@Keksalot Well, I planned on expanding on this more in the OOC, but since there are apparently a few questions on the subject, I figure I'll type this up now, since I have some spare time at work. Keep in mind, this isn't a completely polished system, so there may be inconsistencies.
So, the idea behind the magic here is that it sort of flows through the air, though it doesn't have a physical appearance - you can't see it. Since it's always got a presence, it can sometimes alter, or otherwise have some kind of effect on, certain parts of the world. Hence the magic in a unicorn's horn, or other magical beings that I may include in the future. However, magic is a largely undiscovered and underdeveloped science. No one has really been able to pinpoint how the magic seeps out of its pools in the air to alter the world on its own.
That being said, some creatures (namely the more civilized ones like humans) have learned how to draw the mana from the pool, much like a magnet attracts metallic objects. From there, they can manipulate the mana into a physical force, such as a fireball, or a force field of sorts. Since this universe is relatively young, the study of magic is largely unexplored, and the full potential of it is far from unlocked. This isn't like most fantasy universes, where wizards are capable of casting mind control over thousands of creatures, or building a fortress of ice from the ground in a matter of seconds. Instead, they
might be able to control the thoughts of a single person for an hour or two, if they really know what they're doing, or possibly construct a small wall of ice for a few minutes. Even then, it's fairly unpredictable, and could easily backfire if they lose focus.
As a result of this, wizards and sorcerers are looked down on in many parts of the world and thought to be evil, or at the very least, untrustworthy for dabbling in the arcane. The use of magic could even be illegal in some places (pro tip: it is. Just not in Avadon.)
For a bit of a real world perspective, the level of understanding people in Hathaia (the main human continent) have of magic could be comparable to our understanding of the universe. We know it exists, and we know the basics of it, but there's about ten times as much information that we don't know. It's an interesting topic to many, but understood by very few, and those who do claim to really understand it, still have only a very basic knowledge of the full scale of it.
As for the actual casting of magic, it isn't just a quick flick of your fingers. It requires a casting process (usually some hand movements, though some larger-scale spells may require the full body to be in motion), as well as a chant in an ancient language spoken by a people known as shurn - people that existed on the planet (still unnamed lol) long before humans and other creatures came into existence. The shurn had a very vast understanding of magic, and it's often believed that magic is the sole reason behind their extinction. It's the discovery of the shurn's ancient writing that led to the discovery of spellcastig in the first place. As an aside, the shurn are who the tuvuls believe they are descended from.
Now, as the ancient words and movements attract the mana to your body, the mana takes on a physical form - it'll glow, and become much more dense. It'll leave its pools in the air and creep toward your body and sort of fuse with your skin. That's where the clothing choice comes into play. Possibly, a good rule to go by would be if water can seep through it, then mana can as well. As such, wearing plated armour is going to bring the mana to a complete stop, and leather would likely have a similar effect. Regular clothing, furs, robes, etc. are your best bet, as the mana can easily seep through and reach your body. I suppose being naked would be in your best interest if you want to cast spells, but that's hardly appropriate. Hahaha. With this in mind, it's also safe to say that the further north you go, the less and less common magic will become, as people will require thicker, more layered clothes to survive the cold temperatures. Avadon itself is a bit further north, so it can be a bit colder, but will still experience all four seasons, albeit the winters may be slightly more harsh, and their summers may not be as hot as other places.
The more parts of your body the mana can reach, the better. If you wear only greaves and boots, and leave the top half of your body uncovered, then your spells will fail about 50% of the time. If you leave your arm unarmoured as was mentioned before, but the rest of covered in steel, your spells are likely going to fail around 80-90% of the time. So I suppose nothing is stopping a wizard from relying on that 50%, or that 80%, but it's also worth keeping in mind that some spells will require body movements beyond just the hands/arms, and the more heavy armour someone wears, the more restricted they are in their movement.
And no, the mana will not look for an opening. It will continue to move forward, and if it cannot reach you, it will dissipate. For example, if your arm is uncovered, but your chest is armoured, then the mana headed to your chest region will not move about until it finds your arm. It will stop, and go back to its pool in the air. The mana that was heading for your arm, however, will be fine. I hope that makes as much sense as it does in my mind.
One last thing worth mentioning, since I want to restrict what magic can and can't do, I'll be grouping it into schools. When I do that, it should give you a good idea as to what your character can and can't do with their arcane knowledge. I'll likely post here again when I have some schools figured out.
So, overall, magic is going to be pretty restrictive. Wizards in the group will need proper protection by their more heavily-armoured allies, and their reputation may take a hit, depending on where they live and study. Avadon's views on magic are fairly neutral, but may change depending on what part of the country you find yourself in.
Like I said, it's not a completely fleshed out system, so any questions you guys may have, feel free to hit me up. But I hope that clarifies things a bit! I'm doing this mostly out of personal preference when it comes to my fantasy universe, but also because I'm tired of seeing people play characters that seem to be masters of every aspect of combat. I want to see both strengths and weaknesses here in everyone's characters, and in a world where magic exists, that can sometimes be hard to do. So I've restricted it heavily, in hopes that those who wish to play wizards can be just that - wizards, and not masters of everything. In the same breath, those who wish to play fighters, or thieves, or even pirates, can focus on being just those as well.
Again, for those who have shown interest, thank you! I hope my magic restrictions don't push you away. Hahaha.
Krasnaya