Magic

Magic is a constant. Regardless of how it is used or observed, it remains the same. It is not any one thing, but the underlying layer of all things. Some say it is a living thing, but it is much more likely to be neither alive nor dead, neither of this world or alien to it. What is understood of magic is a drop of water in a tub. To encompass all that magic is requires a consciousness and capacity no known being possess. Even the great Void, the spaces between the worlds in the blackness of the Astral Sea has magic and could be called magical. To break down magic between dark, light, this type, that type, is a constructed concept designed to wrap around the minds of those beings that seek to know the unknowable. Access to the unknowable always comes with a price, but the price is not always obvious.

Manifestation

Magic manifests in the form that it is given. A "spell" is an effect of magic created through the use of specific criteria. These are often in the form of finger movements, words, and a component, though there are effects that only need one or two of these. Knowing this base requirement, different forms exist to manifest these effects and criteria.
Some are known to use their voice and a performance of some kind to manifest the magical effect desired. Others are either born into or become so attuned to a magical force that they innately know the right criteria to manifest their effects. Still others make a deal or pact with an entity whose capacity for interacting with magic outdoes all understanding, who grant some of their power to those requesting it. Furthermore, there are those who spend their entire lives uncovering the criteria needed to perform effects, and discovering new ones.
Beyond even these are those who access magic through a divine choosing, entities of the celestial planes choosing a being worthy of knowing and understanding the effects they desire. Someone else might even be able to manifest magic through their own divine willpower, making an oath that magically binds them to it, and in so doing, grants them the power to know how to manifest these effects.
Still more ways are possible, traditions that embrace the natural essence of magic and manifest their magic through the natural world. Though no matter what ways a being summons an effect of magic, it remains magic. Creatures in tune with the flow of magic can summon effects nearly effortlessly, but it will always come with a cost.
Visually, magic varies from effect to effect, and are often chosen by the one performing the casting. Rituals are time consuming, and carefully executed, but even its form depends both on the type of effect, and the form from which the caster takes their magic.

Localization

Magic exists in all things, and is everywhere. However, there are currents, much like those in the ocean, where magic is stronger and more potent. So suffused with magic is the world that losing it is often painful. Entering an anti-magic field severs the individuals connection to magic, and it is like losing a part of one's self. Even if they were never trained to manifest magic, there is a feeling of loss when magic is gone. For those born with the ability to manifest, or those who's very soul is tied to it, it feels unbearable.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane