The Magic System

Magic in Aursis is done through the use of the power of magical energy in the universe and manifested through ideas. Magic is very difficult to use, and the more complex the idea the more difficult it is to enact.

Only 1 in 200 beings in Aursis can use magic, however the method through which these beings obtain this ability differs from race to race. For some it is bloodline and genes that determine magic use, for others it is given to them via sacred ritual, and even more still are simply born with their powers via miracle.

Spells
Magical effects take the form of the creation, destruction, and altering of mass and energy. These effects are all related to a parallel dimension of theoretically infinite magical energy, that can be converted into mass and energy. The altering of existing mass and energy is simply derivative of simultaneous creation and destruction in a sequence, which is generally easier than creating the effect without a base. A magic user can feel magic and create effects but those feelings cannot be translated easily into modern language. The use of magic is analogous to the use of a muscle, one doesn't know exactly which cells are flexing or what signals are being sent, one only knows the end result and the feeling of how to do it. When a magic user creates the element oxygen, they do not know that it is an element, or that each atom of oxygen has 8 protons, they only know that when they use magic in this way flames burn brighter.

While all magic can be learned by anyone with the capability, each race has their own affinity for certain fields. Often determined by a challenge or fixation that race had early in their existence.

Creation of new spells
This basis of affinity is what all current magic is built upon. The development of new magical abilities, or spells, is slow and its progress can be measured in generations; imagine trying to make your arm bend the other direction using nothing but the muscles in that arm: that is how difficult it is to create new spells and abilities. A single mage working to improve a spell will work their entire life for only a few minor improvements.

Take for example, a fireball spell (for this, define a generation as 40 years). The Tatski have an affinity for fire based magic but their true affinity is the creation of heat energy. A Tatski with no training at all can create a strong heat within their hands, just less than enough to burn someone. After using that spell their entire life, the heat may be enough to burn someone. The next generation, if taught by an experienced mage will also be able to create that level of heat, and after many years, may have discovered how to create a flame by creating a spark with electrical energy and creating a steady stream of oxygen and fuel. The next generation will build upon that and let the flame burn brighter. A few generations following after that may be able to direct the flame in a direction. Four or five generations following might discover how to create a ball of flammable material that may be thrown. Another four or five generations after that may be able to create a delayed reaction so that the ball explodes upon impact. After 16-20 generations (640-800 years), a Tatski clan may have developed a fireball spell. This is assuming of course, that a teacher is able to teach the new generation so that knowledge is not lost, and that new discoveries are taught to the teacher.

''' Discoveries will not all follow a linear path and different communities of the same race may end up with entirely different spells that fulfill completely different functions. Taking the fire example, in the same time another clan could create lasers, change from heat to electrical energy, or be able to create illusions based on the shimmering of air.

Limits on Magic
It is the difficult to learn more than a few spells especially those of different effects. Magic is very intuition and muscle memory based which makes it difficult to branch into different types of effects. A very skilled mage may know 3 or 4 different spells that derive from their specialty and a most basic spell of another specialty.

  Not only that but magic is very taxing. The average mage will only be able to cast a spell a few times a day without becoming more than winded, after that however they will begin to draw on more and more of their magical reserves which are replenished overtime by sleep. After an active battle a mage might be too exhausted to cast any spell at all for weeks at a time.