The Flow of Magic

Magic flows through every part of Oxdara, in different forms and wielded in different ways. The culmination of the magical essences that flow from the various planes of existence creates what is known as the Life Force, the very heart of creation on the material plane. Originally moulded by the Primordial Dragons, Tiamat, Bahumat and Kaltorius, their power forging the original lifelines of the Life Force. Connecting the Material plane to the Elemental planes, the Feywild, and their Celestial planes, the first three celestial planes connected to Oxdara. The Tal inventors Inday and Uranus, eventually found a way to connect the material plane to the Shadowfell, bringing Shadowmancy, and eventually Necromancy to Oxdara. It was through this discovery the Tal were able to push back the Old Gods, and allow Oxdara to develop.   The Life Force itself is a delicate balance and force of nature that will correct itself, the most notable example being when the Dragon Kaltorius fled with hundreds of Dragons to escape the Old Gods destruction. The absence of these Dragons cause the evolution of races like the Tabaxi, Leonin, Loxodon, and Aaracokra, filling the hole their disappearance left in the Life Force.   Magic can be broken down into many different definitions of schools, types or classifications, and differnet cultures and nations can have their own names or classifications for magic schools and types.      

Arcane

  Arcane magic is the most widely spread form of magic, being used by Wizards and Clerics alike, and unlike the other forms of magic, it isn't something inherently gifted upon someone. Arcane magic can be taught. As such Arcane magic is more of an overarching type of magic, that many different spellcasters learn or draw from, Arcane isn't a raw natural form of magic like other listed below, but is a prism through which that raw magic is channeled, easily taught or understood.   Within Arcane are the schools:

• Abjuration - Warding and protection spells
• Conjuration- Conjuring or summoning spells
• Divination - Spells that improve a spellcasters knowledge, understanding or view others on the plane
• Enchantment - Charms, curses and imbewing power into people or objects
• Evocation - Offensive and destructive spells
• Illusion - Creating physical or sensory illusions
• Transmutation - Bend and shape the physical world around a spellcaster

   

Influential

  The other side of the Arcane coin, Influential Magic is the only type of magic drawn from the Material plane. Influential magic regards any magic that changes something, strengthens something or imbues it with power. The magical schools of Transmutation, Conjuration, Enchantment, Abjuration and Divination all use Influential magic, only the Arcane have broken the magic down into the different schools.   The new schools of magic, Hemomancy, Dunamancy, and Technomancy, also draw from the Material Plane, Hemomancy and Technomancy coming from the creatures that live on the plane, and Dunamancy influencing the physics of the world.  

• Hemomancy, also known as Blood Magic, is used to control people and creatures by influencing the blood that runs through their bodies. Blood Magic is notably used by the Blood Hunter Guilds of Oxdara. The Magic taps into the Life Force of Oxdara itself, drawing on the users own connection to the Life Force to influence the world around them.
• Technomancy is the newest school of magic, being used to influence the Constructs and new technologies of the evolving world. From controlling Constructs as extensions of a persons body, to creating surges in power of tech like the Lightboxes, Technomancy is a developing school of magic across Oxdara.
• Dunamancy can be broken down into two schools, Graviturgy and Chronomancy, both affecting the physics of the Material plane. Graviturgy affects gravity, influencing the weight of someone or something, creating black holes, or increasing the affect gravity has on a certain area. Chronomancy affects time, influencing the age of a creature, blinking ahead in time to another location close by, and even travelling through time itself, though that last ability is extremely challenging and no one has yet accomplished that feat. No one mortal anyway.

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The types of magic below are the raw and natural magic of the world, they draw from the other planes of existance, and are then refracted through the prisms and control of Arcane magic.  

Elemental

  The Elemental type of Arcane magic is drawn from the Elemental planes of Fire, Water, Air, Lightning, Ice and Earth. Most Evocation spells fall into this type of magic.  

Divine

  Divine magic, once thought by the ancient Erendocian's as the purest form of magic, is magic granted upon people by the Gods. From Cleric and Paladins, to divine blooded sorcerers, Divine magic can be used for heal but also for great destruction.  

Fey

  The magic of the Feywild, wild, natural, chaotic and tricky, Fey magic is the closest form of magic to the Life Force there is, much like the Feywild being a mirror of the material plane, Fey magic can be called a mirror of the Life Force. Whilst it can't be used in primordial creation like the Life Force, Fey magic messes with the natural balance of things, making time pass faster or slower, and is what the druid's use when performing rituals.  

Draconic

  Draconic magic, much like the creatures who wield it, is ancient, powerful, and diverse. Draconic magic, mainly wielded by the Dragons, is the only multi-planar magic, drawing from the Elemental planes, but also from the Feywild, some even using the Influential magic of the material plane. The source of Draconic power comes from Draconic blood, which has lead to mortals being able to wield Draconic magic, Draconic bloodline sorcerers, but even the Dragonborn themselves utilise Draconic magic from their blood in their breath attacks, and resistances to some magic.   Before the new Gods came in the years after the War Against the Old Gods, Draconic magic and Divine magic were one and the same, as Draconic magic and blood came from the Primordial Dragons, with them being the only 'Gods' on the plane to give magic willingly to others.  

Shadowmancy/Necromancy

  Shadowmancy and Necromancy are often believed to be one and the same, and whilst linked intrinsically, they are different. Shadowmancy is drawn from the Shadowfell, and was brought to the Material Plane by the Twin Lords Uranus and Inday. Whilst other schools of magic existed in the world since the creation by Bahamut and Tiamat, Shadowmancy paved the way for Necromancy to be developed. Shadowmancy has over time seen less and less use by spellcasters across Oxdara, though those who do wield shadows and darkness do so at the behest of the Raven Queen or, though extremely rare, Inday. Rulers of the Shadowfell, The Raven Queen and Inday, gift the magic to all kinds of people, from sorcerers, to monks, to clerics and paladins; the Raven Queen having her Shadar-Kai, who wield the shadows nearly as well as the Queen herself.   Necromancy, like all magic, isn't inherently evil. Though it's ability to bring souls back from the afterlife, or keep a soul tethered to the Material Plane, many Wizards and magic users do view it as such. Necromancy is an underlying magic school, that exists in many different schools, spells like Cure Wounds or Heal that fall into the Evocation school, actually use Necromancy, though these actions are seen as good, or more accurately, useful to the wider populace, and so not classed in the Necromancy magic school.  

Wild Magic

  No one has been able to explain why Wild Magic exists, only that it has been around almost, if not longer, than the defined types of Magic. As all magic on Oxdara draws from the Life Force, and from the other Planes of Existence, it is theorised that the wild magic comes from a Plane of Existence that has not been discovered. Others theorise that it is remnants from the war against the Old Gods, fought by the Tal when they fled to Oxdara.   Wild magic is mostly linked to the monsters that exist across Oxdara, but it has been known to corrupt or mutate creatures connected to the Life Force. Entities like Vampires, Wild Magic sorcerers, they are entities born of the Life Force, that have Wild Magic inside them or corrupting them. Creatures born entirely of Wild Magic are classed as monstrosities, seeking only to kill creatures and beings of the Life Force.

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Tal Magic

  The last major understanding of magic comes from the Tal, and is as old as Draconic magic, though it has since been either forgotten or refined into Arcane and Influential magic by modern mages. The way the Tal viewed magic was as intricate channels and lines, the length and shape channeling the effect of the Life Force into desired spells and abilities. This is the same process and idea as glyphs, sigils and magical circles performed by modern spellcasters - same words, different font.   The only major difference is the lack of limitations or defined schools, Tal magic being much more loose, free and raw - tapping into the Life Force itself in a more natural way than Arcane magic. Many Tal mages would create or summon creatures and constructs (what would now be known as Conjuration), but made of solid ice or stone (what would now be defined as Transmutation) instead of an ethereal spirit.   Tal magic also visually differed from person to person more drastically than modern mages. Every Tal glyph lines and spells glow in a way that reflects a persons aura and personalitiy. As such the major colours were defined by how close to ability or personality a Tal was to one of the Five Lords, the most powerful Tal mages and warriors. The colour of a persons soul and magic isn't tied to a connection to the Lords, be it blood or training - the Lords and other powerful Tal's only acted as a general understanding of where a persons abilities would be best focused. It wasn't uncommon, and still isn't for modern mortals who wield Tal artefacts, to have a mix or different shade undefined specifically. Example, someone with an Orange soul is a mixture of a protector and warrior.

• Red - Seen as protectors, guardians and people with natural and powerful connections to the Life Force itself. Defined based off of the Lord Eltern, Guardian of the Life Force.
• Green - Seen as travellers, wanderers, and those with abilities built more for discovery and travelling to other planes. Defined based off of the Lord Gondri, Master of Time.
• Yellow - Seen as great warriors, leaders and those with martial abilities. Defined based of the Lord Putara, General off of the Tal Army.
• Black - Seen as inventors, those with a masterful understanding of how to manipulate and redefine magic and a mastery for Shadowmancy. Defined based off of the Lord Inday, Master of Shadows.
• Purple - Seen as healers and those with a mastery over manipulating the dead and souls unbound. Defined based off Lord Uranus, Master of Necromancy.

Other colours would be defined overtime based off of other powerful Tal warriors and mages, some connected to the Lords, others with no connection at all.

• Blue - Seen as empathetic and more focused on people, using thier abilites to calm, charm or influcence others. Defined based off of the Father, trusted apprentice to the Five Lords.
• White - Seen as extremely powerful and/or unstable, very few Tal ever had a white soul, the most prevalent one who did only had it through manipulation of his connection to the Life Force.

  It is extremely rare for a soul to have two distinct colours, not a combination, mix or shade variation, but two distinct colours. Like Red and White. And is only a naturally found in Tal, no Tal descendant or other mortal has ever been known to have a double soul (also known as a split soul or divergent soul). In this case, all other predifined or understood roles or abilities avaliable to a single soul are unimportant. A double soul of Green and Blue might have abilities for planar travel and influcencing others, but aren't as limited into those abilities or 'roles' as others. They are extremely powerful, and often fall on the greatest hero or most dangerous villian split, very little inbetween. There have only been 5 recorded/known cases of a double soul, two of which with a strong connection to the Five Lords. Theories speculated by the Five Lords themselves believed that double souls were as strong, if not stronger, than primordial beings like the Old Gods or Primordial Dragons.   In double souls it has been observed that they each have a unique pattern and shape of how the colours interact. The two with a connection to the Lords, one had a White and Blue soul, with a fractal pattern, the other had a Red and Pale Yellow/White soul with a swirling pattern. Though the two double souls with a connection to the Lords had a partially white soul, not all double souls do. It it theorised that the connection to the Lords, and the Lords being extremely powerful beings, bordering on Gods, having an affect. Without a larger sample it is impossible to know for certain.