The Fundamental Principles of Magic

"How does one become a great and wise wizard you ask me? Well here's a lesson for you: The greatest wizards are the maddest wizards. The longer you look and the further you travel seeking secrets the more you'll realize that none of this all makes any sense whatsoever. You want to become wise? Throw away that book and go bathe in a public fountain to start." -Garlon Fareyes when prompted by an unknown student on the streets of Staveminster

In the entirety of creation, all magic is governed by a set of fundamental principles. In all it's sundry forms these core truths can be distilled from the structures and superstructures that beings capable of arcane study construct around it. These magic systems are developed by long traditions of magicians who are not privy to the secrets of reality, yet try nonetheless to master that which is greater than they. Over generations the rules, methods, fuels, and beliefs they develop to power their casting become equivalent to language in it's individual importance to the culture which crafted it.   Magic can vary wildly in it's shape and affect on the population between different societies of users. Typically the nature of the system reflects the hardships and resources that species has encountered in it's evolution. Dwarves who mine the deep earth show an affinity for stone in their magics; crafting spells to support mineshafts and ease travel into deep caverns and developing runic wards to propegate these spells for long times in the dark of their mountain strongholds. Beast-folk are highly attuned to the nature of their environment, and commonly practice Alchemy to produce potions and poisons that are sympathetic to the qualities of their forest and mountain and sea homes.   The following principles are the skeleton upon which every piece of magic in all the known cosmos is crafted, save one. This body of law is designed and enforced by a magical super-system, which is in itself magic, but of an alien design. More strangely, the values associated to these principals that would result in a successful magical event vary over time and location, furthering the complexity and disparity of power between varying magic systems.   Credence The foremost of all the laws of magic is a firm belief in the result of ones actions, without which no effect will occur. The existence of longstanding traditions of magic that grow alongside and support a community of casters create exactly the sort of exposure needed to nest a deep seated belief in magic's ability to occur. The Credence of a system is the binder by which the following parameters combine to form the various systems in all the worlds. Pondering this principle overlong reveals to the ponderer two paradoxes. Firstly, if a nested belief of the sort that can only be produced by the development and propagandizing of longstanding magical traditions is required in order to do magic, how was the first magic accomplished? Secondly, if Credence is what permits the remaining parameters to create a magical affect that should otherwise not be physically possible, how was Credence in any combination of Cost, Cast, and Complexion ever developed? These questions have flummoxed the wisest sages and grandest philosophers since time immemorial.   Cost Magic does not come without a price. The imposition and outward projection of one's will is in itself a type of movement, a movement the Credence from the sanctum of the caster's mind into the greater world. This movement like all others requires energy to occur. The fuel of any particular magic system is among the most highly valued and treasured resources of a society of casters, representing a major facet of their economy and driving much political action as those societies move to secure it. Costs vary wildly over systems, often having complex or arbitrary restrictions around the conditions they may be used in, but the essential nature of each type can be distilled into categories: Aura - The force of vitality that exists in all things, sometimes called Mana, Life Energy, or Humour. In order to utilize aura for casting, the mage may:

• Call upon their own internal reserve of Aura.
• Utilize Aura stored in a container.
• Draw Aura from the entities around them

Investiture - Power granted by a transaction with another entity or group of entities. Their are often obligations accompanied by these powers which are determined by the entity that grant them, which may be:

• A Divine entity in exchange for the worship and fervor of the caster.
• An Arcane or Elemental entity in exchange for the caster's service as an agent.
• Primordial entities in exchange for an affect which suits their own agenda.

Conditional - Magic affects occur when certain conditions are met, the possible conditions are broad and magic fueled this way often occurs as a result of historical coincidence or amidst localities that are isolated from established and metropolitan magical traditions. Possible Conditional magic triggers may be pertinent to:

• Morality
• The movement of celestial bodies
• The weather
• The passage of time
• The prosperity of a locality

Cast, The first fundamental principle states that for magic to occur, there must be a firm belief in the outcome of certain actions. Belief cannot be had in certain actions leading certain outcomes unless those actions are defined, that is the cast of magic. Casts are very easily defined intro discreet types of rituals that may be combined in any number of combinations within a single system depending on the nature of the spells recognized within that system. All casts are as such:

• Incantations - The utterance of specific words, chants, songs, or hymns.
• Gestures - The use of the caster's body in specific positions
• Reagants - The arrangement of magical reagents
• Invocations - Calling upon nearby entities
• Drawing - Creating markings and symbols

  Complexion How magic is perceived by the caster and any other observers is the keystone of maintaining a firm belief in it occurring. The complexion is the aesthetic and outward perception of magic and mages by those who witness them. A system's Complexion is heavily influenced by how a society of caster's perceives itself, and their mark on the world. But it is entirely possible to have differing Complexions of magic within one system that are independent of one another but both viable under the preceeding parameters of that system. You will also see specific complexions of magic that exist amidst different systems. The Complexions are as follows:

• Wizard - Magical ability earned through study.
• Sorcerer - Magical ability gained by coincidence.
• Druid - Magical ability gleamed from nature.
• Cleric - Magical ability flowing from worship.
• Witch/Warlock/Shaman - Magical ability bought by entreaty.
• Artificer - Magical ability produced by work.
• Bard - Magical ability found by arrangement