Magic

**Magic** is a force present in the world of Weak Constitution: Common Cat.

## History

### Early Magic

Early magic is believed to have originated with dragons, as detailed in The Voice of Dragon's Song. Dragon magic was a popular magic type at the time.

### Golden Age

A "golden age" of magic occurred. In this era, many foundational texts were both created and destroyed as magic progressed very quickly. There is not much remaining about early magic, other than mainly oral stories (Chapter 50). Base runes date back to this time.

## Ambient Magic

Magic is not just called upon-- it is also everywhere in the world, even if people cannot always detect it. The amount of magic in an area may change over time, such as when there is less magic in the winter due to plants dying off.

Some flora, fauna, and minerals are naturally magical, containing "mana". These creatures, items, etc. have an aura-- a faint magical glow around them. When ingredients are harvested from them, they retain at least some magic, and can be used in spells, potionmaking, etc. These include corian root, kerry feathers, endraden marrow, Almac feathers, and more.

## How to Use Magic

Magic involves many different techniques, such as casting circles, runes, and symbols, with different ones for each field of magic. The placement of incense also comes into play, along with how the circlet liner is drawn and the time of year.

When casting with a familiar, the familiar typically goes in the middle of the circle, maintaining a sitting position. They act as a conduit for the magic, but this normally causes immense pain and heat, occasionally making weaker constitution familiars pass out. If the familiar moves, this can disrupt the magic and hurt the mage or others around-- however, if the familiar moves with the magic, the power is used more efficiently. This results in more powerful spells and little to no pain on the familiar's part. This movement often looks like a dance, with the familiar swaying in tune with the invisible force of the magic.

## Uses for Magic

### Animation

Magic can be used to animate the inanimate-- making incense holders move around like real animals, animating gargoyles, etc.

### Potions

Potions are brewed with numerous ingredients, often magical in nature. Numerous types of potions can be made-- calming draughts, healing draughts, and even potions that allow magic to be visible.

### Warding

Magic can be used to stop certain things, creatures, or effects from entering an area or affecting someone. In many cases, ingredients or items do not have to be combined or enchanted in anyway-- rather, just having them on one's person can do enough. For example, carrying lemongrass oil, wolfsbane, cinnamon, chalk, or an iron chapel key can all serve as easy warding methods.

## Types of Magic

Magic is often categorized into types, though hybrid magic types exist. Each type of magic may have symbols, colors, and more associated with them.

### Battle Magic

Battle magic is also known as army magic.

### Divination Magic

Divination magic is a a difficult and time-consuming type of magic. It often involves incense, candles, swinging a polished crystal on a chain, and chanting that sounds "unusual" compared to normal magical chants (Chapter 70).

### Dragon Magic

Dragon mages are also known as "Orencals". It is a very old type of magic.

### Elemental Magic

Elemental magic tends to have more exclusive programs.

### Healing Magic

Healing magic is a rarer type, as people with an affinity for healing usually go into other fields. The colors of healing magic are white and green.

### Lazy Magic

"Lazy magic" is not really a form of magic, but rather a term for magic used to perform everyday tasks. These are utility spells, such as using magic to grab items (Chapter 67).

## Known Spells, Magic, and Magical Items

### Items

* An automata is a semi-intelligent being animated by a mage for some purpose. This includes golems.
* An asthma inhaler, such as the one used in Chapter 70, may be magical. It involves two red crystals, with the center crystal acting as an activator and the top going into the mouth. An opaque liquid is inside the contraption, and pressing on the crystals causes a soft whooshing sound.
* A calming draught is a potion meant to calm the drinker.
* Echo stones are linked crystals, which glow when either one is touched. The pattern struck repeats until answered. They may come in orange.
* A fairy light is an outdated form of light. It is very beautiful, and includes a live fairy inside.
* A fire lily in a pot is made by Kara in Chapter 50. First, paste is put on a fine brush, and little symbols are painted on the interior of a polished black flower pot. Runes are put on the table below, and incense is lit to make them glow. The caster's fingers move to manipulate glowing thread, forming complicated knots. A divination spinner is used, and the gem begins to move, making its way to the center of the knots. This all forms a palm-sized window into the elemental plane of fire, and the outer knots are manipulated so the caster can look around. The gate is pulled down over the flower, and affixed to the pot with a seal. This results in the flower looking like it's been planted in the pot.
* A healing draught speeds up healing in the drinker. It involves corian root, with kerry feathers, or endraden marrow as the ingredients. The brewing process involves at least six color changes, with a green ring in the center that gets bigger. Once it is completely green, the corian root is added in. When that is fully mixed, kerry feathers are dumped. If stirring stops, the liquid gelatinizes. While not needed, Almac feathers can be added, causing the liquid to glow bright yellow and be able to heal broken bones (Chapter 32).
* A ley-magic connecting potion lets one connect to ley magic more easily.
* Light-up crystals are crystals that light up when activated, serving as small lamps.
* A potion that allows for magic to become visible, based on a potion that lets one connect to ley magic more easily, but with ingredients swapped out. The brewing involves green nettle, and it results in a murky, green-tinted silver liquid with a warm, mulchy shell. The potion tastes terrible and feels unnaturally warm. The potion lasts an hour, and is very overwhelming, allowing all sorts of magic, sprites, and spectral entities to be seen. It can make the drinker nauseous and dizzy.
* Truth crystals are crystals that light up a certain color when a statement is true or false.
* Warp totems involve runes and paper seals. They are sold on the black market, and allow for almost instant teleportation between locations.

### Spells

* The adapted version of the storm mage spell in Chapter 56 uses water and a bonding agent, changing color to become a tincture once incorporated. It is like a viscous jelly, and tastes bad. The tincture responds and charges to active mana sources, pulsing with magic until it glows. Once combined with whatever it comes into contact with, it can then be drawn out of a container.
* Blight is a magical way to make land uninhabitable and infertile. It can typically only be solved with a mix of fertile soil and blighted soil, and direct magic on the blight harms the caster-- the solution must be an indirect magical effect or something that can be applied to the land. Not all blight solutions work-- some blights may vary due to the region, and thus some solutions can be wrong for the climate.
* Carrion rites are rituals to make sure a person passes safely into death. If the target does not die within forty-eight hours of the ritual, it must be redone to ensure the same effect. It is not a complicated or draining ritual, and also makes sure the body cannot be used in necromancy.
* Cleansing baths involve lots of herbs and vials of smelly ichor. They are done to try and cleanse creatures of any lingering magical effects or magic they may have come in contact with (Chapter 72). It is a very intense process, involving scrubbing every inch of skin with a forest-scented water, and using a gritty, sticky mix to clean the hair.
* Earthen lances are not very sophisticated, but can be used in battle (Chapter 71). They involve manipulating the earth to form a weapon.
* Explosion spells cause sudden explosions, such as in Chapter 71.
* Faerie lights is a simple warding spell, involving lights that dance and move. It covers the caster in a false aura, making most beasts ignore the caster. It only covers one person for each time it is cast (Chapter 65).
* Flying magic allows for a creature to seemingly fly through the air.
* Heat-suppression in demibeasts can be done magically, with a ritual cast twice a year. It is not well known if this has any negative effects on the demibeast.
* A Hu-Anai is a ritual used in Durian to call out to a demon, ripping it from another plane. It is technically blood magic.
* An ice spell, such as the one used by Kara in Chapter 71, does not actually conjure ice. It merely changes the temperature of the area, freezing water that was already there.
* Levitation broadly covers magic that lets creatures or items move above the ground (Chapter 65).
* In Chapter 45, Kara uses a platforming spell. This allows for him and Genevive to dance through the air, gradually rising higher and higher.