Magic

Magic is a supernatural force that changes aspects of the world at fundamental levels. While magic is able to defy the known laws of science, it does follow its own set of rules. For example, Conjured objects can only exist for a temporary period of time, and objects cannot be enlarged beyond a certain point without becoming unstable and/or exploding. The ability for humans to use magic is a hereditary trait passed down from a person's ancestors. Magic plays a large and central role in the shadows and storms universe. It is used not only by Mages but by the many Priests, Druids and other magical creatures and items that inhabit the literature.

Magic users use a force that overlaps everything in the universe and transcends mortal creatures' understanding. The way we have come best describes it is as a powerful fabric we refer to as the Weave. The Weave is a thick barrier coding reality like a blanket that every spellcaster accesses in some way. This fabric is dangerous to use and can be twisted and even torn resulting in dead magic and wild magic, effects that plagued abandoned war zones and testing sites. Magic is used by harnessing the power of the Weave. The two best-understood methods of access are either by grabbing it yourself through arcane study or divine requests sent to gods and other forces.

Users of magic are commonly and universally known as Mages who are human born with the ability to access the weave and perform magic. However, though the weave allows a Mage to use magic, a Mage's Life Force energy allows them to use a certain amount of magic. Life Force energy can be found in all living things and for Mages, it acts like their battery for magic. Magic often drains a person's stamina and can have dangerous results if pushed too far. Naturally, stronger magic puts a much greater strain such as Necromancy which uses so much of a person's life force that it can result in killing them. Many Mages only uses a small form of dark magic that allows them to drain the life force from other living beings. This is socially accepted amongst Mages as long it on targeted towards animals and plants and not humans or other sentient beings.

History of Magic
Magic, in the form it is now, is believed to have first been used by the gods, who gave shape to the raw chaos of the forces of the planes and used them to craft their own domains in the heavens. Such powers were gifted to mortals as they devoted their lives to the powers of these gods, and eventually, mortals, the first believed to have been dragons, learned to replicate these magical powers. Magic spread across the planes as mortals mastered the many forms of magic, binding their will to the formless powers of the universe and invoking it with the words of arcane power.

Schools of Magic
There are many types of branches of magic, which are referred to as the Schools of Magic among Mages. Mages usually having a more natural affinity for one area and thus study more extensively, though they can have skills in another. Some though are considered taboo and have been banned by certain Mage organizations. The suffix "-kinesis" involves physical manipulation of a given element (like inflaming objects with Pyrokinesis or moving them around with Telekinesis), while "mancy" generally refers to communication with and interpretation of it (like learning people's fates by fire-gazing via Pyromancy or forcing the dead to speak through Necromancy).

In most approaches to arcane theory, the magic of all kinds, be it arcane, divine, or from some other source, can be classified as being part of one of eight types, or schools. The seven schools are Air Magic, Earth Magic, Water Magic, Fire Magic, Mind Magic, Light Magic, and Dark Magic. The ten schools of magic, as defined by the Temple of Telenor, are separated primarily by function, with the most well known of magic being those that can be duplicated by Mages. Others, however, can tap into magic sources, such as from their magical creatures or enchanted magical items that grant them powers.

Mind-based magic

 * Telekinesis
 * Oneiromancy
 * Telepathy
 * Mind Spell Casting

Air-based magic

 * Aerokinesis
 * Aeromancy
 * Harenkinesis
 * Air Spell Casting

Earth-based magic

 * Geokinesis
 * Geomancy
 * Botanokinesis
 * Earth Spell Casting

Water-based magic

 * Hydrokinesis
 * Hydromancy
 * Cryokinesis
 * Water Spell Casting

Fire-based magic

 * Pyrokinesis
 * Pyromancy
 * Electrokinesis
 * Fire Spell Casting

Mages can also use the purest forms of magic called Light and Dark Magic. This type of magic is used by harnessing the power of Order and Chaos. Order and Chaos is a complex relational concept in many cultures that have developed over thousands of years. Briefly put, the meaning of order and chaos is that the universe is governed by a cosmic duality, sets of two opposing and complementing principles, or cosmic energies that can be observed in nature.

Light Magic

 * Animancy
 * Charms
 * Abjuration
 * Purification
 * Light Conjuration
 * Light Spell Casting

Dark Magic

 * Necromancy
 * Curses
 * Reanimation
 * Resurrection
 * Immortality
 * Corruption
 * Dark Conjuration
 * Dark Spell Casting