Nature of Magic

Magic provides a fundamental basis of the world. To the average citizen magic is an unknowable force, however the study of magic is sufficient to provide a rather fundamental understanding of the nature of magic. Magic is divided into eleven schools which derive from three distinct sources, each behaving differently.

The Tower of Existence
The Tower of Existence is a concept by which the nature of magic is regularly explained. It is not a literal description of the world, but rather a thought experiment by which an aspiring mage can come to understand the world. The tower of existence is built up of four layers, the Sky, the Land, the Edge and the Spiritual Realm. The Land is the only layer that is not a source of magic, but is instead the layer affected by each type of magic. The Sky houses Attalia, the Spirit of the Sun, which is the source of all Arcane magic. Derived from the Sun is the five Arcane Schools. Those are Arcane, Air, Earth, Fire and Frost. Arcane magic is worked primarily by Mages and Artificers.

By contrast, the Spiritual Realm houses Asnora, the Spirit of the Moon, who is the source of all Nature magic. Derived from the Moon, and the Spiritual Realm as a whole are the five Nature Schools of magic. Those are Nature, Light, Shadow, Ancestral Spirits, and Elemental Spirits. Nature magic is worked by Druids, Priests, Paladins and Shamans. Non-Shamans studying the concepts of nature magic often struggle with the distinction between Ancestral Spirits and Elemental Spirits. Ancestral Spirits refer specifically to the spirits of the dead, who reside in the Spiritual Realm and watch over their descendants. Elemental Spirits meanwhile are spirits who have always existed within the Spiritual Realm, and are tied to an element, or location within the world.

The Edge is the smallest, and most dangerous of the layers. Lying between the Land and the Spiritual Realm, it is the source of all Fel magic. Fel magic is not divided into any schools, and is largely practiced as a single, united whole. Warlocks are the primary practitioners of Fel magic. While often viewed as the most powerful type of magic, Fel magic comes with a price. The average Warlock will not encounter any negative effects, however Fel magic rituals corrupt the land around them, opening the Land up to the Edge. This is particularly dangerous, as the Edge is the home to the Demonic creatures. Demons from the Edge are universally malevolent towards creatures of the Land, and the Spirits of the Spiritual Realm. Greater Demons seek to kill and destroy, while the lesser ones that are bound by Warlocks typically only seek to achieve a more petty goal, and can be persuaded to co-operate with a Warlock for a time.

Mana
Even the most basic of spell-casters understands that mana exists, and it's purpose within their casting. Even non-casters are often familiar with the notion of mana, having dealt with a spell-caster on at least one occasion. Rarer is the understanding of the true nature of mana. Mana is a unique form of magic that is produced only in the Land layer of the Tower of Existence. It is produced by the Sun and the Moon, and stored within the bodies of any creature sentient enough to process it. When casting, a creature draws upon the magical energies of another layer, trading an amount of mana to the layer in return for the magical effect within the world around them.