Reinforcement

**Reinforcement** is a type of Alteration Magic that temporarily strengthens one or more concepts in an object or living being through the application of mana. Considered one of the most fundamental spells a mage learns, Reinforcement is easy to learn but difficult to master, as it requires precise application of mana on their target to avoid overwhelming its structure and damaging or even destroying what a mage was trying to Reinforce. The weakest Reinforcement can last a fraction of a second while those cast by masters can be sustained for several minutes and even hours.

## Mechanics

### Mana Control

A mage must be able to properly gauge the mana threshold of an object they are trying to Reinforce as not every object can sustain a surge of magical energy. Simple objects such as paper, planks of wood, or a small rock, only have a small threshold for mana before physical and structural damage is sustained. This has resulted in magi crafting their own weapons and equipment that are made with better mana conductivity for more Reinforcement capabilities. An object's quality in terms of magical potency is one of the most important aspects a mage must take into account, as many novices have failed to properly ascertain how much mana their weapons could sustain and end up disarming themselves after a magical explosion destroyed their staff or sword.

### Reinforcing an object

Reinforcement Magic takes a certain concept or principle inherent in an object, or more commonly, a body part of a person, and strengthens it by multipliers. The most common is multiplying the strength of the concept by two. Reinforcing the concept of "Sharpness" of a sword or a spear, or the concept of "Protection" or "Durability" of a Shield has been one of the most frequent applications of the spell throughout the history of mage combat as it minimizes the risk of self-damage by using an object.

### Reinforcing a living body

Magi have also Reinforced parts of their bodies, generally their skin, bones, or muscles. The Skin and Bones are meant to "Protect" the body, and this can be Reinforced and strengthened to allow them to survive gruesome cuts, crushing blows, and even gunshots if the mage is able to pour in enough mana and strengthen their bodies enough. Reinforcing one's Muscles, whose purpose is to provide movement in the body via muscle contraction, also allows a mage's body to be faster and more agile. Reinforcing one's Central Nervous System also allows for faster reaction time. Reinforcing the Eyes, the Ears, the Nose, and even the Tongue can also strengthen their respective concepts of Sense.

Reinforcing one's body is very risky for novices, as different bodies have different thresholds for magical energy as well. A mage must hone their own bodies overtime to increase their capacity for a Reinforcement spell. Improper Reinforcement can lead to fixable afflictions like broken bones or sore muscles, to more permanent damage, such as blindness or even paralysis of the body due to a failed Reinforcement of the Central Nervous System.

A mage has an easier time reinforcing their own bodies, but many find their spell to be weaker whenever they try to cast Reinforcement on the body of another mage due to the target mage's innate Magical Resistance rejecting foreign mana. One way to circumnavigate this is to create magecraft such as rings, necklaces, belts, and even armor enchanted to provide certain Reinforced Concepts to its wearer, and circumventing Magical Resistance. While less versatile, it also allows for consistent Reinforcement magic.

### Overdriving

One of the most riskiest applications of Reinforcement is strengthening a mage's Mana Lobe's concept of converting the Earth's Raw magical energy into mana that a mage can use for their own spells. As the name implies, the mage "Overdrives" their own mana lobe's concept of "Conversion" and increases the mana output, allowing them to cast more spells they normally are unable to use due to lack of mana capacity. Many find it to be an extremely high-risk application of the magic, since one's Mana Lobe can be sensitive to forceful alterations, and even Masters of Alteration prefer not to Overdrive their own Mana Lobes as one simple mistake could mean permanently damaging your Mana Lobe and resulting in diminished capacity for magic or even remove the ability to use magic all together. As such, Overdriving is used by magi with low-quality Mana Lobes during situations where they can offset the High-Risk with a High-Reward, or those who have nothing else to lose. The Upper-class and Nobility in mage society see Overdriving as a desperation used by inferior magi who rely on gambling instead of proper breeding and education.