Basic elements of Theory of Magic

Fundamentals of Magic and Magic Forms

"There are lots of things that we can live without, but Magic is not one of those. Magic is what we feed our souls of, what our culture is made of and what life is born of. It is all around us, in everything our minds can perceive. And that is why we need to understand it."
— Mahiprimi: An advanced study on Primi and the Theory of Magic by Professor Irisahnith the Revered

Introduction

Magic is usually perceived as an abstract force devoid of will, only useful when actively forced to interact with the physical world through a spell, incantation, potion or as such. That is untrue. It is a very old misconception that we learn from centuries-old stories made to explain complex things to the simpler minds of humans, but a misconception nonetheless.
The concept of Magic is deeply entwined with those of Nature and Life. Magic is the manifestation in the physical and astral world of the will of Nature. As with no nature there is no life, there is also no life without magic.

Through the ages, magic has been studied various times by several great scholars, some of which are considered to be major figures in the Særtian culture, but its main theorist and researcher is Professor Irisahnith the Revered. In 453 R.E. he published the book Mahiprimi: An advanced study on Primi and the Theory of Magic for the Grineret University of Magic in Meiveria, where he taught Theory of Magic. Thanks to its attention to detail, analytical structure, advanced accuracy and modernity, this book has been the foundation of further research on the subject of Magic ever since.

We will now analyze some important aspects of Magic, such as physical manifestations, representation, magic conductors, common incantations, basic runes, basic spell-making, basic potion-making and an introduction to magic forms, which will be analyzed in detail in their selective pages.

What is Magic?

The concept of Magic is so deeply entwined with those of Nature and Life that it is difficult, if not impossible, to explain it without mentioning the others.
Virtually, Magic is the manifestation of the will of Nature and the creatures that live within it, and thus Life. It is usually represented as a semitransparent woman in dark teal clothes with long wavy hair. Physically, it is the effect of using Mana, an energy that connects all the things in the Universe, a net that runs deep into the nature and in the living creatures. This is where, physically, Magic connects to Nature and Life.

The difference between Irathee and Navilee, between the Irathians and the Navithians, is how much mana there is and how much people are aware of it. Irathee has very little mana, and its people lack the ability to feel it, let alone manipulate it. It is thanks to this that the few magical people on it can survive behind a wall of illusion.

The magic classes

All mana comes from a source, which determines how the mana can be used. The difference in sources and mana usage is the basis for the common classification of magic. There are five main magical classes: Living, Mythic, Connected, Elemental, and Trasformative. In addition Primic magic is a class of its own, one that has not been extensively studied. To each magic class corresponds a Folk group, which is a biological subdivision of the sentient species that populate Navilee.
While Living magic can be learned by almost anyone, though mastery is uncommon outside of the Maegilfolk, all other magics derive from a sentient's biological background. Mythic magic is very powerful, as it is the magic that affects the people, though not only the Meithifolk. Connected Magic is typical of the Naiterfolk, and it is the one most connected to Nature. Elemental magic is considered a gift from the Sili to the Silienfolk, more commonly known as Silihem. Lastly, Trasformative magic is the most varied type of magic, found in Krialkofolk. There are also some very intelligent animal species that can do magic of a very similar type to Traformative magice; wether they should be classed as Krialkofolk or not is an open debate. Primic magic is only found in the Primi, immortal beings that came to Navilee before everything.

This is just a basic overview of the magic classes and their Folk groups. A more detailed — though not complete — description will follow beneath. Keep in mind that magic is a complex topic and is still being studied.

Living Magic

Also called Grey magic, Living magic is the only class of magic that can be learned. That is because it is found in all living creatures, and as such it is the easiest to feel and find, but not to manipulate. Because of this, mediums are always required and vary according to the skill of it's practice and the difficulty of the magic to perform. Levitation spells can be done with something as simple as a small gem, while shifting reality requires even for a skilled Magi to perform a complex ritual.
Magical affinity can vary a lot from person to person, but it rarely creates divides within the community. However, schools of thought do create a stark contrast, which reflects in the ethnical subcategories of Magi there are. Magic types further break down the various ethnicities into smaller communities called mæstreg. The term mæstreg is however refused by druids — who live in tribes — and renegades — who are either lonely wanderers or swear themselves to a criminal circle.

Magic types
Healing magic
Fighting magic
Natural magic
Blood magic
Physical magic
Curses and Jinxes
Black magic
Astral magic
Alchemy and potions

Ethnical subcategories and their S.o.T.
Druids —> Magic as a deity
Wicas —> Magic as a gift
Witches —> Magic as an art
Wizards —> Magic as a science
Warlocks —> Magic as a tool
Sorcerers —> Magic as a duty
Renegades —> Magic as a privilege

Connected Magic

Elemental Magic

Elemental magic is possibly the most organized and studied of the magic classes. There are a few explanations for this, but the most supported is that it is so extrelemly widespread that the need to study and understand it came far before other magics. In fact, Silienfolk make up almost half the Navilian population.

The mana used for Elemental Magic is believed to have come directly from the Sili, at least at first. It has been tested that, biologically speaking, the cellular organs that produce mana are higly specialized. They produce what is popularly called "colored" mana in great quantities. This colored mana is called like this because the magic tends to color itself in shades of a particular color according to the Sili whom it aligned the most with. This results in magic sub-types, called "Elements" or "Bases", corresponding to each Sili and their domain, and each Silienfolk can only have one type of mana, thus one elemental magic.
It is worth noting, however, that Sili still have control over the mana aligned with them. This is proved by the fact that loss of one's magic is something that can happen, and not for illness. This is thought to be because Sili have much more control over their respective colored mana than a Silienfolk does, and they are thus able to block a Silifolk's connection to said mana. Reasons for this removal of magic are still being studied, but most religious people point them to endangerment and discrepancies between the Sili's values and what the Silienfolk is using their mana for.

The different Elements are highly organized and their properties have been vastly studied and categorized, helping this organization.

Natural

Base	Element	Type	Sili	Root	State	Dominance	Main	Derivate	Opposite
Red	Fire	Natural	Pheanh	Emotion	Fluid	Primary		Lightning	Ice
Orange	Earth	Natural	Rhydom	Justice	Solid	Primary		Crystal	Air
Yellow	Lightning	Natural	Lujun	Creativity	Fluid	Secondary	Fire		Water
Green	Flora	Natural	Fonasi	Selflessness	Solid	Primary		Air	Crystal
Cyan	Ice	Natural	Isife	Control	Solid	Secondary	Water		Fire
Blue	Water	Natural	Walaka	Wisdom	Fluid	Primary		Ice	Lightning
Purple	Air	Natural	Osyn	Freedom	Fluid	Secondary	Flora		Earth
Pink	Crystal	Natural	Cliridi	Protection	Solid	Secondary	Earth		Flora

Discipline
Magic Main Scholar
Professor Irisahnith the Revered Main Text
Mahisili: An advanced study on Sili and the Theory of Magic Main University(s)
Grineret University of Magic in Meiveria