Magic

Magic is provided through a special written language typically referred to as 'runes'. When written, they can store a large amount of magic energy (mana) from the user and activate. The user regains their mana over time however. These runes serve as a sort of magical coding language to the precursor machine which grants magic. Magic defies almost all known laws of physics.
From there the spell can be activated any time by the user when they recall the runes. They have no phonetic language, instead just being strange symbols. Every character has been given a name from various local languages. What one language may call one rune may be different to another language! Each character only serves as a collection of programs.
Due to this, the extent of the knowledge that any culture has of magic is proportional to the amount of runes they know how to use. This knowledge has only been provided to the cultures through various writings on the megastructures of Mauray. Sometimes a person accidentally follows the same thought process required to magically activate them, causing them to cast a particular spell written on the wall. This is extremely rare, but can cause a breakthrough. When others inevitably attempt to use the spells for themselves and retrace the thought patterns used, their understanding of magic can be improved substantially. As such, some cultures may specialise in some types of magic better than others depending on what runes they find. Some cultures have little or no magic ability at all.
A person's rate of mana acquisition can be improved by practicing magic. This causes the machine to recognize the person quicker to deliver their magic energy faster. Running out of magic runs the risk of magic burnout however. Also, this rate can be increased substantially if one reaches the core, a very difficult journey.
A caster can use many different types, or elements, and combine them magically, forming a spell. A Slow Curse spell can be cast with time and force magic. All elements are listed on the sidebar on the right hand side of this page. Each element has its own rune character depicting the type of magic to be used. Opposites will cause explosions wherever they collide. Death beams (death + light) colliding with life beams (life+ light) will cause an explosion and immediately drain mana of both users. Cloaking can be achieved by forcing light around the user (using force + light).
As long as opposites arent used, combinations of >2 are possible. Some larger spells can require a huge number of elements, such as the FTL Spell which requires all level 1 elements, light, time, distance, force and electricity to cast.
Magic can be casted without use of any sentient being as well. Magitech has been invented by a number of Mauray cultures, allowing automation of magic spells. This requires special machines that are attuned to a specific element to generate mana, ducts that transport magic to a casting machine, as well as the costing machine which casts the spell. Mana generators are built with extremely intricate layers of Larjarak Crystal. The extremely high surface area of this crystal is required to cast very powerful spells. The duct is comprised partially of similar crystals and acts similar to fiber optic cables. The caster itself is made with extremely intricate patterns of larjarek crystal with the magic rune language inscribed which sort of acts like magic code.
Mana is focused in some areas stronger than others this way. Magitech cannot be magically burnt out as it physically cannot cast when it doesnt have enough mana.
Time magic does not allow time travel despite the existance of a time element. It allows time dilation however. This is far more consistent with causality.

Side/Secondary Effects

Attempting to use more mana than one has will lead to Magic Burnout, a condition where the spell one casts eats the body of the user for energy. The only way to avoid magic burnout is to wait for mana to recharge.

Source

All magic is drawn from the precursor artifact deep in the core of Mauray. Magic can still be used even if this artifact is several lightyears away.
The runes originate from the Xadia Ancients, who built Mauray. Runes are inscribed on the walls of various megastructures on Mauray. Other than that, runes can also be written by knowledgable individuals and recalled by them.

Tier One Elements:
Fire, Earth, Water, Air

Tier Two Elements:
force, electricity, light, time, distance, life, death

Applied Restriction

Magic cannot be used to break some laws of physics. The precursor artifact may have a perpetual motion machine, but magic energy cannot siphon energy from nowhere outside of this perpetual motion machine.