Magic is a broad and diverse concept that underpins the primary diversion of the fictional world of Offetstine from the real world. Practicioners of magic, often referred to as mages, form a diminutive yet significant subset of the total population of the world of Offetstine.
Nomenclature
The nomenclature used to categorize and define magic has gone through several revisions over the course of millennia that magic was studied by mages and scholars. Until the early 1990s, when studies of magical practices developed in the same spirit as demi-human species taxonomy, no single consistent terminology was used. The modern nomenclature, which is common in the English-speaking world, was initially popularized on internet forums discussing the rigorous study of magic, whether for the purposes of magical epistemology or auxiliary to species taxonomy.
The modern nomenclature proposes a tripartite hierarchy of schools, forms and practices. Furthermore, practices are subdivided into sorcerous, incantatory and ritual practices. There exists no comprehensive taxonomy of magical practices, though scholars of magic have discussed developing such a classification system.
Schools
At a high level, magic can be divided into schools, fields of study that exist in magic that a mage may specialize in, either by the nature of their magic or by choice with a more versatile magic. It is rare for a mage to specialize in all or multiple schools of magic, though polymath mages are not unheard of. immortal mages are generally more likely to specialize in multiple schools, as the sufficient mastery of a single school may take a significant portion of a more typical mortal life.
Schools of magic in the world of Offetstine frequently display parallels to real-life pseudosciences or schools of magic in fantasy fiction, and certain practices of these schools of magic are hypothesized to have arisen either through association with the respective pseudosciences or through fantasy fiction, in either case brought into existence through the Will of the People. Common schools of magic include alchemy and illusion magic.
Forms
Schools of magic may further be divided into forms, subfields which represent narrower arrays of feats which may be performed through the use of magic. There is typically not single consensus on how a school of magic ought to be divided into forms, as forms typically lie along a continuum and inform each other, while schools of magic are generally isolated. For instance, the school of alchemy is divided into forms including transmutation, enchantment and potioncraft, among others.
Demonstrating the tendency to divide schools of magic into overlapping forms, the school of necromancy is variedly divided as indiscriminate and focused, or simple and composite. Though these forms overlap somewhat rather than having clear cutoffs, the terms are still used and considered useful as they allow the rigorous and academic understanding of necromancy as an art. Along with alchemy, necromancy is known for being one of the most studied schools of magic, due to its applicability in the sciences and in the ontological nature of the world.
Practices
At the bottom of the hierarchy exist practices, independently discovered systems of magic which each operate under their own constraints. Practices of magic may span across multiple forms and sometimes multiple schools, though they are usually fairly narrow in application. Practices may further be subdivided into three categories. Practices which refer to a living being's inherent magical powers are classified as sorcerous, while practices that refer to practices which are explicitly cast or invoked are referred to as either incantative or ritual.
Sorcery
Practices which are inherent to a demi-human per their species, or to a human infused with magical energy per that energy, are typically referred to as sorcerous practices, or more tersely as sorcery. Most practices which arose before the Neolithic Revolution fall under this category. Practitioners of sorcery are not typically referred to as mages, nor do they consider themselves as such, unless their magic is sufficiently manipulable and composable. The inherent powers of most demi-humans, such as many species' duomorphism, are typically not considered sufficient to make the members of the species mages.
Sorcerous practices are typically highly exclusive and can only be obtained inherently, rather than studied, and are limited in their applicability, usually granting a small array of highly esoteric capabilities relevant to the life and nature of their wielder. Some scholars note the parallel between sorcerous practices and demi-human species, and propose that there is no distinction between the two, or view demi-humanity as a profile of sorcerous magic that allows higher-level, more applied study, similar to the distinction between electricity and electronics. Sorcerous magic can typically be used without any physical act of invocation by the wielder, including any verbal or somatic components.
Sorcerous practices are unlike incantative and ritual practices due to their inherent nature, often conferred by birth or by transformation into a demi-human species. While other practices are generally freer in their application, and can be studied and applied in novel manners more easily than sorcery, they are often more involved than sorcery, requiring years of study to be able to use effectively. Some demi-humans with inherent, sorcerous magic may still choose to learn an incantive or ritual practice for its applicability, such as magical epistemology.
Spellcasting
Incantative practices, sometimes also referred to as spellcasting, refer to practices that of producing magical work that does not require biologically ingrained magic. For this reason, incantative practices can be studied by nonmagical entities such as humans. Spells rely on an underlying, metaphysical set of rules, sometimes requiring items, life force, energy, or multiple casters. What magic is ultimately performed is a result of the will of the casters combined with these underlying rules, resulting in a much wider array of feats than typical sorcery.
The art of learning spells requires immense dedication and is often considered prestigious. Several institutions study and teach the affairs of incantative practices, though per the Masquerade are usually hidden from human society, and in some cases remain unknown even in demi-human communities. In the Greater Offetstine Area, one of the most prominent institutions of magic is Cedar Crest University which, while a mundane human organization at its outset, maintains an undocumented college of magic and hub for mages and demi-humans known as the Mage's Union.
Rituals
Ritual practices are practices of magic which do not involve the magical knowledge of any person, but instead the manipulation of existing magical artifacts and properties. Ritual practices may be adopted by nearly anyone, as they only rely on one's ability to understand and apply magical items, and are typically testaments to mundane ingenuity rather than magical erudition. Typically, unlike sorcerous and incantative practices, ritual practices are not regularly performed.
Rituals, also known as rites, are individual castings under the umbrella of ritual practices. Rituals involve the manipulation of magical energy in physical objects or in participants. Typically, once used in a ritual, the magical energy of the artifacts and parties involved is depleted.
Schools
See also: Category:Schools of magic
It is impossible to create a comprehensive list of all schools of magic, for the same reasons it is impossible to create a complete and all-encompassing taxonomy of demi-human species. However, it is possible to list major schools of magic as they exist in Offetstine.
Alchemy
Main article: Alchemy
Alchemy is a school of magic involving the study of magical properties of substances, and thereby the craft of magical properties such as potions and enchanted items, and the otherwise unnatural manipulation of mundane properties, such as material transmutation or the generation of matter and energy in ways that otherwise contradict the known limitations of mundane physics.
Alchemy derives its name from the real-world pseudoscience of the same name, largely recognized as the forebearer of modern mundane chemistry, which posited relations between the material sciences and celestial bodies, and frequently involved the pursuit of certain particular goals, such as the search for an elixir of immortality or the transmutation of common metals into more precious ones. While the protoscientific belief has since faded into predominant obscurity and been eclipsed by more epistemologically rigorous approaches, the term survived in reference to various similar arts in fantasy fiction.
Elemental magic
Main article: Elemental magic
Elemental magic is a school of magic involving the ability to manipulate classes of concepts which are, by themselves, fantastical and difficult to pinpoint the precise nature of, most typically the classical elements; commonly iterated as earth, water, air and fire; from which the school of magic gets its name. Despite the prevalence of these four, however, elemental magic is not limited to them.
Elemental magic is most often an acquired practice by human mages, though it is occasionally innate to some demi-human species, including elementals, the term for whom is derived from elemental magic. Most demi-human species with innate, sorcerous elemental magic are typically classified as spirits, though there are some exceptions. Pan-elemental magic is the practice of elemental magic of multiple affinities under a single discipline, generally a coveted practice among human mages and impossible for elementals.
Illusion magic
Main article: Illusion magic
Illusion magic is a school of magic involving the ability to create artificial images either in individual people's perceptions of the world, or one's appearance in any physical property except one's literal, actual form. In the former case, when it affects individuals' perception, illusion magic may be considered a form of psychic magic. Illusion magic is closely related to shapeshifting, the art of morphing one's own form through the use of magic, and together form the basis for maintaining the Masquerade by demi-humans who have forms that belie their ostensible humanity.
Necromancy
Main article: Necromancy
Necromancy is a school of magic that consists of the revival of individuals, whether mundane human or animal or demi-human, who have died and whose souls have passed to the afterlife. The process may involve the retrieval of the soul from the afterlife and the reconstruction of the body of the deceased, and the result is an undead demi-human body that lends at least in part from the original deceased. Necromancy is a highly stigmatized practice and frequently likened to playing god, but necromancers argue that it can be performed with informed consent.
Necromancy is widely considered an extremely difficult school of magic, though simpler forms of it can be learned with relative ease compared to other practices of magic. Generally, the closer an undead subject resembles their original form, the more difficult necromancy is to perform. However, all forms of necromancy demand that the practitioner has an extremely deep understanding of the nature of the soul and the afterlife, whether the specific revival they are performing involves returning a deceased soul to its own body, reanimating a body with a new soul, or giving a deceased soul a body to inhabit.
Shapeshifting
Main article: Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a school of magic involving the ability to transform oneself between multiple forms, often of which one is recognized as one's "true form", and of which at least one is akin to a human; or the ability to transform a target into a form other than their own. The former is common as an innate ability of many demi-humans, including werewolves and dragons, while the latter is most common in human mages. Shapeshifting specifically excludes the adoption of superficial traits as seen in many animal-folk or in vampires who draw blood through retractable fangs, as well as illusion magic.
History
Magic is typically understood to have originated from demi-humans in prehistoric times, coinciding with the Neolithic Revolution. Common myths state the initial practitioners of magic were demi-humans who unknowingly used the power to guard their interests, such as through the illusion of animal-folk, to hide their inhuman traits and uphold the Masquerade. These demi-humans are said to have expanded on their practice and developed it into serviceable general-purpose forms that augmented the technology of the time, and as such passed the practice down through generations.
Magic practices are said to have eventually spread through certain isolated human communities who were already exposed to magical energy, although since the practice of magic is predicated on that exposure, most humans were unable to take up the practice. Even to date, mages remain a highly exclusive circle of individuals, far overshadowed by demi-humans who are either magically empowered or controlled but do not practice a general-purpose form of magic. However, especially at the time, mages were frequently opposed by mundane humans to whom they demonstrated their powers, and the practice of general-purpose magic was largely vilified even in communities where demi-humans were accepted.
The precise cause of this effect is unknown, although the vilification is commonly attributed to the malicious portrayal of mages in common superstitions which stem from religious myth. The source of religious myth in Offetstine varies, either being born of interpretations of demi-humans such as spirits and deities, or of entirely mundane means, though despite the prevalence of magic in Offetstine, even mages and demi-humans lack consensus as to the particular truth of any particular religious myth. However, in part because of this persecution, magic is often viewed by mages as a secular art, detached from the doctrine of any particular faith.
Culture
Mages are generally known to form isolated communities when possible. Magic is often considered a carefully guarded secret, in part by virtue of the Masquerade, but even to the extent that demi-humans who do not practice a general-purpose magic are excluded from communions of mages. The Masquerade is varyingly recognized as either imperative statute to the continued and safe existence of magic in Offetstine, or archaic and discriminatory legislation that stunts the scope and pervasiveness of the practice. As many members of the Veilkeepers, the organization responsible for upholding the Masquerade, are themselves mages, conflicting perspectives are even more pervasive from within the organization.
Mages occasionally form underground communities in regions where magical energy is abundant, as presence in such areas further empowers them. For instance, one such location is Cedar Crest University, a university built around an ancient cedar tree commonly recognized to amplify magical energy. While due to the Masquerade, the university cannot openly acknowledge its openness to demi-humans or mages, its founder, the mundane human Erin Hazell, has previously privately acknowledged the magical community which sprung up around her institution and given it her blessing.
Due to the nature of the Masquerade prohibiting overt communication, societies of mages and demi-humans have historically favored the use of telecommunications gear to facilitate communication. The use of ciphers and encryption traces back to the roots of magic in Offetstine, where grimoires were frequently written in high-entropy ciphers or mystical languages unknown to humans, and ephemeral messages were often communicated in cant. In modern times, criminal organizations such as the Coalition and Ringleaders, both of which limit their membership to demi-humans, have created encryption toolkits for private use. One such framework, CREST, has found use across the Greater Offetstine Area for computer-aided secure communications between mages.
Secrecy
Mages generally express mixed perspectives with regards to the Masquerade in Offetstine. While some mages note the benefits that magic has to the broader scientific community, a perspective especially shared by magical epistemologists, others argue that the continued existence of the Masquerade is critical for protecting magical civilization from mundane human oversight.
The exact motives for the Masquerade vary by individual. Generally, the most prevalent belief is fear of persecution. Mages and demi-humans frequently rationalize that through the exposure of their secret, humans will launch military-scale attacks out of fear. As many schools of magic pose threats that mundane humans are plainly unequipped to deal with, such as the mind control of many vampires, such a hypothetical war is suspected to end in a conclusive victory for demi-humans and mages. Despite this, such a victory is projected to herald the casualties of, among others, humans who are falsely suspected to be mages, demi-humans such as many subspecies of harpies who are weaker than humans, and mages who are genuinely interested in the betterment of humanity such as magical epistemologists.
Another common belief that is often used to justify the Masquerade, though often frowned upon from within and without, is the notion of supremacy conferred by magical powers, especially demi-human nature. Certain communities of mages view themselves as inherently superior to humans by virtue of their powers and through their exclusive nature. This belief is typically countered by the viewpoint that the ability to wield magic is a skill, and thus is not a privilege, but rather the result of innate ability, with no inherent difference between the average human and a mage. Despite this, it remains the foundation of the Coalition, a defunct criminal organization in Offetstine, which during its height was exclusive to demi-humans and quite prevalent.
Concepts
Demi-humanity
Main article: Demi-human
Demi-humans are a rare and diverse class of magical species that roughly demonstrate some form of humanity, usually in the form of sapience and humanlike bodies. While their exact nature is difficult to pinpoint, demi-humans are most often the result of magic affecting the body of an otherwise biologically human individual (such as with vampires and harpies), or causing a humanlike entity to manifest in a human-populated area (such as with spirits and deities).
While demi-humans are magical in nature, only a subset of them are themselves mages. Most demi-humans have magical abilities and powers, commonly including shapeshifting and various psychic powers, and they are generally not considered to be mages in their own right. Only some demi-humans are able to command a full, general-purpose school of magic and are considered mages.
Magical epistemology
Magical epistemology is the idea, named for its respective branch of philosophy, epistemology, that magic is a fundamental branch of the pursuit of knowledge as it pertains to humanity and demi-humanity. Many fields of science (especially anthropological and humanitarian, such as archeology and medicine) and magic regularly overlap in scope, and to that extent, it usually benefits mundane humans and mages alike to ensure that information and knowledge is exchanged between the two parties.
While no overt relations can exist as a consequence of the Masquerade, and under threat of the endangerment of many humans at the hands of more powerful mages, and vice versa, mages of the belief of magical epistemology often attempt to communicate knowledge and best practices across the barrier.
Despite this, due to the fact that magic often has a knack for violating certain laws of physics, especially those of thermodynamics, and the exact nature of this relation prevents many magical innovations from reaching the human world, or even being used to affect large swathes of people.
Some mages have used their talent to excel at human arts, such as the somewhat infamous schoolteacher, mathematician and aerospace researcher Eliza Teak, who has markedly used her magic to aid with space travel, chemical production and engineering and silicon fabrication. However, this is a niche use case and magic remains a largely private art.
Will of the People
One of the most prevalent ideas of magic in Offetstine is that concepts are often reified by nature that are prevalent in the minds of people, often referred to concretely as the Will of the People. Many concepts in the world of Offetstine, including magical species such as spirits and deities, are usually considered to be born only because of their prevalence in the minds of people.
Similarly, many common species, especially those that have notable ties to folklore such as most subspecies of vampire may usually trace their progeny back to a time and place in which the folklore was especially culturally prominent, such as in fictional storytelling, religious mythology or superstition, again implying that they were "willed into existence", as it were, by the people.
The exact mechanism of this phenomenon is still unknown, and notoriously difficult to harness despite the abundance of humans who have attempted to leverage this known phenomenon to confer magical power unto themselves. The relation of this power to social concepts of ethics and sympathy is unknown.