Rules of Magic

Welcome to the world of Magical Maths! Illénie is a Royal Mathematicians who designs new magical devices. When the king notices her and drags her into deadly court politics, it becomes harder for her to hide her chronic pain in a world that looks down on disabilities. Come read about her struggle!
Introduction to the story | Illénie (upcoming) | Novel upcoming

What is magic?

Definition of magic

Magic is an intrinsic power of the universe, present everywhere around us and inside us. It ebbs and flows all over the world, influenced by the celestial bodies, the seasons, the time of the day, and the location. It can be very limited or incredibly powerful and can be used as an intermediate to influence the material and immaterial world.

As humans, our natural control of magic is, however, extremely limited. Everyone posses some raw magic in their body, but it is difficult to get it to rise out of the body and focus it in enough quantity, let alone to get it to take the right shape to accomplish a desired effect. To overcome those limitations, we have developed several fields of science.

How to use magic

Meditation

What: Trains you to gain a better awareness of the flow of magic in your body and to develop muscle to enhance your control of it. Benefits: This is the purest way to use magic and the most admirable. Moreover, there are no inherent danger to meditation. Disadvantages: This method is extremely slow, with years of practice required to see any progress, and it is limited in the control of magic it brings and so in what it can accomplish. It is also not suited to all temperaments.

Devices

What: Helps you draw magic from your body and channel it through specific patterns. This changes the magic so as to 1) give it different properties, and 2) help you direct it at a target. Benefits: Helps you use your own magic to its fullest, gives you an unequal level of control over it, and allows for dizzying complexity in what it can accomplish. Disadvantages: Requires an astronomical amount of mathematics to calculate how to design the channels directing magic. Devices also need to be adapted to be compatible with their user's magic. In the worst cases, incompatible or badly designed devices can explode.

Rituals

What: A way to affect the magic of the environment and make use of it directly without using your own magic. Benefits: An unlimited amount of magic. Disadvantages: Rituals are incredibly hard to control, and any mistake with this amount of magic only leads to disasters. So much magic also prevent any applications requiring finesse.

Potions

What: A ritual put in a bottle. Potions make use of environmental magic and the magic coming from its ingredients (plants and animals). Benefits: More limited in power than rituals, it allows for more specific and complex applications and limits the danger. Disadvantages: It is impossible to control where in the body the magic will work. Most potions are also impossible to reverse.

In Milara, potions and rituals are of course forbidden, and while we do practise meditation, we are foremost the pioneers of mathematics and our Royal Mathematicians are renown worldwide.

Reserve and replenishment

Each of us has a “magic reserve” with limited potential, which is casually called your power level. This is what determine who is powerful and who is not, who has the right to rule and who is worthless. Working magic through meditation or a device draws power from this reserve, and so is limited by its size and state. Using all of your magic leaves you in a state of exhaustion that can only be stopped after your reserve has been replenished, which generally takes a few days. Replenishment occurs naturally and cannot be rushed without dangers, despite what some potions and rituals might claim.

Characters	Illénie Neurisse (upcoming) · King · Aquatirian Ambassador · Office pet
Politics	De Crancé's Political Alliance against the King · Duelling challenges against the King · Royal Council · Royal Scheming Group · Milarian Battalions · The enemy country—Aquatio · The three modern Aquatirian Wars
Duelling	Duelling Arena · Dueller Culture · Duelling Champion titles · Duelling Weapons
Society	Illénie's chronic disease · Milarian fashion · Ableist mindset
Locations	The capital of Milara, Lernée · Royal Mathematicians' Headquarters · Royal Palace · Royal Road Neighbourhood
Maths	Rules of Magic · Royal Mathematicians · Mathematics · Clippable Devices · Titanic architecture · Paint pigments for magical art · Royal Mathematicians' current projects · Royal Mathematicians' Charter
Potions	Potions · Potion-infused candies from the Royal Road shop · Potion ingredients

Entry for Worldbuilding Summer Camp 2025

Answering: "A transformation caused by a celestial body"

Visit AmélieIS's Competition Page Check all other answers to this prompt Competition Homepage

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!

Councilor of the Inner Sanctum Serukis

Jul 28, 2025 17:03 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Woooo, magic!

Emy x
Explore Etrea | Summer Camp 2025

Eternal Sage AmélieIS

Aug 3, 2025 12:20 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

Yes, lot's of magic! And half of it outlawed D:

To see what I am up to: my Summer Camp 2025.

Codex