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What is MAGIC?

Magic, in this world, can be basically boiled down to the manipulation of natural energies to achieve feats far beyond that of which one should otherwise be capable. While all creatures are attuned in some way or another with the magic energy, sensitivity and compatibility can vary greatly from person to person. Therefore, it requires someone with a certain minimum compatibility with the natural energy to continue on to become a mage, or quite simply one capable of using magic. Should the minimum be met, one can train their capacity and proficiency in storing and using it, developing the skill like one would any other.

There exists many a college across the land with the sole purpose of training and educating those interested in pursuing the magical arts in the proper ways of utilizing their skills. These facilities also serve to advance magical research and to monitor and police the improper use of magic. Thanks to the events surrounding the Mage-King some fifty years prior, mages are viewed with a certain scrutiny and, in some cases, even fear. Because of this, the use of magic in public areas is generally frowned upon. The largest exception here, however, would be the nation of Dahlgren, which prides itself on being home to the largest magical college in the land. Free and open use of magic is perfectly allowed and even encouraged there. Unsurprisingly, it holds the highest magic-sensitive population among the island nations.

Magic is divided into five schools:

[hider=Black Magic]
Elemental and Destructive magics. The direct opposite of White Magic, Black Magic is an offensive school focusing on utilizing elemental energies to cause heavy destruction on a wide scale. There exists six distinct specializations within this school, one for each element: Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Earth, and Water. While it’s certainly not uncommon for Black Mages to learn spells from multiple elements, at the absolute highest level, mages generally focus on one or two elements. This is purely for the sake of their research, as a breakthrough could result in the mage gaining fame, fortune, and the envy of their peers. 

The use of Black Magic in conflicts between nations has been banned by the National Council due to just how destructive it can be. This being said, war has yet to break out, so it’s hard to say if this policy will be followed. Generally, it is accepted that the advancement of Black Magic is for the potential domestic uses of the craft and elimination of future monster hordes.[/hider]
	
[hider=Blue Magic]
Monster Mimicry magics. Perhaps the most unusual of the schools, but arguably the most natural, Blue Mages study the techniques and magics used by monsters and void creatures in hopes of understanding and utilizing said skills against them. It’s a difficult thing to really pass along through lectures and books, and as such, most Blue Magic research is done in the field. It’s a dangerous field to be sure, but by learning how monsters and related creatures use their magics, one learns how to better fight them in the future.[/hider]

[hider=Summon Magic]
Evocation magics. Practitioners of this school are referred to as Summoners. They draw the most ire out of all mages, as their magic has the greatest chance of causing massive devastation. Summon Magic involves the evocation of incredibly powerful entities known as Espers. The Summoner must utilize a massive amount of magic to materialize, maintain, and enthrall the Esper in question. Due to the nature of the school, apprentices are required to have extraordinary innate talent. 

It is a very risky art to be sure, as an incredible amount of willpower is required to prevent the Esper from acting on its own. More than a few young, reckless Summoners have met their end due to attempting to summon an Esper far beyond their skill. Due to the intense magical bond that forms between both parties involved in this art, the injury of one reflects on the other, so in cases where the Summoner has lost control and has become nothing more than a vessel for the Esper, the Summoner is generally put down.

More powerful mages of the art are able to call forth more magic in the initial summoning, thus not requiring as strong of a bond to maintain their thrall and minimizing their overall risk. To learn to summon an Esper requires a contract between both parties. The Summoner College of Dahlgren is home to the largest collection of contracts, which new Summoners can sign to bond with the Esper. Otherwise, one can attempt to form a contract with a powerful enough creature in the field, though the means behind that is a closely guarded secret of the College.[/hider]

[hider=Time Magic]
Spatial and gravitational manipulative magics. Perhaps the smallest school and by far the most complicated and difficult for beginners, it’s also the newest school to be discovered. The art requires a very sharp mind as mistakes can be fatal. In general, Time Mages focus on manipulating local gravity to either immobilize foes or hasten allies. Intense concentration is required as magic must be used precisely in order to achieve the desired effects. There is also a branch of the school that focuses on teleportation and warping, though the dangers and sheer amount of work required to excel in that field generally turns off most potential apprentices. The name of the school seems to be a bit of a misnomer, as Time Magic doesn’t exactly manipulate time. When asked why he named it such and not something along the lines of Gravity Magic, the founder simply said “Huh. Good point.” and moved on.[/hider]

[hider=White Magic]
Curative and protective magics. While mostly a pacifistic school focusing on restoration and recovery, there have been a few White Mages who have been pushing the boundaries of what constitutes White Magic. There is talk that these mages have developed a means of utilizing White Magic in an offensive way, though the specifics are unknown to the general public.

The School of White Magic declares itself neutral in the affairs of countries, and will offer aid to any wounded, regardless of nationality. Because of this, it has been declared a war crime to intentionally attack a White Mage in time of war. Out of all of the schools, White Mages hold the most respect from the general public, though other mages tend to give them a hard time.[/hider]

While most practitioners of magic are the classically trained mages as listed above, there are cases of others using magic in less traditional ways. Generally, these cases are specialized knights, such as the Black Magic inspired Mystic Knights of Takhtajan or the White Magic utilized by the Paladins of Thorne. And it could be argued that the songs played by some of the Bards of the land may have magical roots. And while there may be others, more often than not in these cases, magic is used to enhance the warrior’s primary skills rather than making it the focus of their abilities, and as such the magic tend to be on a weaker end than that utilized by proper mages.

Spell List:

-coming soon!-