So I was doing some thinking about how magic works in the City (and I would believe in the rest of the world the City exists in) and I may as well get things fleshed out here.

Info under the cut!

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I already covered the two types of Magic: Radiation and Inheritance. This should all be straightforward. But different types of magic (element, mind, spirit, fae, etc) work differently. So while you may have two adepts, aside from the magic they wield the way they wield it may also be very different.

Note: This mostly applies only to Adepts as Talents do not usually possess enough power to ‘wield’ in the strictest sense.

So the easiest place to start would be Elemental magic. Stuff like fire, water, wood, air, and earth make up this particular section. Light and shadow also fit into this category. Practitioners of elemental magic will tell you their magic comes from a connection to their element; and whether it’s a mutation from the abilities themselves I’m not sure, but they tend to look the part.

Dulcie, for example, is a fire adept with orange hair. Brittany is a water adept who actually has a set of gills. These sorts of things aren’t uncommon, but it isn’t unheard of for an adept not to show any physical traits of their magic either.

Now, because of their magic’s tactile nature, these elemental magics are typically tied to body movements. For some, this resembles bending. Some adepts even learn a martial art associated with their abilities to better control them. Dulcie, as our example, does not practice in such a way, but her powers are subconsciously tied to her emotions. An angry Dulcie will clench her fists and set herself on fire. A sick Dulcie might start sneezing flames. She’s young and has little control.

That’s what all of this is about though, control. Elemental Adepts believe they can better control their abilities through movement. This is merely a training of the subconscious though; an exercise of will. Truly enlightened adepts know that, even completely bound, they can manipulate their element with a clear head.

This brings up a key fact: wield-able magic requires focus. Dulcie, who lacks focus, tends to set things on fire by accident because she has no control. Her abilities jump out on a whim because she doesn’t try to control them. An angry shadow adept with the same issue might blacken entire buildings in inky darkness, simply because their minds are clouded. Within the City, problems like this are often tackled by quick response teams of better trained individuals, and by teaching these young adepts control.

So what about non-elemental magic users?

Well this depends. If a person doesn’t share the same internal connection to their ability, they will still have problems controlling it. In many cases, adepts with this issue turn to what is known as a Focus. A Focus, is any item through which once may channel their powers. In many works of fictions these function in the form of wands, or orbs, or even books. Some people get more creative. A telekinetic adept might use a puppet to better grasp how he wants to move things. Nolan, an oddball adept with control over ink, has tattoos on his arms that he uses to help direct control with his hands. A technomancer with a love of Doctor Who, might use a model sonic screwdriver. A focus is often personal. The issue is, if the focus becomes lost of broken, the user has difficulty using their magic. This is because in their head: it means their magic is also broken.

There are, of course, inherently magical objects. These objects are constructed by magic users higher on the scale then an Adept. They may also contain materials forged from the pools of magic ((a skill which very few possess)). The only current device of this nature that I have in the world is Pandora’s Box. This small, odd looking box is tied to the soul of the pixie, Pandora. Whoever opens the box, releasing her, is her master until the box is once more closed; pulling Pandora inside, or until the master’s death. In that event, Pandora is free from a master until another such box event occurs. Destroying the box would remove Pandora from existence, sending her energy back to the world of the fae.

The last thing I want to touch on is Witches. Witches are not (usually) adepts, but they are not sorcerers either. Witches are magic users who, while they may not have any powers of their own, can borrow the powers of nearby users temporarily. Witches always require a focus to do this, as they are channeling abilities that aren’t inherently theirs. How far away a witch may borrow powers is tied to how strong the witch is. Very weak witches must be touching another user to borrow their powers. An extremely powerful witch might be mistaken for some sort of God or Sorceress due to the amount and different types of power they can wield.

That’s it for now. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I love talking about this stuff and you might bring up things I hadn’t thought of. Until next time!