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Message: <blockquote data-quote="willpax" data-source="post: 789626" data-attributes="member: 1602">I also use a variant magic system, so this may depart from the norm in some ways: I start with a simple, unoriginal premise: the cosmos exists at a point of balance between the forces of life and death. Life creates, death devours. Life hopes, death destroys. Life is about learning and knowledge, death about secrets and ignorance. All living beings create this collective sense of reality that in turn influences the cosmos to create conditions that maintain life. Those who are aware of magic are aware of these forces, their ebbs and flows. The more talented can even redirect these powers in certain ways, although the work is somewhat risky. To cast a spell is to redirect the life force to cause a change in physical reality. This change will register to all who are sensitive to these forces in the local area. So to use magic is to reveal yourself to all those nearby who are sensitive to magic. Because magic flows from life, it is morally dangerous. To use magic to destroy or dominate life, or to attempt to change reality to too large a degree, can corrupt the user. This corruption can eventually drive the caster insane (he or she loses grip on reality) or evil (he or she rejects life in favor of death). This tendency makes magicians rather mistrusted and feared in the larger community. Among the most gifted, there are several philosophical schools related to the use of arcane magic. One school holds that only strength of will is to be treasured, and that the caster must continually push her- or himself in order to transcend limits. Those who go insane are the weak and undeserving, while the strong are the acme of human (or whatever) potential. Another school holds that the caster must do everything possible to minimize corruption, maintaining purity of intention and action and using magic only as a last resort.</blockquote>

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