The Magic Ones

The people who utilize the most amazing resource in Altheria

Magic is one of the most important resources to the life of everything within Altheria. Magic exists in the some form in every single being that lives in Altheria. Magic that exists within the denizens of Altheria is referred to as Ziel . Ziel acts almost like a usable life force for casters of magic. People are born with different levels of Ziel, it is possible for one to both increase and decrease the amount of Ziel their body can contain through intense training. Ziel flows through a persons body similar to blood except Ziel is generated from 7 different points in the body, the heart, brain, ankles of both feet, palms of both hands, and the lower back.
A each person's Ziel is unique in a special way. A persons Ziel is naturally specialized in a certain style of magic, this means that a person can cast spells of that style of magic without using up as much Ziel and the spell is far more potent. There is a variety of styles of magic that exist within Altheria. They are, Elemental, Illusion, Transformation, Alteration, Enhancement, Enchantment, Healing, Summoning, Psychic and Transmutation. A persons Ziel is capable of specializing in any of these styles. A person's whose Ziel specializes in Elemental magic gets even more specific as their Ziel will further specialize into a specific element such as Earth, Fire, Ice etc... On rare occasions due to the nature of a persons Ziel, the color of these elements may change. For example a person who has a specialization in fire magic may naturally cast fire spells where the fire appears purple. This color change doesn't make the spell more powerful but more of a signature look for the casters. This color change is very rare among spell casters and is believed to happen through genetic mutation.
Magic runs everywhere in Altheria, but strangely enough only about 40% of the people living in Altheria are capable of using the Ziel in their body to cast magic. Researchers are currently attempting to figure out why this is and how they can help people who can't cast magic learn to. The current leading theory behind this is that when Altheria was first inhabited only a small number of the founding members even had Ziel in their bodies. After years of reproducing the trait of magic casting has been passed down in increasing numbers to where the Altheria is today.

Basic Information

Anatomy

These people have the same anatomy as anyone else from their species. The only difference is that Ziel runs through their body in larger quantities than the average person. Ziel is a mist like substance that flows through special veins in the body of a person. Ziel is produced form a persons Heart, Brain, Lower back, both ankles and the palms of a persons hand

Biological Traits

The only difference magic casters have in their biological traits is that if they were to use up all the Ziel in their body while casting magical spells they would die. The body relies on Ziel as a repair mechanism as well as a stimulant for the heart and brain. Since regular people can't utilize Ziel to cast magic they don't need to worry about running out. But since magic casters are capable of expelling Ziel they must be able to recognize how much they expel.
Besides death their are other side effects to using too much Ziel. Some of these side effects can include, Nausea, dizziness, reduced motor senses, sluggish movements, forgetfulness and lack of energy. These are the most prominent features and side effects that occur when a caster begins using up too much of their Ziel.
A caster dying from using up all their Ziel is an extremely rare occurrence however. They are taught about this since a very young age and years of training and schooling helps casters figure out the limits that their Ziel capacity has. Thanks to this training many casters are aware of the way their body reacts to losing too much Ziel. By utilizing their bodies warning signs they can easily avoid overuse of Ziel and prevent themselves from facing bad side effects.

Growth Rate & Stages

They grow and live just as long as the rest of their species. The only difference in the stages of their life is that in a Casters early childhood is when the first signs of wielding magic can be seen. This is most notable when a toddler may accidentally crush a rock or cause sparks to shoot from their hands. Often times when parents see this they celebrate as their kid will most likely have a more successful and fulfilling life. These children are then usually sent to a special schooling system to learn about Ziel and how to control it.

Dietary Needs and Habits

There is no extraordinarily different habits or needs these people need. The biggest difference however is that they need to consume a larger amount of fruits and vegetables than non magic casters. This is due to the creation process of Ziel in the body. Fruit and vegetables in Altheria have natural chemicals and vitamins in them that enrich and supply the Ziel creation points with the materials needed to create Ziel at a faster rate in order to keep a persons Ziel capacity at a comfortable level.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Magic users are heavily integrated to society. Many of the building and economies of the Regions rely heavily upon these people. Thanks to the high demand and potentially dangerous jobs that magic casters take on they tend to find themselves on the wealthier side of society. Many governments and people are willing to pay a lot of coin for the services of an established Caster to get a job done.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They are capable of using Ziel to improve these abilities. Often controlling the flow of it through ones body in order to increase ones physical strength to perform tasks. Thanks to the Ziel in these peoples bodies it also allows them to cast Magic.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Some of the biggest magic organizations are the famous wizard guilds found throughout Altheria. These guilds only recruit the most skilled magic users for a variety of purposes. Most commonly it is to perform jobs, quests, bounties and other forms of adventures that help bring in revenue for the guild. These guilds can commonly be found in capitol cities where there are utilized on a daily basis. Many of these guild members will wear some form of their guilds symbol on their outfit on most occasions to symbolize their standing and power. More dedicated users will get their guilds symbol tattooed onto them.

Historical Figures

Some of the most prominent members in Altherian history were magic users. The Plethorn twins, responsible for the founding of the regions of Hestiah and Stelliah were both skilled magic users, Cynthia Elander was another magic user, she is famous for establishing Enithe. Other prominent magic users are the current King of Ollurve Kolliv Woodwind is a skilled mage that specializes in Alteration magic. There are tons of magic users that have helped alter the course of Altherian history, and the current crop of living magic users suggest that there will be plenty of others to come.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Relations between a magic user and a non magic user are nothing new. There are plenty of relationships between both species. The only notable part of a relationship between these, is that the chance of a kid having inheriting the magic users capabilities. The trait that allows magic users to control their Ziel is recessive so their is a smaller chance of the child being born with the powers to control their Ziel. Interestingly enough if a magic user who specializes in Enhancement magic has a kid who can cast magic, there is no guarantee that the kid will also specialize in Enhancement magic. The style that the Ziel specializes in appears to be random.

Scientific Name

These people are often referred to as Wizards, Witches, Warlocks, Mages or Casters

Origin/Ancestry

A few members of the founding inhabitants of Altheria had a genetic mutation that caused Ziel to begin running through their bodies. Once they arrived on Altheria the Ziel awakened due to the incredible amount of magic energy that runs through Altheria

Conservation Status

The people capable of using magic are some of the most powerful people in Altheria. They're more than capable of protecting themselves.

Average Physique

Most casters have an above average physique thanks to training and the extra diet of fruits and vegetables that they consume. It is entirely possible for magic casters to be over weight or out of shape however and is not as uncommon as one may think.