Magic

Basics

Magic is an ever-present force in the world, similar to gravity. Most of the time, it doesn't typically do much on its own, but in certain areas, Magical Storms can sometimes form. All beings that have Souls have the ability to channel magical energy, but learning how to safely channel enough to cast spells can take months or even years. Because of this, it is extremely rare for a creature with an Ignarus Soul to use magic, since creatures who try to use magic without learning how to do it safely typically end up injured or even killed by Magical Stress.

Spellcasting

Spells are cast using arcane focuses. Focuses are typically a gesture or incantation. These are not inherently magical but are things that the individual mage associates with a particular spell. What these things are is completely up to the individual mage, and could be anything from simply a single word, to a long dance routine. Sometimes a focus also incorporates a physical spell component. Focuses involving physical components are typically a different version of a spell cast with the same gesture/incantation but without the physical component. For instance, a mage might associate an OK gesture with a fireball, and associate an OK gesture and an iron rod in the other hand with a similar, but different fireball, perhaps one that has a larger area of effect. Because of their impracticality compared to a gesture or incantation, physical components are typically used in spells that have a long casting time either way. In addition to focuses, mages usually also need to use a Magical Conduit.
Mages typically create all of their own spells, so usually, a mage's spells are unique to that mage. Two mages could both cast a fireball, but their fireballs would be at least slightly different. There are a few instances of mages learning their teachers' spells, but it's quite rare, and mages who do this are typically looked down upon.
The exception to the rule regarding spell creation is multi-mage spells (also known as ritual spells). If multiple mages are working together to cast the same spell, they need to use the same focuses. If they don't, miscasting the spell is very likely. Because of this, multi-mage spells are usually standardized. These spells are the entirety of what is in most commercially available spellbooks.

Limitations

The biggest limitation on magic is the ability of the spellcaster. Theoretically, there is no limit on the magnitude of a spell, but the strain on the spellcaster increases with the spell's magnitude. In addition to this, the more complex and powerful a spell is the more it usually takes for a spell to be cast (i.e. more complex gestures, longer incantations, physical spell components), and the more likely it is to miscast. In order to cast more complex and powerful spells, a mage typically also needs a longer time to channel the energy, because doing it too quickly can cause the rapid onset of Magical Stress. Because of this, there is a practical limit on what magic can do. Even the most powerful spellcasters in history would have struggled to produce even a moderate city-wide effect, especially if they're casting alone.
Miscasting a spell is quite dangerous. In many cases, when a spell is miscast, the magical energy will simply disperse, and do nothing. However, sometimes the spell will mutate and will have a different, but somewhat similar, effect to what was intended. In a few cases, the spell will explode, with very unpredictable effects. The more powerful a spell is, the more likely miscasting it is and the more dangerous the effects of miscasting are.
There are a few things that simply cannot be done with magic. For example, it is not possible to use magic to resurrect a person who is Dead. The closest thing that can be done is the creation of a sapient Ghoul, but even then the ghoul is not the person whose soul was used. It is also not possible to use magic to directly influence or control a person's mind. The only known way to do that is through the use of Psionics.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane