Magic

Background

Though it is discussed in further detail elsewhere (see: Mages), an overview of magic within Lasair is important in understanding many of the relationships between various factions. Magic (both arcane and divine ) is under very strict control in all known human lands. The devastation caused by the Dragonscourge was believed to have originated primarily in the conflict between disciplined wizards and the sometimes uncontrolled Sorcerers whose power originated with the blood of dragons. Whether this was actually the case will remain buried by time, but the winners of the war would define the land's outlook on magic for the next thousand years.
  The control of magic within human lands is vested in two primary organizations. The Council of Mages guides the processes by which humans are taught the skills and knowledge needed to perform the powerful spells and incantations by which arcane magic is known. The Order of the Virtues, a cloistered, monkly group maintains the Scrolls of Virtue which guide both the actions of the focused and disciplined users of divine magic but also act as a more mundane guide to morality.
 

The Mechanics of Magic

Magic is the energy that you feel tingling against your skin when you're excited. It's the flutter in your stomach when you're nervous. It's the quiet moment between taking in a breath and shouting. Use your will to draw those feelings within you, and release your manifested thoughts into the world.

-Joansa Melsing, Elder Nature Mage

Magic, in a technical sense, is the manifested result of a practitioner tapping into invisible and natural energies that pulse through the world like a heartbeat. Magic infuses the world, binding life together, and while very few individuals have the ability to see that energy it is possible to be taught to touch it and to draw from it.
 

Mortal Magic

For most living beings, magic is created through the application of will. Magical practitioners are taught a method through which they focus their will in a way that allows them to draw upon magical energy and manifest their desired effects. For Mages, precise hand gestures and spoken syllables draw their mind into a state of magical focus. For Clerics of The Virtues, it is their powerful devotion to the righteousness of their cause. For Orcs, drawing upon the memories of their ancestors as embodied by carved totems allows their shamans to create magic. In these and countless other ways, mortals can use natural magical energy to create spectacular effects.
  Though the actual execution of magic varies greatly between arcane and divine casters (and even more wildly amongst the different races capable of tapping into magic) the supernatural mechanics are the same: the individual is trained in (or gifted with) the ability to draw upon the natural, magical energies of the world. In the case of wizards, their extreme training enhances their mental capacities, and their mystical chants and hand motions serve to focus that capability to draw upon and create magic. Divine casters focus their will through discipline and internal strength, while a natural-born caster is gifted with the innate ability to see the flows of magic and to manipulate them. In each case, the world is affected in the same way, and there are few technical differences between the various types of magic users.
 

Innate Magic

Certain creatures are infused with magical energy in a way that allows them to tap directly into it without the need for complex ritual or a focus of will. Such creatures are so connected to the magic in the world that their existence is directly tied to that energy. Key among them were the Dragons, a species that was so full of natural magic energy that they caused the world around them to change at their mere presence. Sorcerers are the lingering result of their existence. Similarly, the elementals that populate the Firelands are manifestations of pure magical energy, brought into being by the wild magic pouring forth into those lands.
  The Elves, hidden away in their forests, are also an innately magical species. Though not as suffused with the energy as the Dragons were, most pure-blooded elves are able to see the pure magical energy within the world and can touch on it to at least a small degree. This accounts for many of the legends spoken of these beings - to humans, the long-lost elven race is one of ethereal beauty and immense power.