The Nature Of The Gift

The gift resides inside those who are born with it. Almost every living being without exception has some trace amount of the gift, regardless of their ability to use it. The gift is part of what makes each soul unique.
The gift is concentrated strongly in the blood, followed by the bones, flesh, and spirit respectively. It can also be found in trace amounts trapped in the air surrounding the beings joints. However, this is of little consequence in regards to using it for manipulating the environment.
While the spirit has the lowest concentration of the gift, it is made entirely of its essence. This allows the soul to function as a battery, recharging the levels of the gift found elsewhere.
When a person dies, their spirit has been observed to instantly depart. Afterwards natures begins the process of setting in, it eventually drains the body of the gift. The bones act as arcane containers, and are the last to lose the gift. These will slowly retain the gift over the next nine years save for a very trace amount.
When the gift is expiring from the rest of the body, it will remain in the blood several hours to days, depending on the care taken in preservation. It can take upwards of a year for the gift to drain from the flesh. The heart is the last bit to lose its connection to the gift.
Use of the gift in combat will not work against Undead who have been reanimated after the bones have been drained of the gift themselves. This however, isn't saying that an experienced practitioner can't use their gift in creative ways. Spells that use the environment are the best means of protection against Undead forces.
Necromancy is a dark art that using strange subtleties of the gift to bind spirits to constructs of flesh and bone. These unholy spells don't require the body to have the gift to bring these servants into the world, as the magic works as if it was cast upon an inanimate object. These Undead monstrosities will walk away unscathed by the deadliest of spells, including Wizards Fire .
Inexperienced combatants may find situations involving Necromancy unsettling. Having become overly reliant on the convenience of their gift throughout years of practice, and faced with a lack of results may result in panic setting in when the individual is unable to stop the ever encroaching abomination.
These scenarios have been well documented over the years and as such, most schools and teachers, expose their students to these situations in some manner or another. The goal is to create experience and confidence under the pressure of facing adversaries that practice necromancy. However, exposure to real situations is the only real way to overcome the fear, and gain mastery of these occurrences.
The undead aren't affected by magic directly for one simple reason. The gift can only be used to manipulate itself. As all living beings possess some trace of the gift, then it can be used against most. A notable exception however is that Barbarian tribes have been proven to have such an intense disbelief of magic as to render it ineffective against them. A few other cultures exhibit similar beliefs as well.
To individuals immune to the gift, displays of power appear as if they are babbling strangely and flailing about. A core component of any magic is the belief that it is possible. If an individual cannot be convinced that it exists, then they can not be affected by its outcome.
Concerning Barbarians, their disbelief can be so strong in some tribes as to render the gifted unable to any spells at all in the presence of their company. Whatever environmental effects the gifted are able to manipulate are attributed to acts of nature or the will of the gods, thus making it nearly impossible to convince these individuals that the gift was responsible for the outcome. Even in the face of constant proof, they will stubbornly assert their beliefs much to the frustrations of various gifted who may be trying to escape their capture.
The rarest of all cases concerning variations of the gift are individuals who are born without even the smallest spark. Even those who do not pursue a study of magic find the presence of these strange mutations to be disturbing and odd, at times even unsettling. Animals are often suddenly spooked by their presence and generally act skittish, being unable to track them otherwise. Some beings of the spirit realm are also unable to perceive them.
These people are shrouded in mystery. No one knows how they came to be, much less their reason, not even the gods. Complicating matters, is that every individual questioned seems to suffer from some inherent amnesia, having not recollection of the events themselves. They all share a single enigmatic memory that "Father sent us here..." but none one understands the meaning.
All of these beings have been sterile and none younger than twelve have been documented. Most notably is their snow white hair and fiery flame eyes. They travel as a nomadic band, never in groups larger than five as their existence alone draws suspicion. No communities have never been formed. Their presence often makes the people around them uncomfortable, especially the gifted whose reception ranges from extreme fascination or outright terror.
Later generations would discover the truth of the matter. These beings were the result of an attempt to destroy magic in the fourth age. Their strange looks and lack of ability to be affected by the enemies gift was intended to strike unbridled fear into their ranks. Even after the great war ended, the magic used to create them remained active. A binding spell was placed upon it and the magic locked away. Eventually its existence became irrelevant to society and was forgotten. The binding spell occasionally malfunctions due to increasing "power failures", and the old magic produces another "weapon".
The gift is comprised of the energy passed down through Helial and Mihakels union. From The Destroyer comes the negative energy, and the positive represents The Creator. Negative energy can only be used to remove properties that already exist. Positive energy can only expand something that already exists. There is no creation or destruction from thin air. The gift manifests itself differently in each individual and this document can not begin to cover the various uses by different orders. Some gifted find themselves often able to only use one aspect of the gift with those able to wield both being exceptional. Manipulation of the gift also varies by the individual.
The gift draws the attention Infernals, who having lost their own version of the gift, seek those capable of using it for possession of their powers. Individuals who become possessed, or willingly accept in these spirits become Warlocks

Source

The gift is focused first in the blood, then it is amplified by the the flesh. The spirit seeks to replace what was spent and draws it first from the bones. The air between the joints gathers it from around the gifted, and allows the spirit to draw the gift in externally if needed.

Discovery

The gift was a natural ability of the Precursors. After the great flood, the mortal races lost their ability to use it and was soon rediscovered later in the third age.

Related Discipline

Wizards, Sorcerers, Mages, Warlocks,

Related School

Arcana (Arcane Energy)

Effect Duration

Most spells are permanent, but duration can be left to the discretion of the user. In regards to more dramatic spells like fireballs or various offensive abilities, the length of time depends on the stamina of the caster.

Effect Casting Time

The majority of spells are instantly cast.

Range

Generally, the object or person has to be within sight or touch of the caster. More powerful gifted can affect targets in far way places.

Level

A gifted can begin casting spells within their first few months of training and generally become fully fluent within ten to twenty years after completing their program of study.

Applied Restriction

Varies by the school or class. Some places have anti-magic laws in place.