Magic and Casting 1

The Personal Reserve

The magic imbued by the Third Gift flows and cycles much like water. Each person carries some level of magic inside them in what is called a reserve. Personal reserves are defined by three parameters, Type or species, Depth, and Clarity.

Type is defined purely by which of the five gods serves as the source for the magic in question. The five types are all equal in power and capability, but are incomparable with each other. This means that, in a person, type will not dictate what spells can or cannot be cast, but will influence who or what may assist in casting.

Magical type is hereditary, and mixing types will result in offspring which falls strictly to one side or the other or, in rare cases, will have no magic at all.

Depth deals with the size of one's personal reserve. The deeper the reserve, the more magic can be used at once before harmful side affects arise. Unlike type, depth is non hereditary. Research is currently underway to determine factors which affect reserve depth, but no solid conclusions or patterns have arisen. One's reserve naturally rises and falls, expending magic to assist in bodily functions and aid senses while also absorbing energy from the environment to replenish this loss. Spell casting will draw magic from the reserve at a much faster rate and may risk depleting the reserve.

Magical Withdrawal occurs when one's reserve reaches a level below a certain threshold, usually around 40%. Symptoms include fatigue and headaches, but may progress toward hallucinations, or loss of consciousness. At levels below 15% one risks Magical Burnout. Here one's magic becomes so depleted that it may not be able to recover. Withdrawal symptoms worsen resulting in comatose and eventually death if immediate attention is not given.

Clarity deals with the purity of the magic within the reserve. Magical clarity determines its power and potency. One with a very clear reserve is will use up less magic performing spells. Passive magical effects will also be more efficient. Again, unlike type, magical clarity is non hereditary. No pattern or cause has been found for the clarity of individual reserves.

In spell casting, the stronger spell is always that with the higher clarity magic, however this does not necessarily mean that casters with higher clarity reserves will always be the most powerful. Other methods for clarifying magic during casting can be employed.