The Six Magical Principles

The Six Magical Principles is the collective name given to the six defining effects magic can have on the world. The idea of these principles has been present for about as long as magic has, at least to a degree, but they were first written about and fully defined in 939 by a Cordaintine sorceress named Maria Leonetti. Maria originally wrote of four principles - Kinesis, Synthesis, Thermal Manipulation and Chord Manipulation (then Pathway Direction). This was later expanded upon by a joint project between Sofia Caruso and Flavius Orlando, two other Cordaintine mages, who added the principles of Enchantment and Charge Manipulation in a joint study in 943.

The Six Principles

Kinesis

Magical energy can be transformed into kinetic energy, applying force to objects. This can be used to propel, lift, and break objects. This was widely considered the first principle of magic to be applied, shortly followed by others as magical understanding improved.

Synthesis

Magical energy can be used to create matter from nothing, although this is significantly more energy taxing than most other principles. This can be combined with Kinesis to create projectiles. All matter must be kept electrically neutral, thus preserving conservation of charge.

Thermal Manipulation

Objects can be given and deprived of heat, allowing the user to change states of matter or provide heat for endothermic reactions (such as cooking food), or really any application which is temperature-sensitive.

Chord Manipulation

Chords can be formed and severed artificially. This can allow the user to split objects perfectly through the middle through the destruction of nodes, polarise kesselium, inflict Soulshatter, and perform more efficient enchantment, among other uses. The concept of Chord Manipulation actually predates the concept of chords themselves, which were only written about in Eriaen Montero's The Nature of Magic, written in 962, a full 19 years after the discovery of Chord Manipulation. Prior to this, it was known as Pathway Direction. Or Pathway Alignment.

Enchantment

Enchanters can give "Commands" to nodes, controlling the information they provide to chords. This can allow for automation, where objects themselves can cast spells. This is widely considered one of the more difficult forms of magic, given its high complexity. It is typically combined with Chord Manipulation. This is typically only performed on Kesselium, as Kessellium is most receptive to both Chord Manipulation and Enchantment.
As a word, Enchantment can be used to refer both purely to influences of nodes, as it does here, and to the application of both node influence and chord manipulations to achieve a goal. There is no wide consensus on which is correct. For scholars which use the latter definition, the commands given to nodes can be referred to as Node Writing.

Mobile Enchantment

Nodes of fluids can be given commands too, although usually the high degree of movement between particles relative to each other makes the properties of the chords too inconsistent to allow for enchantment. This can, however, be surpassed by locking the particle's position relative to one another as well as controlling the overall body's speed. It is common to place an enchantment creating light to allow the caster to easily discern where the mobile enchantment is. These mobile enchantments often take the form of luminescent airborne rings.

Charge Manipulation

Essentially a specialised application of Synthesis, magic can be used to create electrons and positrons in equal measure. It is the main principle used for Electromancy. However, they can be created in different locations, creating negative charges in some areas and positive charges in others. Charge Manipulation is the most recently discovered Magical Principle, having been the latter of the two newer Principles put forwards in 943.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane