Sorcery

Sorcery is a useful element of the world of Leoram, too useful to be discarded despite the very clear evidence of its dangers throughout the world. Instead, to prevent a repetition of the devastating Mage Wars that shook the foundations of the world, practitioners of sorcery have been institutionally indoctrinated by all the nations of the world and their powers have been deliberately limited by the destruction of records of certain sorcerous practices and the strict regulation of any and all research into how sorcery can be used.  

Source

Acts of sorcery are powered by an energy known by sorcerers as Mana. With the exception of a few null-magic materials, all creation generates mana, and in many cases mana is used up to power many natural processes in the world. For a sorcerer, there are two main sources of mana that can be tapped in order to work spellcraft: the body and soul of the sorcerer themself and the local environment.   Whether it comes from the body, or from the environment, mana comes in four different flavours, which are more or less useful for particular tasks and spells. Sorcerers of the Charter Schools have discerned and defined 4 flavours of mana:   Anshar - the flavour of mana needed to manipulate or create liquids of all kinds, it cools, quenches, heals and calms.   Kishar - the flavour of mana needed to manipulate energy of the purest sort; it burns, animates, excites and destroys.   Tanlil - the flavour of mana needed to create or manipulate solids of all kinds; it hardens, fuels, stabilises and constructs   Enlil - the flavour of mana needed to create or manipulate gases of all kinds; it lightens, speeds, nourishes and conceals.  

Technique

A clear concept of the intended effect is key to all sorcery. If a sorcerer cannot think about what he intends to happen, then it cannot happen. Unconscious sorcerers can cast no sorcery, and any sorcery they were maintaining at the time of falling unconscious ends. Sorcery can effect permanent material changes, such as turning metal to paper, that will persist without a sorcerer’s continued focus. Ethereal effects, however, such as force shields, sorcerously sustained fires, sorcerously created or controlled weather etc. will fail at a rate commensurate with the degree to which it was unnatural. For example a thunderstorm, once created, can be self-sustaining for some time, especially if local weather conditions were already favourable for stormcloud formation, whereas a fire burning in mid-air will be instantly snuffed out.  

Cost

Sorcery is powered by mana taken from the sorcerer and their surroundings. However this energy is a vital component of the universe, and extracting too much mana from an object or landscape will destroy it. Over time, all things generate more mana, the rate of replenishment being swift enough that only significant displays of sorcery, or drawing power from particularly barren environments will have destructive consequences. However, this swift rate of build-up is also the reason why many wild areas of the world suffer the Plague of Undeath as high concentrations of mana cause in the reanimation of nearby corpses.   Channelling mana requires effort. Different sorcerers have different degrees of strength. Overexertion can result in a range of effects from mild headaches for slight overuse to instant immolation if a sorcerer attempts to draw too much energy through their body. A build-up of sorcerous energy in an area will also cause the dead to stir. Corpses will stir if their surrounding environment is infused with magical energy. The more energy, the more corpses will return to Undeath.