Magic

The force that allows people to manipulate their environment through sheer force of will rather than physical manipulation. The world's understanding of magic is incomplete at best, so the information presented in the following section is a purely meta explanation.

Magic, From Above

Magic is a metaphysical force susceptible to the will of individuals. It can be thought of as something akin to "life force" or a natural force like gravity. Most creatures can perceive it on some level, though not all might be able to manipulate it to a significant degree. Every living being generates a certain amount of magic that is absorbed into the environment around them, but magic can still be found in places that have no life around to generate it. It is generated by a mixture of biological and non-biological processes that are not well understood, and transported all over the world by wind, water, and the natural migrations of living creatures.
Magic tends to "pool" in areas with lots of living creatures around, and leylines often form along the most commonly used pathways between particular "pools." Places with high amounts of biodiversity tend to produce the deepest pools of magic, while areas of lower biodiversity tend to produce "thinner" pools. It's often very difficult to completely drain a deep pool, but thin pools are more susceptible to being drained dry completely by accident. Once a pool of magic is drained, it often ends up damaging the environment and making it difficult for anything to live there for a while. Nature, however, has plenty of means of self-repair and so a drained pool will eventually refill... over the course of a few centuries at minimum.
Any living creature can potentially manipulate magic, though naturally there are limits to what magic can do. Reviving the dead is impossible, as is going back in time to change particular events. However, bringing someone back from the brink of death or creating pockets of "skipping" or "looping" time that last for a fairly limited amount of time is feasible. Albeit such feats typically require a fair amount of power that most people can't access, even if they have a naturally large reserve of magic like the elementals. No one has managed to work out reliable long-distance teleportation, either, but it should theoretically be possible.
Different cultures of the world have different traditions with regards to how one uses magic, but most cultures tend towards one of two methods: either relying on one's own inner reserves first and foremost, or relying on magic procured from an outside source, whether that's striking a deal with a more magically inclined entity or else relying upon magic-rich stones or plants. Very few traditions make a habit of drawing upon ambient magic as a first resort.
Those who draw upon their own internal reserves run the risk of injuring themselves if they draw too much at once without giving themselves time to replenish it. There are many, many stories across cultures of magic-users who died in the process of conjuring powerful magical effects. Likewise, drawing too much from magic-rich gems/plants or the powers of another creature can result in the destruction or death of the source of the magic. And in particularly terrible cases, the backlash can cause harm to the magic-user as well.

Channeling Magic

There are four recognized categories for how magic is cast. Different magic traditions use different combinations of these, with more or less emphasis on specific parts.

Artifice

The Artifice category encompasses most kinds of physical components. A magic wand, a musical instrument, a special gem, or specific chemicals are all examples of things that fall within the category of Artifice.

Geometry

The Geometry category encompasses any type of writing or drawing component. This can sometimes overlap with Artifice in that some traditions may require specific types of inks or dyes, but that is not a requirement for this category. Arcane runes, specific geometric patterns, or simply writing something down are all examples that fall within the purview of Geometry.

Incantation

The Incantation category encompasses any sort of verbal component. It could be an incantation, a song, a prayer, or simply stating a magic word or two. As long as it requires the caster to produce some sort of sound.

Gesture

The fourth category is Gesture, and it encompasses any sort of component that requires movement, whether that's a hand gesture or some sort of dance.

Localization

Dead Magic Zones

Places that have been previously completely drained of their magic reserves are often called "magic dead zones." It is much more difficult to draw upon magic in such zones, and people often find their own reserves tend to "bleed" out of them over time, making it difficult to replenish their power for as long as they are within them. Highly magical beings like fey tend to avoid such areas, as they are known to be especially susceptible to this bleeding effect. And as they are more reliant on the presence of magic in their system, this can pose a significant danger to their health.

Magic Pools and Leylines

Some areas have higher concentrations of magic than others, and as such magic is often much easier to perform in said areas. Beings replenish magic at a higher rate, and can perform more magic more often as a consequence. This is not always desirable, of course, but for those it benefits it can make such areas an invaluable resource.
Leylines are the invisible flow of magic from one pool to another. Some magical traditions encourage the tapping of such flows for magic usage, others do not. Anyone can easily tap into them if they so desire (and know how to access one, of course). There is a risk to this, however, as interrupting the flow of magic too much may cause problems further along the leyline's path.

Individual Magical Traditions

Moàtran Magic Traditions
Solian Magic Traditions
Isochan Magic Traditions
Honran Magic Traditions
Elven Magic Traditions

Alternate Names

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Type

Metaphysical