The Costs of Power

The Rules of Magic wielding

All magic comes at a cost!
And only the strong can pay it!
And only the wise knows when to stop paying!
/The Masked Shaman

How you wield magic

To wield magic a practitioner needs four things. Firstly he needs access to a magical art, such as Fire Mastery or Necromancy. This grants the power to whit any magical energy whit in the mages body control one of the elements. Secondly he needs enough magic in his body to preform said magic art. Thirdly he needs the mental discipline to shape the raw magical powers whit their mind. And lastly he needs a deep understanding of what he is doing. If even one of this factors are not fulfill the mage risks himself and all those around him.
When a practitioner of magic wields a magical art he most spend some of the magic whit in his body. This is highly dangerous as the same energy that powers his magic also keep his body alive. This means that if a practitioner of magic tries to wield a magic that needs more power then he has whit in himself, he will die.
This is the reason most mages of any greater skill seeks to increase there reserves of magic before wielding greater magics. There are many ways of doing this. One could simply train physically and by gaining a stronger body also gaining access to more magical power. One could also consume more magical essence. Necromancers will at times go so far as to eat all of the life force of another just to grow stronger.

The Addiction of Magic

The dark back side of magic is that it is addictive. Many whom start the study of magic whit some noble goal in there hearts often fall victim to the lure of power. The fact of the matter is that not only are the elixirs that grant magical powers mind altering, but the magic in itself is alluring. As few things can't be done whit the aid of magic.
A great healer can cure illnesses no doctor could hope to cure. And a great wizard could slay scores of his foes whit only his breath. This things power to reshape a person should not be underestimated.

The second of the three laws of magic.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane

The Paths to Power

There are two paths to gaining magical power.
The most commonly used is the consuming of some source of natural magic. Like the blood of a dragon or the juice of Viras fruit. However to gain the power locked away in a magical beings blood it most first be mixed in to a elixir. Said elixirs main ingredients being the magical beings blood and the practitioner's blood. The creation of such elixirs demand great understanding of that art to work.
But there is a second path to magical power. A darker path. The path of demon contracts.
By making a pact whit a Djin or Mara a practitioner may gain great magical power whit out having to consume any magical essences. But said pact will bind a warlock to his demon for the rest of his life. At the end of which his demon servant, or far more likely servants, will claim there payment.