Magic Items

Magic Items are common to use within Drakenelm but have a relatively complicated relationship with the people who wield them. The thing to keep in mind is that there are two categories of magic items; focuses, and artifacts. Both of these carry out very different roles. 
Focuses are used by those who cast magic as a way, as the name suggests, using these items as a way to more easily focus their magical energy, essentially using it as a conduit for the flow. This allows the user to more easily cast and manipulate magic, and is also safer due to spells being cast from an object rather than from the body. The simple idea of how it works is that you use an object that has had its flow of magic extracted, which usually just means becoming dead like dead wood shaped into a staff, where the mage then transfers their own flow into that focus where they are then able to use it as a physical focus of their power. The same rules of normal magic still apply, and a spell that is miscast will cause serious damage, but will instead cause the damage to the conduit rather than the caster. 
Artifacts are different to focuses in that they still contain their own magical energy, whereas focuses have none of their own. The simple idea with artifacts is that they are already being inhabited by magic which anyone, even someone with no experience in the manipulation of magic, is then able to attune to and use. Key word is attune, as all artifacts require the user to mentally connect to the artifact so that they are actually able to use it. This is sometimes very spiritual for certain people, as the user becomes psychologically become linked to their Artifact. When they are so, they are then able to use the specific magic within the artifact, which is what makes Artifacts so rare. It takes a lot of effort to enchant a weapon into the artifact, as one must use magical energy and transfer it into an empty slot, and then spend extra magic to ensure the flow enters and stays within the artifact, so that it doesn't naturally decay. Because of this, as one uses an artifact's property, the more depleted it becomes, meaning one must refill the magic or it will simple die out. 
Focuses are physiologically connected to a user, while Artifacts are psychologically connected to a user. Focuses allow a variety of spells to be cast by competent mages, while Artifacts allow only the magic it has been imbued with, but can be used by anyone who attunes to it.