Magic

Magic in Conglomera is a natural force which obeys certain empirically derived laws. A natural mineral, Magite, generates a magical field which permeates space. This mineral is present in trace amounts in almost everything, but large quantities are present in the core of The First World. Magic users can cause the trace amounts in their bodies to resonate with the larger quantity in the core, producing extra-physical effects. These effects occur in a number of categories, through a number of methods and induce harmful side effects.

## Magite

Magite is a heavy mineral present in quantity at the core of the world. The motion of the molten core causes it to generate a magical field, much like the molten iron generates a magnetic field. This mineral is present throughout the crust and lifeforms of the First World, but in a much lower concentration than in the core, registering just as a trace.

## Magic

Magical effects are caused by manipulation of the magical field to resonate the trace amounts of Magite in a lifeform with the larger amount at the core of the planet. This resonance creates a induces a change in magical flux which results in extra-physical effects manifesting according to the will of the lifeform. The precision and magnitude of these effects are directly linked to the precision and magnitude of the change in magical flux induced. These extra-physical effects are limited to the manipulation of magic, unknown information, senses, and matter. This resonance can be generated through evocation or enchantment, and can be performed by a single lifeform or as a ritual.

### Schools of Magic

The magical effects known are limited to manipulation of magic, unknown information, senses, and matter, known as the Schools of Abjuration, Divination, Illusion, and Transmutation.

#### Abjuration

Manipulation of magic by magic. Abjuration is based around the creation, movement and removal of magical effects or protections. This is achieved by causing the magical field to induce constructive or destructive interference with the desired effect. Common effects include protecting a person or place from magical effects, moving a magical effect from one place to another, or breaking an enchanted item's magic.

#### Divination

Manipulation of the unknown information by magic. Divination is mostly used to gain information from the future, but is also used to gain information from another place, often far away, or from the past. When used to gain information from the future, it is not exact, rather an impression or prediction which increases in accuracy with proximity in time and space. Common effects include seeing faraway vistas, listening to whispers from the next day, and telling what will happen in a fight.

#### Illusion

Manipulation of the senses by magic. Illusion falls into two categories, minor and major illusions. Minor illusions cause a single person to experience a sensory input without any other person being aware of it. Major illusions produce a phantasm which causes all people, animals and machinery which observes it to record it as being real in the senses the caster chooses. For example, a minor illusion could cause a guard to hear a fight. A major illusion would cause real sounds of a fight to be heard by everything in an appropriate area. Illusion can also be used to create secure magical communications of sight or sound.

#### Transmuation

Manipulation of matter by magic. Transmutation can cause matter to change shape, state, or physical composition. It can also cause matter to be extra-physically moved without passing through intervening space. Common effects include altering the shape of a material, changing one material to another, or altering the composition of a mixture. Transmuted matter is subject to very high magical flux while being transmuted, which leads to instant death of biological life when being effected this way.

### Methods of Casting.

To generate a magical effect, a lifeform has to generate a resonance between the Magite in itself and the Magite in the core of the planet. The more trace Magite in the caster, the stronger the resonance and the stronger the effect. The more precise the control, the more precise the resonance, and the more precise the effect. The stronger and more precise the effect, the greater the side effects as well.

Each magical effect can be generated as a singular effect or as an anchored effect, Evocations and Enchantments respectively. When an Evocation or Enchantment is conducted by a group of magic users, it is called a Ritual.

#### Evocation

Evocations are a singular point of resonance which manifests an extra-physical effect once and does not require an ongoing input of energy. Evocations tend to be the most spectacular, and fastest magical effects to cast. They are however, not the most or least powerful.

#### Enchantment

Enchantments are a standing resonance which manifests a persistant extra-physical effect which requires a continual energy input or will fade over time. Enchantments are the most subtle, and slowest magical effects to cast. They are also the weakest, but easiest to manifest.

#### Ritual

Rituals are magical effects manifested by many casters working together. The additional Magite increases the resonance, allowing for more powerful magical effects, or more rapid casting. They are generally used to create the most powerful evocations, or to place enchantments quickly. A side effect of multiple casters is that any harmful effects are spread around the group of casters, instead of being concentrated on a individual.

### Negative Effects

The resonance in the magical field causes negative effects to lifeforms not unlike radiation poisoning. The more massive and precise the magical flux induced, the more severe the negative effects for the caster. The accumulated exposure to the induced flux over a period of time determines the severity of effects the exposed lifeform will experience.

#### Short Term

Most users feel little to no ill effects in the short term, since they are often careful to avoid exposure powerful enough to harm them. However, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, fevers, and on up to seizures, tremor, ataxia, and lethargy are common responses from sapient species to large doses.

#### Long Term

Long term, the effects of the accumulated dose are counteracted by the individual's capacity for healing, but constant exposure at a rate higher than what can be healed often leads to deadening of tissue, weakening of bones and teeth, hair loss, muscle atrophy, chronic fatigue, depression, and anxiety. It also tends to cause random physical effects which manifest as cancers and other hard to treat medical conditions which are often ultimately responsible for death.

#### Psychological

Magic causes all known species to become psychologically addicted to it. It is a pleasurable experience, the power of the 'high' increasing with the power of the magical effect. This often leads to magic users ignoring the dangers of the physical negative effects listed in pursuit of the high.

## Examples

There are many examples of famous magical effects.

### Herblore

The plants on the First World contain Magite, and correct preparation of them can result in a resonance on mixing while the effect triggers upon ingestion. This is a form of latent enchantment, as it requires the caster to power the mixing. Potions for healing and magical poisons can be created in this manner.

### Magic Jewellery

Metals contain Magite, and so are good anchors for enchantments. Personal jewellery can sustain an enchantment for a long time by use of small spikes or barbs which force a strong connection to the wearer, slowly sipping enough power to keep themselves potent. Wearing too much of this jewellery can cause enough a resonance to manifest magical side effects.

### Tattoos

By creating an ink which contains Magite, a magic user can anchor an enchantment to a subject through the use of a tattoo. Such enchantments are often subtle, as to not drain the recipient on any noticeable scale. While the shape of the tattoo does not define enchantment placed on it, most enchantments can only be successfully placed in a number of shapes which will be related to the culture of the magic user and recipient. Notable users of such tattoos are the Bawa