Magic

Magic is a force in the world of TTF that most sentient creatures possess. It usually shows itself in the form of elements, but through ingenuity humans have developed ways it can be used for more complicated things like healing and enchanting.

Magic refers to the force sentient beings can willingly make use out of, innate magic will not be referred to as only 'magic' within this page.

Magic Usage Basics
Magic is a force located in sentient beings chest cavities with few exceptions. It is not physical, but more akin to an energy, sharing most properties with radiant energy.

This energy is stored within sentient beings naturally, each individual having a different amount they can naturally hold at one time. That amount is largely determined by genetics and frequent use of magic. Similar to a muscle, it can be exercised and increased, but genetics ultimately help or limit the potential of this.

When magic is expended, it will recover with time, as it is naturally generated by the body.

While magic can have a great number of powerful effects from just one person, the greatest draw on magic stamina is distance. Creating fire in your hand may be very simple and could be done with as much strain as picking up a glass, but the same fire made ten feet away could sap the entire store of magic out of a novice. This becomes an important consideration in all forms of magic. Keeping magic to a short distance is a crucial skill. Thus almost all healing, an involved process, is done via touch, and creating fire in the hand to launch is a more appealing option than lighting something at a distance.

Next to magic stamina in limitations is output. A magic user is limited in how much magic can exit their body at one time, how fast this process can happen, and how long they can physically endure it. This is similarly influenced by genetics and practice. For someone just beginning to use magic, they may find themselves only to have the capacity of willfully making a fire the size of their hand, even if they had the stamina to make a fire the size of their bed.

Regardless of training, it is impossible to willfully expend all magic stamina at once, it is however possible to do so unwillingly.

Magic Surge
A (temp) Magic Surge is something that only affects humans with a capacity to use magic. When emotional to the point of a breakdown, humans can experience a loss of control of their magic, all of it exiting their body at one time with great force. This is generally very dangerous to anyone and anything around them, and so it's important to give someone showing warning signs of a surge considerable space.

The first warning sign that someone is nearing a surge point is small black flecks floating up from their body. These generally have the consistency of smoke and dissipate quickly. As the surge draws nearer, these flecks increase in frequency and combine into one column of smoke. From here the surge is moments away.

The smoke tends to have an unpleasant smell that we would find akin to car tires burning. This is the effect of magic being spent up on nothing.

It is only too late to prevent a surge once it happens.

Types of Magic
In TTF there are two basic types of magic alongside innate magic. Magic which pools in the chest and is usable for multiple things will fall into the categories of elemental and pure magic, while magic which is woven into the very fiber of a person, dictated solely by genetics, and is only for very specific purposes is termed 'innate magic'.

Elemental
Every sentient being has an element associated with them, whether they're able to use magic or not. Though if they're not able to use magic it is impossible for anyone to discern what element they have within the world of TTF.

The magical elements in TTF are: Water, Fire, Ice, Earth, Plant, Poison, Lighting, Light, Shadow, Wind

Elemental magic is most often used to refer to the magic someone is born connected to, it is much less often used to describe the element system as a whole.

Elemental magic is an instinctive magic and doesn't require study. It does take practice to gain proficiency and power, but this practice can be done more with feeling things out and repetition. It also has the significant advantage of not drawing upon magic stamina. This means elemental magic almost never tires someone directly, and in theory they could use it until the sensation of magic running through their body itself is too much to bear anymore.

When people are born, their magic is in a state of dormancy, preventing infants and the very young from being able to use their magic. Magic has to be used once in able to draw it out of that dormancy, it's a very intentional act that takes concentration and some understanding of what to do. While this can be achieved quite young, most families don't encourage this until at least preteens. Due to risk of magic surges, some do not encourage it until adulthood. However, due to magic's usefulness, it is often considered worth the risk.

It is possible for a skilled magic user to sense if someone is capable of using their magic or not from very early in development.

Use of Elements
A brief rundown of important notes and abilities of each element along with what it's most typically used for in daily life.

Personality traits listed are what element tends to be paired with what personality traits come naturally. These personality traits do not need to last into adulthood. Elements do not change, but personality is very flexible.

Multiple traits are listed, but not all are required in displaying said element. An attempt at something of a spectrum will be present for each.

Water:

Water can not be made to float or compress. While it can be frozen or heated, once it is ice or vapor, it becomes impossible to control with just water magic. Both cooling and heating water with water magic takes time. Pressure within water is able to be controlled magically, though the higher the pressure, the greater the magic output required.

Water is most often used in simple ways. Stirring something easily, spraying it over crops, drawing it out of mud for use, drawing it out of clothes to dry them, keeping it off yourself in the rain, freezing food for storage, and so on.

Personality:

Fire:

Fire can be made using only magic as a fuel source, though it can be immediately extinguished if it's connection to that magic is cut off. When placed on any other fuel source, it becomes as normal fire.

It is possible to increase and decrease the temperature of a fire as well as extinguish fires instantaneously. It is possible to cause heat even without the need for fire.

This magic is most commonly used in starting fires, heating things quickly and safely such as in simple cooking, blacksmithing, creating a controlled and stable heat source which given the technology level in TTF can have significant advantages, keeping yourself or others warm, putting out a fire regardless of intensity (size is the limiting factor), a type of firework or sparkler, explosives (though pure magic is more effective), etc.

Personality:

Ice:

Ice can be cooled further or melted, but water can not be easily controlled. It can also be compressed. Snow is able to be manipulated with ice magic, but not water magic. Despite the limitations regarding water, ice magic is capable of changing the shape of ice without the need of breaking it. Like all elements, ice can not be made to float. It can however be launched or stacked.

This magic of course sees most use in colder climates, or in tandem with water magic. It is most often used in quickly crafting things like igloos, clearing snow from areas, compressing snow into icy paths, freeing frozen objects, makeshift ice 'boats', makeshift traps in hunting, etc.

Personality:

Earth:

Earth magic manipulates dirt, rocks, and ore. To manipulate metals, it needs to be mixed with shadow magic. Using earth magic, you can theoretically heat or cool each, but it wouldn't be enough to do anything of note, aside from perhaps making the beginnings of a nice spa.

More useful is the fact that you can use earth magic to compress the element or make it fall apart.

This magic is most often used in the construction of land bridges, terraforming, 'carving' architecture into mountain or stone, burying corpses, planting things, tilling the ground, safely taking care of sinkholes, making fixing and breaking foundations, etc.

Personality:

Plant: Plant magic is among the most limited of the elemental magics. While it gives direct manipulation of plant matter, the movement is not especially extensive compared to other elements. It can be used in plant care, saving a plant from dying due to a bout of over/under watering for example, but almost any major usage of a plant will kill it, as plant magic uses the plants own store of energy to fuel any changes. Using it to instantaneously increase the size/output of a food would likely cause the food to instantly wither or rot. It can be used for this purpose quite well over the growth cycle of a plant, and even be used to alter a plant to better suit its environment over time, and produce more like it, but plant magic is most often best done over a long period of time.

It is most commonly used in making fertilizers, altering crops over time, getting trees to grow in a desired shape, certain aspects of cooking such as mashing fruit or aging things more quickly, alcohol production, etc.

Poison:

It is important to note that the element names are the terms given in universe, leaving 'poison' as a very inaccurate descriptor. Poison magic is any magic that has a direct effect on the biology of living things. This can be good or bad effects.

Lighting:

Light:

Shadow:

TTF shadows do not operate the same way we understand them to on Earth.

While they are very similar, shadows are their own objects in a sense, and even take up space in their own realm. While shadow magic allows direct manipulation of the balance of light and darkness, similar to light magic, it also gives direct control and access to this extra realm. So while light magic can generate light, shadow magic will rather draw shadows from this realm for use. Shadow magic can not generate shadows directly, as darkness is considered separate to shadows in TTF due to how the realm functions.

Wind:

Pure
Pure magic rests in the same location of a person as their elemental magic and is impossible to separate from elemental when sensing it. It does however remain entirely distinct in the perception of the person using it.

Pure magic is not instinctual, and takes a great level of study and understanding to use, let alone use properly. Pure magic in its raw state is a magic of change. In the past when humans were capable of using it in its raw form, they could use it to make great changes in things. Such as making an orange tree grow apples, reversing the polarity of a magnet, changing the color of something without the use of an illusion, and so on. It was a magic for change only, it does not go as far in its capabilities as Tehoman magic, but also had far less limitations.

In the modern age, pure magic can no longer be used in its raw form by humans, however the human body still generates it within. To make use of it, humans now must change it to one of the existing elemental magics for it to successfully exit the body. In essence, humans are capable of using any element of magic, though they only have advantages in the one they're born with strengths in.

Due to this, using pure magic does rely on magic stamina, and can drain it quite quickly. Thus any magic user of real skill will do their best to use their native element as much as possible in their mixes.

For example (pardon if my science isn't quite right), if someone who had water magic wanted to cast a fireball, they would likely take water, separate it into hydrogen and oxygen, which they may not understand the science of but have a natural ability for, use pure magic converted into fire magic for a spark and some control on the reaction, then again use fire magic to add momentum to it. In this process, they were able to avoid needing to use pure magic in one of the steps (creating a fire sustained on only magic), which would save them energy. Thus this is the sort of process almost every trained water magic user would use for this and why study is vital when learning to use pure magic.

Innate Magic
Innate magic is genetic magic, it has direct influence on genes and is outside of anyone's control. Akin to typical magic, it is likely an energy which has strong effects on its surroundings, but unlike typical magic, it makes its home all throughout a person, likely interacting with their genetic makeup in a very direct way. Innate magic is more something that happens to a person than a magic they can control, though it does at times grant specific abilities.

Innate magic in the world of TTF is only used to describe the abilities that come with it, and never used for the physical attributes it dictates, however outside the scope of the story, innate magic will refer to both.

All races in TTF aside from Biao-juhn exhibit innate magic in some form. The specifics can be found in the pages on their races. The notable abilities innate magic has granted are: extra physical strength in Gehinna, an ability to become 'invisible' in Sha'li, and an ability to electrocute those in contact with a Mer.

These abilities come instinctively, similar to elemental magic and don't tire out the person using them any more than whatever physical activity they might be paired with. There is also no output limit in the typical sense. The abilities have a specific level they can be used at, independent of the individuals magic capabilities.

To give an example (these aren't the real numbers), Gehinnan's strength ability might give them 20% extra strength on top of their natural strength, Mer's may have thirty seconds of use out of their electric abilities. Though the Sha'li's ability can be used as long as they're conscious, it can also be thwarted in several ways.

Monsters also exhibit signs of innate magic, though they themselves do not possess any typical magic, they seem to have the use of specific abilities dependent upon species. Unlike humans racial abilities, monsters abilities are much more elementally coded and straight forward.

Mutations
It is possible for genetics regarding magic to fall victim to some mutations which display in a few ways.

Inability
The most common mutation is an inability to use magic, though there is still magic present within the person. This generally only matters in the case of enchantments which draw on a persons magic to power themselves, thus still working for those with an inability to use magic, unlike the magicless.

This can also be passed on to children, though it seems to be more recessive in most cases. There may be different causes that lead to this same outcome, with some being more likely to be passed on than others.

Magicless
A very rare mutation, and one that is less easily passed on through children, it is possible for a human to be entirely without magic. This means they do not naturally generate magic and of course can not use magic. This also effects their innate magic should they be from such a race/species. A person born without magic will not display any innate magic traits but instead show the genetics that were 'covered' by innate magic.

Enchantments that draw from an individuals magic thus will not work on them, and they are hard to curse since most curses rely on this method.

Sensory Magic
Sensory magic is the result of magic that is not stored properly in the chest cavity, but is instead generated elsewhere in the body. The process of magic generation is not well understood, as there is no organ or physical sign of where it comes from.

All sensory magic is instinctive, requiring practice to master and refine but no technical study. Sensory magic is not well understood or documented in the world of TTF, meaning even those who use it don't fully understand it.

When magic is generated anywhere else in the body, it can have strange effects on how the individual is able to use magic. This mutation can also pair with an inability to use magic, which given sensory magic can be passed on to children, can make such a person something of a carrier.

Skin (Touch)
Among the rarer mutations, having magic generated in your skin as opposed to your chest prevents you from using any form of traditional magic, it does however grant some of the strongest abilities these mutations are capable of.

Having magic in the skin makes all magic instinctual for this individual, it also is the closest humans can come to using pure magic in its raw form, quite like innate magic abilities. They can break or reshape almost anything they touch, have influence over those they make contact with, and cause many specific reactions in organic matter.

Those with this mutation don't understand how they're capable of these things, as the modern understanding of magic can not produce many of the same results with regard to influence on people.

None of the magic used seems to drain magic stamina for those with touch magic.

Ears (Hearing)
Having magic generated in the ears is among the more common of the sensory mutations, though among the less useful. Hearing magic makes the person with this mutation in tune to sound, and often they are able to hear things or understand a sense of spoken words from even miles away from where the event is happening. Most people with this mutation do not realize they have magic at all, and so rarely master this ability to use it with much intent. Often it is misattributed as a psychic ability, spiritual gift, or delusion by those with it or those around them.

It is likely this mutation is found more often in Gaodi and is the cause of the stereotype that they are more spiritually capable.

Those with this mutation can not use traditional magic.

Throat (Voice)
Average in its rarity among the sensory magics, magic generated in the throat has significant advantages. The proximity to the chest means that those with this mutation are capable of traditional magic along with the extra abilities this gains them.

The abilities gained are a power of persuasion, control over the volume and power of their voice, and who can or can't hear them. Similar to touch magic, modern magic is not capable of replicating any power of persuasion, giving this ability a particular edge to those who master it.

Eyes (Sight)
This is the most rare of the sensory magics, though not especially powerful. Magic in the eyes does not permit use of traditional magic, and gives limited abilities.

Within TTF it is possible to use magic to see through time. With traditional methods, this only gives a sense of the many possibilities, making it very hard to make good use of. It also takes a high level magic user to perform at all. However with sight magic, this is an instinctive magic, though it is limited to only see the most likely outcomes of the future.

For example, if someone were to flip a coin, someone with sight magic may get a sense of seeing it land on heads, and sometimes a vague sense of seeing it land on tails. Someone using traditional magic might understand it had about a 60% chance of landing heads, 39% chance of landing on tails, .8% chance of falling off the table, and .2% chance of landing on its side. (To simplify the matter greatly, they never know the exact numbers but can intuit the most likely through feeling.)

Along with this natural, though often sporadic intuition, individuals with sight magic often have something of a photographic memory. Not necessarily available to them at all times, but upon seeing something tied to such a memory, they can often remember everything to do with it in great detail.

Like hearing magic, those with sight magic often don't realize they have this mutation, and it is especially hard to practice enough to perform any of their abilities intentionally, though it is possible.

Nose (Smell)
Smell magic is about as common as voice magic, even sharing in the capacity to use traditional magic alongside the extra abilities granted. Smell magic technically also affects taste to a degree.

Smell magic makes it possible for a person to discern smells even from a distance and gain insight based on these smells, though they fortunately do not need to actively process the scent for this to work. With a smell in mind, they can usually find something that emits the odor even miles away from them. Because this ability does not necessarily make their physical sense of smell better, this is another sensory magic many are not aware they have.

Beyond tracking, those with smell magic can intuit many things based on the smell of something. Even from a distance they tend to have a sense of someone's last meal, they can discern how long ago a bed was used, the age of a book, where a dog has been in a day, on and on it goes.

Those who have this without realizing consider themselves highly intuitive and nothing else, though those who manage to practice with it can become quite sharp and inhumanly perceptive.

Nuln
Nuln is not magic, but is worth mentioning due to its affects on magic itself.

Nuln is a type of metal in TTF which destroys any magic it comes into contact with. Any material which is being magically controlled loses its ties to magic, those who wear it can no longer use magic or innate magic abilities (and if worn long enough, they may lose any physical appearance that innate magic granted them, provided it is something that replenishes itself. For example, hair and skin color might begin to change as old skin/hair is replaced, but eye color would likely remain the same)

Nuln thoroughly destroys magic to a degree that any magic it contacts is effectively removed from existence.

Nuln has a bleed to its effects of about two inches. No matter how much nuln is gathered, or how little, the bleed remains at about two inches.

Because of the intensity of nuln, a magic user who makes contact with it will find that their magic stamina is entirely depleted, and removing the nuln will not restore the magic. It must be replenished through natural means of time and rest. For this reason, nuln arrows are a popular weapon choice amongst Sunoborian's

Enchanting, healing

Cultures Perspective