Intent

The Law of Intent is a rule that governs the use of magic. In truth, it is less a "law" than a principle or underlying concept, but it is a vital part of magical practice. The essential essence of Intent is the idea that a caster must focus their mind, body, and Soul in order to call upon Cosmic Energy and properly cast a spell.   This has many applications, such as the use of magic words, wands and staves, and various ritual practices. In truth, these things serve no inherent purpose. The ability to cast magic is an intrinsic one - albeit one that must be learned in order to control. However, these serve a largely necessary function of making concrete action out of abstract principles. The harnessing of Cosmic Energy (mana, ki, chakra, etc.) is a very dangerous practice if performed incorrectly.   The very nature of magic goes back to the Soul's connection to all other cosmos as a result of its nature - being born from all of the Deep Wells touching and creating the Pool of Animus. Because of this, the Soul is connected to all other cosmos because it is, in effect, a composite of fragments from all other cosmos. That allows a caster to call upon power from outside the mortal realm. However, that comes at great risk, as, rather than have the energy flow through them, they may have their Soul ripped asunder, as the fragment that originally came from another plane is called back. It's for this reason that Intent is such a vital part of magical practice. By focusing Intent, a caster is able to ensure that they are in control of the energy at all times.   This is why so many casters make use of magic words or arcane focuses; they form a system or tangible connection that allows the user to properly visualize the magic they are using. Use of a wand allows them to more concretely enact the direction of energy. Ascribing meaning to magic words causes it to feel more like commands being given to the energy.   Arcanology states that this is a large part of why the Deep is referred to in the manner that it is; it helps to understand magic as a force that flows, and is vast as the ocean. It is said that "to call upon the cosmos is to make yourself a dam holding back the sea". What this means is that the cosmos are worlds unto themselves - worlds made of magical energy. To use one's own Soul as the conduit between that amount of power and the mortal world is dangerous. Even the most mundane of spells still carries that danger, because it is still asking the caster to have enough control to not let the magic break them. Stronger spells are just more energy passing through the caster at one time. That requires greater control and more endurance, but the absolute necessity of Intent will never go away.