Magic

Magic is a fundamental force. It is found all throughout the planet; in its geology, in its water, the air, and all living things native to the world. Magic is incredibly important to life on the planet, as living things use it through out daily life, and many things could not function properly in its absence. However, it is not known how magic came to be. Some say that it was created by the Gods, either intentionally to grant power to all things, or unintentionally, sort of radiated from them as a byproduct of their existence. Others believe that magic was present even before the Gods, and that the Gods are manifested elements given a physical, corporeal form.

Magic is mostly composed of several different elements, some of which share similarities to each other, and some are a subcategory of a fundamental element. However, not all magic is necessarily elemental, such as Summoning magic which partially relies on the Life element to function.

Below is a chart of known elements and the God/s and races they are associated with.

† indicates that a God/Goddess who was associated with the element no longer directly presides over it and has passed the duty along to another.

## Mana

Mana is the natural form of which an element appears in. When mana is manipulated by a creature, the spells cast are what is typically referred to as magic. However, the word 'magic' is also often used interchangeably with mana when referring to the resource, though the matter of whether or not calling unmanipulated mana 'magic' is a correct usage of the word is debated.

Every creature has its own reserve of mana that aligns with whatever element it specializes in. This attunement happens before birth and every species has one element they attune to. When a mage tries to use another element they aren't aligned with, that natural mana is converted to the new element, though it becomes weaker as some amount of the natural mana is lost. In most cases, when an untrained sorcerer tries to do this, the mana fails to convert entirely. It takes a sufficient amount of training to cast multiple elements efficiently, though nearly every regular citizen is trained in at least one additional element.
There is no known limit to how many elements one can learn to cast, so long as they can learn them within their lifespan.

Elemental mana is often invisible to the naked eye and only some creatures that are deeply attuned to the arcane can see mana in the air. However, sufficiently large amounts can coalesce into deposits. All mana can crystalize, although the shape the structure takes depends on the element, and mana deposits may change appearance depending on the region its found in. On top of crystalizing, some elements can form "pools" of mana. The exact matter of this state isn't easily describable, as it isn't gaseous or a liquid (although it does flow much like a fluid), so this is referred to as a mana's "ether" form.
The quality of the mana within a deposit will change the appearance of the structure. The deposit appears more magnificent and beautiful when the mana is pure, while mana of lower quality makes a deposit less vibrant and "tarnished" looking.

### Mana Exhaustion

Mana Exhaustion is a condition in which a creature has used up a significant amount of its mana reserves. Reasons for it occurring depends; it may occur if one has their mana stolen by another creature, it can occur if its sapped by an artifact, but the most common reason for Mana Exhaustion occurring is when when one just uses *too much* of their magic. They may have funneled it all to power a spell in a dire situation, or they might have simply been casting to many spells.

Mana Exhaustion is rarely a serious condition and most will recover within less than a week, though the effects are unpleasant. The state may leave one with a particularly awful headache, feeling nauseous, incredibly hungry, or tired, or a combination.
Though rare, symptoms can be severe, only caused when one repeatedly suffers Mana Exhaustion in a short time or when total depletion of mana occurs. Symptoms of Complete Mana Exhaustion include; Confusion, aggression, temporary blindness, migraines, intense pain that spans the whole body, and insomnia (typically caused by the pain and migraines).

Another accepted term for the condition is Mana Depletion. Some also define Mana Depletion as a partial loss of mana and Mana Exhaustion as a total expenditure of one's mana.

### Mana Illness

Mana Illness is a condition that occurs when one comes in contact with a large amount elemental mana, typically after a time or repeated exposure. The symptoms experienced depends on the element one is exposed to. The condition worsens with higher qualities of mana. Sufferers of Mana Illness are typically those who collect raw mana deposits, especially those who don't use proper personal protective equipment. Alchemists are also commonly afflicted (though not usually as severely) as they often need crystals of mana.

## Elements and Styles

Elements can be separated into Fundamental and Derived categories.

***Fundamental*** elements are a types of magic that were present at the beginning of the world. They are the basis that certain elements are derived from, and some of the most powerful. Fundamental elements aren't often used by themselves in offense, and are instead used in other ways.

***Derived*** elements are elements that are "descended" from the Fundamental elements. These elements are much more commonly used than Fundamental elements, especially in combat. Though they are weaker than Fundamental magic, Derived elements are far easier to utilize in every day life.

***Styles*** are a kind of magic that aren't by themselves elemental in nature. They utilize elements to function (usually a mix of a few), and are often quite complex. Some styles of magic even rely on techniques from anther style.

### Derived Elements

#### Fire

Fire magic is derived from the Lighning element, and is predominantly used by the Drekar and Lesser Demons. In Novrayth, deposits of Fire mana can be found all throughout the Emrinthe Mountains and parts of the Frosnow Tundra and Under-Caverns. Deposits of Fire mana are solid, crystalline structures that resemble flames, and in most regions, radiate a pleasant warmth and emit a soft glow.

In the Emrinthe mountains, Fire mana deposits combine red, orange, and yellow as layers. The structures can form nearly anywhere in the region, but they are most commonly found by fissure vents, areas where lava commonly flows, and areas where sunlight focuses.

In the Frosnow Tundra, deposits are shades of purple and white, and only form underground in higher-heat caves, especially in the old lava tunnels and the magma chamber of the region's extinct volcano.

In the Under-Caverns, coalesced Fire mana are green and blue. Strangely, unlike in the other regions, deposits formed here radiate cold rather than warmth and rarely appear in hotter caverns. Structures are found in areas where Dragonkin nest and otherwise frequent.

Fire Magic is one of the most common of magics to use, especially in daily life. Fire magic is used in lighting, fire burning in lamps fueled by mana processed into a type of oil, and if harvested from the Frosnow Tundra or the Under-Caverns, the flames include that region's unique colouring. Oil derived from the Under-Caverns variant has the added benefit of cooling a room rather than heating it, allowing for light even in the heat of summer.

The effects of handling pure Fire mana can be quite dangerous. Deposits glow much brighter and flames ferociously dance within. Direct contact without any protection immediately results in at minimum first-degree burns, and any prolonged contact quickly progresses to worse damage. Fire mana in its purest form is incredibly volatile and it's prone to violent combustion or explosion if harvested incorrectly, dropped, or even agitated a little.

Mana Illness induced by Fire magic may result in the following; Fevers, sweating, insomnia (as other symptoms may prevent someone from sleeping), a feeling of overheating, a feeling of fire burning under the skin (which may be localized or include the entire body), and flames to manifest out of nowhere and scorch the afflicted and their surroundings.

The Fire element is deceivingly simple at a surface level. Most only see it as a tool for causing destruction, and that alone. However, those who use and are sufficiently trained in it know that Fire is especially versatile. It can be strategically used to wall off an area, such as to prevent escape or as a form of defence. The resulting smoke can make it difficult for one's foes to see, and it can be used for flushing them out of an area. Readily available substances can be tossed into a fire to change the smoke's colour to convey a message according to a universal colour-associated guide taught to all military personnel (including associated security positions, such as town guards and militiamen) and made readily available to the public.

Despite all of this, the element's first and foremost function in combat is to deal damage. As mentioned earlier, it is incredibly effective at causing destruction, and it takes control to not let that damage run wild. Young mages attuned to the element (such as the Drekar) are taught to use their magic in an incredibly controlled environment, and this element's tendency to destroy is one of the factors why secondary elemental training doesn't begin until around children's early teens in most cultures. Even creatures correlated with complete natural mastery over the element such as dragons take care when teaching their young.

#### Water

Water magic is derived from the Abyss element, and predominately used by the Mer and Water-Wyrms. Solid deposits of Water mana have a few forms they can take on, and the regions that Water mana deposits appear in seem to have a sort of bias toward how the structure form. The forms a structure can form in include a shape resembling a crashing wave or splash of water, a branching shape resembling coral, and a shiny sphere like a pearl or bubble. Solid Water mana can appear as shades of blue anywhere, though some regions include specific shades and additional colours. The structures feel wet to the touch (but the skin is still dry when pulled away), radiate a gentle coolness, and have what appear to be bubbles frozen inside. In the Aqualid Sea, mana deposits are light blues and turquoise and are most often found in their pearl or coral shapes. The pearl-shaped crystals tend to form inside and around Vunkiper shells and giant oysters, while the coral-shaped deposits most often grow in reefs.