Magic is the general term for the manipulation of aether, the fundamental energy of the universe, via the Will, the essential power of the souls of mortals. Magical abilities are broadly divided into those employing "inner aether," typically utilized by warriors and monks, and "outer aether," associated with sorcerers and priests. Inner and outer aether are distinguished mainly by their sources -- the soul and the world, respectively -- and the different methods by which one typically learns to control them. In theory, anyone can learn to use magic: exercising the Will is like exercising your muscles. In practice, for most people, trying to learn magic is a bit like exercising a third arm that you didn't know you had and can't see or feel: just getting started poses a conundrum.
Magical abilities like spells or special attacks are referred to generally as Arts. These consume aether from one's soul or the environment in exchange for producing some elemental and/or domain-aspected effect. There is, however, an awe-inspiring subset of Arts that briefly transcend this limitation in crisis situations, tapping the true potential of the soul as a veritable dynamo of aether: these are known as Exceed Arts.
"Inner aether" is aether generated by the soul and channeled through the body. It emanates into the world in the form of a signature aura that is detectable by those whom have trained their sensitivity to it. Through meditation and physical training, a person may learn to strengthen or quicken their body with inner aether or manifest their soul's energies as physical force or elements like fire or wind. Those who fight with weapons may make those they wield an extension of their Wills, similarly imbuing them with greater force or elemental power. Channeling inner aether often manifests one's aura to the naked eye in the form of a rippling or outwardly pulsing spectral halo.
"Outer aether" is aether generated by the world and channeled through words or thought. Techniques that harness outer aether are thus better suited to produce effects at a long range from one's own body, and the spellcaster does not radiate an aura, instead appearing to gather or coalesce fragments or particles. Unfortunately, whereas one may sort of stumble into using inner aether after enough meditation or exercise, it is more difficult to learn how to manipulate outer aether sheerly by intuition. Even for those with the gift, acquiring and improving spells requires grueling practice to form "grooves" in the mind that aid in swift and effective channeling. Thus, although all magic users may theoretically learn spells of any element or function, generalists struggle to master higher-level techniques, so some sort of specialization is incentivized.
There are three main ways that magic users learn to wield outer aether:
* SORCERERS are born with a knack for outer aether: it is as though, to reuse the analogy, they know all along that they have a third arm and can see it perfectly well. Such talent is rare and very annoying to other magic users. But these prodigies tend to hit a hard limit to how far their abilities can go unless they adopt or adapt the training techniques of one of the other traditions.
* The ACADEMIC traditions control outer aether through theories and formula. Ancient mathematical disciplines like geometry and astronomy become means by which the mind meets the world and the Will takes effect. Such wizards and scholars tend to carry their spell books with them to refresh their memories of the complex equations they solve to properly focus.
* The HERMETIC traditions control outer aether through rituals and totems. Shamans, druids, and priests learn to exert their Wills by, paradoxically, a practice of releasing themselves to a higher power, experiencing themselves as becoming one with the surrounding aether. By losing themselves in a chant or sacred object, they may produce the same effect as the contrasting hyperfocus of the academics.
Practitioners of the academic and hermetic traditions sometimes hold each other in contempt for not doing magic the "right" way, but the joke is on each in turn. In the end, all magic is produced by the Will. Even if a wizard's formula represents some mathematical or scientific truth about the world, the spell has no inherent power; it is effectively just another kind of totem. And while priests may experience themselves as in harmony with divine power, this is illusory; the gods are gone, and do not make miracles.
Regardless of one's tradition or individual affinities, elemental magics are the simplest to learn. Raw domain magic is the most difficult unless one is born with a knack, Purification especially, so it tends to be mixed with an element, e.g., "holy fire." When raw domains are manifested, however, they have distinct appearances: Creation appears as sunlight, Destruction as shadow, and Purification as a rainbow essence known as "prisma."
Because all magic is fundamentally the same, no one tradition has a monopoly on specific kinds of magic. Healing, for example, may be brought about in many ways. Elemental magic aspected to water or earth can restore vitality, as can raw Creation magic, and even raw Destruction can eliminate disease. The best and rarest healing magic, however, is raw Purification, which restores the body to its optimal state. Priests and paladins of Revonus undergo punishing training to learn to wield Purification magic in order to heal, "turn" undead by severing the weak links between their souls and bodies, and damage the devilish distortions known as eidola.
Magic is flexible enough that, though each community of magic users has their own favored Arts, there are not universal lists of spells. Legend does speak, however, of a single ultimate spell of each element and domain. The apocalyptic conflagration, Immolation. The deepest freeze, Absolute Zero. The shearing gale, Tempest. The earth splitter, Sunder. The first Creation, Genesis. The final Destruction, Oblivion. And the most powerful spell of all, by which Purification balances and fuses all the elements as one: Prisma Gate.