Magic

The manipulation of necra through the use of one's life force (maga).

The world is made of necra. This is the wisdom given to us by the Eani. Necra is non-living matter, static by nature. It is the building block of all we see around us. This much we know.

Maga is the opposite of necra. Maga is life. It is the life force, the energy that keeps the universe in motion. Before Baran's gift, we had no knowledge of the vast potential of maga. Any means of controlling this energy was beyond us.

Then dragons appeared, and the three eldest each presented us with a gift. Barahea granted us the whispering flame, and through the gift of her blood, Sardaheim was created. Mergarand gave us the bloodgift of the Mesadee and Shivas. And Baran gave us the Corredan flame, and the power that is magic.

The key to forming spells is in tellas, a metal found in dragon scales. Tellas is highly reactive to energy agitation. When used to create a spiral on a casting weapon, tellas channels the caster's maga, or life force, through the weapon's core. The necra around the weapon becomes agitated, and can be molded. The spellcaster imposes will through life force. Thus a spell is formed.

A spell acts as an extension of the caster's will. Skilled asters are capable of performing complex spells via combined willpower, as well as a system of incantations. Incantations by themselves hold no power; they are merely methods of visualizing the spell by chanting a poem, sentence, or simple word.

Magic comes with a price. Maga is a force that can be regenerated each day, even by something as simple as having a good meal. Daily maga can provide skilled and careful mages all the spell power they require. But when one burns maga beyond that limit, a price must be paid: the winnowing of the caster's lifespan.

A reckless mage can end his own life in one harsh combat. For this reason, caster weapons have been weakened over time, so that excessive use of magic breaks Baran's spiral. This has saved countless lives over the centuries.