Magic of Erisdaire
In this world, magic is treated as a fact just as 'a dropped object falls towards the ground'. It is woven into the very fabric of existence in such a way as to be invisible to most even though it is present. Among the residents of Erisdaire, magic is something they accept as existing even if they never see it with their own eyes. There are no cities in the world where it is not actively present, and very few settlements survive for more than a few generations without at least a small amount of magical assistance. In cities, common folk might spend money on medicinal magic in the form of potions or hiring the momentary intervention of those who work magic directly. Nobility often possess some enchanted objects, ranging from practical to heirlooms which serve little purpose. Out in the smaller settlements, there are usually those who embrace practical applications of magic and employ common healing arts to keep people healthy.
Attitudes about magic vary from culture to culture, region to region, and person to person. While the essence of magic is omnipresent, actual practitioners are not as common and the reaction to them tends to vary considerably based on the individuals in question. As many places as there are which harness magic and the use of it to help with productivity, there are places which shun the use of it.
Arcane Magic
Most magic is of a type which is called 'arcane magic' by practitioners and scholars who study such things. A spellcaster who draws power from the outside world, or from within, to achieve an effect which is counter to how the natural world behaves is more than likely tapping into arcane magic to achieve these effects. There are even then three major branches of arcane magic, even as what they can all do is similar in effect. Some beings are born with innate power, others have to study and learn how to manipulate magic, and there are fewer still who have bargained to be given powers.Most who use arcane magic do so only after study and training their mind and body to understand how to shape magic around them. These wizards may take years to move from being able to coax a candle wick to light or be snuffed at a gesture to conjuring a flame on the palm of their hand, and every day they need to take time to memorize the specific methods to channel magic and achieve the ends they wish, but they have perhaps the greatest breadth of power of mortals on Erisdaire. The price, of course, is the time and effort devoted to studying magic. Such people often lead very solitary and private lives, disconnected increasingly from others as studies demand more of their attention.
Fewer among those on Erisdaire have innate magical power, a part of their essential being which can be called upon and shaped through practice and focus. Sometimes beasts have access to these innate powers through instinct, and most sentient beings will also have a small amount of instinctual control which can be honed. It takes no less amount of effort to tame this innate power as those who study arcane methods from books or experimentation, and this method of arcane magic is more limited in breadth than their orderly brethren. But in exchange, this power cannot be stopped by preventing the spellcaster from having their guide to how to prepare themselves for working magic.
Then there are those who make a pact with otherworldly agents, and this is tricky. Scholars have long argued this is a hallmark of the divine method of magic, but the counter-argument says this power is only opened from outside and remains integral to the person who has made the pact. The pacts, once made, are not easily broken and their effects may never be reversed; this means the otherworldly powers can not take the power out of those whom they have gifted. They are, thusly, forced into brutal and destructive answers which have given pact magic a dangerous reputation among those who are aware of it.
Divine Magic
One of the other forms of magic which is more omnipresent is 'divine magic', drawn from the gods themselves through agents chosen to wield power in their name. While priests and holy warriors can call on the magic to aid others and defend the innocent, it can also be used as a weapon in other cases, or to take many other forms similar to what arcane magic does. The definitive difference is the source of the power, not what the magic itself can do.Wielders of divine magic are governed as well by rules set upon the gods and mortals as well. Any given deity can invest power in any individual, whether they be members of a church or cult devoted to the greater power or not. This means the source of divine magic is explicitly outside the one who wields it, and at any time the god who bestowed it can take it away. Sometimes it can be done without a clear reason, as sometimes incredibly faithful and fervent followers have been denied the use of magic or even had any boons stripped away. Many parables exist and are passed down, attempting to put context in why these events happened; could it be a warning against hubris, a lesson to instill humility in mortal followers? The gods themselves are the only ones who know for sure, and thus mortals are left to make their own answers.
There is one other limit regarding divine magic, and that is its inability to override divine power employed by a deity directly as opposed to a mortal wielder. At first glance, this can often be impossible to tell for certain. But it is known arcane magic can shatter divine curses or enchantments, even if it is not known why.
Nature Magic
What is known as 'nature magic' is yet a third aspect of magic which takes a different turn from arcane and divine power. Where arcane magic comes from within the individual manipulating the world, and divine magic comes from those outside the world giving power to the individual, nature magic is the third side of the triangle; it is what happens when other things in the world give power to the individual. The phrase 'nature magic' describes the most basic form of this, where those who have a close connection to magic and an understanding of the natural world around them can change the behavior of the natural world to do things they would not normally be able to do. It has been described as 'convincing the world to do something for you instead of ordering it to', as there is a connection required to begin making this possible.The practitioners of nature magic are seen by those who work within the divine influence to be naive and innocent to the true state of the world, denying the power of the gods in shaping the world. Those who study arcane magic see nature magic as inferior, since it cannot behave quite as openly or be called upon as easily as arcane magic.
Practical Magic
It bears noting there is a generic term used by most residents of the world, 'practical magic', describing not a particular type of magic but a style and application of it. Practical magic can be of any form or origin, as it is the purpose and use which determines 'practical magic' instead. When a person from Erisdaire refers to magic as 'practical', it usually can be understood to mean 'routine' or 'everyday' instead. What they truly mean to explain is to refer to magic which is used for practical purposes, such as for light, preservation of food, assistance with mundane tasks such as mending broken objects or handling messages.Practical magic is not necessarily inexpensive, nor is it something most people use extensively. It is simply a description of magic which can be applied to tasks more normal to residents of the world.
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