The Nature of Magic

Casting a spell is essentially the act of transforming potential into a change of reality. To some, it is reaching out with your mind and strength of will instead of your arm and strength of body. To others it is feeling the flow of potential, gently guiding it towards the outcome desired. And there are those that lie to the world itself, tricking it into being something it is not. Personally, I like to think of the potential as a boulder resting on top of a hill that with great effort can be put into motion and start its descent. But be wary, lest the single rolling boulder turns into an uncontrollable landslide. This is why you must study diligently here at the Learned's Guild!

– Temnon the Complexitor, Steward of the Learned's Guild in Hiastupol

Magic is the catch-all name given to acts using potential outside the normal rules of the game and the game world. Many practitioners would not even consider themselves to be wielding magic, but rather perform miracles, invoke the favour of the gods, harness their innate abilities, or just be blessed with uncanny luck. The rules are the same though and for that purpose, these acts are all referred to as magic.

Though there are some practitioners that call themselves conjurers, it is not possible to create something out of nothing. For potential to be transformed, or rather act as a catalyst for transformation, there must be something it can act on. Just like my earth magic cannot create a castle without stones to form, fire magic cannot work without air in which it can combust in and frost magic cannot work without water in some form. Few are ever made aware of this true nature though, but they learn to bring extra water with them out into the desert lest their magic sucks the moisture from their own skins when they seemingly create ice out of thin air.

– Meister Xax, Master of Elements at the Learned's Guild in Hiastupol

Unlike what my esteemed colleague Xax claim, it is possible to create something out of nothing, or at least out of pure potential. However, the process to do so starts with manifesting potential in the forms of agency, cognition, essence, or all three. Initially, these manifestations will be little more than mere illusions, but over time, as reality itself is tricked into believing in the illusions, they can become just as real as you and me.

– Naelasti, formerly Custodian of the Learned's Guild in An'Taellon before the fall of the city

The Seven Aspects

There are many views on what forms channeling the power of a nexus can take. To understand the one true nature of it is to forget and deny the other, equally true natures of it. Adhering to a singular truth is thus tantamount to denying potential itself. To me, this search for a true nature is akin to madness. Nevertheless, if it helps you on your path towards understanding, I will tell you of the most commonly acknowledged aspects of this thing you consider magic.

There are seven of them. Three that are aspects of what can be affected. Four that are aspects of change. All of them joining in the act of transforming the potential of a nexus into a change of reality.

The first three aspects are the aspects of what can be changed; Agency, Cognition, and Essence. These are always needed, but never used in isolation. Cognition pertains to thought and senses and thus enables other aspects to have an effect on the mind. Essence pertains to that which is - the concrete and the physical. It enables aspects to have an effect on the material. Agency allows potential itself to be manipulated.

The four other aspects are Formation, Manifestation, Portation, and Sunderance. Formation is used to shape minds, matter, and fates, whereas Sunderance break and savage the very same. Portation move ideas, bodies, and fortunes. Lastly, Manifestation turn potential into existence. True creation takes time and discipline though, so most manifestations are little more than illusions. With enough effort, a manifestation can be made convincing enough to trick reality itself into that which has manifested actually exists!

– Heinrich Savroi, the incorporeal librarian in the Tower of jar Kotoh in Jacre

Character Point Cost of the Aspects

Once the seven aspects of magic have been acquired at skill level 1 (untrained) by taking the trait Arcane Initiate, they can be raised at the same cost as mundane skills.

A Kyreenian Sword Dancer could acquire the trait Arcane Initiate and the aspects agency 2 and formation 2 for 11 character points which is enough for the smallest of boosts. Advancing both to level 3 (+6 points) and grabbing sunderance 3 (+6 points) makes it a total of 23 character points for some rather useful effects.

A war mage not caring for anything other than essence and sunderance could do some real damage by spending 27-37 character points to take Arcane Initiate and level 4-5 each in essence and sunderance.