Magic of Aiogara
Native magic is divided into three primary systems:
Earthly Magic
Earthly magic is only used by Humans and Sinistrals, it cannot be used by Elves. The source of this magic is from the natural energy in the ground, air, and the energy of the sun. A caster must draw this power into their bodies, and then use imagery and gestures with their hands or feet to direct it and transform it from raw magic into a usable spell. The limits of spells are dependent solely on the caster's skill, and their physical condition to withstand the strain - mages must have at least decent cardiovascular health to be of any use. Spells are divided into five schools.
Healing: Used for repairing wounds, curing disease and treatment of mental disorders.
Destruction: Combat magic, governed by the Six Elemental Alignments which are called "arts".
Mysticism: Used for transforming living things, remote manipulation, scrying, detection, mediums, dispelling, and more.
Illusion: Used to project illusions, detect illusions.
Crypticism: An esoteric and powerful school mastered by few, but which contains the ability to modify the world and all animate and inanimate in it. Requires knowledge of Old Sinistral.
The type of magic that caused the Great Divide, which separated Sinistrals from the rest of Aiogara.
Elemental Alignments
Earthly magic is governed by elemental alignments, which, while not literal elements, are primordial in the nature of magic. Dark, Light, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind are the six elements, and they each have multiple strengths, and multiple weaknesses.
Light, which governs lightning, light and life-giving energies, is highly resistant to fire and wind magic.
It is strong against water, and has a moderate advantage, as well as a weakness, to Dark. It has no resistance or power over Earth.
Dark, which governs darkness, night and the undead/death magic, is highly resistant to water, earth and wind,
is vulnerable to fire and light (as well as possessing equally damaging power to light). It has no advantages against other magics, due to its nature.
Fire is highly resistant to light and dark magic, but it is also vulnerable to wind, water, and earth magic. It possesses power against dark magic.
Water is resistant to fire, wind and earth, but it is vulnerable to fire and light.
While dark is resistant to water, it does not generally have any advantages over water.
Wind is resistant to fire and earth, is weak against light, water and dark.
Earth is resistant to fire, light and dark, and wind. It is only weak to water, but possesses no combat advantages over any other.
Casting of Magic
Sinistrals and most humans do not require incantations to cast spells, generally a few gestures with the hand or some kind of magical catalyst to focus power (a wand or cane) combined with imagery, focus and a strong enough physical constitution to take the strain are enough. Magic is hard on the body, and the faster the casting time, the more strain it can place on the caster. Because earthly magic uses the body and potentially catalyst of the caster as a a conduit, it is simply taking energy from the surrounding environment and changing it to the caster's desire. Hence, during battles it is not uncommon to see the sun dim in the immediate area, the air to feel colder, or for fires, or nearby animals to fall silent, collapse or even die. Each caster's ability to convert energy and use magic is different, it is rarely a perfectly efficient form of energy usage. The signs of arcane overuse, sometimes called magician's fever, are:- Fever, headaches, or temporary blindness
- Fainting or muscle weakness
- Blood vessels around the eyes, nostrils and in the lungs to pop. This can lead the caster coughing up blood.
- Chronic weakness of the body, including lameness, ataxia, neuropathy, deafness, blindness and even inability to breathe on one's own.
- Insanity caused by accumulation of magic-induced toxicity.