Magic

The magic system is fairly simple (despite how much I have written here). All humans (as well as elves, dwarves, and most halfbreeds) are born with inherent magical ability, although it takes a certain spark to awaken that ability. Approximately thirty percent discover their talent, and only five to ten percent actually have the strength to work their magic in exceptional ways. When a person discovers their magic naturally, the discovery comes at the time of puberty. It is as if those people suddenly realize they can do something with their bodies that they never before figured out, even though they know instinctively that they have always had the ability. This is similar to a dog's ability to swim; although it may have never been in water before, throw it in a lake and it will swim as if it had been swimming its entire life. Other people receive teaching on how to uncover their magic, and this can occur anywhere from the time of puberty to death. Some, regardless of how much instruction they receive, will never be able to use their magic. This learned magic is less instinctive at first, but becomes second nature, similar to learning to ride a bike.

A person's magic is most often related in some way to his or her lifestyle, especially birthplace. A person born on an island, for example, would likely have some form of water magic, while a person born on a mountain would have a form of earth magic. Where people spend their lives, even if they move to a new location just after being born, rarely has an effect on the type of magic. The location at the time of conception can have an effect, as well as the mother staying in one location for a prolonged period of time while the child is in the womb, but neither is as prominent as the birthplace. Magic from the parents can be passed on hereditarily, but this is not likely. Certain aspects of a person's lifestyle can also influence magic, but they have to be early in the person's life. If a child grows up around a forge, he may develop fire magic, or if on a farm, he may develop a form of nature magic. In very rare cases, there are no obvious reasons why a person ends up with the magic he develops.

Creating spells is the easiest way to use magic. They take some planning and simple memorization, but the effect is lasting, rather than simply creating a desired effect at the moment it is needed. Consider a fire mage. He has in his mind already formed a fireball spell, with an energy mass of desired shape and size (which can easily be increased or decreased) that will be launched from his body when he extends his arm, after he expels the necessary magic into the spell. He can do this over and over, because he knows exactly how. This uses far less energy and concentration than simply launching a shapeless burst of flame from his body. Spells need not be written down, and a person can have as many as he can think of. The more difficult a spell, the more skilled the person must be. Very few people can cast the more difficult spells (for example, a fire mage has within him the ability to create and control a dragon made entirely of flame, but you will not find many doing this successfully). In fact, many cannot get beyond simple cantrips (creating a spark to start a fire, filling a cup with water, causing a seed to sprout) and even these can cause severe fatigue. Spell components are not necessary, as the magic comes from within, but somatic gestures help immensely. Consider the fireball spell again. One crucial step is thrusting the arm forward, thus giving the spell its momentum and direction, as well as its point of creation. Without the simple arm thrust, the caster has to use that much more energy to add these aspects into the spell, therefore making it at least twice as difficult to cast. Spells can be created at any time when a person has a few moments to consider how to cast them, and can practice casting them.

The Magi is a group of wizards very unlike normal magic-users. A Magi is a person who has sacrificed his inherent magic for a more generic type. These people are therefore considered evil, because they have sacrificed a part of themselves. Anyone can become a Magi, for all people have inherent magic, regardless of whether or not they discover how to use it. The generic magic is an energy that is instilled in the body when inherent magic is sacrificed. In order to use the generic magic, one must use verbal commands, spell components, and somatics. Verbal commands must be memorized verbatim (not an easy task, since they are in a language used only for the casting of spells, and only by the Magi). Any disruption that occurs during a casting could cause serious problems; the spell could go off uncontrolled, it could become an entirely different spell, or it could not go off at all. This form of spellcasting is far more dangerous, but far more powerful. Anything can be accomplished with generic magic, so long as the proper spell has been written, and because most of the spell's energy comes from the verbal, physical, and somatic components, less energy has to be used, thus making the spells stronger. The Magi are secretive, and almost never reveal their true nature to anyone.

When creating a character, anything is allowed, so long as it is kept realistic based on these guidelines. Your characters are not gods. Remember also that it is not necessary for a character to have any magic at all. He may prefer to rely in the strength of his blade, rather than in a force that he connot comprehend or control.

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