Magic

Magic is the creation or bending of time and space in various ways and has been apart of the known world since its creation, possibly long before. Masters of Magic are called Mages or Spellcasters with most of them having a central focus on one type or school of magic. For example even the most famed and powerful mage, Kiladar the Wise, had a heavy focus and expertise in Illusion magic where the core of his studies were held and the brunt of his magical energy was focused on; of course he could cast spells from the other schools of magic, but they were at a basic level unlike his Illusion magic which was of a higher level and potency with him having to expend less energy to cast them.

**Magic Points**

A magic point, also known as a mana point is tied directly to one's mental limit when spellcasting, for each caster their limit can vary but each can sense when their Mana is dwindling and they need to hold back on casting spells. One's Mana can be restored through various means but the most simple and popular is for the mage to simply sleep before they continue on their magical exploits; other means of recharging ones mana pool are: magically imbued meals, mana potions, or another mage transferring their mana points into your pool; the last is only done in dire circumstances when a more powerful mage has run out of mana they may request the less experienced to give them their mana so that they may continue fighting the same amount of potency.

If a spellcaster goes over there limit one of three things will happen depending on how far over they went:

1. **Falling unconscious.** The mage simply falls unconscious on the spot leaving them vulnerable to attacks and other such things. This locks when a caster goes over 25 mp.
2. **Injury.** The loss of ones body part, mind, or sight is a common enough result for when a mage goes past their limit and is the cause for many young mages being taken from their home to be taught how to tell when they need to stop. This locks when a caster goes over 50 mp.
3. **Death.** When a caster goes 51 or more mana points over their limit they die a quick death from the energy in their body imploding causing a minor explosion in a certain radius around them.

## History of Magic

It is believed by many that the origin of magic stems from the highly magical realm of Neraida which has such an intensely potent magical presence that it can make non-magical species, like humans, ill when travelling through it. It is believed that Neraida was the first realm created by the Creator Exusian (the one who created all subsequent Exusians) but due to its high level of magic races like the humans, noids, and taurians could not survive on the magical realm, as such the Creator crafted Xaekla and routed a small portion of Neraida's magic to flow through it.

In addition, after Xaekla was given a small portion of Neraida's magic it allowed creatures from Neraida to be able to survive on Xaekla and live there for a number of years with some even taking permanent residence on the less magical realm.

### Arcane Colleges

As the various races of Xaekla begin the study and mastery of the different types and schools of magic, arcane schools of learning began to form outside of the grasps of kingdoms or empires in order to ensure that study of the various magics could be done without getting in troubling with a controlling regime. Now, all across the realm of Xaekla, you can find arcane colleges like that of Lyndor, Oseram, and Ilgith's Academy of Arcana which focus on teaching magic to the magic-sensitive of Xaekla while also documenting the forms of magic, their development, and their study throughout the centuries.

## Psionics

Psionics are one of the more mystical and difficult arts that exist within the realms, an art based around intense discipline and exerting ones will on the world around them. Psion's can manifest their abilities in a myriad of ways from the ability to move objects to creating invisible blades made purely of will but just as efficient. These magics use the mental power a person in order to operate, overuse of psionic abilities can lead to a person losing all their psionic powers and even their fine motor skills.

* **Telekinesis** - ability to manipulate objects/matter with one's mind, most commonly to move objects or creatures from one place to another.
* **Telepathy** - ability to speak into another's mind or omit images into one’s mind.
	+ **Telempathy** - ability to read one’s mind and share emotions.
* **Clairvoyance** - ability to detect objects, beings, and locations.
	+ **Precognition** - ability to perceive future events as they may occur.
* **Etherkinensis** - ability to manipulate ethereal energy to project into the Ethereal plane and interact there.
* **Psycho-Ergokinesis** - ability to create, shape, and manipulate psychic energy in various ways
* **Tychokinesis** - ability to manipulate probability, how likely an event is to occur, or how likely it is that a proposition is true.

## Elemental Magics

Elemental magics are the bending and moving of one or more of the 8 core elements; air, earth, water, fire, sound, time, darkness, and light; in order to create some sort of desired effect, elemental mages are not created but born with an innate skill for the bending of the elements with the addition of added power behind their elemental spells in comparison to a wizard who is not in tune with nature. These elemental mages are known to most as Druids, those who live amongst nature and practice elemental magics. While there are a number of different types of elemental magics, there is the possibility of a child being born with the power to wield more than just one but often will find it difficult to master them all.

* **Aerokinesis** - air-based magic that allows the user to manipulate air.
* **Geokinesis** - earth-based magic that allows the user to manipulate earth.
* **Hydrokinesis** - water-based magic that allows the user to manipulate water.
* **Pyrokinesis** - fire-based magic that allows the user to manipulate fire.
* **Avikinesis** - ability to manipulate fire, water, earth, and air.
* **Chronokinesis** - time-based magic in which the user manipulates time to their will.
* **Keirokinesis** - encompasses the manipulation of weather often tied to druids.
* **Umbragenesis** - ability to generate and project shadows and darkness which absorbs or nullifies light in the area.
* **Photogenesis** - ability to control light of varying intensities.
* **Sonogenesis** - ability to manipulate the sound within an area or emit loud sounds.

## Schools of Magic

The Schools of Magic are the basis of knowledge for casting spells, crafting spells, and deciding what type of caster a student would want to be, they are the first thing that students are taught at magical institutions and, later in their education, they choose which school of magic they wish to master of if they want to be a jack of all trades. While for many there is the chance to choose there are a great many whom are simply born with an innate advantage in one class over another, these casters are typically sorcerers though it has been found that wizards can also have this sort of innate intuition with a certain type of magic from birth which was perhaps gained through their ancestors.

### Abjuration

This school of magic is focused primarily on protection such as the casting of Bark Skin, Mass Shield, or other such defensive spells which protect the caster and their fellows. Of course it is a much less popular school of magic than say evocation, but its utility and use on the battlefield should not be underestimated as some of the best wizards of our time focused on Abjuration mastery. Additional spells that might be held handily under a abjurer's belt are magical barrier type spells, negated magical or physical abilities or attacks, or displacement of a foe to another location/realm.

### Conjuration

Conjuration is focused on transportation be it of the caster to another location or realm, move items to the caster, or manifestations of creatures to the caster who would fight on their behalf, these casters are will often place quantity over quality, calling upon various smaller minions to fight on their behalf rather than one large minion which could be easily felled by targeted attacks and slowed speed. Additionally, Conjurers, like Abjurers, have the ability to displace creatures to another location/realm via the use of runes, rituals, and other such focuses.

### Divination

Divination is the school that is all about acquiring an revealing information through various means, casters who specialize in divination often will have a touch of psionic in them in addition to their innate magical abilities. Examples of divination are Scrying (spell), Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, and others which reveal information to the caster.

#### Astromancy

A subtype of divination which a non-spellcaster could acquire through birth or study, it is non entirely magical in nature but requires a touch of it in order for the reads to be correct, Astromancy is described as the use of the stars and constellations to predict events as far as hundreds of years into the future; Known as an Astromancer.

#### Oneiromancy

Another subtype of divination which can be obtained by a non-spellcaster through various means but still has a touch of magic to it is oneiromancy or the study of dreams to predict the future and discover ailments; for example, Gred is a skilled oneiromancer who has studied dreams for the bulk of his life and comes across a man who home is haunted, Gred then can enter the mans dreams and convince the spirits to leave the man be. Known as an Oneiromancer.

### Enchantment

Enchantment is all about affecting the minds of others through simple influence or controlling their behavior, persuasion is the main skill of an enchanter besides the actual magic they use as a portion of their magic relys on their raw appeal and charisma. Casters who specialize in this school are known as Enchanters.

### Evocation

Evocation is the classic heavy-handed damaging dealing spell school which most long to go after, it focuses around creating matter and energy from nothing but the casters magical ability; not to be confused with conjuration which conjures creatures, teleports individuals, and moving items to the caster. It requires one to have a decent pool of mana and a large pouch of varied components as well as an indepth knowledge of the elements and different energy types. Casters specializing in this school are known as Evokers.

### Illusion

This school pertains to changing the appearance of something or someone to change the way it seems through phantasmal magics, but can also allow the caster to project false imagery which can trick people and creatures into believing what isn't there is there. Classic Illusion spells are: Minor Illusion, Disguise Self, Invisibility, and other such visually altering spells. Casters who specialize in this school are known as Illusionists.

### Necromancy

This school Involves death, undeath, and the manipulation of life energy, with those that dabble in its deep waters often being seen as untrustworthy to a certain degree as there have been many a corrupt Necromancer that has spread death and decay over the land. Casters who specialize in this school are known as Necromancers.

#### Hemomancy

Often frowned upon by those who do not understand the intricacies of this school, Hemomancy is a subtype of Necromancy typically used by the various more tribe oriented societies of the realms, it is defined by the use of blood in order to get a desired magical effect but can actually encompass various other types of magic such as Evocation, Divination, or Enchantment.

#### Zotimancy

A subtype of necromancy which is a little more accepted with it involving the contacting or returning souls from beyond death, used to resurrect fallen heroes in times of war, or bind the soul to an object or vessel. It is common for a Zotimancer to travel about, contacting spirits for money and raising the odd fallen when they come across a particularly rich family.

## Transmutation

Transmutation school magic transforms items and individuals from their original state, such as a Lasmerian coin to a Kilvarian coin, or giving a human gills so that they may swim a longer amount of time underwater. It a great school for utility but is often overlooked due to its somewhat limited abilities. Casters who specialize in this school are known as Transmuters.

### Ilomancy

A subtype of Transmutation, it focuses around the bending of time, fate, and the laws of physics to the casters will. It is a magic which bends possibility to its will and its users are known as Ilomancers.

## Knowledge Schools

Knowledge schools are those that do not allow the studier to be able to cast magic they are the schools of magic which are taught to young mages in order to be able to face all foes but can also be studied by simple scholars who are the primary source of documentation of these schools.

* **Demonology -** the study of demons and fiends from the the realm of Irara, this school focuses on the their abilities, weak points, biology, and what to do when you come across any given fiend. The Demonic Compendium by Demonologist Rye Rich is the most concise collection of information on Demons to this date.
* **Dragonology -** the study and science of draconic beings from across the realms with its researchers being called Dragologists.
* **Aituology -** named after its creator, Aitu Jimmer, Aituology is the study of time and fate for its possible manipulation in it's Transmutation school of magic, Ilomancy. Aituologists document fractures in time which are connected to Ilomancy and other magics.
* **Mageology -** named after what it studies, Mageology is the study of mages and their natural-born talents, the extent of those talents, and how far those their abilities can be pushed; all forms of mages/spellcasters are subject to study be they druid, wizard, or sorcerer.
* **Arcanology -** as its name suggests, Arcanology is the study of arcana/magic, its flow in the natural order of the realms, its limitation, its effect on non-magical species/individuals, and its history.
* **Amaiteoloy -** the overall study of the sapient species of the realms, typically learn by scholars and mages only with pieces of it taught to militaries so that they know their enemies.

## Casting

Spellcasting can be a long and arduous journey through trial and error if one is not schooled properly on how to weave together their thoughts and wanted outcome with the tools they are equipped with, it takes immense concertation combined with complex movements and precise receiting of arcane incantations, along with the proper use of components and willpower. There have been many times when a mage has failed to properly cast a spell and have injured themselves in the process.

Casting spells draws on the casters innate willpower; which can be strengthened through potions, meditation, or intense mental training through the years; while also often requiring some other external offering such as the lifeforce of another being, voluntarily or not, or something else. For example for one to cast the spell Replenish they will need a portion of their own innate reserves, a small flower, and verbal and somatic components to gain their desired effect of healing themself or someone else a small amount.

Magic is extremely common but is feared by most of the working class or common folk of Xaekla, seen as an extremely and potent power to wield as they are often the ones experiencing its negative effects the most. Mages that teach themselves magic or gain magic through some sort of exchange are seen as the most dangerous, willing to do anything to expand their power and are often the ones who experiment the most.

### Somatic

Somatic components refer to the specific movements of the caster which require them to be precise in their motions, not doing so might result in the spell not working or creating an unintended result. The somatic portion of a spell is far more important than the verbal, a small mix up with an incantation can result in an undesired but ultimately unharmful effect while messing up the somatic portion of a spell can cause a completely different spell to be cast, one that perhaps the caster does not have enough mana (willpower) to cast it and can result in injury or even death if the mistake is severe enough.

### Verbal

Verbal components to a spell are words that need to be spoken to give the magic its shape, if the speaker is interrupted or silenced during their verbal incantation, the spell simply fails to manifest as the power is drawn forth but is not expelled.

### Material

Material components are the physical objects and items that must be used as part of a given spell; such as the earlier example with the Replenish spell needing a small flower; but the material component can also refer to a spellcasters focus which a number of spells need both the focus and certain materials. A spellcasters focus, depending on its power-level, can replace certain ingredients to a spell while sometimes being needed for certain spells to focus through as the average mortal body cannot take the strain of certain spells.

### Signs

Signs are the most basic form of magic and the easiest for mages and non-mages to learn as anyone can learn to cast signs. The signs are an exception to the common rules of magic, so simple that they are often given to apprentices on their first day to memorize by themselves in their own time as they have such a small chance to cause any sort of injury to the spellcaster. Signs do not require any material components or a focus and often only need a simple somatic motion or one word to invoke.

### Rituals

Certain spells can be cast in a ritual format if the caster does not have the required material components however these rituals can often take from 5 minutes to several days on end and can be dangerous if the caster doesn't know the exact time it will take for them to complete the spell. Additionally, there are some spellcasters which exclusively deal in ritual magic who are called Ritualists. These spellcasters can replicate the effect of a spell without the need to expend any of their reserves of arcane power, instead casting the spell over a longer period of time, in which incantations and somatic motions are required to produce the desired effect.