magic

Magic, also known as sorcery, arcanum, dwimmer, and many other names, is a blanket term for many related, but different, methods of manipulating the fundamental structure of reality. Magic is capable of producing numerous powerful effects, the upper reaches of which are unknown. Users of magic are generally known as mages, with more specific terms based on several details of usage.

History

Magic tends to be one of the earliest discoveries made by the various civilizations across the Sora. Some are given the secrets of magic by their gods soon after their creation, others have an inborn grasp of magic, and others must unlock the secrets under their own intellect. Regardless, all known civilizations have begun practicing magic in some form or another within a century of their emergence from the primordial chaos.
Early magic is wild and untamed, full of power but difficult to command. It tends to be wielded clumsily, with disconnected knowledge transmitted secretly from adept to student. This is an era of shamans, therugists, and berserkers utilizing magic without fully understanding the principles behind it, often tapping into primal forces in unpredictable ways. The gods provide cryptic messages to their followers through vague divination. The power of magic is incredibly variable; some mages able to tap into the wildest power are able to perform feats of mythic proportion. Such power is incredibly dangerous, however, with disasters common from tapping into forces the mage does not understand. The common people likely have legends and stories about magic, but they are often contradictory and the realm of myth.
These early pioneers of magic eventually begin to develop an understanding of the underlying rules. Wizened hermits give way to curious knowledge seekers, the mysteries of oracles become codified rituals and rites, and fervor-fueled warriors develop codes of conduct and martial manuals. Magic loses some of its danger, but little of its secrecy. Magess tend to pass knowledge on to only those with particular talent and natural ability. The gods allow their most pious to perform miracles in their name, spreading reverence and worship. Those who cannot gain the favor of a mortal teacher or god may turn to darker entities to provide them with power. In this era, wizards, clerics, and paladins roam the world. Schools may exist which teach people how to use magic, but they are largely inaccessible to the common person. Most know about magic and that it can do fantastic things, but many have never seen it in use.
As advances continue, magic begins to become open to everyone. Not everyone is able to wield magic, but the benefits of it become far more accessible. Magic is used to solve every day issues, rendering old problems such as long distance travel and communication trivial. Magic in this era becomes a skill, just like most others, albeit a highly precise and powerful one requiring extensive learning. Artificers create bibelots to be sold in shops, alchemists offer healing draughts for a mild fee, and priests provide minor boons and blessings to any who require them. It is in this era that much of the wider Sora finds itself, using magic to make life easier and more fruitful for everyone.
Beyond this era is one where magic is so commonplace that it becomes as unexceptional as learning to read. While skill levels may vary from person to person, almost everyone knows how to do it to some degree. Most every aspect of society utilizes magic in some manner, from healthcare and war to entertainment and frivolities. Of the modern civilizations in the Sora, only the Dranomyr Archive has reached this level of progress.

Method of Action

Magic works by using pneuma to fuel an alteration in the underlying elements of reality. This alteration can take many forms, including combining elements into demi or antielements, splitting demielements into constituent elements, altering the ratios of elements in an area, and more. As everything in existence is composed of the elements, save for souls and the gods, fine tuning of elements can affect anything. A virtually infinite array of effects can be achieved.
The pneuma used in magic leaves an aura around whatever is affected by it. This aura has different properties based on how it is used, allowing experts the ability to discern what was done.

Examples

Telekinesis and the movement of objects is a fairly basic usage of magic. It involves pushing or pulling on one or more of the constituent elements in the target. Sometimes the target is infused with aether which makes it lighter, enabling it to be lifted easier. Infusing aether into a target can also allow a creature to float or fly.
Since elements are present in some amounts everywhere, they can be amplified from their fundamental forms into the more common, every day manifestations in a near instance. This allows mages to summon balls of fire, bolts of lightning, storms of ice, and waves of thunder. These spells allow for incredible devastation and are primarily used for combat or destructive purposes. However, the conjuring of water, food, or other helpful objects can provide significant relief as well.
By altering the balance of elements in a person or animal's body, their emotions and thought processes can be affected. Rage, calm, joy, fear, and any combination of feeling can be invoked in a person. Additionally, a creature's very mind can be altered, implanting or removing memories, placing compulsions upon them, and even dominating them completely. It can also be used to send messages directly into another's mind.
The elements in a person's eyes or ears can enhance, alter, or disrupt their senses. This may be as simple as allowing someone to see in the dark or causing them to lose their hearing temporarily. However, it can provide supernatural senses as well, allowing people to see pneuma auras, pierce illusions, smell the barest traces of an odor, or feel the slightest variation in a surface.

Sources of Pneuma

Magic users can access pneuma through multiple different sources which can be broadly categorized as divine, environmental, and internal. Each requires different skills, different techniques, and different requirements for use.

Divine

Divine magic is powered by pneuma received from another being, usually a god, but at other times a powerful demon, fae, or elemental. This magic is invoked through prayers and rituals dedicated to the source of power. The provision of divine magic relies heavily on the belief of the user, though whether this is because the source will not provide pneuma to those who lack belief or if belief is actually needed to command the donated pneuma itself is up to debate.
Divine mages often speak of channeling power, as though the sources themselves are actually enacting the magic. In reality, most sources are not strong enough to act remotely in more than one location at a time. Even the most powerful gods lack the ability to respond to every divine mage who is calling on their power. Instead, the pneuma is provided subconsciously, with the users then directing it through the specific prayers, gestures, or components used. However, sometimes the source does take an interest in their servant and can direct the pneuma themself, often resulting in particularly spectacular or impressive displays.

Environmental

Environmental magic is powered through the pneuma that permeates the entire Sora. Accessing this pneuma requires knowledge of a variety of arcane formulas describing the incantations, hand signs, and materials necessary to utilize the magic. Each of these plays a different part in drawing pneuma into the body of the mage, redirect it into the surrounding elements, and reshaping them to achieve the desired effect. Typically, more powerful effects require more complex or rare components, though this is not a hard rule. Many different methods exist for utilizing these components as well, often determined by local tradition or the skills of the mage. Many simply recite the incantation, make sharp gestures with their hands, and cast the component into the air. Others, however, may sing or play music, dance complex steps, or utilize objects of power in their spell casting.
Utilizing pneuma in this matter is very difficult, but is considered the most powerful method, as it pulls from a seemingly infinite well of energy. Holding this energy, even for the short time, can be difficult. Users have likened it to sprinting while holding their breath. It takes great training to become capable of pulling in enough energy fast enough to create more powerful effects. Arcane formulas can become more efficient over time, allowing those with less training and talent to utilize environmental magic.

Internal

Internal magic is powered by the mage's own pneuma. Some have natural talent which allows them to inherently tap into this internal pneuma, while others train to release it. A few even find themselves unconsciously drawing on their internal magic without understanding what they are doing. It is perhaps the easiest source of pneuma to tap into and utilize, though it also lacks the upper limits of power that other sources have. Those who draw on their own pneuma also risk overexerting themselves, though rarely to a dangerous degree. Many different methods exist for tapping into this power. Some use a swell of emotions to pulse their pneuma, others use rhythmic breathing to control its flow through their bodies, others precise movements of their body to direct it to precise locations, and a virtually innumerable number of methods.
While internal magic can achieve the same breadth of effects as other types of magic, it is most frequently used to strengthen, heal, or otherwise aid the mage. Oftentimes, it is used as a catalyst for other forms of magic, being used to manipulate the pneuma for environmental or divine magic. Internal pneuma is simultaneously the most accessible and most vulnerable source of magic. It is always within reach and typically relies far less on external components, while also being difficult to disrupt from the outside. At the same time, once a mage has tapped their own internal pneuma, there is nothing else to draw upon for power.