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The World of Toisian: Magic Magic is a force independent of life, and is thought to have two types and sources: magic that is inherently present in the earth and its denizens, and magic that is provided by the gods and their whims. The ability to use it is very rare - it is limited to the more-or-less sentient beings, and even among those it is quite uncommon. Among humans, it is so rare that many magic-users are shunned from the more xenophobic societies. Among Elves, it is considerably more common, and it is considered much more acceptable than it is in human society. To simplify many thousands of years of experimentation and theory, magic is an exchange between two forces - the magic-user gives part of his or her inherent life energy in order to gain what he or she seeks from the magic. The value of what is to be gained is directly proportional to how much energy the sorcerer must give up, so a complicated spell such as a drastic transformation or an extensive healing ritual takes much more energy than does a simple spell such as making a small object float in mid-air or creating an insubstantial illusion. Different people have different amounts of energy; most humans (and the majority of elves) have none at all. The amount of energy one has tends to grow with age and study. Magic can be used in two ways. The more common way is to direct it using complex incantations - these may involve spoken or written words, or symbols that must be drawn in the air, on paper, or on the object the magic is directed towards; components such as herbs, blood, water, or minerals may also be required. The more difficult way can only be attained by certain magic-users with exceptional talent who have devoted many decades to the study. Simply by imagining what is required of the magical forces, they can be manipulated into whatever form the user desires. |