Lore:Magic

Magic (Magicka in the  )  is the general term used for the focusing of raw energy into various properties and for various purposes. This raw energy, often referred to as magicka, flows from Aetherius into Mundus by way of the sun and stars, and from it the Mundus was created.   Magicka comprises every spirit, it is the energy of all living things and can be harnessed in a variety of ways. Despite thousands of years of study, there is an enormous amount of speculation about how magic is generated, how it might be used by   and  , and how it might flow between living things.  

Origin
Magnus was the god who designed Mundus, the mortal realm, during its creation. After it was completed, however, he ordered the project terminated, and left for Aetherius at great cost. In doing so, he tore a hole in the veil of Oblivion through which the magicka of Aetherius flows into the world.   The great rift he left behind, the sun, is itself known as Magnus.  Soon, other et'Ada who agreed with Magnus followed his lead, leaving smaller holes which are the stars, through which magicka also flows. This is why the stars under which a person is born have such a great influence on that person's fortunes and fate, and why many materials which fall from the heavens have great magical properties.   

History
Some of the first recorded uses of magic were by the Ayleids of the First Era. Through the salvaging of fallen fragments of Aetherius, they attained great arcane power, which they used to enslave the early Cyrodiils.  A common phrase in the   is "Av molag anyammis, av latta magicka", which means "From fire, life; from light, magic".  With one or two exceptions, wizards of the early First Era were generally solitary, and there was little collaboration beyond the master-apprentice relationship, or standardization in magical practices.  Until the Second Era and the construction of the  , the   of   was considered the pinnacle of magical research and learning in Tamriel.

Many different magical arts have been developed during Tamrielic history for purposes ranging from warfare to technological advancement to religion and divination, and there is often much scholarly disagreement between various researchers.  Notable magical endeavors include the Redguards' Shehai Shen She Ru, the Nords' Thu'um, the Bosmer's Beast Tongue, the Maormer's sea serpent-taming magic, and the numerous innovations of the Dwemer. There are many other little-understood magical phenomena, like the mysterious constructs  , as well as the process of "reaching heaven by violence" known as  . A person's reserves of magicka are determined by numerous, often unknown influences, and some people are naturally very gifted in various ways, but no one has the infinite power of Magnus himself. 

The power of the   and other deities is sometimes, but not always, within the meaning of "magic" on Tamriel, depending on the context.   The worship of deities is suspected to be desirable to those spirits due to the belief that they transform the energy exuded by the worshipper into another, distinct kind of magic they can wield for the benefit (or downfall) of all.  

A myriad of great wizards have come from the Altmer from Summerset Isle and the Breton from High Rock, as well as powerful Nibenese battlemages, Telvanni magelords,  and Sload necromancers. Many rulers of the Summerset Isle were advised by the Psijic Order, a body of mages concerned with the practice of Mysticism. In particular, the formation of the Mages Guild in the early Second Era altered the political and societal landscape. By forming the Guild, its ex-Psijic founder,  , allowed magical items, potions, and spells to be bought by any member of the public that could afford to pay. In effect, magic was no longer dictated by the aristocracy or intelligentsia. 

Throughout history, many institutions devoted to acquiring arcane knowledge have been erected, including the Crystal Tower, House Telvanni, the College of Winterhold, and the School of Julianos. 

Some time before the Three Banners War, the curricula of the Mages Guild was seen as haphazard and disorganized. Gabrielle Benele saw that the Shad Astula Academy divided magic into eight "schools" and that this resulted in novice mages being trained in half the time, so she proposed the Mages Guild follow this model as well.  The Guild did adopt this and while the number of schools have changed over time, the concept has endured since its adoption.

The magical arts are not always met with warmth. Often this has been with good reason, as magical studies have proven to be all-consuming in numerous cases, making the mages threats to themselves and others. The  , the oldest known magical organization in Tamriel, is now considered a rogue organization by the   of the  , and the two have clashed before.  Most Redguards consider wizardry both "weak" and "wicked", and it fell out of favor with the Nords in the  . Necromancy is reviled in most societies.  Daedra summoning/trafficking is also hated in many provinces, especially in the wake of the Oblivion Crisis, which many believed was a result of magic gone wrong.  Shadow Magic, while rare, is feared because of its power.

Arcane Arts
There are numerous ways the use of magic can manifest. The most obvious is the practice of casting spells, but one can also brew potions to apply an effect, among other things. There are a few ways in which a spell is different from a synthesis, including the ways in which their failure manifests. A badly put-together spell likely won't work at all, but alchemy gone wrong can be poison.  

Spellcasting
The act of drawing on one's own magicka reserves in order to generate some kind of effect in the physical world is called "casting a spell". The   consider it an intensely personal exercise. No two mages weave their spells in exactly the same way. Like painting or sculpting, each artist has their own distinctive style. 

There have been seven widely accepted schools of spellcasting over time, each with a number of spells that pertain to its particular purpose:

Destruction spells harm the target by damaging its health with either elemental or magical attacks, draining and damaging its attributes, skills, health, magic, and fatigue, making it weak to the elements, poisons and magic, and corroding its armor and weapons.

Restoration spells augment the target by restoring its health, attributes, stamina, and magicka, fortifying its health, attributes, skills, stamina, and magicka, granting it resistances to the elements, magic, disease, paralysis, poison, and un-enchanted weapons, curing it of disease, poison, and paralysis as well as harming the target by absorbing its health, magicka, stamina, attributes, and skills.

Conjuration spells call upon otherworldly entities through telepathy, certain skilled Conjuration mages can develop telepathic links with each other. Conjuration spells augment the caster by granting them Daedric and Undead guardians, Daedric weapons and armor, and the ability to repel the undead and banish Daedra.

Alteration spells alter the physical and magical properties of the target. Alteration spells harm the target by making the objects it is carrying heavier and augments the target by making the objects it is carrying lighter, granting it elemental and physical shields and the ability to breathe water and walk upon its surface as well as open locks.

Illusion spells affect light and a sentient target's mind. Illusion spells harm the target by commanding, demoralizing, paralyzing, silencing, and causing it to frenzy, as well as augmenting it by rallying, charming, calming it, granting it invisibility, night-vision, translucency, and illuminating it.

Mysticism is an obscure school, though its spells seem to manipulate magicka itself. Due to its spells that bind the target's soul, this school is closely related to necromancy. Mysticism spells augment the target by granting it the ability to detect life, reflect damage, absorb and reflect spells as well as harm it by dispelling its magical effects and trapping its soul, including the ability to move objects through space with telekinesis. The nature of the School of Mysticism is the subject of much scholarly debate. 

Thaumaturgy does not change the appearance or structure of a force or object, but can manipulate laws temporarily.

The schools of magic have often been subject to revision by existing magical institutes, and some have fallen out of favor. For example, following the   the school of Thaumaturgy was rearranged into other schools and was largely replaced by the growing popularity of Conjuration, while in the fourth era the school of Mysticism was gradually consolidated into the other five extant schools. Ultimately, the schools of magic are arbitrary and artificial constructs used to simplify the study of magic.  

Enchanting
Enchanting is the act of endowing objects with magical properties through the use of a soul, almost always with the use of a soul gem. An enchanted item's power diminishes with use, in which case additional souls may be used to replenish it. The strength of an enchanted item and the amount by which it can be recharged is directly related to the magnitude of the souls used. 

The effects of enchanted apparel may augment the wearer, and the effects of enchanted weapons may harm the target, and vice versa. Some enchanted equipment, such as magical staves, can be used to cast spells without expending Magicka.

Artifacts, powerful items created by Aedra, Daedra or otherwise extraordinary circumstances, are often enchanted and can be recharged in the same way that the usual enchanted item can.

It is said that   created the art of enchantment in the First Era,   though other sources suggest that the enchantress merely revolutionized a process that, prior to her work, used to fail nine times out of ten.  There have been many styles or sets of enchantments throughout the years, each with their own properties. One such example is the Night's Silence, which was created by the mad wizard,  . The energy still lingers in places such as his   on the coast of  . 

Alchemy
 

Auramancy
 

Dark Magic
 

Necromancy
 

Flesh Magic
 

Blood Magic
 

Soul Magic
 

Sight
 

The Thu'um
 

The Shehai
A  , also known as a "Spirit Sword", was a magical sword created from the soul of a warrior through sheer willpower. Elite  n  s, called Ansei, were famous for using this technique in ancient times, but knowledge of it was gradually lost to history.

Time Magic
 

Weather Magic
 

Notes
Chronomancy (the manipulation of time), Cheesemancy (the manipulation of  ) and Visceromancy (divination using human entrails) are three obscure fields of magical practice. Practitioners can be found among the insane mortal residents of the Shivering Isles.   
Ovamancy is an obscure field of magical practice that involves eggs, where one is able to produce eggs with smaller eggs inside. The only known practitioner is  . 
There is an ancient figure known as  , who held the title "Lord of Magicka". He is also known as the "Keeper of Crimson Fire". A stone is commemorated to him in  , raised by his wife,  . 

See Also
For game-specific pages, see the Arena, Daggerfall, Battlespire, Morrowind, Stormhold, Dawnstar, Shadowkey, Oblivion, Oblivion Mobile, Shivering Isles, Skyrim, and Blades pages.
 
 
 
 

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