Magic, in this world, is significantly different from that of most fantasy settings. In most settings, a mage conjures a fireball in his hand from the ether and propels it at the enemy - that is not how it works here. Imagine the magic of the world as a shallow puddle with the breadth of an ocean, covering the entire world, but not ‘deep’ enough to allow much more than low level cantrips, or a telepath to communicate with others. But within this puddle there are spots that could be considered ‘low lying’ - where the magic of the world collects and concentrates, manifesting physically as a crystalline material that can be mined and processed, brimming with the magical energy of the world. These magical crystals can be used as power supplies for the magical works of those nations advanced in the arcane or posessed of a powerful god, a machine to cast bolts of lightning or launch balls of fire for those of great sophistication, or a contraption to draw water from the earth or a stone circle to communicate at great distances for the middling. A nation’s magic roll is related to the prevalence and size of these ‘hotspots’ - determined by the magical reserves roll. Just as with material resources for a nation dependent on tech, the supplies of this crystal are crucial for the war effort of a nation dependent on magic.
Magic is performed and learned of through two primary routes, through communion with an Elder god to learn of the ways of the universe through their revelations in exchange for some service, or through prayer and devotion to a Gestalt god to gain their intervention in the working of magic. As explained in the section on religions, the ways in which different peoples will use these capabilities vary widely. Those following an Elder religion rely upon what is essentially magitech, imbued with its nature through myriad means of channeling and shaping the forces of the universe, in much the same way that electronics or mechanical devices must be carefully manufactured and arranged for all of their components to function together. Those who follow a Gestalt religion will invoke the power of their god, and, provided sufficient crystal is available and the faith has the power to do so, the desired effect will be worked through the divine intervention of the deity in question.
For example - to draw water from an underground aquifier:
An Elder worshipping people posessing the relevant knowledge will construct a device reminiscient of a pump, perhaps covered in various runes to focus and channel the power of the arcane, which when supplied with crystal, performs the work of a pump and mechanically pulls water from underground through a hole drilled through the rock.
A Gestalt worshipping people will, provided sufficient crystal is available to power the ritual and the faith is capable of the task, assign a priest to call upon the intervention of the god. The god will then act, and the water in the acquifier may be transported into an awaiting resevoir, cast into the sky to fall as rain, or so on.
Those learned in the ways of magic’s use are known as mages - almost anybody can become a mage, as the use of magic is for the most part a matter of learning and applied technique, rather than any inborn attributes.
There are other means of supplying magic in the field, but these are costly. The sacrifice of living beings, for instance, - dozens or hundreds - can create enough energy with the turmoil of death to supply magical devices for a limited time. This method is widely abhorred in much of the world, and those seeking to use such means with any frequency will find themselves similarly shunned.
Magic’s use, however, comes with a darker side - one that can and has spelled doom for many civilizations and empires before. Excessive extraction of magical crystal can lead to depletion of the magical field in the area - ‘dry’ spots can occur, and should action not be taken to dramatically lessen or outright halt crystal extraction, calamity can occur. There is always ample forewarning - magically sensitive individuals will experience splitting headaches and full body pain, for instance. A basic (and somewhat silly) visual guide can be seen
here.
Should such a calamity occur, it will become immediately obvious. At the point wherein the depletion reaches a critical point, the very landscape will begin to change. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, vast lightning storms, and all manner of natural disaster are likely to occur, greater than any recorded on earth in living memory. The land itself will turn fallow, life becomes twisted, corrupted, a shadow of its former nature as universal forces unknown to the living crash into the mundane world. Such land is tainted, and for the first centuries at least the land will be unlike anything of the natural world. Warped abominations will prowl through toxic streams, plants and animals molded into new, perverted mockeries of life, unable to live outside of the hostile, abnormal conditions that gave rise to them. The only mercy is that those who created such conditions rarely live to see the worst of them. To survive, let alone remain sane and uncorrupted within such land is all but impossible, and it can take a millenium or more for the area to truly heal.
Magic is a flexible system - but it is far from omnipotent; and with great power comes great responsibility.
