Magic

Abiltiies beyond the natural, created of psychospace

Magic, borne of psychospace, is a broad term covering effects not naturally produced by physics or standard natural laws, requiring purpose, instructions, and duration. It generally takes three forms: latent, cast, and intent. All magic naturally witnessed by creatures can fit into these categories with enough specificity.

Latent

Latent magic is the most common form, existing nearly everywhere simultaneously. It is the natural consequence of the pervasiveness of psychospace, able to affect the consequences of actions or fate in innumerable, minor ways. It is for this reason, that it exists in all spaces and at all times, that it is often simplified as a concept to the "will of the gods". The laws of psychospace as it affects the physical world create latent magic as a byproduct.
For example, latent magic might include a crowd's cheering affecting the speed of a racer, a brother being able to suddenly sense when his sister is in danger, or the death of an eidolon causing an emotional ripple effect in its community.

Cast

Cast magic is the second most-common, created generally by humanoids and powerful creatures, executing psychic code as created through various means. Generally, when one refers to "magic users", they are referring to users of cast magic. Cast magic is the form of magic that can be taught, learned, experimented, believed in, passed on, inherited, or bestowed.
Psychic code is compiled by casters or their beneficiaries into repeatable, practicable sequences known as spells, which are "cast" through materials or focuses to produce their effects, hence the name. These sequences are often internalized by casters, who prepare them each day to be used and must re-prepare if a change is desired. All spells have an "arcane complexity", codified into levels determined by the magnitude of their effect on the world, in order to communicate the level of mastery over psychospace necessary to wield them. If one attempts to cast a spell of a complexity they are not prepared to, effects can range from nothing being accomplished to the user being incinerated.
In general, cast magic is created in either miraculous or arcane forms, both sourced from a "Divine Equation", a theoretically infinite and impossible equation or "program" that governs all rules of reality, specifically differentiating between reality's natural limits and its absolute, actual limits -- the differences between chance (how likely is it?) and outright potentiality (is it possible?), to put it another way. Like degrees and radians in the real world, the measurements by which each faith or school of magic generally wield the Equation vary by 'unit': for the goddess Cientia, for example, this unit would be “time”, as this is her domain.

• Miraculous magic, also called "divine" magic, is code sourced from consequences and processes in the Equation, collectively known broadly as the Gospel of the Equation. A cleric restoring life to someone has returned that life to them, creating a process (the restorative magic) and a consequence (their lifespan extending) that then takes effect. The power for the Gospel is generally sourced from faith.
• Arcane magic, also known as "textual" magic, is sourced from interpretations and inferences that people create of the Equation, collectively known as the Study of the Equation. A wizard can summon a fey spirit to aid them under the pretense of shaping that spirit's form and shape in their mind and breathing it into life, creating the interpretation (that a spirit has this shape due to its bond with nature) and the inference (that this spirit is loyal to those who call it) that then takes effect. The power for the Study is generally sourced on knowledge.

An arcane spellcaster wishing to share their findings or create consumable copies of their research can decode certain spells back into user-agnostic forms, usually as scrolls. Enchanters and artificers use cast magic to manifest a latent or intent magic effect, allowing such creations to be much more persistent than the transitory effects of most spells, sometimes even allowing these effects to manifest cast magic themselves. This is how magic items are created.

Intent

Intent magic is the least common, but exists in high densities under certain conditions. Certain creatures, often the byproduct of magic themselves, exude auras or abilities that are have magical effects as a result of dense or immensely powerful and deeply ingrained psychic data within their soul that automatically and consistently exists and executes. It is given the name intent because it must naturally activate with the creature itself. Such magic is generally impervious to effects which halt or hamper the other two forms of magic, since they are deeply linked with the unalienable soul.
Examples of intent magic are a revenant's automatic rejuvenation, an angel's singing, or a dragon's breath. As a general rule, intent magic cannot be circumvented like cast magic without workarounds, such as through the power of a magic circle.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane