An Overview of Magic
Magic is defined as the ability to manipulate the physical environment at the atomic level. All creatures with the ability to perform magic have an additional organ in their brains located under the frontal lobe called the khets. Creatures without the khets or possessing an impaired khets are completely incapable of performing or utilizing magic stones unless specifically programmed for their use. In humanoid species, only the Veljudi, Čoljudi, and Perljudi have a genetic probability of producing offspring without a khets, with the Čoljudi having the highest probability.
Magic is a field of lifelong study. Mastery of a low or mid-grade school of magic is usually accomplished by the middle-aged while very few can claim to have mastered a high-grade school of magic. But while the mastery of one field may be an achievement to be proud of, having a good knowledge of many different schools is generally seen as more desirable because schools of magic were only created to help make the process of learning magic easier. It is safe to say that in both the workplace and the battlefield, being able to use a variety of spells from different schools is more advantageous than having a mastery of one. Unless, of course, you have somehow managed to master seiramancy in your lifetime, which meets both circumstances.
How it Works
At its most basic form, magic is the manipulation of atoms: speeding them up, slowing them down, shifting them in space, bringing them closer together or farther apart. Each of these simple actions comprises a larger part known as a magic spell. Spells are complex programs that are designed to help a caster perform various tasks while spending less energy. Although a caster can concentrate on individual or groups of atoms, doing so takes up mental energy. Having to precisely manipulate something that cannot be seen requires intense concentration and the brain is not built to do such tasks for long periods of time. Though the khets allows us to sense and manipulate things, it requires mental energy to do so, just as everything in life.Magic Spells
Magic spells, then, are coded instructions that allow a caster to perform extremely complex tasks that would be extremely tasking on the brain and impossible for some. A magic spell can be composed of one or many functions that work together to produce a certain outcome. There is no way to compose a magic spell; anything can become as a spell so long as there is a meaning applied behind it. One ancient culture 'read' the clouds to produce their spells, another found patterns in the twigs and leaves on the forest floor. Today, there are standardized magic languages that have helped in magic research and development. One of the most common forms of composing magic spells is the magic circle.
In a magic circle, each symbol has a specific meaning and function behind it. Knowing how to read these symbols and put them into effect allows a caster to easily cast a spell. Magic circles do not have the ability to act on the world themselves, with the technical exception of magic stones, they are only used as a guide to help the caster formulate a spell without draining his mental energy. A caster may carry a set of writing utensils that will allow him to write a magic spell for any given situation. Once the magic circle has been drawn out, he is able to execute the program that it represents himself without having to focus his attention on each tiny detail.
Magic Radiation and the Storage of Magic Energy
Each time magic is used, residual radiation will be left behind in the surrounding area. This radiation was recently discovered by Eloise Partffan in ____ and has resulted in the age of magitech. Though it does not appear to have much effect on the world around it, save for the extreme case of polar spatial storms, Partiffan found a way to convert this radiation into a form of energy that can be stored. Casters can supplement this energy for their own mental energy, allowing them to cast more complex spells over a longer period of time. It even allows for systems of magic stones to run complex operations with only a simple input from a caster and can allow for people without a khets to use specially programmed magic stones to overcome their handicap.Classification of Magic
Magic is loosely categorized into schools by their area of influence. These schools are intended to make learning a certain field of magic easier and some schools require knowledge of others to learn. Schools of magic can thus be further grouped into grades of magic: fundamental or low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade. These groups are made based on the difficulty of learning. Fundamental schools of magic are generally the easiest to learn and the knowledge of them is required in many mid and high-grade magics. Mid-grade schools either include difficult concepts or require some knowledge of fundamental schools of magic while high-grade schools require an understanding of many other schools and complex concepts.Fundamental
- Anemomancy
- Geomancy
- Hydromancy
- Thermomancy
Mid-grade
- Agiomancy
- Photomancy / Melanomancy
- Sonomancy
- Theramancy
High-grade
- Apagoremancy
- Choromancy
- Gnosimancy
- Koimancy
- Seiramancy
- Symphoramancy
Magic Education
Commoners
Most commoners. especially those living in remote villagers, learn magic from their parents and the people around them. What they are taught may be a combination of spells from many schools of magic, usually those pertaining to the work they do in their community. Those from the same village may know the same kinds of spells as they are passed down and around the village. And new villagers often bring new spells to learn.
Commoners in larger cities, however, have more opportunities to learn different spells. Bookstores and small, local schools, as well as certain appretiships for professions may be places where children and adults can expand their repertoire. Due to their ability to learn spells from other means, commoners in cities generally don't learn from others on a casual basis unless they are part of a close-knit community.
Nobles
Children of noble families may have a private tutor teaching them the basics of magic from a young age, however, when they reach the age of seven, they must attend a magic academy to learn the fundamental schools of magic. They attend this school until the age of ten, after which they branch into either a military or scholarly academy. Both academies further their lessons in magic; however, the learning outcomes differ.
They attend this school until the age of fifteen and are introduced to the mid-grade schools of magic. In their third year, they choose a mid-grade school of magic to major in and a fundamental school to minor in.For most lower class nobles, their formal education in magic stops here. However, those interested in furthering their knowledge may attend specialized research academies where they may master a low or mid-grade school of magic.
The Use of Magic in Everday Life
Quality of Life
Plumbing in large cities, clean drinking water, comfortable temperatures, and remote storage are just a few examples of how magic is used to enhance people's quality of life.
Play
Sports such as kidiba were created to teach magic to children through play. Many games and sports utilize magic in their gameplay.
Communication
Long distance communication whether audio or visual is made possible by magic. Networks of magic stones allow people to hear music, news, and events from all over the world on the go and at home. Records of information are easily copied and sold by The Nest, and recording of sporting events or an emperor's speech allow others to feel as though they were there for the event.