How Magic Works

[Semtax]

In an age long past, magic was conjured from the will and might of the Pillars, colossal beings which supported the balance of magical presence in the universe. It was believed back then that these beings even held the sway of the world itself in their palms, their life and death threatening the stability of the known world. As time went on and the mortals matured, however, this proved to be less than true.
The Pillars which were bound to the Earth after their treason were of the following schools:

Dark
Light
Blood/Sacrifice
Conjuration
Elementals
Druidic Magic
Illusions
Alchemy
Foresight/Prediction

When the Pillars fell and were returned to the earth, their bodies merged with the planet itself and the cycles of life and death, the restoration and renewal of its own resources, perpetuates the sway of Magic. These magic are always weaker than the Unbound Schools. Their resources are not infinite but they require strength of body and will to use. If you cannot contain within you the energies which you summon, they will consume you.
The Unbound schools are as follows:
Death
Life
Creation
Destruction
Form
Spirit
Mind
Time/Space

Magic from these schools is not something that one can simply learn. It is granted. The Pillars associated with these schools never descended from Asylum. They never walked Earth’s soil, and are not connected to the life of the place as their brethren became. Their magic is unattainable save for via birthright as a Highborn Fae, as a Vinari, or by virtue of a Gift. Gifts from the Unbound come in all shapes and sizes. From a mark on the skin to an item bestowed as a trinket or totem. The first to be Gifted was Zion, and his gifts are the only ones considered irrefutable. He is also one of the only creatures alive who can bestow gifts himself. The magic used by these gifts is nearly infinite and so long as the user has learned to channel their Gift properly they can do so without much physical strain. However there are limits, ceilings set in place by the Pillars themselves. Humans and others who have catalogued these Gifts, these trinkets, have assigned values to them based on their potency. There is no true formula to define this, at least not a known one, which has proven to be consistently accurate.


Magic is largely based on belief and faith, as well as focus. The more convicted of their ability to succeed the wielder is, the more potent their magic becomes. For this reason, tactics of panic and fear are often employed when attempting to disrupt magic users from accomplishing their goals. Additionally, untrained humans or others with an affinity for magic but no proper instruction can still accomplish supernatural things through belief. This is where events which defy explanation come from, often called Miracles by humans. Feats of inexplicable strength, events which defy explanation and understanding, all stem from this belief based system.