws himself into the study of magic. Fusing it with technology allows him to build a slightly modified, magical version of the Iron Man armor. He even learns that there are research groups in other countries dedicated to studying magic and its practical applications!
- Fantastic Slurs: "Unnie" is derived from the words "unnatural" and "uncanny." In this world, it's a very offensive slur. Luckily, Loki educates Tony on this before he gets himself killed.
- Naïve Newcomer: Tony is this to muser society. Luckily, Loki is willing to serve as Mr. Exposition for both Tony and the reader.
- Magical Society: There are a number of underground secret societies throughout America to support musers, including the Paranet, an Internet community. They are widespread and accepted in other cultures without compulsory registration.
- Master of One Magic: Most musers choose to specialize in one type of magic. Loki specializes in sigils, allowing him to use power very efficiently. Castiglione specializes in healing and death magic. Izumi is an alchemist.
- Military Mage: The discovery of Cold Iron allowed society to capture and enslave musers. Naturally, the military has taken advantage of this, forcing talented magic users to work for them. A muser who's escaped the government, including the military, is known as a warlock.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Tony, after realizing the horrible toll his anti-psionic weapons have had on the innocent magic users.
- Robe and Wizard Hat: Played with. While working in the Fishery, everyone wears robes. However, they're bathrobes, and used just to keep warm and stay clean.
- Training the Gift of Magic: Roughly 25% of the population makes extra magic, which can be used in various ways. Children can use magic to some extent, but to realize the full use of their powers, they need education. This exact type of education will vary by natural talent, "affinity" for different elements or schools of magic, and provider; of course, a young muser's education will be different in a government School than an underground circle.
- Walking the Earth: Before the events of the story, Loki spent a good deal of time wandering around the globe.
- Weird Trade Union: These are prevalent in Europe, where the treatment of musers is significantly better. In the end of the fic, Darcy Lewis wants to form one for arcanists.
- Wizards Live Longer: An interesting situation. Naturally, wizards live a good deal longer than regular humans. In a healthy environment, the average is about 150, although some wizards were 300 years old or older. American arcanists aren't so lucky, as they likely to die before they reach forty. State Arcanists' leading cause of death is suicide.
