Magic in Ga'leah

== Magic ==
Everything in the world has a connection to the essence. Whether it be a small grain of sand in the deserts of Solhara or the great granite peaks of the Hyadies. Everything has the touch of the essence in it and with that comes a particular energy that is unique to that thing. The manipulation and use of that energy (and at the highest most difficult levels of magic the essence of an object/creature) is what we call magic. Magic at its very core is the manipulation or transformation of that energy. The more intelligent the creature the more difficult it is to tap into that creature’s energy and essence.
All magic comes from Olwyn the goddess of Magic also known as the Source or Queen of the gods. She was the first to manipulate the energy of the essence and the essence itself. All types of magic come directly from her with the exception of Black magic. Black magic came about due to the corruption of nature and magic itself. All forms of dark magic are the corruption of a different category of magic.
== Basic Rules of Magic ==
Like all things in the world there is a balance that must be maintained. If there was no balance the world would fall into chaos and cease to exist or have order. Order must be maintained for the world to subsist. Magic, therefore is a constant give and take. Just like all actions have consequences so does all magic. Even the magic of the gods has some kind of consequence. The repercussions of magic depend on the scale of the spell being used. The most common repercussion is a depletion of energy. The larger the spell the more energy that is expended. This consequence is most common with offensive magic where the energy source being utilized is from the person themselves. Things get more complicated though when you pull from outside of yourself. For example if you pull energy from the natural elements around you the plant or animal will wither or die depending on how much energy you take. This can in fact happen with a human or being of higher reasoning. People can share their energies, but both must be in agreement with the spell they are casting. When using the energy of another person you have to gain access to their mind and they must consciously agree to grant access to their energy. This is why it is easier to pull energy from plants and animals as plants do not have minds and animals are solely instinctual creatures; thus they are more easily manipulated.
== Types of Magic ==
There are four main types of magic: Natural, Celestial, White and Black. Within each of these types there are many subcategories. There is also an Other category. Scholars and magic users for centuries have attempted to place these odd forms of magic into one of the four main categories, but have been unsuccessful as they all hold something that is unique specifically to them. 
=== Natural Magic ===
Natural Magic is the most basic form of the arcane arts. It is the first type of magic that anyone learns to use as it is the most accessible. This form of magic is also the most tactile and is dependent upon the items being used in order to work.
* Plant manipulation: This is exactly as it sounds. The caster is able to manipulate plants. They can make them grow and move. This is different from earth elemental magic as earth elemental magic deals specifically with mineral. If a caster were to want to cause a seed to grow faster the cost would be the amount of time it would actually take that plant to grow. An example of this would be if a caster wished to grow a bean plant, but did not want to wait the caster would lose ten days off of his life.  The only being that is able to create plant life without such a consequence is Sage as he is immortal.
* Poison Manipulation: is the manipulation of poisons, venom and toxic miasmas. In order to manipulate poison you must have some kind of source whether it be poison you carry with you or poison from surrounding plants and animals.
* Elemental Magic: This is the highest and most difficult forms of Natural magic. Elemental magic is the manipulation of water, earth, fire, and air. Ice, metal, and lava are forms of this elemental manipulation. These elements are not simply parts of nature but forces of nature. Those that use elemental magic often find that whichever element they excel at they are significantly weaker at the opposite. They can still use the opposite, but not nearly as effectively as the opposite one. This is the price they pay.
* Divination: This magic is not precise and it is very hard to learn. Nature divination uses plants, animal parts, water, or fire to tell the future. Such divination is never accurate and the diviner only sees glimpses and pieces of one possible future. The  more one uses divination the more one will lose their eyesight. 
=== Celestial Magic ===
Also known as Light magic is the use of the light and energies from celestial bodies (the sun, stars, moon, and planets). When using this kind of magic there is a heat or coolness to the light. There are three common sub forms of this magic solar, lunar, and star.Celestial magic is the harnessing of the energy, light, and heat given off by a particular cosmic entity. You can create giant blast of light that can burn someone or knock them down. You could use that energy to restore your own energy.
* Solar magic: is the easier form of the magic to master as the Sun's light is often stronger. It does not take as long and as much effort to draw it out. Solar magic is yellow in color and emits heat when used. Solar energy is  most often used as battle magic. Due to the fact you are literally manipulating light one can bend the light in such a way to change a person’s perception of something. If strong enough one might even be able to stop the light from hitting them and make themselves invisible.
* Lunar magic: is harder to capture and master as its light is softer. The light itself is silver in color and is cold. Due to Selene’s connection to the dreams and illusion lunar magic can put a person to sleep and be used to create illusions.
* Star magic: is the hardest of the subforms of light magic to master due to the distance between the caster and the object in which they draw power and the fact they must create a bond with the star they are drawing energy from. Depending on the color of the star that the caster is drawing energy from will determine the heat and color of the light. The hottest light is blue and can be hot enough to cause third degree burns on someone standing too close to the light. The coolest light (only hot enough to be uncomfortable) is red. The closer to the blue side of the color spectrum the hotter the light and the closer to the red side the cooler.Divination: This magic is not precise and it is very hard to learn. Celestial divination uses the light from either the sun, moon, or stars to tell the future. Such divination is never accurate and the diviner only sees glimpses and pieces of one possible future and there is nothing to guarantee the future one sees is the most likely one to occur. The  more one uses divination the more one will lose their eyesight. 
* Divination: This magic is not precise and it is very hard to learn. Celestial divination uses the light from either the sun, moon, or stars to tell the future. Such divination is never accurate and the diviner only sees glimpses and pieces of one possible future and there is nothing to guarantee the future one sees is the most likely one to occur. The  more one uses divination the more one will lose their eyesight.
** Note: Because the light and energy being used by these casters comes from a place beyond Ga’leah the more one studies, practices, and masters Celestial magic the harder it becomes to use natural magic. If one were to master all three common forms of celestial magic completely then they would cease to be able to tap into natural magic. It is for this reason that most do not try to master all three as natural magic is and always will be more readily available than Celestial magic.
=== White Magic ===
White Magic is often mistaken as light magic because of how it appears when used offensively. The difference is however, white magic is only white and does not give off heat. White magic is sometimes referred to as pure magic. It is the purest type of magic. The intentions of its user must be pure and it must be in service of the betterment, protection, or aid of the soul. White magic at its core is love and is done selflessly for another person which means that there is often no reward for the caster. It is purely done for the service of another person.
* Cleansing: is the purification of inanimate objects and sometimes animate ones. Cleansing uses white magic to purify dark forces and curses from inanimate objects. Depending on the power of the caster depends on how powerful their cleansing abilities and how successful. Cleansing differs from white soul magic as it deals with the physical realm. If a dark spell that is cast doesn’t corrupt the soul of the victim then cleansing can be used to purify them.
* Protection/Shields: White magic users can create force fields of white magic that can keep out dark magic offensive attacks.
* Healing Magic: is fairly self explanatory, however it is a bit more intensive in its study. Healing magic can be very simple, but it can also be very complicated. It's not as simple as waving your hand over a cut and saying a few magic words. You have to know exactly what you are doing or you could cause more injury. Just as a doctor needs to know how the body works so does a healer. Healing magic depending on how severe the injury can take a lot of energy. Healers are the most likely of spell casters to pool their energy together in order to complete a task.
* Soul Magic: is the hardest magic to master. It deals with the very essence of a person. Soul magic falls not only into white magic, but also into black magic. Regardless, though it is very difficult and can cause serious damage to both caster and person if not done correctly. When used for the purposes of white magic the soul is neither manipulated nor altered. Rather the soul is serviced in some way. The person being spelled by the caster must grant access to their soul willingly and freely. There must not be any duress or manipulation on the part of the caster. Once granted access the caster’s soul and the spelled person’s soul meet and the work can begin. The caster is able to either clean away the corruption on the soul or protect it from corruption. During this whole process both caster and spelled person’s bodies are left completely vulnerable. After the soul has been purified or protected the caster will feel a sudden burst of energy only to have it depleted quickly. Depending upon the exertion of energy and the stamina of the caster will determine how long after the caster will be unable to use magic. It could range from several hours to a day. The shortest recovery time known is five hours.
=== Black Magic ===
Black Magic is the opposite of White magic and is sometimes referred to as dark magic. It is the most dangerous and obtrusive forms of magic. It has the most costs to the caster. Black magic affects not only the person who the caster attacks but it also harms the casters’ very essence. Black magic corrupts and pollutes. 
* Necromancy: calls for the caster to take a piece of their own soul and put it into the body in which they choose to resurrect. The resurrected body has no sentience and cannot think for itself. It merely is a puppet for the necromancer to use as he or she sees fit.
* Energy Leeching: is the taking of someone’s energy till the point of death. In this way a caster takes the energy from another reasoning being and uses it to boost their energy or store it in objects. The energy being taken is not the soul. This is different from energy sharing. In energy leeching there is a no mutual consent. Now there has been some debate as to whether taking the energy of a plant or an animal would be considered as a part of this magic. The only conclusion that has ever been made is that if you take to kill for selfish and impure reasons then it falls into Black Magic.
* Blood Magic: is just as it sounds. One can use blood magic to manipulate another person’s body by controlling their blood, reattach limbs, and even take another person’s blood to try and revive themselves. The latter two can cause sickness if the limb doesn’t take properly or the blood is of the wrong type. In blood magic rituals the blood of the victim and caster is used to harm, curse, link, etc. The wounds inflicted by blood magic rituals on the caster cannot be healed by magical means. They must heal of their own accord. Wounds caused by blood magic do not heal quickly and they do not heal cleanly. The caster will be left with a nasty scar for the rest of their life.
* Soul Magic: used for black magic purposes is different in two ways. The first being that the dark caster forces their way into the soul of the other person whether it be by manipulation or sheer force of will. The second is that once inside the dark caster can corrupt, infect, and damage the soul. The caster cannot destroy the soul because the soul is pure essence and therefore cannot be destroyed. As with white soul magic one would feel an immediate burst of energy after the spell and then find themselves without magical use for at least 5 hours and at most two days. There is, however, one added consequence. Once a person performs this action they can never access white magic ever again. This form of soul magic is the ultimate taboo.
=== Other/Undefined ===
These magics have been studied by scholars, fae, and sorcerers alike, but do not fit into any of the aforementioned types.
* Glamour: is used to either disguise a person or an object. A glamour at its most basic only clouds the surrounding living beings perception of the person or object. At this level if the person casting the glamour does something that would cause anyone to obviously look at them then the glamour would break. More complex glamours can disguise a person by either changing their very appearance or masking something specific on them. These glamours must be connected to some kind of object that if broken or destroyed will break the glamour. Often times such items are jewelry so that the caster can wear it at all times.
* Telekinesis: uses the power of the mind to move or break inanimate objects.
* Telepathy: is the use of the mind to hear, talk, or manipulate one’s thoughts. When using telepathy on a living creature you must battle with their mind. One can simply enter the creature or person’s mind to listen to their thoughts, speak with them through the mind, plant thoughts that hopefully will influence their thoughts and actions, or at the highest level possibly control their body. The stronger the mind the harder to control. When invading another person’s mind you leave yourself open. Even a non-magic user could glimpse your own thoughts and fight back by trying to make their own thoughts so loud you can’t concentrate on what you are doing. To use telepathy you must be looking into the eye of the creature or person.
* Teleportation: is just as it sounds. Using maps or knowledge of the location one is able to teleport themselves to that location. The more details one can picture about a specific location the more accurately someone can teleport. Upon arrival at the location most people will feel a sense of dizziness or confusion. Such discomfort lasts anywhere from thirty seconds to five minutes. 
* Scrying: uses a reflective surface to spy on a person. Some have tried to use scrying in combination with divination in hopes that the future will be clearer, but doing so has left many blind with just one try. While scrying, the scryer is able to see a limited view of the person and where they are. The amount one is able to see depends on the size of the reflective surface being used. While scrying the person being spied on may feel unsettled as if someone is watching them. Scrying only allows you to see not hear. The clarity of the image seen also depends on the clarity of the reflective surface.
* Shadow Magic: currently under review
* Geomancy: currently under review
* Alchemy: currently under review
== Forms of Magic ==
Forms of magic are different ways the aforementioned types can be used.
=== Offensive/Defensive ===
All types of magic have a form of offensive and defensive magic. The cost for this kind of magic is energy. The harder and more you fight the more tired out you become just like any other form of fighting. Nature magic is the most common form of offensive and defensive magic. Light magic is used offensively and defensively by creating a hard light construct out of the light being used. White magic and dark magic also can be used in this way. A hard construct of white magic or dark magic energy may be used to fight or defend.
=== Summoning ===
The use of one of the four main categories to summon a beast or mythic creature to your aid. Nature summoning could summon animals or mythical beasts like a griffin to aid you in some way. Light magic would be the summoning of a star or other celestial creatures with an affinity for the sun, moon, or stars. White magic would be the summoning of pure spirits that have not returned to the essence quite yet. Black magic would be the summoning of monsters or dark spirits that have evaded soul reapers and are wandering the earth causing trouble. One is unable to summon across worlds. This means that if  a creature only exists or is only in Allutheria someone in Ga’leah cannot summon them and vice versa.
Note: Only mythical beasts in the bestiary are allowed to be summoned. If you want to be able to summon a certain creature please refer to the bestiary.
=== Enchantments ===
Enchantments are often conflated with curses or hexes. This is innacurate as enchantments only apply to inanimate objects. Enchantments take the energy of the essence and places it into a foreign object. Enchantments can be cast by either speech or a specific gesture. Examples would be broomsticks, swords, and jewelry.  At a higher level an inanimate object may be given mobility but only by placing a piece of the essence itself from something else into that object. Such a skill is very difficult. 
Every enchantment has guidelines and can be broken in some way. Now because an enchantment is the act of adding energy to something that would not normally have it the natural inclination is for that energy to return to where it came from. This is why many enchantments become weaker over time or fade away. Of course there are those objects that maintain their magical qualities despite the passage of time. Such objects however must be created. This means that the person must somehow completely manipulate and transform an object into something entirely new including adding a piece of the essence to it. Such a skill takes a great deal of study, energy, time, and the right natural conditions. Examples of these would be Excalibur, Joyeuse, and the Ring of Dispel. Such things retain their enchantments because the intention behind their creation makes it a part of their essence.
=== Curses ===
Curses are different from enchantments. Curses can be cast on both animate and inanimate objects. They can also be cast on living beings. Inanimate objects are easiest to curse as they do not fight back because there is no sentience. Sentient beings are much more difficult to curse as they can fight back. The level of difficulty increases as the intelligence of a creature goes up. A curse can only be cast by speech. A caster may use their hands to gesture, but it is not necessary. Such gestures only add dramatic effect. Curses do not fade over time because they all have a certain set of parameters so order may eventually be restored. The way to break a curse honestly depends upon the parameters chosen by the caster. There must always be a way in which a curse can be broken. Not only that but every time a person curses someone there is a mark that will appear on the caster’s skin. The caster will wear such a mark for the duration of the curse or until it the victim dies. An example of those that have been cursed are Odette, Amalthea, and Percius Marillac. Examples of cursed objects are the glass mirror from the Snow Queen tale and the black sword of the Black Knight.
=== Hexes ===
Hexes are similar to both curses and enchantments. They follow the same requirements that enchantments and curses follow however they cannot simply be cast by magic words and a hand gesture. A hex can only be cast by there being the presence of a hexagram. The person being hexed must either be standing in a drawn hexagram or the hexagram must be drawn on them in some form. Hexes can be used either benevolently or malevolently. Hexes are most often used by witches.
=== Potions ===
Potions are made from combining different forms of vegetation, liquid, and objects. All potions have been either enchanted, cursed, or hexed. It simply depends on what you want the potion to do. Potions are not the same as herbal remedies as herbal remedies made by human physicians, healers, herbalists, etc do not have a magical component.
======