Editing An Overview of Magic (section)

== The Types of Magic: ==
There are several different types of magic, each focusing on a particular area, such as healing, mind, and elements. Certain people will be more inclined and better at using spells of a particular type, some individuals will be well-rounded, while some may be able to cast spells only of a certain type, but with extreme potency. This all depends on the person’s aura, a topic we will delve into later.

=== Elemental Magic ===
The most common kind of magic, and the easiest to use, is elemental magic. There are several sub-types of elemental magic, but they all have one thing in common: They all represent an aspect of the earth. Here are the 4 most common elemental magics (there are other, more rare, elemental magics, but they are momentarily irrelevant):

==== Pyromancy ====
Fire magic, the summoning and manipulation of fire and heat.

==== Aquamancy ====
Water magic, the summoning and manipulation of water.

==== Terramancy ====
Nature magic, manipulation and empathy of plants and animals.

==== Aeromancy ====
Air Magic, the manipulation of air.

=== Life Magic ===
This branch of magic is mostly concerned with healing spells, but it also has more, less obvious, affinities. Life magic means not only having an understanding of life, but also of death, as the goal of a Life Mage is to prevent others from meeting their maker prematurely. This means a Life mage is able to sense the presence of life, and also the absence of life. Life Magic is also closely tied with Terramancy, and a student of either type will most likely have considerable knowledge of the other.

=== Mind Magic ===
Arguably the most difficult kind of magic to master, and certainly one of the most dangerous. Mind magic is used to affect the minds of others and the self. This could be by, say, reading minds, removing a traumatizing memory, giving another the knowledge of a certain event or piece of information, and even controlling minds. Mind magic is highly risky, and can have very dangerous results if used by someone without a sense of morality, or even if someone well-meaning slips up. It is also one of the most dangerous for the caster, as they can often be affected by the mind of the person they’re “in,” and if the person they’re attempting to affect is also a Mage, well…it may not end well for the invader. It should be stressed that mind magic should only be used if absolutely necessary. Also, controlling minds is extremely unethical, and should only be used in the most dire of circumstances.

=== Combat Magic ===
This is the magic of both Defensive and Offensive use of magic in combat. This could be used to create a magical shield or barrier, enhance one’s senses, make one temporarily more effective with a blade, make a weapon temporarily more dangerous, and so on so forth.

=== Creation Magic ===
As one might expect, this is the magic of creating things and modifying existing things. For example, if you wanted to summon sword to use in combat, you would cast a spell of this type to summon it. The diversity of Creation Magic is astounding, as one can create nearly anything, provided they have enough magical energy and skill. Creation magic is actually, in one sense, summoning magic, as you aren’t truly creating many things, but causing them to come to you, or making one thing become another. One can truly create items and such, but this is highly difficult, and the object, most likely, will eventually fade way. As a whole though, any magic which involves creation, or summoning, is considered of this type.

=== Transportation Magic ===
This is the magic of creating portals, controlling speed of objects (to an extent) and such other related magical powers.

=== Null ===
This is the magic of nothingness. It represents the void, the absence of space, time, and existence. One could consider null an elemental magic, as it is often seen as an element itself, even though it represents the lack of all elements. This magic is one of the most powerful, and most destructive. It is almost exclusively related to evil magic, though there are records of good void-wielders as null mages are called. It is heavily associated with Zer0, naturally, since he is the embodiment of the concept of “Zero,” literal nothingness. There are stories told of mages using null magic and attracting the unwanted attentions of Zer0, who will either pull them to evil or do away with them when they prove unshakable. Null magic is extremely powerful and dangerous, as it literally removes from existence (or at least this dimension) the object in question. The Unspoken curse, the killing spell, is the most direct way of seeing how the magic of null works: it removes the life of the individual who is the target, makes it nothing. This, the power and terrifying simplicity of Null, is why it is often sworn off by good mages, as it’s risk, even for magic, is too great.

=== High Magic ===
Magic in its most undiluted and most powerful form. High magic does not really have a certain effect, like the other types do; something is High Magic based on the source of the spell. High Magic should be used by only the most skilled mages, it can easily harm an unwary mage who attempts to harness its power. Even used by only the best mages, it can be quite dangerous. The benefits, however, if it works, are extraordinary. All of the most powerful spells are High Magic, and especially complex and power-requiring spells of all types can be, and probably are, High Magic. The most notable thing about High Magic is that there always has to be an outside source providing the power for it to be used. A human mage cannot, under any circumstances, have enough innate power to cast High Magic, at least not without risking severe bodily injury. The most common sources (though they are certainly not very common), are dragons (who have an enormous supply of magic), magical artifacts (such as spellbooks or the diamonds), and certain magical places spread and hidden throughout the world.

=== Artificery ===
This is the study of Magical Artifacts. While not really a true type, it is very important, and it is a very different kind of magic. Artificers are those who analyze and create magical items. They can be enchanters, alchemists, smiths, Lore Masters, charm-makers, and so on. Really, anyone who works and deals with magical items is an artificer. Artificers may or may not actually have any magical abilities themselves, but are always very knowledgeable of how magic functions and how it can be used effectively, even by those who have no knowledge of magic at all. Many mages can be seen as artificers, but artificers are not always mages, and there are many who have magical ability but don’t refer to themselves as mages, but as artificers first and foremost.