Magic

Magic flows from the First Age. The Age of the Elders, as it is sometimes known, is a time when the powers of creation and transformation were born. Here, the Elders, creatures of power and prestige, shaped the Urth through what is now known as Elder Magic, magic so powerful and primal that it transcends the limitations of all mortal magic. It is said that each of the great Elders had a hand in the Urth we known today. The Giants wielded magics of form and substance in the land now known as Koth infusing the very stone and soil with their influence, binding it to their will and seeding it with great minerals that grow from its bosom. The Shifters wielded powers of change and transition in the changing lands of Kentogen where the land is still said to shift even now, transforming from lush forest to desert to bog making maps useless. The Elementals, beings of extraordinary power who wield singular and pure primordial forces such as Fire and Time claimed the many lands of Orda where power dwells still. The terrible Eyes mastered the manipulation of all sources and made it their own in the underrealm of Tal’shal’loth where the hidden sun burns all with its unurthly light. The Leviathan melded spirit and form in the faces of beasts of the great seas, the open sky and the deep urth. The enigmatic Fae, Sidhe and Fomorian, brought with them unique mysteries and magics from their Otherworld. The lands of Mindor are thought to be the home of a lost line of Elders or the original home of the Eyes before they descended to the deeps or even a land without progenitors. Then there are the Dragons who wielded balance, some of the power of the Elementals, some of the manipulation of the Eyes, some of the transformation of the Shifters, some of the physicality of the Giants and some of the wild spirit of the Leviathan. These creatures called Haelos home once, where today it seems all forms of magic thrive.
Where mana flowed free and pure in the First Age, the First War ended all of that. It is said that the greatest powers warred for dominion of Urth. In the end, we know that Elders stopped directing the world as we know it. Some claim that the Realms of Urth came into being at the close of the Age: the Ascendancies, the Great Aether, Otherworld and Iridim. Others claim that the Realms existed long before the Urth. Only the first ones know for certain. This gave way to the Age of Monsters where creatures of legend took the reins of Urth and ruled most of the known world. Eventually the tide of existence and magic turned and thus began the Age of Mortals. Scholars are unsure how the changes in magics happen, but they know from ancient relics, made by creatures or by the Urth itself, that magics do change. What once was possible is no longer possible yet what once was impossible becomes possible as the powers change. Even now, mana, ambient energy that exists in all life and form, flows through the world. There are some places where magic is more concentrated, settling in materials or flowing more freely through certain areas.
Magic manifests through several Talents, common groupings of powers such as Elemental, which are made up of Paths, ways of understanding and qualifying the ebb and flow of Mana through the universe. Each Path deals with one aspect or element, such as Fire, making it easier for the magician to deal with the raw Mana. These are concepts that are necessary for mortals to interact with magic. Elders do not simply deal with magic, they ARE magic.

Power

Each spell or magical effect requires either an Energy or Mana to power it. This usually comes from the character’s Energy or Mana Pool or from a magical item.
Using Energy represents performing complex or taxing tasks that the character can perform multiple times reliably in short order that will eventually cause the character’s performance to degrade until they are no longer able to repeat the tasks. For example, sprinting full out, lifting your maximum weight, solving a complex riddle or casting a spell.

• Energy represents the character’s ability to channel ambient mana in a typical manner, slowly tiring them much like physical exercise. These points are restored after a Refresh.
• Mana represents the character’s ability to tap into their reserves, pushing their limits beyond what they are normally capable of doing. This can represent inspiration, pushing through limitations by sheer physicality tapping into your own spirit for power or calling on outside forces to aid you. These points are restored at the beginning of an Event.

Spells

Spells are the term given to magical effects generated by mortal mages and some magical creatures. A character learns the incants and signs for specific types of actions and the character may call upon any of their skills as arcane effects using their Energy or Mana as they see fit at the time. There is no need to prepare or ready specific skills or spells. The entire breath of a character’s knowledge and skill is available unless another effect restricts it.
Today, the term casting is synonymous with entire act of calling forth the magics. To cast a magical spell, the caster must know the skill in question, have enough Energy or Mana to fuel the spell, speak the incant aloud, and have one free hand to cast the spell. The incant can be understood by anyone who hears it. There are three sequential acts required for casting mortal magic:

• Speaking an incant
• Making the signs
• Directing the effect

Casting

The process of directing mortal magic to reach its target is known as casting. This is due to the physical act that is necessary to launch the magic and the fact that once the magic leaves the hand, it is subject to the laws of Urth. Although magic is a mystical act, the casting is a physical act and one’s skill combines with the environment to determine the effective range of a spell. Wind and the pull of the Urth are the most common forces at play in a casting, but physical and visual obstructions such as rain or brush can alter the path of the magic. Some skilled practitioners of magic can strike targets around corners or through the smallest of openings without the physicality of casting, defying the laws of Urth. Even the pull of Urth does not limit their magics.

Incants

Incants are verbal cues that allow mortals to channel power into specific effects. History shows that different cultures and peoples developed different methods to call forth the same effects with magic. However, after thousands of years of use, the easiest and most effective incants are known as the Imperial Cadence. There are still some holdouts that choose to use different incantations to call forth the magic, but they are few and far between. The Sources of Orda use the Ascendant Oaths. The Mindori Genii use the Lexis of Sophrane. The Kentogeni used the Colored Tongues. The Merr sing the Songs of Myriad. The Fae use the Sovereign Promises.

Somatic Gestures

Somatic gestures are physical actions that allow mortals to channel power into specific effects. As with incantations, history shows a number of different methods and signs to call forth the same magical effects. However, the most efficient are the Kata Mystoria, a system of signs and movements developed by the Empire to aid in the use of magic. The Sources of Orda use the Supreme Signs. The Mindori Genii use the Forms of Sophrane. The Kentogeni used the Dance of Light. The Merr use the Unseen Currents. The Fae practice the Waes of Hylore.

Talismans

Mortals need items to help them focus and control magical energies. These items, known as Talismans, help to draw in and channel magic from the world around them into specific spells or magical effects. Mortals can learn to channel magic without the use of Talismans for different Paths of magic through extensive training. The most common forms of Talismans are wands, rods and staves. These items are often made of or with mystically or personally significant materials such as an heirloom or a material exposed to mystical energies.

Bolts

Mortal magic is cast forth in bolts, small focused magical energy given purpose and direction by the caster. When casting, the spell opens a channel allowing the caster to produce the spell until they call upon another spell, the spell takes effect, or the target is able to protect themselves from the magic. When a bolt strikes, it will transfer the magical effect to the target if enough of the energy strikes the target. Some casters can charge their spells with extra power making it easier to affect their targets.

Surges

Some casters can send their magic through an item instead of hurling it through the air. The mystical channel is opened using the same basic techniques using their weapon as a conduit of the spell. When a surge strikes, it will transfer the magical effect to the target if enough of the energy strikes the target. Some casters can charge their surges with extra power making it easier to affect their targets.

The Flow

This is sometimes known as the Drift, the Bleed, the Course, the Fade, the Ebb. Magic wants to return to the world around it. It takes skill and power to shape the magic into the effect that the caster wants. It takes enormous skill to make magic persist beyond your own presence and will. Spells typically last for one of the following durations:

The Colour of Magic

Magical spells and effects tend to glow subtlety in a color traditionally associated with the Source or Path. These colors have varied over the ages of Urth. Today the colors of magic are:

Path	Color
Stone	Dark Brown
Fire	Red
Wind	Light Blue
Water	Dark Blue
Spirit	White
Curse	Light Grey
Void	Black
Force	Yellow
Warding	Orange
Time	Light Brown
Sound	Purple
Thought	Pink
Glamour	Gold
Moon	Silver
Nature	Green
Light	Prismatic
Shadow	Dark Grey

Focus – Spells that need focus require the caster to maintain concentration on the effect through an outstretched hand with their index finger and pinky pointed at the target.
Scene- Spells that last the Scene are in effect until you leave the location, the effect is ended, or a story guide makes a call.
Extended - Spells that last for the Chapter are in effect until gain a Standard Milestone or 1 month, whichever comes first, the action is ended, or a story guide makes a call.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane