Magic

With each second that passes, a miracle occurs; a flame springs into existence. A stone becomes a butterfly. A flower suddenly withers. The cause of these phenomena? **Magic**. The supernatural mystery that encompasses the world, its secrets illusive and tantalising to those who seek to harness it, for better or worse.

## Sources of Magic

When an individual wishes to affect the world through magical means, there are numerous ways one may go about this, each with various methods involved to 'cast a spell', as well as limitations on what can typically be achieved through each particular source.

### Arcane

A mage lights up a darkened room. A summoner calls forth a mighty ally.

Through forbidden writings and esoteric equations, a mortal soul can change the course of history with the snap of their fingers. Arcane magic makes use of the caster's aura; the manipulation and amplification of their own magical energies and the way their aura is imprinted upon the multiverse. Through understanding and memory of magical formulae, mortal beings manipulate the fabric of the universe.

This is the most volatile and chaotic of magic, and thus is forbidden in many places, particularly the Levissian Empire, who believe its power cannot be contained. It is due to the negative societal view on the arcane that it is often referred to as 'black magic' and those who practice it as 'black mages'.

Traditionally, the first elven mages wore masks to cover their face, in order to more closely attune to their aura. Some still practice this art, particularly on Kyo-Tashi.

Arcane magic originally stems from the teachings of dragons. As such, all arcane writing is written in Draconic.

### Divine

A heavenly chorus brings life to a wounded soldier. A shadowy hand drags a victim into the pavement.

Divine magic beseeches the powers of otherworldly beings to influence the caster's surroundings through devotion and prayer. Through persistence and dedication to prayer, worship or sacrifice, a caster's pleas are heard and their prayers are answered in the form of miracles that can heal or harm others.

Divine magic usually has little risk involved, as the beings who bring about the spells do so naturally, unlike a Black Mage, and thus have complete control over its effects. However, the results can be affected by how the deity favours the caster, as well as that deity's power, influence and current state of being.

### Primal

An elf closes his eyes as vines ensnare his quarry. An old hermit dissapears in a flurry of feathers.

Casters who make use of Primal magic, often called 'druids', have an acute awareness for the hum of Traversus itself, the ambient natural power of the planet, imbued in its core since creation. They know the language of the trees, the earth, the sea. Through an insightful understanding of how the world works, druids become one with nature, working with it to achieve great things.

A rare and ancient form of magic, those that learn the ways of Primal magic develop close bonds with the fauna of the world, and gain the ability to align their aura with that of a natural creature, transforming into beasts for a limited amount of time.

### Virtuosity

A painter flourishes his brush and his painting starts to speak. A singer hits a high note and the chandalier drops.

The magic of virtuosity is brought about via the exhibition of skill and ability in stunning artistics, making use of the cosmic creativity birthed at the creation of creation. This wild and undocumented magic is strengthened by a caster's force of personality, their spells are extensions of their canvas upon the cosmos.

The most dedicated of artists and creatives, such as painters, sculpters, musicians and oraters, are able to cast spells through excellent displays of their craft. Often, a 'virtuoso' or 'bard' is blissfully unaware of how deep their connection to their art is, and how it causes magical effects to occur.

### Runic

A bomb detonates in a blinding flash of blue. A whirring mechanical automaton stirs to serve its master.

A recent development on Traversus, runic magic is the focused and programmed application of arcane magic through the use of runes written in the language of the Giants mixed with that of Dragons. Rune carvers are tinkerers, inventors, engineers and artificers who inscribe small portions of their own aura onto inanimate objects through the use of specialised runes, replicating spell effects via arcane contraptions, gizmos and mechanisms. Through understanding and memory of runic formula and script, these 'casters' craft and manufacture magical implements and enchant mundane items, allowing for the intermingling of magic and science.

Because of the more focused and reduced random results as compared to pure arcane magic, runic magic is more generally accepted. It is extremely prevalent in the Steel Accord, where carvers are encouraged to push this new method to its limits.

### Psionics

A young child tilts her head and a spoon bends. A woman's eyes flash purple and a man's coinpurse opens.

Psionics is a supernatural gift, presenting itself in a tiny amount of the population. It cannot be learned. One must be born with it. Using clever mental tricks as leverage and complex, spur-of-the-moment calculation, psionic casters force the world to shape around their vision, moving objects and emotions with their mind.

There are some races that possess psionics as a natural ability, such as Kitsune and other Yōkai, as well as many witchbreed.