Magic is divided three ways:
 
-Elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Life, Light, Dark,
Fate) which are the innate natural forms of magical energy
 
-Schools (Illusion, Divination, Conjuration, Protection,
Alteration) which are the ways magic is combined from
different elements into spells
 
-Casting formes (Wizardry, Sorcery, Alchemy, Witchcraft)
which are how a person accesses magic from the Feylines to
form spells
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Wizardry: Studied practice of spells, formed with words of
power and hand/focus motions (Wizards, Clerics, Paladins)
 
Sorcery: Innate connection to the Feylines, forming spells
through willpower and mnemonics (Sorcerers/Sorceresses)
 
Alchemy: Using chemical ingredients to create potions,
salves, scrolls, or runic chalk to induce magic
(Alchemists, Shamans)
 
Witchcraft: Making a deal for magical power with a being
innately connected to a source- usually demonic or fey in
origin (Witches, Warlocks, also Druids)
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Illusion: Using magic to deceive the senses or manipulate
 
Divination: Using magic to gain knowledge
 
Conjuration: Using magic to summon forth energies, beings,
or other things
 
Protection: Using magic to protect and heal damage,
curses, illness, or other
 
Alteration: Using magic to manipulate the physical world
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Light- The domain of Faeries, noble and good in their ways,
almost to a self sacrificial point
 
Fire- The domain of the Pixies, turbulent and energetic.
They experience everything with practically no filter
 
Water- The domain of the Undines; smart, calculating, and
kind. They care and cure for the world
 
Wind- The domain of the Sylphs, capricious and free-
spirited. They are playful jokesters, ruled by their whims
 
Earth- The domain of the Sprites, wise in their ways and
long thinking. They are slow to action, but exact in their
dealings.
 
Life-The domain of the Spriggans, most connected to the
physical world. Protective, but easily angered by those
that mess with the natural order.
 
Dark- The domain of the Changelings. Mysterious folk, who
easily blend in with other Fey. Seem to act as spies for
their people.
 
Fate- The domain of the Leprechauns, cunning and miserly.
They weave chance to their will and horde valuables.
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Feylines- the place of origin for magic- a world on top
of ours, yet separate. Hot spots of magic make the walls
between worlds thinner- places like ancient forests, or
mountain peaks- places old and full of mystery. It is at
these places it is possible to crossover, though physical
entry into the Feylines is metamorphic. Prolonged contact
with high levels of magic will alter a person's
appearance. Species like Elves, Gnomes, Goblins, and
the like are prime examples of that- the biggest sign of
magical mutation is sharper features, longer, pointed
ears, and brighter/more varied natural coloration. Psions,
having no natural connection to the Feylines, are changed
differently. They still shrink in size, as appropriate to
the diminutive size of the inhabitant fey, but glow
constantly with their aura- tendrils and clouds of it
constantly shifting around them. They have no connection
to magic due to their innate psionics being a gift from
the plane of Chaos. Everything is straightforward in the
Feylines. Even the Changelings, known for trickery, still
abide by their rules. When those that are native to the
Feylines exit, they remain unchanged- but are still
tethered to it. They cannot exist for an extended period
of time in the natural world, and will eventually be
pulled back- unless bound to the physical world with iron.
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Beyond the Feylines is Hell- the realm of demons. Like fey,
they are magical in origin, but are too far removed from
the natural world to ever gain entry unless deliberately
let in. Mortals may sometimes make deals with demons to
gain magical power- usually at the price of service to the
demon, which invariably tries to make it's way into the
world to wreak havoc and reap the life energy from the
populace.
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Deals with Fey are pretty tricky- they use exact wording
in their contracts, but usually aren't malicious in their
wants. They can be extremely selfish- requiring some sort
of recurring offering or such. Some require that the
person pledge their life to one representative of the
Fey's element, like protection of the surrounding forest
for a deal with a Spriggan. Others are more direct,
binding themselves to their practitioner of witchcraft as
either a guide, or just a foothold into the physical
world. This is the only exception to the tethering of Fey
to the Feylines. It is also possible to capture Fey and
use them as a conduit to leech magical power. This can
potentially kill the Fey in question.
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Magic can be learned by anyone who has a connection to the
Feylines- which is anyone who isn't psionic. Psionics have
their magical connections cut, replaced by the chaotic and
nonsensical energies native to the plane of Chaos. Some
are born this way, but not until after the chaos wars had
started. The first psionics were forcibly torn from their
connection to the Feylines by destructive force and
contact by the forces of chaos. It is possible to still
form psionic abilities this way if, say, an army of psions
were to destroy a city and leave almost no survivors. But
this is highly unlikely to happen. So basically- you are
either born a psion, or you become one if your ties to
magic are severed completely due to high concentrations
of psionic energy.
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Learnt magic is simple enough- there are various spells
that have words, motions, and costs associated. To cast a
ball of fire, one must invoke it's name (in the language
of the Fey), wave their focus in a particular sigil (be it
a wand, stave, or ring on their finger), and toss a small
packet filled with flammables (the most popular being
flint and tinder; but packets of black powder or grease
covered marbles are also viable.)
Thusly, a wizard needs a good throwing arm if they want to
land that fireball- but the material cost may be subverted
if they have a store of magical energy from which to
directly siphon from (the most common is gemstones, which
can be recharged with the right rituals and tend to be
embedded in their focus of choice- but the more
unscrupulous magic users will sometimes directly siphon
from captured fey imprisoned in the physical world.)
The only downside is that those who tutor magic tend to
charge pretty highly, thusly discouraging most in learning
the arts.
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Some people are born with an innate ability to conduct
magic from the Feylines through their body. They shape the
energies into their spells through force of will and
practiced mnemonics- they are quite similar to how psions
use their powers in that way. With their mind, they tap
into the Feylines and draw upon the element of Fire
itself, allowing the element to form into the spell within
their body and then cast it out through particular motions
if they want the same effect as a wizard's fireball. This
is more physically exhausting, though- a wizard can cast
as long as they have the stores of energy or material to
use, but prolonged magic use by sorcerers will drain them
until they pass out from fatigue. Although if they are in
a place more in-tune with a particular element of magic
they would cast more powerfully and for longer of that
element. So if a sorcerer stood in the center of a
volcano, their fire spells would be much grander (At the
cost of water spells being weaker).
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Those that have studied magic can also imbue items with
the power of a spell- similar to the material cost of
wizards. Various plants and animals are magical in nature,
and combining them in the right ways will produce effects
similar to spells. Anyone can fill a bottle with oil and a
wick, light it and toss as a grenade, but a scroll with
the incantations for a fireball written in the blood of a
salamander in ancient runes will keep them coming until
the scroll burns up from overuse.
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Those who have made deals to gain their powers are usually
extremely limited in what they can cast- but the power of
their spells are extraordinarily high. If a person has
pledged service to a Pixie, the fireballs they can form
will be more powerful than anything a sorcerer could
conjure and more plentiful than any average wizard's stock
of combustibles- but they'd never in their life be able to
get a storm to brew from their fey friend.
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