The source of Arcane Magic in Ravenloft

[Galeros]

What is the source of Arcane magic in Ravenloft? Is it just universal energies that are present everywhere in the multiverse? Or is it something more specific?

[Paladyn]

You mean in fourth edition sense? I guess it "standard" source but in reality Dark Powers influence, warp and provide enrgy for spells.

[Galeros]

You mean in fourth edition sense? I guess it "standard" source but in reality Dark Powers influence, warp and provide enrgy for spells.

I mean as in, what "powers" arcane magic, like how the Moons provide the energy for arcane magic in Krynn. What powers it in Ravenloft?

[HuManBing]

There is no canon answer to that question. Magic just happens.

The closest anything has come to one is in "Die Vecna Die!", which is (weakly) canonical for Ravenloft. Vecna is a darklord for the island domain of Cavitius, and Vecna gets his magic from an entity called "the Serpent".

Another possibility is the darklord Gwydion of the Shadow Rift, who is supposed to be an extremely powerful sorcerous creature.

But as far as any unified theory of magic, based on constellations, astronomical bodies, life energy, or other philosophical elements goes, Ravenloft doesn't have one.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

There is the Weave of the Halans, though, isn't there?

[The Giamarga]

As HMB said there's is no answer to that in canon. The default assumption for D&D is that it is a force of (metaphysical) nature. The same is true in Greyhawk.

Dragonlance has a different story for it, as have the Forgotten Realms with the Weave (though there exists another kind of magic there too in the Shadowweave). If this is the same as the Halan weave is unclear.

The Serpent as a source for magic from "Die, Vecna Die!" is highly controversial and widely considered to be a delusion of Vecna's.

Oh and here's a great answer from the What is arcane magic? thread on ENWorld:

The bendable laws of physics!

[The Giamarga]

More interesting links (only slightly off-topic) about D&D magic:

How do you make a Mage magical? (ENWorld thread) (Lots of great advice)
Sepulchrave's excellent Story Hour (which paints D&D wizards as they should be imho, very flavourful and very Vancian. It also introduces the term "valences" for the in-character description of spell slots, thus implying a certain scientific nature of wizardly magic)

Some blog entries on Vancian magic:
Making Vancian Spellcasting Concrete (by Tavis Allison)
Spellbooks Without Spells: A Vancian Variant (by Eric Minton)

[Galeros]

Thanks everyone.