Magic

Magic in Somera is quite commonplace, to the point where even those who are not in any way involved in magical practices often keep at least a simple potion or invocation around the home, often to help with a difficult household task or with general health issues. Magic can be used in several different forms, from invocations to scrolls and potions, to rituals, and all magic falls into one of seven types, hereafter referred to as schools.

History
''"If the gods meant to keep such power out of our reach, they would have done so. It is ours, we have found it, I demand that we utilize it to its fullest potential!" - Azgo Ulere, in a plea for the utilization of necromancy in warfare.''

The history of magic in Somera stretches back to the beginning of their recorded history. There is little to suggest that magic was utilized with any sort of skill or acceptance the way it was before the developement of writing. Ancience scrolls and potion recipes dating back to the beginning of conscious thought, written on rotting parchment have been found and preserved and helped to found the basis for all magical studies to come.

The earliest recorded use of magic is a poet's account of a naval battle off the coast of Warley, in which the attacking ships were inexplicably bombarded by a huge wave of fireballs, which quickly set the ships ablaze. The poet, Duure Boste, recounts the event:

"T'was once dark night,

But now, 'tis day.

With one bright flash,

The battle is swayed.

The ships retreat,

The foe is beat,

And inside the town,

Life remains sweet."

Following this event, magic was researched vehemently across the land as word spread. Kingdoms quickly created specific guilds and groups dedicated to the military applications for magic. But as the understanding of it became greater, and the application more simplified, it started to become used for all purposes by all forms of men. Even those without any sort of magical training or background can utilize simple spells bound to a scroll.

The first instances of healing magic are not recorded, but the earliest famous application was the Virix priestess Brianna Havmalee's famous curing of Emperor Razil IV when he was on his death bed from Bluepox. This act so touched the emporer so much that he would later restructure his entire empire, eventually leading to the liquidation of the empire and its reformation as the Republic of Central States.

While magical history and use is documented, it is still debated (but ultimately unknown) where the force came from, or what powers it. Scientists, philosophers, archmages, and bards have speculated on its ultimate nature, but none of these theories are considered official.

Schools of Magic
Magic by application is divided in to seven different schools. Depending on the nature contained, some schools of magic are more prohibited than others. For example, only those who enroll as battlemages are allowed to learn magic contained in the School of Militant Magic, while almost anyone is allowed to learn and utilize spells contained in the School of Agricultural Magic. The seven schools and the kinds of magic contained therein are as follows:

Militant: The most exclusive school of magic, it contains spells meant to cause great harm to others, and as such it is used mostly by military programs. In order to learn from this school of magic, all applicants must enroll in the military and apply for training as a battlemage. Utilizing militant magic without having proof of status as a Battlemage is considered an extreme offense and is punishable by several years in prison, or if the damage caused is significant, it could result in the death penalty. However, this has not deterred savvy criminals from profiting off of this, selling black-market scrolls for a hefty profit.

Agriculture: The most benign of all the schools of magic, it is used mostly by gardeners and farmers to help keep crops and plants healthy. It is easy to use and to learn, can does not take much effort to transfer to a tome or scroll. Still, it has been known to have ill uses if used creatively enough. It has been used for relatively harmless pranks, such as tripping someone with a moving root, to heinous crimes such as growing Assassin Vines or Serpent's tongue, both of which are highly illegal in every area of Somera.

Necromancy: While it is considered a 'school,' it is the only form of magic that is totally illegal in most areas of Somera. Some areas, such as The Eastern Islands, are indifferent to its practice, while others, such as the Hollows, encourage its practice as a way to better understand life, death, and the place between. Those found guilty of necromancy, or even found guilty of plotting necromancy, are sentenced to death, and their possessions are destroyed. Peaceful protests, advocating the practice have appeared several times, but have never managed to cause any sort of change.

Healing: Used mostly by those in the holy professions, minor healing magic is also readily available to the public via potions and scrolls that are easy enough to reproduce. More complicated healing spells require the assistance of someone trained in the field, and spells concerning ressurrection are classified as necromancy, and as such are dissassociated from the school of healing.

Illusion: Utilized mostly for theatrics. While it does have applications in the military, it is used mostly for entertainment purposes, such as theaters or storytelling. Minor illusion spells are publically available, though special permission is often needed to obtain them. Advnaced illusionists can create entire worlds through magic. This is however dangerous as the caster may blend illusions and reality together.

Telekinetics: The study of the mind and how one can link to it. While scrolls for these spells are available in public shops, they are very expensive, and few outside the nobility or merchant class can readily afford them. Such spells are also not allowed at large social gatherings or in the court of nobles or royals without expressly written and verbal consent.

Familial: Magic directly linked to the creatures who are believed to have created magic, or at least have a stronger tie to it than ordinary Somerians do. This magic is exceptionally tricky and requires a contract and payment to a creature of magic, which is difficult enough to achieve in its own right, and since the creatures have the right to terminate the contract at any given time, this school of magic is very unreliable, but is also the most versatile, used in almost every facete of life.

Laws and Bilaws
Technically speaking, anyone can legally use magic so long as those uses fall within the predefined laws of everyday life. No using magic to steal or to seriously hurt others, no using it to cheat others out of their money or belongings, and so forth. But there are some laws pertaining specifically to magic.

First off, as has been previously stated, only those trained as a battlemage are allowed to use Militant magic. Anyone caught with scrolls containing them, or just using the spells without proper identification as a battlemage, are considered criminals.

Necromancy, while recognized as a school of magic, is forbidden and outlawed in many places throughout Somera, though it survives in areas where it is not recognized as an evil practice, and through its secret underground guild dedicated to keeping the practice alive.

Any and all legitimate mages must be registered with a guild in order to practice magic not placed on a scroll, and any scrolls accquired must be checked or bought from a reputible dealer to make sure it is safe for use. The same for potions, which must be clearly marked and identifiable.

Any and all convicted criminals go through a state of probation where, no matter what the crime, they will be unable to buy scrolls or potions unless in a case of extreme emergency. The probationary period can be as short as a few weeks or as long as the rest of the person's life.

The most important rule governing the use of magic is that no individual is permitted to use language to alter free will. Violation of this law is punished severely and without trial.

Forms of Magic
Magic is created and distributed in many different forms. The first, and most widely distributed for of magic is the scroll. Scrolls are special pieces of parchment that have the spell directly bound to them, with a brief incantation written on them. When the incantation is recited, the spell is released from the scroll anywhere that the caster directs it. The more complicated the spell is, the more energy it takes to bind it to a scroll and the longer the incantation needs to be to free it. Novices should not attempt to use more powerful scrolls. Even though anyone can use a scroll without losing energy, reciting the incantation incorrectly can cause the spell to backfire on the caster.

Classic incantations are mainly used only by trained mages or those in magical professions, like those who bind spells to scrolls. Incantations are basic words of power that can be recited by the mage to use their own energy to cast a spell. The more difficult the spell, the more energy it takes, meaning that a junior wizard attempting to cast a difficult spell could end up killing themselves in the process of casting it. Even a relatively competent wizard will experience side effects such as blurred vision, loss of balance, temporary insanity, and so forth, for casting a difficult spell, or for casting too many spells in a single day. Oftentimes, mages require outside items to concentrate their energy into when casting especially advanced spells. Items like staffs, crystals, or even certain types of plants make excellent energy routers.

Potions are the least common form of magic because of the time and preparation needed to make them. Only those with a very good knowledge of herbology, geology, alchemy, and chemistry to create reliably, and there is much more that can go wrong with a bad potion than a badly performed spell.