Magic

Magic is a natural aspect of the Known World. It is said that the state of the world is intricately tied to the amount of magic available—the world could crumble with too little magic, but too much magic can have catastrophic consequences, too. It is the natural role of the Astral Filament and the Primordial Dragons, namely Astria, to keep the world's magic balanced. Magic is the lifeblood of an intricately balanced system that links the Birthing Star, Astria, the worlds' Ley-lines, the Primordial Dragons, and the Astral Filament. Primordial Dragons naturally have the ability to safely consume vast amounts of magic. However, when other creatures are exposed to the same thing, many become crazed and are granted unpredictable, anomalous abilities.
While magic can be rendered inert through anti-magic effects, it is nearly impossible to create or completely destroy magical energy itself, though it can take on different forms. Only a Primordial Dragon is able to destroy or create magic. This has only been understood by some of the most elite magical institutions for the last few decades, and this fact has opened up many avenues of study. Draconic Arcanology is one such field of study that explores the link between magic and dragons specifically. The Impish field of Magichanics attempts to investigate and describe the properties of magic. Little is known of the details of Magichanics, except that the Seventh Law of Magichanics posits that magic cannot be created or destroyed.

Using Magic

Magic is intertwined with the ecosystem and the creatures of the world and is just as much a part of them as it is a part of the world itself. All living beings have a spark of magic within them, and it is extremely rare that someone is born without it, but it takes time, rigorous study, and practice, or an aberration at birth to unlock and utilize this spark of magic. Many have described the process of learning to use magic as similar to exercising an atrophied muscle, as while every creature possesses this spark, it is minuscule, and is typically reclaimed by the ley-lines upon death.
Some are taught to harness their spark of magic by mentors, Some even go about it alone, developing their own style and relationship with magic. Most creatures go their entire lives without casting a spell, while those rare few gifted with natural spellcasting abilities are able to use magic from a very young age. The greatest of magical talents must be honed from an early age because the uncontrolled magic from even a novice may cause terrible destruction.
Unsurprisingly, it is possible to infuse objects with magical energy. Dwarves, Giants, and Imps were among the first races to affix magic into objects through runes to channel their powers. In fact, much of Impish society depends upon this principle. Golems utilize condensed forms of magical energy in order to power forms of rudimentary artificial intelligence. Some of the first airships, a recently developed technology, utilize Erudite as a catalyst to hold specialized spells of Levitation to generate lift.
An individual's innate magical ability is determined, in part at least, by their location in relation to the ley-lines that channel magic around the world. Many ancient historians, explorers, and diplomats expressed shock at the casual way with which magic was viewed by citizens of the Nidean Kingdoms. It is commonly hypothesized that the Kalkaross Peninsula may have been bathed in high concentrations of magic, and how the entire peninsula may have rested upon a huge conjunction of criss-crossing ley-lines prior to the peninsula's destruction. 

Addiction

Certain types of magic are more addictive to use than others. This is true for Arcane Magic that manipulates the fabric of reality, such as Time Stop and Wish. Such powerful forms of Arcane Magic risk the sundering of time and space and, as such, drawing the attention of the Old Gods. Necromancy is also addictive, perhaps even more so than Arcane Magic. In its purest form, Necromancy dabbles with the very essence of life and death and requires the spellcaster's own life force as a source of fuel, or the life force of others. At its worst, it is a destructive, cursed, entropic, chaotic, and extremely volatile form of magic often used by spellcasters of devious minds. Its use by the wielder, or its effects on the victim, frequently results in an alteration of the individual, colloquially called necrotic corruption.

Spellcraft

Learning to expertly cast spells takes many decades, and many wizards of the world's numerous mage guilds will spend their entire lives crafting a small handful of spells. While many spells tend to be left forgotten or unused due to their relatively useless and rigid nature, some have seen widespread use and practice for their flexibility in everyday use. The Mage Handspell is perhaps one of the most widely-known spells and is one of the first taught to apprentice wizards. It sees use from the most novice students to the most powerful Archmages.
To craft a spell, any novice must first understand the 'language' of spellcraft. Binding runes, conjuring circles, metamagical conditions, and shaping wards are among the many different mechanics that must be mastered before they can be combined to form a spell. An experienced spellcrafter can create the basics of a unique cantrip within a year, while a higher-level spell can take decades to complete.

The Spectrum of Magic

Naturally, magic in the environment cannot be visibly seen or easily detected and can only be seen through some form of Truesight, or some other abilities to detect it. In high enough concentration, magic begins to take visible form as it shifts into the visible spectrum of light.
Magic coalesces into channels, traveling across paths of least resistance deep beneath the ground. These are called ley-lines—great roots of crystal that span deep throughout the world. Where these ley-lines gather and overlap is where magic is strongest and can be likened to wind currents. Ley lines combine magics of all types together in a way that that is analogous to different wavelengths of light combining to form white light. This white, unfiltered, pure magic in this context is often called Astral Magic.

Types of Magic

Magic can be broadly categorized into two separate forms. Divine Magic is drawn from or given by powerful beings and spirits, such as Alsham, the Angelic Pantheon, the Pantheon of the Wild, the Infernal Court, and the Old Gods, while Arcane Magic is derived from, in part, the laws of the universe and the manipulation thereof.
Through countless years of studying magic, the Polymath College, the Sapphire Assembly, the Shaman's Mantle, and the many other mage societies across many nations have categorized magic further into the Eight Schools of Magic. Today, some spellcasters practice Evocation magic, which often channels the raw and devastating aspects of magic, particularly from the elemental planes of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Experts in Conjuration are able to teleport by instantaneously traversing through Ley-lines across the world, and are able to summon creatures from beyond by briefly opening holes within the Filament. Abjuration harnesses the protective aspects of magic and its practitioners can weave the currents of magic into barriers. Abjuration is typically the domain of many clerics and Divine Magic users. The powers of Necromancy sometimes draw their influence from the Blacklands, but can also receive their powers from the Eventide Veil.
While it is possible to cast different spells from multiple schools of magic, it is very difficult to master more than one school, and most users tend to become highly specialized rather than only moderately proficient in many schools. The risk of magic becoming uncontrollable is greater the more one practices different forms of magic at once.
Broadly, Divine or Arcane Magic will influence the nature and effects of the schools of magic. Divine magic gifted from the Angelic Pantheon or Alsham will often appear radiant and golden, regardless of the school of magic being cast. Spiritual magic conjured by a chosen of the Pantheon of the Wild will appear a ghostly blue.

School of Magic	Spectrum Color	Associated Traits
Abjuration	Yellow	Protection, shielding
Conjuration	Green	Creation, teleportation, summoning
Divination	Blue	Revelation, discovery, learning
Enchantment	Purple	Manipulation, influencing
Illusion	Indigo	Deception, trickery
Necromancy	Blood/Flesh: Blood Red Curses/Diseases: Lime Green Death/Souls: Ghostly Blue	Life, death
Transmutation	Orange	Change, transformation

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane

Some scholars theorize that magic flows through all things, that we swim in magic as fish swim in the water, or as we ourselves live in the air. This magic is said to ebb and flow via formations called ley lines.
Magic infuses everything in the world. The building blocks of reality are held together by magic. With the right connectors, manipulating magical elements with the mind becomes possible. Ergo, the mind is both a powerful and fragile quantity in the world equation. It can move mountains or it can be shattered like glass.
My research has found a thread between magic and the mind. The two are linked. Where there is one, there must also be the other. The igniter is belief.

— "A Primer on Draconic Arcanology, by Eda Ul'Naireem", page 3