Magic is a natural, invisible force that flows through the entire world of Xonthian. When the world was built, the gods created everything, using a force so powerful, that its remnants remain behind. That essence is the magic the world of Xonthian uses. Everything is touched with magic in some way.
Magic can only be seen by the trained or attuned. People can be born with a natural attunement, those that are not trained however lose the ability to sense the magic flowing around them. Those that are trained, can wield it to different degrees of success, depending on their abilities, training, and magical sense, or level of attunement.
The trained are taught that magic is broken into Elemental type, and are often taken to specific schools, to learn a single type of magic. For example, the Fire Isle Mages prefer Fire and Earth Elements and spells formed in the destructive schools of learning. The Gatehar Clerics, on the other hand, learn to use Water and Earth Elements from the restoration schools.
Manifestation
Magic energy is neither good nor evil in its pure form. Aether, the makeup of all magic and the bases of its use, can either be tainted to evil, twisting it to cause harm to its caster, or those it is cast against. In the case of Sin Orbs, the purity of magic has become corrupted, and thus they attack anything in sight. Another example is Catt’s ability to influence the magic Aether of a creature, causing it to explode. She is neither good nor evil, so her ability to manipulate the magic any way she wants, could be seen as both good and evil. Scholars have attempted to answer the very philosophical conundrum of Aether and the balance of good and evil in magic to varying degrees of success. But all agree that magic is neither good and evil, but can be tainted to be good or evil.
Localization
Magic is all around the world. However, there are only a few known areas where magic is either tainted, like in the Sands of Time, or in dead zones, such as the Ocean of Mist.
Magic comes with a cost in the form of draining the user’s mental capacity, tiring them out the longer the spell is used, or the greater the spell. Some spells require multiple casters, and in rare cases, even a sacrifice.
Magic can be embedded in objects, however, the natural properties of the item dictate how much magical energy it can hold. Things like material, elemental makeup, size, and purity can affect the type and size of magic that can be imbued. This type of magic generally doesn’t cost anything to use, however, the enchanted item can become corrupted, or act in unnatural ways.