Magic in Fortuna

Magic. The life blood of the fantasy genre. In Fortuna, magic still holds it's inexplicable majesty over most of the denizens of the world. The smallest trick is something to hold in awe, and its practitioners are often respected or feared by all but the hardiest of individuals. And the most foolish. There are three types of mortal magic users in the world of Fortuna; Those who channel mana directly through themselves, those who enlist spirits to do their bidding, and those who call upon the energies of the dark.

The first method is the most direct. Properly attuned individuals can reach out to the ethereal rivers the serve as the lifeblood of the planet, and allow a smallest amount of energy to fill them. This potent magical energy is capable of both great destruction and is sometimes said to the source of life on this world. A skilled user can then take this mana from the World streams, and use it to shape spells directly. The power is not without cost however, as it will take a toll on the body and mind of the user.

The second method of casting is to call upon the power of elemental spirits. While it is easy to interact with a regular elemental, as those are physical avatars of the elements they embody, spirits are more challenging. These beings are often invisible to the world, traveling on the ethereal currents. Those that can make contact with them can attempt to enlist their aid to cast spells for them. Although this method requires no magic to be channeled directly, the spirits are fickle, and the mental strain to convince and coerce them to lend their strength can be quite taxing.

The last form of magic, is the magic of the dark. This type of magic is lesser known than the others, and the world is perhaps a better place for that. Unlike drawing upon energy directly from the world streams, or having spirits bring magic to your cause, this magic is the power of corruption. Though this magic is no less harmful to the user, it is at least as deadly as channeling directly from the world streams, it is more seductive and hides its damage behind a façade of increased power. The effects of this magic is absolute. Even using it for a short time begins to twist and change the user. They become darker and more dependent on its power until they destroy themselves and others around them.