Magic

Magic is a term used to describe both mana, a unique and highly mysterious form of energy that is said to exist throughout the universe and is capable of acting as a medium between thought and physicality as well as the processes, skills and learning curve through which one manipulates mana. Those who are lucky enough to be able to 'tune' into this form of energy have a limitless potential to manipulate matter and energy or even effect ambiguous metaphysical concepts such as karma, fate and luck. Magic can also be used to describe innate skills known as 'craftes' such as making potions or runes or developing new magic-harnessing materials by hand.

Magic, however is very, very difficult to master even with the gift of tuning, and on Earth human magic users are very few and far between, so much so that only one real school of magic has ever retained enough students and keeps a watchful eye on human magical development, some magi end up discovering their magic without the advice or strict rules of magic and many do not live long and others are already part of families who homeschool their children in the artes.

### **Mana**

Mana, sometimes called 'aether' in it's pre-controlled ambient form, it could be said, is 'magical energy' itself, the 'stuff' that makes things happen through spells. What it is exactly is up for debate and subject of high controversy, with current modern science still unable to detect it in quantifiable amounts, often regarded as a 'subtle energy' but most magi agree that mana is a 'vibration' that has existed for all time. Some argue that it is the "Voice of God" or whatever deity they choose to believe in, others claim it is the remnant spacetime vibrations left over from from the Big Bang, or that magic is simply the energy of the living universe itself. Most nevertheless agree the real truth about magic is that it is at least partly sentient, either because it exists on a near-astral level associated with the mind or because it truly is some form of sentient supreme being; although curiously many mages don't sense living mana as a divine 'intelligence', but having, in fact, rather rudimentary intelligence, being prone to being effected by emotions, more akin to a raw force of nature than a supreme divinity and probably always will be mysterious and unidentified.

### **Tuning**

To be able to detect aethereal mana one must first have 'the gift' known among the magic community as 'tuning', which lets a human sense and eventually manipulate mana through spells and incantations. The basic skill set for any mage requires practitioners to be able to sense magic around them and sense how it flows through, or around objects, how it is attracted or repelled, or how it vibrates with it's surroundings; matching or opposing these vibrations creates different effects. Usually this is done by a form of unique extrasensory perception that exists as part of their ability to tune, but sometimes a mage will develop this sensory ability overlapped with an existing sense such as sight, hearing or sometimes even taste or smell. Tuning is an ability passed on, technically at a genetic level, but unlike the obvious genes of alts, neohumans or cybrids the genetic carriers of tuning potential is infinitesimally slight and nigh undetectable by regular means.

### **Belief and Faith**

It is not often enough to be predisposed to tune, even if you have the gift, magic exisits at such a near-undetectable level, sensing mana, manipulating it and getting it to preform a spell all requires belief in it. Although once a mage can feel it and see it's effects, there is no doubt that mana is real and doing it's job, preforming successful spells still requires patience and faith in the spell; new spells and artes rarely work first time and persistence is key.

### **Intelligence**

Furthermore, neither tuning ability nor blind faith will help if you are not capable of understanding any of the above, and finding the right balance between all aspects of magic; comprehension, a degree of logic and ability to learn, plan and take steps using systems and often complex formulas of words, as well as being patient is in fact the binding thought behind successful spells and synergy of these aspects is also key.

### **Foci**

Foci are items used to focus magical energy and often required by most magi to first harness mana using a tuning technique called '*mana management*' to control how much power a spell or cast requires; not only do foci compress magical force into useful amounts, and act to help give mages an idea of mana management without themselves becoming utterly exhausted and weakened, they can also protect learning magi from any harmful energy they are trying to control or create and once properly attuned will be able store massive amounts of energy too. The traditional and most well-known foci for magic users are wands and staves, but a 'wand' can in itself be anything. So long as the mage has formed some kind of bond with it the item should preform as a mana focus; jewellery and weapons are often used too. Some foci have been used for centuries and contain fair amount of magic resonating through it for it to serve not just as a focus, but to amplify powers; some heirloom and hand-me-down foci are not always good to start with as they can be too powerful and initiate magi are encouraged to find their own foci. In modern times items such as phones, laptops and even toys and small vehicles can be used and a mage might find unique spells and artes based around their foci.

### **Talismans**

Talismans are items, some of which may have been originally foci, that have themselves gained a sustained and permanent magical energy or specific power, talismans are more likely to be old or some kind of weapon that has been charmed and spelled specifically to be a talisman or an object that has been used to hold or store a mezzite for decades or more and gained a portion of it's own magic, while others are simply very old foci that have gained a sustained mana charge aura; the more mysterious and ancient talismans are known as 'relics'. While only those who can tune are usually able to use talismans, some are so powerful that they have even gained sentence and 'overtaken' a host and even try to absorb their own intellect, personality and skills, when this happens a talisman is then known as a *'black talisman **or** furia*'; some furia can, however be tamed and used for good, but most are sought and destroyed even by most dark magi.

### **Artes and Craftes**

The 'artes' sometimes nicknamed 'mancies' from an ancient term '*omance*' -"*to conjure*" found in some Old Magiscript scriptures are branches of magic that have been studied and spells created by ancient schools and high-magi of times long forgotten, much of the traditional, fixed artes have been lost or changed and most modern 'homeschooled' magi prefer to and are encouraged to create spells in unique ways rather rely on traditional books and arte lists and create their own unique grimoires; many traditionalists frown upon this as there are many common elements and styles which ancient texts and scrips have listed in Latin with the suffix 'mancy' and claim need to be learned in order of power and difficulty.

While magi are not identified by any single element and are capable of a massively broad spectrum of magic, there are those who choose to pursue only one arte to extreme levels, this, however is sometimes frowned upon as it can breed weakness in the true understanding of magic as a whole and many dark mage use single, in-depth artes.

Artes may include but not limited to:

* **Aethermancy:** Curiously at one point aethermancy was not considered a proper arte, the term being somewhat made up by an unknown mage in the 1770's it has been listed as one since the number of spells using aethermancy had increased. Aethermancy essentially compresses pure aether into a magical ball of mana light, as it is compressed it flows through a mage's aura and gains that mage's unique aura colour. As this takes considerable practice, concentration, time and effort aethermancy's original use was to see the colour of one's aura and as an assessment tool to see what extent a mage can concentrate on a spell. Recently, however, there have been some who are able to throw their mana balls as bolts of force or create reflective barriers and heal, it's use as a boost-arte is also noted. Since, aethermancy has become a base staple arte to improve the power and finite control of other artes but is nevertheless still one of the hardest artes to continue to study simply because it is easier for a mage to affect other elements with mana rather than focus aether into a constructive form.

* **Pyromancy:** Magical manipulation, sustainment and eventual creation of fire and it's effects and associations, a common and basic Western Elemental arte. While it is often seen as a destructive arte, it also involves inspiring passion, strength, bravery and courage and motivation. Pyromancy spells have even been used to heal by 'burning out' disease, pyrovoyance that let users see things through flames and rumours have even circulated that pyromancy can create 'absolute fire' spells that can burn spirits and even concepts. It can be extremely dangerous to use and control, with high magical and physical protection needed.
* **Cryomancy:** Magic manipulation sustainment and creation of ice that began as a branch of hydromancy.
* **Thermomancy:** While many incorrectly believe that thermomancy begot the manipulation of fire and ice through magic, the two artes actually started separately and thermomancy is a relatively modern arte (circa 1810) that can bridge the two, but focuses around manipulating variations in temperature of objects and the atmosphere rather than 'controlling' flames and ice and their associations. Thermomancy can be used to stabilise and sustain as well as buffer other artes.
* **Hydromancy/Aquamancy:** Magical manipulation and eventual creation of water, this arte also has associations with healing, health and enrichment, also involves dousing and hydrovoyance. Aquamancy is a more 'natural' approach to hydromancy that invokes magic based around natural bodies of water, saltwater and aquatic life.
* **Geomancy:** Magic manipulation of geological energies, rock, metal and even plants, this arte is very complex and can expand into a form of 'nature magic' that can cross paths with aquamancy and takes decades of study to fully master. Those that fully study geomancy and nature are often referred to as 'druids' by other magi and have learned to separate geomancy into the sub-artes of teramancy, floromancy and faunomancy.
* **Aeromancy:** Magical manipulation and creation of air and wind and can influence the weather, has associations with flight, thought, intelligence, memory, invisibility and phasing as well as illusions and associations with flying creatures and the natural world of the sky.
* **Fallomancy:** Spells revolving around the creation of illusions, hallucinations or mental tricks to fool the senses. This can include invisibility and hiding oneself or others or appearing to be someone, or something else and with practice these illusions can even fool taste and touch.
* **Fulguromancy:** Sometimes called 'galvomancy', 'electromancy' or 'shockmagic' in some circles it lets the user summon and control electricity and lightning, it has a number of applications but can be dangerous and extremely difficult to control and is one of the artes that require several levels of protection and care when using; as such fulguromancy is often used at a distance.
* **Luxomancy:** The magical manipulation and creation of light, it is extremely versatile but difficult to master, it can be used to invoke positivism, happiness, healing and can also create very realistic illusions and be deadly as any form of destructive magic and can cross over into both pyromantic and fulguromantic pathways.
* **Exnihlomancy:** A somewhat complex and controversial arte that let's a mage summon objects, or in some cases, creatures. While in the basic sense exnihlomancy spells summon that which already exists, the Latin term 'ex nihno' literally means 'out of nothing' and it's original development may have been for such acts. While exnihlomancy spells are designed and regularly added to uniquely by mages to summon things in this plain, or nearby, extreme exnhilomancy, with proper equivalency, can summon or manifest things that do not exist, either by creating them out of mana, in which case they will only exist temporally, or by pulling them from other universes, dimensions or plains of existence such as apparent demonic creatures. 'Summoners' are a rare type of mage who can do this, often helped by magical items and their foci.
* **Locomancy:** Manipulation of space, usually used to teleport or create gateways but also has other associations with spacial relations such as creating more or less space in areas or creating pocket dimensions of space for storage; can be dangerous and is usually only practiced by magi adept in magic for many years.
* **Alchamancy/transvertomancy:** Also known as 'magic alchemy' 'transmogification' or 'transmagic' is a very versatile and popular arte and they say a proper mage must know at least two, good alchamancy spells and integrate them into other artes. It allows a mage to alter the shape, texture and properties of objects, liquids, chemicals and even living beings to almost any degree, including the intensely difficult ability to themselves shapeshift. The arte, however goes deeper and is perhaps one of the only few artes that can be truly studied on it's own without fear of breeding weakness in a magi's magic board, magi who solely practice this arte are known as transmages and are respected and even feared the world over. While alchamancy seems like the perfect arte, studying it solely can take decades to perfect but there is at least one family who's blood is naturally adept at transmagic.
* **Cruomancy/haimomancy:** Known as 'bloodmagic', this arte is often used in very slight ways to heal but can be used to inflict great horror and pain, to control and manipulate in deeply sadistic ways and to kill instantaneously. Rumors are that bloodmagic can be used in conjunction with transmagic to create monsters and as such little is known about it, remaining both difficult to master and mildly taboo.
* **Ampilitudomancy:** Essentially 'size magic', an arte that allows the shrinking or growth of a target or one's self.
* **Sanomancy:** The official name for the specific arte of healing, however it has limitations, too much of a good thing can cause the body to lose it's ability to heal itself and magi using this arte must be very considerate and aware of their mana management and tuning because it can easily go the other way. It's important to not their sanomancy cannot suddenly 'cure' in a flash but only fix that which has been broken, some forms of disease such as cancer can be magically treated, but since cancer cells have defects in normal cellular functions that allow them to divide, invade the surrounding tissue, and spread by way of vascular and/or lymphatic systems, magic healing will only fix the damage caused by the mutation, not eradicate the mutation itself, which in terms of sanomancy, is a natural biological process and there is nothing to 'heal'.
* **Abraxamancy:** The arte of charms and hexes, a traditional an ancient arte and one of the fundamentals of school-taught magic, also the arte of spellcasting itself. Abraxamancy deals with non-elemental spells that cause situations or effects through the manipulation of concepts such as probability, chance, luck and fate, the 'good' side of this, being protection spells and the likes are considered "charms" while "hexes" or "curses" can be considered the negative version. Historically speaking the term "curse" is usually used when a semi-permanent spell is placed on an object or person that can cause negativity to deadly degrees, whereas a "hex" tend to be smaller-scale, temporary or mild spells designed to "teach a lesson", though the terms can be interchangeable today. In theory the arte can consist of any spell and goes hand-in-hand with abraxemy, teaching students to make up their own small, but effective protection charms, hexes and sometimes even mild curses. Those who practice abraxamancy consist a great deal of self-called 'wiccans' and 'spiritualists' who wish only to use magic in minimal amounts.
* **Vivimancy:** The magical arte of animating or giving 'life' to usually inanimate objects.
* **Cognitomancy:** Sometimes known as 'telemancy', a traditional and one of the basic artes first learned by initiates that allow magical forms of mind-based powers such as limited telekinesis and telepathy and even forms of levitation and flight, as well as the more sensory 'esper' magic associated with spiritualism and mediumship, although there are only a few true mediums that aren't themselves already neos who truly practice cognitomancy an an arte. It also involves the magical enhancement of the senses and can be used to hone tuning. The arte, however cannot be used for long periods but objects can be hexed to levitate for long periods without concentration.

Craftes are practical skills used in the magical world, using mana-guided hands-on experience and practice.

* **Alchemy (physical):** Includes potions, magical chemistry and harnessing magic-absorbent natural elements, this is often confused with alcamancy which is essentially magically-induced and controlled alchemy and transformation.
* **Focamy:** The crafte of manually constructing or making a unique foci which tend to be easier for the magi to use and easy to fix or remake if broken with little disturbance in attunement. Creating one's own foci ensures the magi has a strong connection with it.
* **Abraxemy:** The crafte of writing and speaking magical spells and words so that mana will react to it, also involves the study or ruins and symbols and their interpretations.

### **Schools**

Not to be confused with physical places of learning, which are a rare and virtually nonexistant among the magic community save the House of Seasons, the term 'school' also refers to standard ancient although in most modern cases, somewhat redundant groups of magic artes practiced by prominent gatherings of mages, which have left a mark on the magi world; some magi associate with these groups while others do not.

* **Western Elemental:** Referred to as Wicca circa the 1950's and simply 'pagan witchcraft' before that, based around the standard four elements of the western pagan mysticism; earth, fire air and water with a fifth, aether representing spirit, western elementals were prominent in Europe. Many wiccans associate themselves with geomancy and healing and prefer to be called 'druids' than mages. Wicca, is also practised by tuneless humans as a from of religion, praying to ancient moon goddesses and horned gods, which true magi druids tend to find irritating as these associations are usually only representations of ambient magic in nature and not actual beings.
* **Spiritualism:** Spiritualism within the Magic Community was another European school of magic thought to have begun shortly after the crusades to try to balance the witch hunting of pagans with the 'pure' image of westernized Christianity and monotheism, many spiritualists focus on aethermancy and cogitaromancy and are well known healers. Despite many being Christian, spiritualists can be less adhered to the traditional elements sometimes practiced in Wicca, believing their power flows from God or angels. A negative form of this can sometimes be used to persecute and some spiritualists end up becoming so deluded they believe their magic to be the only true and pure form of magic, using their 'holy' power for evil.
* **Wu Xing:** Known as 'Eastern Elemental', although Wu Xing is specifically a Chinese branch of philosophy magic users have used the system for a basis for their power, Wu Xing 'mushu' is focused around the Chinese elements of wood, water, fire metal and earth, Wu Xing was one of the first to separate metal magic metamancy as a branch from geomancy. It evolved alongside Qìgōng Mófǎ, that is regarded as the martal-arts branch of tuning.
	+ **Qìgōng Mófǎ:** Not to be confused with the Chinese exercise techniques, although in terms of basics, the magical-form of Qigong Mofa *does* have basic links with patterns and styles used as the bases for all martial arts, and the term "qigong" can be a catch-all for martial arts regardless of tuning potential. Unlike Wu Xing, that acts in the traditional "casting" sense, Qigong Mofa practitioners claim to be able to use magic in physical ways to enhance their "chi" or "qi", rather than use spells and elements as long-range casts. As such magical qigong can be much harder for a magi to accomplish, but for the few that do, become powerful superhuman physical fighters. Using tuning as part of physical qigong focuses much more on the physical side and learning to harness mana via physical movements directly into the user's bodily energy, rather than producing elemental 'spells', and takes years, even decades of non-stop practice. Many Qigong Mofa practitioners, known as "chi-masters" or "fighting monks" use mana to enhance their physical prowess, including gaining supernatural senses, reactions, speed, durability and strength, and produce kinetic effects such as "blasts" of ki, which were in fact kinetic force generated though martial arts amplified by mana. Users can also use their abilities to heal themselves and others. This branch has spread thinly throughout Asia and most practitioners remain in mainland China, but some ninja in Japan knew of similar techniques; their sub-branch was known as Karada no Seishin. Many older monks later use their arte only for teaching, becoming traditionally pacifistic.
* **Mahābhūta:** An Indian form of magic sometimes known as known as "The Great Element" like Western Elemental, revolves around four elements, Earth, Fire, Air and Water, but regards the combination of all of these as the Fifth known as "bhūta", which is often manifested as a white light that can create, sustain and destroy. The use of Mahābhūta as a traditional Indian school, even in India, however is vary rare and it has become something of a lost form.
* **Kotodama:** A Japanese branch of magic that focuses highly around the written and spoken word, kotodama or 'Spirit of Language' but use similar concepts of elemental representation of earth, air, fire and water and a fifth mystical element known as 'void' that represents pure ethereal "spirit energy" and the spirit world. It is tradition to use scrolls and writing and kotodama was also thought to be the source of bibliomancy where practitioners have been known to manipulate paper, ink and manifest words and their meanings. In fact it became a common practice for kotodama users to use scrolls and talismans as temporary, disposable foci; while this meant often constructing more scrolls and talismans by crafte, kotodama scrollmagic and talisman use allows unprecedented power to be used without endangering the caster.
	+ **Karada no Seishin**: A physical version of kotodama focusing around "chi" or "ki" similar to and likely based on older forms of Qìgōng Mófǎ, it functioned in a similar physical way, but was moreso focused around sword techniques and ninja training to those who could tune, becoming elite ninja.

* **Shamanism:** An umbrella term used by some to cover the complex systems of magic and belief of the Native American tribes. While all the tribes, like all tune-capable humans, sense magic as a living vibration or energy, the term is not used within tribal circles who take a more personal and limited approach to developing and teaching magic, believing that it is sacred to them as a people and do not discuss it outside of their cultures, even among other magi. Shamanism is therefor one of the most mysterious and still-undocumented schools of magic but it is known that the majority of their spells and rituals heavily feature the use of talismans and relics.
* **Obeah:** Known as a Caribbean form of magic, the school and system in fact originated in West Africa, and in both modern Africa and islands such as Jamaica and Haiti, it has gained reputation as being a unique, and often feared. It's somewhat gruesome reputation has of human sacrifice, in it's past, been earned due to the use of the school's negative forms during the Slave Trade where it was used to inflict curses, hexes and general misfortune on the slavemasters at the time. It's true and more ancient school, however was one of healing and medicine much like Native American shamanism. When Africa became a series of predominantly Christian nations, Obeah was pushed out and evolved into folk-magic forms, existing only in Jamaica and as in Haiti as voodoo/hoodoo that was then transplanted to the Creole communities in the US, particularly in New Orleans.
	+ **Voodoo:** A darker version of Obeah, mainly focusing around pain, death and the dead, in particular the transfer or manipulation of existing spirit and soul energy; using these techniques the voodoo doll became possible as well as the casting of curses and hexes.
* **Macumba:** A form of highly religion-based magic used in South America, particularly in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Like Obeah it has a somewhat gruesome reputation for animal sacrifice, believing that magic flows from their gods of various religious formats, however much of this is false interpretations managed by evangelical Christian groups in these nations who view Macumba as black magic incarnate. Despite their various mixed religions, Macumba is based around the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé religious traditions of the Yoruba. The unusual practises of Macumba in the world of magi are unique, with many practitioners unaware of the terms 'tuning' and that only a few individuals may actually possess the ability to sense and use magic; regardless spells are practices and cast by both mages and non-mages alike in ritual format, and focus around abraxamancy and general hex-casting. There is, however a sub-category of Macumba known as Os Hattamah, which looked to create and summon monsters using animal sacrifice.

### **Non-arte Magic**

Not all magi follow the 'artes' laid out by centuries of study, some develop on their own, away from schools and families and they develop unique magic, these types of magi are rare among magi and their power can be either particularly weak or subtle, or overtly powerful, and might even jump between the two.

### **Casting and Control**

Once the basics of manipulating mana have been studied, practical use of magic can then be applied through their foci or whatever medium they chose. Usually there is a 'base spell' that let's a user 'unlock' a certain arte, particularly if the arte is an element such as fire or water, this allows the mage to manipulate the element freely to a limited degree after years of practice, but to get the element to preform specific spells, an incantation is often needed. When spoken the mana reacts accordingly and will preform whatever complex spell the mage has asked it, without the user having to continuous sustain or concentrate too much on mana management, all that is then left to do is simply remember the spell.

While it is often traditionally seen that Latin is used often in incantations, this is little more than a western tradition adopted across the spectrum of the greater worldwide magic community, magic no more requires Latin than any language and primarily requires mental concentration and faith above anything, but as mana is seen as a vibration it seems to invoke a greater deal of power and focus, weather because humans are a very verbal species and so focuses around our speech or weather mana truly does react to words and speech and 'think' is uncertain for sure even within the community. Eventually the mage will find less and less need to use spells out loud as long as they think the spell, an adept mage will successfully cast.