Magic

Magic is the name of various immaterial forces that exist in the universe. At its core, magic comes from a "natural energy" responsible for the creation of everything and can be channeled through and harnessed by various beings on Earth.

Overview
Magic is a form of energy that has existed since the beginning of the universe. Its origin is fairly unknown, with no one being certain as to whether or not it was what was left over from creation, a byproduct of creation, or whether it is even infinite as many believe it to be.

Like any form of energy, magic can be harnessed and controlled for a variety of purposes. Weaponized magic is not uncommon, nor are more mundane uses such as assisting in every day activities. A few of the most common titles for a practitioner of magic are "wizard", "sorcerer", or "magician", though a common saying within the magical community is that anyone willing to use titles like that is inexperienced and foolish.

The magical community is defined as a loose group of individuals who use magic in some form or another. Due to various conflicting ideologies and schools of thought on its use and practice, many of these people are only loosely acquainted or outright enemies. At this point in time, it is fairly uncommon to find large groups of magical individuals that regularly interact.

The world at large is completely unaware of the existence of magic, a stark contrast to even a few hundred years in the past. Due to the growing influence of technology and the infighting that led to the current isolation of magic users, public knowledge of the arts began to die out sometime after the mid-1600's. Magical individuals began to face persecution for the perceived "sin" of using magic. Eventually, however, magic itself has come to be regarded as nothing but a myth.

To properly utilize magic, a teacher or instructor is almost always necessary. Without one, the average person would be little more than a foolish amateur, likely resulting in death by botched spells or humiliation from non-magical people for seemingly being insane or gullible. Exceptions do appear, however, in the form of individuals with an affinity for a certain form of magic. These people can effortlessly and masterfully command a form of magic without strict training, but could potentially boost their skills by a substantial amount if they were ever to find such tutelage. In addition, people may boost their natural abilities through various external means, such as contracts with spirits and Artifacts.

Humans are one of the few major races capable performing magic. Vampires, Lycanthropes, or other supernatural races are incapable, as they are no longer able to access the pool of "natural" energy magic comes from. Cyborgs, as well, have great difficulty using magic, as their loss of total humanity and great affinity towards science can cause issues when using a natural force. Inherently magical beings (Pixies, Fairies, etc.) have a strong affinity for magic and can be seen as some of the original masters of the art. In addition, various deities and gods generally came to be such due to their incredible reserves of magical energy and large amounts of skill in manipulating it.

Forms
Magic is composed of three basic schools: Space, Divination, and Aether. All have various strengths and weaknesses compared to the others and varying levels of difficulty in mastering. Depending on the skill of the user in question, they may reach mastery after any length of time, though it is almost always a substantial feat. While mastery of all three schools is not impossible, it is very rare and difficult to accomplish.

Space
Space is the first of the three schools of magic. It involves manipulating the space around the user in various ways. In regards to the defined parameters of "space", it can include any area where matter can potentially find itself located, as well as the area between matter. Common uses can including bridging the distance between unrelated spaces to shorten travel time, creating pocket dimensions, and creating vacuums. While not primarily an offensive ability, it can be strategically combined with non-magical forms of attack in order to improve ability or efficiency. In addition, users of sufficient skill can potentially harness abilities related to the space-time continuum, such as localized event horizons, minor time dilation, and gravity manipulation.

Divination
Divination is the second of the three schools of magic. Users of Divination (sometimes titled "diviners") have various abilities related to communicating and noticing things otherwise invisible to the user. This most often manifests in a form of awareness - through sight, sound, smell, or other senses - of things like ghosts and spirits that do no willingly reveal themselves. It also allows for communication with said creatures, as well as the dead. Practitioners of Divination magic are often skilled in creating contracts with various magical entities. Some of the most powerful are rumored to have the ability to see potential paths for the future.

Aether
Aether is the third of the three schools of magic. Unlike the other two, Aether has no predefined set of skills that could be easily summarized. This is because Aether, in and of itself, is literally a group of powers that do not fit with the other two schools. Aether focuses on the use of magic in many different ways not defined by a particular school of thought. For example, both necromancy and fire manipulation would be considered aether magic, despite being nothing alike. The use of Aether magic is largely dependent upon the person using it and varies entirely upon their skill level and imagination, as well as any knowledge they may have that would teach them abilities. It is because of this that Aether is often considered the most versatile and offensively-gifted form of magic, but also the most difficult to master.

Faeth
Faeth is a form of magic acquired through a contract with a deity. Unlike natural magic, Faeth is borrowed power from another source. While the powers may manifest in different ways, they are often related to the being in question who is gifting them. In addition, as they are using it through a second party, supernatural creatures are able to use this type of magic.

To gain Faeth abilities, and individual must form covenant between themselves and their god(s). If they are accepted, they will be given a fraction of the being's power to use as their own. This covenant is fulfilled by consistent, genuine worship and the adherence to the tenants of the faith itself, including way of life and methods of worship. This is not always a conscious gesture, and though rare, there are instances of truly devoted individuals being granted Faeth abilities without actively striving for them (a prime example being Marcus Provenzano). In the same sense, should the individual break from these rules of the faith, then the abilities granted to them through their covenant with their god(s) are lost.

There are also organizations which hold covenants with a deity or deities, and their members - so long as they are practicing members of the faith - are able to gain Faeth abilities through an organizational covenant - a contract fulfilled by an organization, rather than a single person. For example, the Catholic organization True Cross has a long-standing covenant with the Christian God, and their members have access to Faeth abilities because of this. These members do not need to enter into a covenant with their god, as they are already part of an organization that has one. There has never been an instance of an individual acquiring Faeth abilities without continuous worship and devotion to their religion and their god(s), however, so this must be fulfilled even without a personal contract.

If a member is expelled or excommunicated from the organization that holds the covenant with their deity, they will lose their Faeth abilities for the extent of their time outside of the organization. If they are allowed to return, then their abilities may or may not return depending on their renewed devotion to their faith. They may also strive for an individual covenant with their god, though this takes time and is not a guaranteed method for regaining Faeth abilities, or even the same abilities as before their excommunication.

Any individual or organization that follows a religion that worships a god(s) can be given Faeth abilities by that god(s). This includes the major world-wide religions such as Hinduism, Islam, or Buddhism, as well as smaller sects or branches of the larger religions. This does not include religions that do not worship a god(s), so much as earthly creations or other people, as there is no covenant that can be made with a higher power.

Pacts with demons or similar entities is not considered a covenant, and therefore no Faeth abilities can be gained from their worship or affiliation. However, contracts of such nature can be used to augment natural magical abilities. In addition, practitioners of Divination magic can assist in forming or restructuring contracts, including those related to Faeth.

There is a small correlation between the size of the congregation or organization and the strength of the Faeth abilities. Generally speaking, the larger the religion, the more powerful the abilities to be granted. However, there is the rare occurrence of individuals from smaller religions that are remarkably powerful, most often due to their personal convictions and devotion to their god.

Naether is an alternate name for Faeth created by True Cross to describe any other form of magic. While they are generally the only people who use the term, it can also be applied to the opposing interactions of different Faeth-based powers. If two differing religions were to interact and battle, their respective deities would likely be in conflict (some exceptions apply). Because of this, each faith will see the other as "evil" and apply their powers appropriately should this be relevant.

Alchemy
Alchemy is a form of pseudomagic created by the mixing of true, natural magic and scientific principles. Whereas magic is essentially a means of breaking the laws of physics and nature entirely, alchemy is a means through which less talented individuals can temporarily bend those laws in particular ways. By far, the most common practice in alchemy is the art of transforming (or transmutating as alchemists call it) one element or chemical into another (such as the famous feat of turning lead into gold). Depending on the creativity of the alchemist in question, sub-abilities such as altering an object's state of matter and reinforcing an object's durability are also possible, as well as creating a variety of "potions". As with the more high leveled school of Aether, alchemy relies upon utility and adaptability to make up for its relative weakness compared to other forms of magic.

Game
The magic system in Dusk Crusade is very open to interpretation. Unlike the major non-human races, magic is left mainly to the user in defining what it means to their character. There are no predefined levels or ranks towards mastery, nor are there set skills that can be used. The amount of freedom in regards to potential skills is used as a partial balance between humans and supernatural races, giving them a versatile ability to fight against the overwhelming physical superiority of, for example, vampires. In the same way as Advanced Humans are required to provide a template for increasing their powers and the means to do it, magical characters are encouraged to do the same. More freedom is given, however, to account for things such as learning, increasing skills, new teachers, etc., and the template can be more easily changed or added to later.