On the Nature of Magic

Some things cannot entirely be explained by reason. Magic, as all those phenomenon are collectively called, can increase a persons power massively, but it comes with great risks...  

A dangerous path

    Magic seems to come from an unexplainable force outside of this world. While none have so far understood these powers, those who are capable of wielding them describe it as a constant stream of energy that nurtures itself from any source that it can find. The channeling and stearing of this energy is done in form of spells. The power of a spell is theoretically endless, though the energy has to be provided for continuous usage.   Access to magic is not innate to anybody but has to be gained through a lost and forgotten set of symbols, simply called "The Script". The Script is the key which needs to be deciphered and used correctly to make Magic use possible, making thorough research and endurance a necessity. So far, only a small amount of symbols of the Script are known.   Safe magic usage only works after certain conditions are fullfilled:  

1. The specific symbol has to be written down or engraved on some sort of material, for example parchment, paper, wood or stone. The used material defines the power of the spell and acts as the source (or vessel) for it at the same time, with certain materials providing stronger effects. Once activated, the spell consumes the energy in the vessel as well as the vessel itself. There is no way to stop a spell after the activation. It is therefore extremely dangerous to directly bind the caster into the spell. While it would increase the power source and therefore the spell, it would inevitably lead to the death of the bound person.
2. To activate a symbol, the caster has to infuse himself with the ability to "connect" to the Script. This is done via concotions which are often considered as drugs.

  The exact form of the symbols as well as the casters connection to the Script is key. Even the slightest aberration may lead to a very different, mostly unknown meaning of a spell, which can not be controlled or ended by the wielder and often lead to catastrophic consequences. Obtained knowledge about magic obviously wields extreme value for anybody interested, leading to libraries and archives beeing upped in their value.  

A dangerous life

  Magic was once common during the reign of the Olidäe but their lust for power and their downfall during the Second Cycle brought death and dispair to the world. Unnatural creations appeared and whole areas became inhabitable by misguided spells and the effects of war. Many nations started to blame magic and their users for their misery and restricted or outright banned it, often until this day. Monitoring or prosecution of magic users followed and became widespread.   Today, the power of magic is still on the mind of everybody, the rich and poor alike, though for different reasons. While many fear the "powers of old" and the dangers it brought to this world, some lust for those powers. Few truly dare to venture into the depths of magical research and even fewer achieve success. Some give up during the time-consuming and mostly unrewarding tasks of magical research (besides the risk of beeing caught) while some may harm themselves or even die during experiments. Those who succeed (for the time beeing), are often met with the hatred of the society and may have to deal with the constant threat of beeing chased away, inprisoned or worse. It therefore comes with no surprise, that many magic wielders practice their craft in secret. Their services are still sought after though, mostly by the more powerful groups in the societies, who, seeing the potential of magic, wish to instrumentalize the wielders for their purposes.