Magic in Halcyon

I used to think that magic was for nerds. But then I found a magic sword that could light itself on fire. It was then I realized magic was badass.

— Rhogar's Encyclopedia of the Realms

Introduction

The magic of Halcyon is derived from the elemental chaos that surrounds the planes of existence. In the same way that the gods Asiris and Celia were able to use this energy to create the universe, those who wield magic are able to use its energy to accomplish arcane feats and tricks. The greater the task, the greater amount of elemental energy needed to effectively complete it.

On wizards and mages

With every passing age of Halcyon, the amount of Wizards and other spellcasters that exist dwindles further. This is because of the finite amount of elemental energy in existence. Just as the gods have been weakened in their own powers, so too has the powers of wizards. In the First Age, wizards were able to wield considerable power and several could be found in almost every settlement. They became an integral part of the way society functioned. Settlements could easily send messages to one another and the distances between locations seemed short with magically assisted travel. While the magic of First Age mages was quite powerful, it was also quite crude. They did not need much in the way of finesse or academic study in order to effectively wield such magic, as the elemental chaos was still quite abundant. However, by the Second Age of Halcyon, the amount of elemental energy had dwindled such that wizards and spellcasters were becoming much less commonplace. There might be only one or two powerful mages in a large city. Lesser mages still had to spend years studying and practicing, and their roles in society became mostly relegated to academics, adventuring, or military. In the Third Age, spellcasters had mostly disappeared from the ranks of formal militaries and the most powerful mages have been relegated to positions of great authority and influence. It is speculated that many of those who have sought magical powers remain in hiding to avoid the pressure of service to a kingdom. Most magical users must study for years to gain any practical level of power or be naturally gifted at birth.