Those are actually relics from the Ancients, no one can make them without metamancers. Basically, the Ancients were lavishly magical and nowadays it is seen as high status to be lavishly magical even if it's impractical.

"All while actually magically crippling themselves."

Well, they don't think they're crippling themselves, I'm pretty sure the majority of people genuinely believe metamancers are corrupt and influenced by an evil god. But yes.

"I'm going to find the person who made up that idea in the first place, resurrect them, and punch them in the face."

It's not entirely obvious that it was one person, he sends, while also sending the emotion that Edie is incredibly hot.

"Then I will resurrect and facepunch multiple people."

Aaaaaahh she is so incredibly attractive what do.

It was very likely just cultural drift.

"Mm. Well, it had to start somewhere."

Probably started with the multiple wars involving metamancers capable of singlehandedly laying waste to small armies and the one metamancer who almost conquered the whole continent.

"I'll punch him in the face, then!"

He giggles. There is not a whole lot recorded about that period of time. We're not even sure of that person's name. If there weren't abundant ruins everywhere I might even doubt such a war ever took place.

She nods. "I will wait on the forensic archaeology before facepunching. It would be a shame to accidentally facepunch an innocent person."

Yeah. Not sure anything other than extremely powerful magic will be able to figure out enough about the past for that, though. Is past-watching a thing, here?

"Yeah. Got a temporal range limit, though."

Order of days, weeks, years, decades, centuries...? And is it a hard limit or can it be expanded?

"It's not, like, a universal limit, it's that sorcerers don't know how to do it so it's, like, one artifact effect and a handful of magical girl spells? I think the longest-ranging one was a few centuries but I don't know if that's a hard or soft limit."

"I'm going to," he starts haltingly, then sends, guess? "That it is a soft limit," he finishes slowly.

"Guess," she supplies. "Why do you think it's a soft limit?"

He tries to think of how to say this in English then gives up and sends, Because there are different types of magic with apparently different limits? This seems to imply soft.

"Oh. You mean of the magic system in general rather than the specific spells and so on."

"Yes."

"That makes much more sense!"

It's not clear if my magic system can't see the future or the past or if it'd just be expensive enough no one has enough mana for it.

"Hmm. Good question."

I should look into magical stuff here to see if I can convert mana.