Magic Arts and Spellcasters

Mana is the energy of all Metaphysical things. It comes from humans, nature, even phantasmal beings such as Angels and Demons, and the likes of Elementals and Supernaturals. Much like the soul, it is a unifying force of life.
Not everyone is capable of manipulating it, however, although it comes easier for creatures that are already set apart from the human world. The humans (and human-adjacents) that can manipulate the flow of Mana in various ways are generally known as Mages or Spellcasters, and centuries of mages have created a standard of abilities known as the Magic Arts.
Below, you will find information on the components of Spellcasting as well as the primary types of Spellcasters that utilize it.

Origins

No one knows who the first spellcaster was. Long before the age of writing, even in pictograms, there was Magic, and there were Spellcasters. In its origin, Magic was very primordial, manifesting in only a handful of the now-understood elements, and with many not having knowledge of complicated spell crafting. Magic and its related arts have undergone a long and winding road to be in the state it's currently in, with many different spellcasters combining their knowledge to discover the current array of elements, the different types of Spellcasting, and alternative arts such as Alchemy and Artifice.
The modern form of Magecraft, and its collected understanding, was first brought together in 1535 by famed Alchemist Paracelsus and reaffirmed by various other notable mages across the worlds of man and magic. In the years following, refined by the string of apprentices carrying the Paracelsus title, this would become even more defined until it is now the accepted fact of the world.

Components of Spellcasting

Each spell consists of the same parts: Willing your Mana to action, channeling it through various methods, erecting a Magic Circle or a similar array, and expending the energy to enact your spell. But, along the way of that path, there are a few variables that are different from Mage to Mage.

Focus

A Focus is how your magic shows itself. Two mages casting the same type of spell will most likely have differing appearances for this very reason. Learned Mages have refined their Focus into a consistent state, one based on their personality and method of casting. For example, a Mage that specializes in Nature Magic and is more of a trap-setter than a quick-caster will most likely have Flowers as a Focus, as it matches their style.
Of course, a Focus isn't always necessary for casting, and having a Focus that fits one type of casting doesn't limit you from others, but having a clear image of how your mana will flow and present itself makes spellcasting that much quicker.

Specialty

A Mages Specialty is what kind of Magic they cast. While each style of Magic is a wide ocean of possibilities, most Mages will learn and refine one single specialty, much like how a person will typically only study one subject in higher education. There is not a limited amount of Specialties to pursue, and some Mages study their own unique pursuits.
That being said, there are some general paths of study such as Healing, Alchemy, Battle Magic, Warding, Enchanting, and Summoning, just to name a few.

Invocation

When it comes to Spells, Invocations are the style of Magic Circle that one uses to activate their spell. All Arcane Spellcraft requires a Circle, although not all of them have to be formed the same way.
The most common Magic Circles are ephemeral circles of light that appear in front of the caster, usually emblazoned with complex sigils and signs relevant to the caster and their spell.
Depending on a Mages Specialty, their Circles can take a different form. For example, Alchemists prepare potions and other items ahead of time, meaning they don't need to make a Circle in the moment, while Lithomancers (stone/gem Mages) make their Circles inside the stones they use or craft.
Some types of Spellcaster don't need to make a Circle at all, although that'll be covered below in the Spellcasters section.

Element

The Element of the spell is a large part of what gives it strength. While some spells can be used with any, or all, elements, many Spells require an exact or compatible elemental affinity to use properly.
The Element available to a Spellcaster is heavily tied to their personal power, their Soul (Sometimes referred to as an Origin when speaking in purely magic terms). While each Mage will have an affinity for just one type of Element, they can practice and attempt to learn to use other Elements as well, although they still need to have some affinity for it, and the new element will typically be less effective or powerful compared to their primary Element. For the rest of the section, refer to this chart when we're speaking of the Elements.

The four most essential elements are known as the Inner Four, and they are

• Fire in the North
• Earth in the East
• Water in the South
• and Air in the West

They are the easiest elements to utilize and manipulate, and also have the most overlap when it comes to spell usage, as there are many uses and meanings for each one. This also leads to them having plenty of element-specific spells.
Following them, there are four Outer Elements, potential combinations of the Inner Four that are powerful and plentiful enough to exist on their own.

• In the Northwest between Fire and Air, there is Energy, referred to in the modern day as Electricity
• Metal in the Northeast between Fire and Earth
• Nature in the Southeast between Earth and Water
• and Ice in the Southwest between Water and Air

These elements are less overlapping than the Inner Four, as they take on their own unique properties and traits, but there is some overlap with the two elements that they are "between", and the Outer Elements tend to have an array of element-specific spells to boot.
The next stage of elements is known as the Ascendant Elements. While they exist as primordial concepts on their own, they can take a bit more practice and finesse to wield effectively. Mages born with these as their Element are typically late bloomers, as they require more training to manifest. The Ascendant Elements are as follows:

• Light in the North, as a heightened form of Fire
• Soul aka Self in the East, as a heightened form of Earth
• Shadow in the South, as a heightened form of Water
• and Mind aka Space in the West, as a heightened form of Air

These elements, due to their specific and often ephemeral nature, have the least amount of overlap with general spells, often only sharing the simplest of spells with the other elements, but due to their specificity, the amount of element-unique spells is extraordinary, and often is shaped entirely by the caster.
Besides these twelve, there are two more Special Class Elements: Aether, which is the property of all elements combined, and Void, which is a uniquely dark and draining energy that is devoid of any elemental energy. These elements are entirely caster-specific in their application, although mages of either type are exceedingly rare. In some cases, a mage proficient with Aether magic can draw out a specific element from the whole, although that is a skill that takes an extreme amount of practice.

Types of Spellcasters

While Mages are capable of learning many types of Specialties, there are also a few different classifications of Spellcasters, each with their own unique abilities and methods of approaching spellcraft. With one exception, anyone who can wield magic has the potential to be one of these types, it all depends on how their Mana flows, similar to the learning styles of a student.

Sorcerers aka Invokers

A Mage whose mana is entirely held, empowered, and channeled through their own body is known as a Sorcerer. They are set apart from their contemporaries by being very versatile in their Specialties and Focuses, and very quick at crafting Invocations through a unique method: Named Spells. While most other forms of spellcraft are ritualistic or formulaic, once a Sorcerer has gotten the actions of a spell down to a rhythm, they can bestow it a name, which will supposedly grave it into the Akashic Records, making it easier to cast in the future. Not only does the naming form of invocation mean that many sorcerers do not require creating full circles, save for more powerful ones, but this procedure can also make it easier for future mages to recreate the named spells if they possess the proper skills for it.
Sorcerers make up the majority of Spellcasters in the modern day.

Wizards aka Engravers

Wizards are mages who are less adept at controlling the Mana within their own bodies. To make up the difference, they rigorously follow the formulas and methods of spellcasting and record them along with the resulting Invocations onto physical items. Grimoires, Crystals, Potion Bottles, Wooden Tablets, Paper Talismans, the list goes on. This method of casting makes them less self-sufficient but gives them an edge when it comes to preparation. Wizards can also take advantage of the Akashic Records so well-known and recorded spells can be learned easier, but due to the requirement of formulas, it doesn't get the same benefit of speedy casting.
Wizards are the second most common Spellcaster in the modern day.

Summoners aka Pact-Mages

Summoners are Mages that *can* utilize the Mana within their bodies, but for one reason or another the transfer of energy is extremely inefficient, so they have difficulty actually getting the power to the process of Invocation. This is where a magical middle-man comes in handy.
Utilizing sigils, rituals, or just coming into contact with a magical creature, such as a Fairy, an Elemental, lesser Demons or Angels, and more, the Summoner makes a contract of servitude between themselves and the creature, entering an equal pact in order to share power and life with one another.
After the pact has been made, with whatever conditions or requirements that come with it, the Summoner can then use their Mana to summon, power, and defend their Familiar, a process that only requires their connection, not an Invocation. While Summoners can be pacted to multiple creatures, it is recommended they stick to one at a time, so as not to spread their Mana too thin, or get into complicated situations with their contracts.
While Summoners have an Element, a Focus, and Specialties just like any other Mage, their actual abilities are mostly dependent on the creature they are pacted with, although the aforementioned traits go a long way in determining what kind of Familiar will work best.
While Summoners are the only type of spellcaster dependent on Familiars, younger magical students are urged to bond with a creature regardless to help their studies, and many tend to remain fond of them as time goes on.

Witches

A Witch is a unique lifeform among Spellcasters. Born as almost pure wells of Magic, they also have an innate and intense connection to the power within Nature. This unique existence serves to greatly increase the potency of a witch's select spells but also serves to limit what type of magic they have access to. Unlike other Spellcasters, Witches aren't classified via Elements, as they tend to have all of Nature at their disposal along with Natural Forces, such as Growth and Decay. They also don't have a specific Specialty, as their skills run the gamut of magical applications depending on their desire.
Aside from the manipulation of Nature, a Witches second greatest power is Enchantment, creating magical items and potions and enhancing their innate effects so that the Mana required to activate them is already provided, making it as simple as giving the magic within the item a nudge to activate. However, the process of Enchantment can take a while, and some larger effects can take a lot of energy to remain enchanted, which is why many Witches of similar talents form Covens to increase their abilities, as well as provide security and companionship for one another.
While most Witches can apply their Nature-Manipulation and Enchantment to almost any Specialty of Magic, there exists a rare caste of Witch known as a Focus Point, whose abilities fully embody one specific Concept to its maximum potential, at the cost of not being able to access the wider array of magic.

Subcategories of Spellcraft

Some individuals contain mana but for one reason or another cannot manage the flow for proper spellwork via any of the typical spellcaster types.