Magic

## The Theory of Everything

Magic, also referred to as Thaumaturgy or "Thaumatology" by the SCP Foundation, is central to the K2 Universe's function, acting at the center of the Universe's cosmological structure and effecting the lives of every person in K2 on a daily basis. Magic is a primordial force of nature that parallels and coexists with technology imbued into the K2 Universe during the Fracture, at which point Magic was retroactively added to K2 across its timeline(s). Magic is understood as an art, an alternate form of science, a mystery to be solved, or a mix of many others by various groups in K2.

### Schools of Magic:

Magic in K2 is divided by the various Schools that comprise it; each School has deeper divisions within it that organize the School into specializations. Other types of magic may encompass spells from a variety of the Schools. Certain spellcasters prefer certain Schools of Magic while others are equally attuned to all of them; some spellcaster types are limited to a single School while others have no maximum to their potential.

#### List of Magic Schools:

1. Evocation: Magic dedicated to destruction and causing harm via the summoning, manipulation, and application of various destructive magical energies conjured primarily from the Elemental Realms.
2. Divination: Magic dedicated to clairvoyance/clairaudience, future-seeing, illusion awareness, True Sight, etc.
3. Necromancy: Magic dedicated to death and the creation/summoning of Undead derived from the Elemental Realm of Undeath's Necrotic energy.
4. Conjuration/Invocation: Magic dedicated to teleportation and the summoning of objects, Demons, Elementals, and similar horrors out of thin air.
5. Abjuration: Magic dedicated to banishing, purifying, protecting, healing, and blocking; includes some anti-spellcaster spells as well.
6. Transmutation: Magic dedicated to the manipulation and transformation of matter, converting materials into other things, and manipulating the forces of physics.
7. Illusion: Magic dedicated to misdirection and magic projections designed to confuse, scare, mislead, or copy targets with summoned and customizable illusions.
8. Enchantment: Magic dedicated to the manipulation of minds and memories (both sentient and otherwise) through magic.
9. Artificing/Enchantment: Magic dedicated to the creation of magical items, objects, and places through runic carvings, blessings, rituals, or imbuement.
10. Alchemy: Magic dedicated to the creation of magical potions, contraptions, and constructs through manipulating the magical energies innately contained within certain materials and objects (most commonly plants, crystals, Souls, etc.).

### Magic Backlash:

The Law of Conservation of Matter and Law of Conservation of Energy apply to Magic just as much as they apply to all other aspects of reality (*Note: Assuming reality is functioning according to the recorded standards; always check the stability of one's localized reality to determine if the aforementioned constants currently apply*), much to the shock and surprise of many young mages and scientists. As such, the conducting of Magic faces consequences that stem from those Laws; these consequences are referred to collectively as "Backlash." Backlash can present itself in any number of ways, most commonly in the case of the Law of Conservation of Energy; energy created by a spell must come from somewhere, and the same applies to matter.

To circumvent these consequences, most modern Spells are crafted and taught to avoid Backlash; Evocation Magic that "creates" energy actually draws it from one of the Elemental Realms, Conjuration Spells summon and move creates from their original Realms, and Transmutation Spells convert equivalent mass into equivalent mass. But even these measures do not avoid all Backlash, however, as some energy must still be consumed in order to summon the Elemental Realms' energies or convert mass to equivalent amounts of mass; these methods seek and succeed only in mitigating Backlash, not eliminating it, so measures are still taken to further mitigate risk and negative consequences.

This minimal amount of Backlash is expressed in the physical draining of a spellcaster's physical energy and metaphysical Soul, a consequence presented more prominently among Sorcerers. Many spellcasters are limited in the number of spells they can cast per day not due to their intellectual limit but due to their body's limit; casting spells beyond one's ability results in fatigue, confusion, nausea/vomiting, necrosis of the flesh, delirium and psychosis, internal hemorrhaging and spontaneous bleeding, organ failure, seizures, strokes or heart attacks, loss of consciousness, and eventually death.

#### Spell Foci:

To limit the strain placed on a user's mind, body, and Soul when casting Magic, spellcasters often rely on a spell focus. These foci come in the form of magic wands, staffs, crystal balls, gemstones, mirrors, magic items, objects, weapons, and armors, etc. The use of these foci prevent Backlash from harming the user should the user fail to cast a Spell; in the case of most Rituals, Backlash is drastic and frequently lethal, using the runes and ritual timing to dissipate the Backlash in acceptably low amounts over a longer period of time.

Failing to use a spell focus when one is required and failing a spell can result in necrosis of the Spell's associated bodypart(s) (hands/arms, jaw/lips, etc.), explosion of the associated bodypart, a Wild Magic Surge, spontaneous mutation, death, or damage to the stability of the localized reality.

### Soulessness and Anti-Magic:

Conventional Magic (i.e. not Pantheonic Magic) requires that a spellcaster possess a Soul, as the Soul is the magical element through which magical energies are concentrated, filtered, and conveyed as Spells; users with powerful Souls can cast naturally more potent Spells, while those with weaker Souls can only cast weaker Spells. Those that lack Spells (like Goblins) cannot cast Spells or use Magic at all, although being Soulless does not immediately make one Anti-Magic.

Spellcasters with Souls can use Anti-Magic Spells as if it were another School of Magic but cannot *be* Anti-Magic; those who lack Souls, however, can *only* hope to practice Anti-Magic. Some Soulless races/individuals (like Goblins) are innately Anti-Magic to varying degrees.

### Types of Spellcasters:

Individuals can manipulate Magic in varying forms and with varying degrees of ease depending on the source of their power. Some spellcaster types are partial to certain Schools and some are limited to only 1, but most are not limited by School at all. Many individuals choose to derive their power source from a variety of sources to diversify their abilities and increase their power.

#### List of Spellcasting Sources:

1. Monk Schools: Magic is used via one's inner tranquility and peace, which enhances the user's soul and turning it into Chi that can then be used for spellcasting; has a maximum number of Chi Points; user's physical endurance is used for most spellcasting.
2. Bard Colleges: A form of Sorcery (innate Magic) related to the performance arts of music, singing, storytelling, dancing, theater, etc.; has a maximum number of spells that can be cast per day; user's physical endurance is used for most spellcasting.
3. Sorcerer Heritages: Magic is used via one's magic-infused bloodline, familial heritage, or race; does not have a daily limit on spellcasting; user's physical endurance is used for most spellcasting.
4. Warlock Contracts: Magic is used via a Contract, pact, or deal made with a non-divine higher power or granting entity; has a maximum number of spells that can be cast per day; user's physical endurance is used for most spellcasting.
5. Paladin Covenants: Magic is used via one's Covenant and their True Belief in that Covenant's power (which can be divine, non-divine, or produces purely through True Belief) to produce Magic; users have a maximum number of spells that can be cast per day; due to their emphasis on True Belief, users rely on their willpower to cast most spells.
6. Alchemists: Magic is used via one's manipulation of Magic innate to certain materials and objects; does not have a daily limit on spellcasting; user's intelligence is relied on most for spellcasting.
7. Wizards: Magic is used via one's dedication, practice, and intelligence with regards to the art of Magic; has a maximum number of spells that can be cast per day; user's endurance is used for most spellcasting.
8. Priesthoods: Conventional Magic is not used; instead, Pantheonic Magic is channeled through the user by the user's divine power source; has a maximum number of spells that can be cast per day.
9. Spellslingers: Magic is used solely via enchanted custom-made special wands and used like spell-shooting firearms; does not have a daily limit on spellcasting; user's perception and endurance are used for most spellcasting.

### Spellcasting:

"Spell" is the term used to describe the (usually) stable, repeatable, and predictable collection, distribution/expulsion, and expression of magical energy; not all uses of Magic are Spells; some are Rituals, and many others are deemed [DATA EXPUNGED]. Spells in the modern era (Age of Man/Age of Many) are organized according to three (3) components: Somatic, Material, and Verbal.

#### Verbal Spell Components:

Almost all Spells codified in the Age of Man and/or the Age of Many have Verbal aspects to them; these Spells have some incantation, a trigger word, or other verbal expression that must be spoken aloud. Verbal components are specialized to a particular Spellcasting Language; Spellcasting Languages are the dead/dying and ancient languages used in the casting of modern Spells. In Ages past, these Spells were spoken using the common language of the time, but the centuries and millennia have seen the disuse of said languages, relegating them to Spellcasting Languages only. Spellcasting Languages are chosen when a Spell is devised, and cannot be exchanged for another language, even another language with close ties or similarities.

##### List of Recognized Spellcasting Languages:

1. Sylvan
2. Pre-Adamic
3. Hebrew
4. Latin
5. Greek
6. Sumerian
7. Old English
8. Cosmic Code
9. Proto-Sarkic/Daevite
10. [REMOVED]

##### Runic Magic Languages:

1. Seelie Runes
2. Norse Runes
3. Cosmic Code
4. Egyptian Hieroglyphs
5. Aztec Pictographs
6. Arcanoglyphs