Casting

Spellcasting can be a long and arduous journey through trial and error if one is not schooled properly on how to weave together their thoughts and wanted outcome with the tools they are equipped with, it takes immense concertation combined with complex movements and precise receiting of arcane incantations, along with the proper use of components and willpower. There have been many times when a mage has failed to properly cast a spell and have injured themselves in the process.

Casting spells draws on the casters innate willpower; which can be strengthened through potions, meditation, or intense mental training through the years; while also often requiring some other external offering such as the lifeforce of another being, voluntarily or not, or something else. For example for one to cast the spell Replenish they will need a portion of their own innate reserves, a small flower, and verbal and somatic components to gain their desired effect of healing themself or someone else a small amount.

Magic is extremely common but is feared by most of the working class or common folk of Xaekla, seen as an extremely and potent power to wield as they are often the ones experiencing its negative effects the most. Mages that teach themselves magic or gain magic through some sort of exchange are seen as the most dangerous, willing to do anything to expand their power and are often the ones who experiment the most.

### Somatic

Somatic components refer to the specific movements of the caster which require them to be precise in their motions, not doing so might result in the spell not working or creating an unintended result.

The somatic portion of a spell is far more important than the verbal, a small mix up with an incantation can result in an undesired but ultimately unharmful effect while messing up the somatic portion of a spell can cause a completely different spell to be cast, one that perhaps the caster does not have enough mana (willpower) to cast it and can result in injury or even death if the mistake is severe enough.

### Verbal

Verbal components to a spell are words that need to be spoken to give the magic its shape, if the speaker is interrupted or silenced during their verbal incantation, the spell simply fails to manifest as the power is drawn forth but is not expelled.

### Material

Material components are the physical objects and items that must be used as part of a given spell; such as the earlier example with the Replenish spell needing a small flower; but the material component can also refer to a spellcasters focus which a number of spells need both the focus and certain materials. A spellcasters focus, depending on its power-level, can replace certain ingredients to a spell while sometimes being needed for certain spells to focus through as the average mortal body cannot take the strain of certain spells.

### Signs

Signs are the most basic form of magic and the easiest for mages and non-mages to learn as anyone can learn to cast signs. The signs are an exception to the common rules of magic, so simple that they are often given to apprentices on their first day to memorize by themselves in their own time as they have such a small chance to cause any sort of injury to the spellcaster. Signs do not require any material components or a focus and often only need simple somatic motion or one word to invoke.

### Rituals

Certain spells can be cast in a ritual format if the caster does not have the required material components however these rituals can often take from 5 minutes to several days on end and can be dangerous if the caster doesn't know the exact time it will take for them to complete the spell.

Additionally, there are some spellcasters which exclusively deal in ritual magic who are called Ritualists. These spellcasters can replicate the effect of a spell without the need to expend any of their reserves of arcane power, instead casting the spell over a longer period of time, in which incantations and somatic motions are required to produce the desired effect.