Magic in Salaban

Magic is a powerful force in Salaban, made wild and difficult to control during the Great Taming. During the Taming, powerful sorcerers wielded magical artifacts of great power, most of which are either lost or destroyed in the present day. In Salaban, a person must be born with magic to wield it without such an artifact, and the King's Hand make it their business to track down such individuals before they can become dangerous. As a whole, those born with the gift of magic are extremely rare, but the gift seems to run in families. In the kingdom of Salaban, it is illegal to practice magic in any form, with special dispensation given to the King's Hand

Taint

Taint is the lingering essence of magic that twists the user's spells as it saps his life essence over time. Casting a magic spell in Salaban without a magical artifact or outside of the methods of the King's Hand is dangerous, risking the spell becoming Tainted. In addition, there are certain uses of magic that will always be Tainted:

• Any form of teleportation
• Any form of direct magical attack
• Any form of necromancy, including resurrection

Tainted spells go awry, usually running counter to the purposes of the mage casting the spell. Some scholars posit that Taint is some malevolent force for this reason. Taint also lingers with the caster, making more of his spells Tainted over time, eventually corrupting his life-force and even the land around him.

Preventing Taint

The King's Hand has developed a method of casting, involving the use of complicated gestures, strange reagents, and arcane incantations to reduce the risk of spells being Tainted. This method of casting is derived from the New Coldain Enclave, and is subject to their rules. The powers of the Council of the Keepers also do not risk Taint as they work with the land rather than attempt to control it.

Removing Taint

To remove Taint, a magic-user must refrain from using all magic for an extended period. In more dire circumstances, a magic-user may forcibly cleanse his soul through a process called Castigation, which scourges the flesh to cleanse the soul of Taint. 

Purifiers

The threat of errant magic has given rise to a group of individuals whose sole purpose is to nullify and destroy magic. It is said that their touch can destroy the power in a magic artifact, that they and a small number of those they choose to protect are proof against magic in all its forms. The King's Hand is known to have a Purifier in its ranks, but these individuals are rare, and no one knows where their magic-destroying power comes from.