Ærilian Magic
"On Earth, they considered anything that couldn't be explained by science to be magic. In reality that couldn't be further from the truth. Magic and science stand as two titanic forces that oversee the balance of our world. Where one falls short, the other makes up. Science is what binds our world together and makes it possible. Magic is the power to change the world entirely."
Alleon Gregor, The Science in Magic
Introduction
Known as the most common magic system used in all of Partha, Ærilian magic is broken up into two followings, Chaos and Order, and three schools of magic craft, Magecraft, Witchcraft, and Sourcecraft. Order is the most commonly accepted following in Partha and is not restricted to magic users. The magical practitioners use their magic sparingly, and often only to protect those around them. They do not believe in the frivolous use of magic and often choose to do things without using their magical abilities. Some of their more common spells include minor levitation, summoning light, and creating powerful shields. Chaos is, as it sounds, more disorganized in nature. The followers of Chaos embrace the use of magic as part of themselves in the same way as their arms and legs. Despite having a poor reputation as being dangerous due to their flippant use of magic, most followers of Chaos are quite harmless. While Chaos followers employ a much broader pool of spells, some of the more common ones used are conjuring elements (fire, water, earth, and air), energy pulses, and minor world manipulation. Magecraft is the use of the natural energy in the world around them. Witchcraft is the use of the natural world to create change through spells called contracts. And Sourcecraft is the forcing of magical energy into physical vessels, either natural or otherwise.
Inherent & Learned
Ærilian magic can only be used by those with Æ'ur blood, though those with Æ'ur blood are among the most populous on the planet. This means that a caster must inherit the ability to use magic from at least one parent. Ærilian magic can be summoned through sheer force of will by an untrained person, however the magic will be chaotic in nature and uncontrollable. Those with Æ'ur blood are very common in Partha. With that being the requirement to make one able to use magic, it is relatively common to be born with the capability of using magic. However, it requires strong willpower and considerable training to be able to use magic to any meaningful effect, and some are naturally better or worse than others.
Magical Source
The source of energy for all Ærilian magic is a natural element called Kyn. This is put out by all living entities and exists in much the same way as air. It is invisible except by those who are incredibly attuned to magical energies. Kyn moves freely through the world and can be drawn upon by a trained Ærilian magic user at will. Additionally, there are natural currents of Kyn energy that travel like veins of magic throughout Partha. Drawing from these veins of Kyn allow for Ærilian magic users to absorb significantly more Kyn at one time, allowing for stronger spells. This can be dangerous for Mages, however, as the surge of Kyn energy through their bodies can be damaging if not released quickly. Mages summon Kyn from the world around them into their bodies. They then use mental fortitude and willpower to make the Kyn bend the world around them to their desires. This is known as the most physically powerful and obvious type of magic, however it comes at the greatest cost. Taking Kyn directly into the body wears out both the body and mind, and the effects of this can range from short term exhaustion, to long-term illness and possibly death. Witches use natural elements in the world to guide the Kyn into doing as they desire. These spells are sometimes called 'contracts' because of how much care has to be put into every spell. The ingredients must be just so, and the spell must be issued in a certain way to get the desired effect. While time consuming, this has no direct effect on the Witch and has the farthest reach of any of the three schools of magic. A powerful Witch could cast a spell in Erastur and set off a volcano in the Wildlands. Sourcerers summon and bind Kyn into items to give them enchantments. This has the negative effect of taking Kyn out of its natural state and anchoring it to something foreign, which can alter the balance of Kyn energies in certain areas. Items have to be prepared and measured depending on the amount of Kyn being stored. Different items can hold different amounts of Kyn. The drawback is that these enchanted items, once created, can be used by anyone, thus making them dangerous.
Reagent Use
Witchcraft and Sourcecraft require the use of certain physical items to perform their magics. Witches use natural items like plants, soil, stone, water, and animal parts to weave complex contracts with the world around them. These reagents change dramatically depending on the spell, its power, and the Witch casting it. Sourcecraft imbues items with spells by drawing Kyn into the item and locking it in place. Sourcerers, therefore, rarely cast spells themselves, but use magical items to cast for them. Magecraft generally does not require the use of reagents to cast spells, though some Mages do use foci like staves and crystals to enhance their spellcasting.
Using Spells
Magecraft allows for the most spontaneous magic use as Mages need only the Kyn in the world around them to cast spells. Of course, larger and more complex spells require time to gather the necessary energy. A Mage can cast most low to mid-level spells almost immediately. Sourcecraft requires preparation of the item to be imbued and the spell itself. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to craft the spell for the item, and imbuing can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours while sufficient energy is drawn. Witchcraft often takes the longest and requires the most use of outside physical objects. A Witch's contracts must be carefully planned and prepared, with ingredients and reagents that can be difficult to obtain. Further, Witch contracts can take hours to perform and even longer to take effect.
Magical Limitations
Most Ærilian magic users are limited by a few factors depending on their school of magic. Mages are limited most by their intelligence and strength of body. Much of Magecraft requires the user to craft and hold the spell mentally while channeling Kyn, which requires intelligence in spell memorization and fortitude of body to channel the Kyn without letting it destroy the caster. Most Mages find themselves more limited by their body than their intelligence, only able to handle so much Kyn before it starts to become physically harmful. Witches are limited by intelligence and availability of reagents. A Witch's spells require intense knowledge of the natural world, and one wrong piece can alter a contract greatly. Because of this, the availability of reagents and resources becomes a major limiting factor because substitutions are never recommended and can be dangerous overall. Sourcery is limited primarily only by intelligence. Since their spells are physically inlaid into the items they're imbuing, most of these can be recorded readily in books and notes that can be referred to whenever needed. Kyn is locked into the item, and thus has no damaging effects on the user's body. Any item can by imbued, however every item has a risk of breaking due to the Kyn being tethered.
Magic in Society
Æ'ur bloodlines are common in Erastur, making Ærilian magic the most common magic used in all of Partha. However, every person with the ability to use this magic has different capabilities, and most untrained magic users are unable to cast even the smallest spell unless under extreme duress. It is estimated that about two in every three humans in Erastur is of Æ'ur bloodline, however only one in every two-hundred humans have learned to use any magic at all. This makes magic uncommon, but not rare. This also changes depending on the region. Western Erastur has strict laws for magic, and a negative view towards it, making magic users much rarer. Eastern Erastur embraces magic and offers institutions for teaching it, allowing more magic users to take up the practice. Within the land of Æ'ur, on the eastern side of Erastur, Ærilian magic is widely used and embraced. Magic users are an accepted and integral part of society and thus hold no negative social implications. There are laws for magical use, of course, and depending on whether a magic user follows Order or Chaos can shift the perceptions of others. Most people in Erastur, especially in civilized areas, follow the path of Order, and have a negative view of those who follow Chaos. In the Golden Alliance, magic is all but banned. This is due to overt fear of magic and its practice from anti-magic propaganda. There are strict laws against magic users, forcing them to be registered and monitored by 'State Officials.' Mages are not allowed to live by themselves or congregate in groups. They must wear a band around their arm that shows what they are to anyone around them. Those found violating these laws, or trying to hide their practice of magic are quickly sentenced to death. The Golden Alliance military has made efforts to weaponize mages, however little is officially known about this. The Kan'ali people hold similar fears of magic to those of the Golden Alliance. While less obviously hateful, the people of the Thel'esian Sands generally look down on magic users and bar them from their settlements. They call magic users Shaman and leave them to wander the sands.
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