Lol, firstly, I'm not entirely sure why I'm laughing. I'm tired and it seems the easiest way for me to express my eager attentive happiness that we can have this discussion and that this idea has begun such a debate. Hopefully, that proves it's a pretty good and open idea. Kudos to you, Ichthys. :) And thanks for giving such great answers to spark chatter about it.

[quote=Castor]
But that doesnt really help the rp, So, maybe destroying other Covens give you more magic like you take their source of power but this power corrupts and make you wana kill more? The thing is, each house in GOT has their own motives, not just blindly killing everyone in the name of gaining power.[/quote]
I'm not entirely certain when we got into the killing spree thing, as that's not exactly the worst thing you could do with magic. Nor is it, I think, the point of this rp. If that was me starting it.... Whoops, did not mean for it to come across that way. My bad. Anyway, pretty sure the goal isn't merely to grab all of the power. When I mentioned that, it was an example of one of the reasons any person might be motivated to cause trouble, in our world or another. I'd be just as happy with that society that's more interested in gaining knowledge and whatnot than in fighting amongst themselves, if that were something to be explored, but given the fact that there seems to be a civil war and political strife brewing, I'd say this society is not quite as against infighting as all that. Sure, they might not approve of physical aggression, and the coven as a whole probably doesn't appreciate any of the strife going on, but words can make pretty good weapons too. I'm not a great proponent for magic makes things idyllic, I like it in small doses, because it can be a nice image, but it just seems strange. Maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm reading your points wrong... 

Still, a great example of why I think this, is that there does happen to exist a society based solely on magic already. Yes, it was a human invention, and it did start out when technology was not nearly as advanced as it is today, but it is still a society that is excessively different from our human Earth society and I think it fits the bill. Faeries are and always have been very magical and often fully capable of doing whatever they wish like making their own clothes and food. The result... good, bad, and neutral beings, and ones that don't really understand our societal norms in most instances. Of course, some of that miiiiight be the longlived aspect as well. So, it's probably not a perfect comparison. But anyway, that's what I was thinking when you (Castor) mentioned a society attuned to natural magic. And why I think it's entirely possible to think up a society and culture that could have things given to them through magic and still be a little quarrelsome. ;) Spoiled brat syndrome, maybe? I have no idea where I'm going with this anymore... just gonna go chase the will'o the wisps now. Heeeeeee :)

Also, being tired, I'mma apologise halfway through nattering if everything, or even just any part of this, makes no sense or seems to be repeating itself. It happens sometimes. :P Also, I should recognise right now that everything beyond this point(and some of the stuff above) is just me generalising, rather than directly about this rp, because our questions about this particular magic system have not yet been answered, and so, I have no idea how much of it will be relevant. But I like to talk about this stuff. It's fun, and a great way to pass the time. So, onward!

Admittedly, I can be a cynical person. This stems mainly from my horrible attitude towards optimism. It must be thoroughly extinguished forever! Mwahahahahaha! *coughs* *snrk* Not... Nah, I just like playing the devil's advocate. And it helps prevent the problem you brought up with there being a lack of tension when suddenly, hey, guys, everything could be solved by magic. Because the problem there, obviously, is that there's no more problem. (my simplification of your point)

[quote=Castor]
TL;DR: All permeating magic gives humans the potential for more good, IMO... YES I'M NAIVE AND OPTIMISTIC! SHOOT ME!
[/quote]
Heh. A very good point. It stands to reason that if they're given a greater potential for causing trouble, they're also then given a greater potential to do good. As Schradinger brought up, new technology can both help and hinder our survival. Not everything created with it is essential, or wonderful or horrendous, but while it can help with some problems, it can create its own. And that, really, is what I think so fun about playing with a world full of magic. Exploring the pros and cons and unessential snippets the population may have to deal with. I'm pretty sure that on this aspect, we're all in basic agreement. 

[quote=Castor]
we base these witches off the presumption that human nature is inherently evil and that there's a natural tendency to oppress or control, irregardless of the societal environment in which they were brought up.[/quote]
On this note, I have absolutely no desire to base any witch off that assumption. It takes away all possibility of giving them any human element, that being, people can be good, bad and in between. Most live in the grey areas, so I don't see why this should be any different here. 

[quote=Castor]
How about singing magic? Say theres this sapling, and witches can perform rituals where they sing and coax the sapling to grow into whatever shape, eg. A tree that grows into a house while still being a tree that lives and grows. The restrictions would be time. Obviously, the growth is accelerated but it should take a week at least? for a normal sized house. Like in Eragon![/quote]
Singing magic sounds like fun. There should be someone who uses it and is tonedeaf.... All the oops, sorry! *wincing* On a side note, I want a tree house. But yeah, time's a great restriction. So is using the elements around you rather than being able to make anything out of air. Or only being capable of channelling a certain amount of magic at any given time. Or needing excessive amounts of concentration. Or having to actually know the individual components of a spell or the thing you're wanting to accomplish and needing to go through each step separately before you can accomplish the whole. I like restrictions. :) There's a lot of possibility out there.