Magic

"Magic at its core is a tool to create reality out of imagination. While Kings try to enforce their dreams on others, Mages choose their own reality." - Magonis The Wise

Magic is the practice of manipulating reality through the usage of one's mana. Magic is found all across Omniluxia, and nearly all sentient races are capable of learning and practicing magic. Those who frequently practice magic are often called Mages, Magicians, or Wizards.

Mana

Mana is the life-force of a creature and is required to practice magic. While there are mentions of mana in records from nearly every race, the term and concept itself was coined by the Zanic mage Magonis the Wise. Every sentient species has mana, which means that non-sentient creatures like deer, ducks, dogs, and so on are not naturally born with any mana. Some races are naturally born with higher mana stores than others, and individuals are occasionally born with higher mana levels either through chance, curses or spells, or genetics. Mana stores can be slowly expanded through training, where a magician exhausts their stores and gets their body accustomed to the stress of spellcasting in a manner similar to exercising. However, there are those that speculate that demonic or possible fatal spells exist that can rapidly grow one's mana stores, spells hidden by certain occult groups.

When a mage casts spells, their mana stores deplete. If they keep casting even when their stores are empty, there is a high chance of spontaneous combustion. Mana is recovered through eating, as the body is able to turn parts of the food into magical energy. Scholars still debate over whether this ability is magical or biological, as most sentient creatures seem to be able to do it.

To see the rankings of racial mana stores, go to Mana Rankings Wiki.

Categories of Magic

Magic is broadly split into three categories: Omnic (Divine), Amten (Physical), Aldic (Spiritual/Psionic) and Melodian (Demonic).

• Omnic magic is both the most powerful and the most basic. It deals with the manipulation of mana in the form of pure energy, such as powerful light beams or translucent shields. However, there are more God-like techniques relating to creation and shapeshifting only known by the Omniscients.
• Amten magic is the most common, and often involves manipulation of the elements and living matter. Everything from making stone walls to causing plant growth are covered by this admittedly broad category.
• Aldic magic is often considered a lesser version of divine magic. It focuses on communication and manipulation of spirits. However, it also covers techniques relating to the Mind and Soul of sentient creatures.
• The power of Melodian magic mainly directly stems from the Goddess Melodius herself. Their techniques and styles are often some of the most powerful but require a sacrifice to or a pact with Melodius. Their spells often focus on channeling demonic energy through one's mana for one's own gain.

In addition to the main four categories, there are two main types of magic: folk magic and studied magic.

• Folk magic refers to styles and techniques that are either practiced and passed down by local groups or inherited genetically. It ranges from the woodland spells of Forest Elven druids to the natural magical resistance of the Wraiths. Some rural mages often utilize the folk magic of their home village while also practicing more formal styles.
• Formal magic refers to set styles that have a set of documented spells and techniques and are often taught to students at schools of magic. These styles, aside from the basic three, are often difficult to master, leading most mages to dedicate themselves to learn only one or rarely two.

For the list of styles, go to Magic Styles Wiki.

Magic Schools

As mentioned before, the majority of mages dedicate themselves to one or two styles. Due to spending years merely training their ability to effectively cast more complicated spells and getting accustomed to casting in a set way, there are very few mages who have the time or strength to learn more than two styles. The exception are the basic three styles, which all contain one basic technique that often serves as practice for the more complicated spells of niche styles taught at magical academies.

Most formal Mages are taught by professors or mentors at magical schools, found across the civilized world. Nearly every magical school teaches their students the Basic Style, which includes the three basic techniques, but most offer a signature style or technique perfected by Mages of that school through generations of study. On top of these schools, there are guilds and societies of Mages focused on certain kinds of magic or magical activities. Some simply seek knowledge and function more like social clubs, while others are ruthless mafias running cities behind the scenes. The more nefarious guilds have over time created the conniving and greedy stereotypes that many races recall when discussing mages.

For the list of Magic Schools, go to Magic Schools Wiki.

Mage Rankings and Classes

There are three widely accepted rankings for the level of skill a mage possesses:

• Mage
• Class
• Archmage

There are around 2 classes for each school of magic, and these classes specialize in certain spells.

Magical Development Ranking

To see the rankings of racial magical development, go to Mana Rankings Wiki.

Magic cooldown T1 one year Special Two Years T2 three years T3 four years