Spellcasting

The mysterious substance of mana is the foundation of magic, but mana does very little on its own. Something needs to take control of the mana and direct it towards a coherent goal. This directing, this shaping of mana is what people call spellcasting.

Prerequisite Skills

Before a person can perform magic, they must master five absolutely necessary skills:

1. Sense their own mana
2. Quickly and reliably draw upon their personal mana reserves
3. Consciously direct their mana along specific ways
4. Visualize the desired result with a high degree of detail and clarity
5. Exercise discipline over their thoughts to maintain concentration during spellcasting

Developing these into a seamless whole takes 2-4 years for an average mage. In modern times, specialized magic instructors and better training methods have vastly improved the success rate compared to historical apprenticeships. Most modern magic instructors also demand students memorize chants, map gestures, learn ambient mana assimilation, and study magical law.

Unstructured Magic

The oldest and simplest form of magic is unstructured magic. The caster visualizes the effect and directs mana at the problem until they get what they want. The soul slowly figures out how to perform the feat, getting closer with each attempt.

• Training Time: Very time-consuming. Complex effects can take years or decades to learn this way.
• Natural Inclinations: Mana is naturally inclined to produce light, heat, and kinetic force. Unstructured magic dealing with these energies (igniting paper, levitating things, illumination) is extremely easy and common.
• Flexibility: Unstructured magic is incredibly flexible. The caster can adjust the details from moment to moment, adapting to changing circumstances agilely. Many structured magic defenses have trouble countering unstructured magic because it can adjust on the fly to attack weak points.

Every mage has some ability in unstructured magic, as it serves as a vital foundation for structured magic.

Structured Magic

Structured magic (also known as bounded magic or the divine limiter system) is a method of directing mana in precise, forceful ways using rigid mana constructs called spells (or invocations).

Spells are constructed out of 'blocks' known as spell elements. Humans cannot create new spell elements, but existing ones can be combined in novel ways by spell crafters to invent new spells.

• Proxies (Chants and Gestures): To cast a structured spell, the caster communicates the structure to their soul by reciting chants and performing hand gestures. Specific words and gestures invoke specific spell elements. Using both halves casting time. Proxies have no power on their own and must be understood by the caster to work.
• Language: Modern mages typically use Old Ikosian language and conventions. Spell elements can be bound to new words and gestures (crucial for non-human species like Aranea), but translating the entire spellcasting language is a massive undertaking.
• Learning Speed: A spell boundary massively shortens learning time. Spells that would take decades via unstructured magic can be learned in a week.
• Limitations: Structured spells are rigid. The magic mostly does its own thing once cast, leaving the caster with limited ability to change its behavior. This inflexibility is ameliorated by investing time into unstructured magic related to the spell, allowing the caster to use looser spell boundaries for more freedom.
• Casting Time: Structured spells require lengthy casting procedures, which is dangerous in battle. Casting time can be shortened through spell formulas or by casting a spell so often it becomes reflexive, allowing the mage to drop proxies until it can be cast with a single thought. However, developing reflexive magic takes years.