THE BASICS:
Magic in this story is based on the ability to access the Else, a different layer of reality co-existing with the physical world (which mages call “the Here” or “the Material”).
Magic manifests spontaneously during adolescence (14-18 years, with few exception), affecting about 3 people every ten thousand. Magic isn't genetic and there seems to be no reliable way to predict which people will develop magical powers. Magical power correlates with mental illness and neurodivergence, but it's unclear whether magic is a cause or an effect.
Different mages see and describe the Else in very different ways - some mages see human minds very easily, some can snatch glimpses of the future, while some see very clearly physical objects, including their internal structure.
All mages can draw raw matter from the Else to achieve different effects. Almost all mages can summon Else-fire, a destructive form of magic that burns and disintegrates matter, and Else-glass, a translucent, glass-like material that is stronger than steel.
As mages draw power from the Else, their bodies temporarily disincarnate, turning into something similar to Else-glass. With time, they start to permanently disincarnate, usually starting from eyes and fingertips, and spreading to the rest of their bodies. The more powerful a mage, the sooner they’ll start to disincarnate. Powerful mages entirely disincarnate, thus becoming immune to aging and most physical harm.
Despite their powers, mages have one vulnerability: silver. Magic can’t affect anything made of silver, and silver can hurt mages.
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THE PATHS:
Beside the basic abilities to make Else-fire and Else-glass, what mages can do depends on the way they perceive the Else. Traditionally, the Council of Loyal Mages recognize eight different Paths, representing ways to interact with the Else. Whether the paths are arbitrary, or natural facets of the Else, is a matter of some debate within mages.
Most mages are naturally good at a single path, and less good, but still proficient at a second. With study and practice they can emulate the effects of different paths, but with very limited results compared to using their “natural” powers.
The Paths are listed here, from the most common to the most rare.
PATH OF MOTION: Motion-mages (aka Jugglers) can manipulate movement in the Else. Their main power is telekinesis, and\or freezing objects in midair. Jugglers can easily levitate, and powerful Jugglers can straight-up fly.
PATH OF RUIN: Ruin-mages (also called Wreckers) have exceptional affinity for Else-fire, and can channel their power to divide and destroy matter. Unlike most mages, they can wield Else-fire with great precision, and cast it from a distance.
PATH OF GLASS: Glass-mages (aka Makers) are specialists in creating and shaping Else-Glass. They can summon powerful shields, and skilled Makers can build complex objects or mechanisms.
PATH OF SIGHT: Sight-mages (aka Seers) can look into the Else to see different places and even times. Seers can easily detect other mages, find people and objects, summon visions of the past, and a minority of them can see possible futures.
PATH OF CLAY: Clay-mages (aka Shapers) manipulate physical matter, reshaping it into different forms and controlling it. Shapers can very easily build or repair objects, and can use their powers to pass through walls or solid objects, by making them flow around their bodies. They can also infuse matter with their magic, making it stronger than it would ordinarily be.
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PATH OF MIND: Mind-mages (aka Telepaths) can interact with minds through the Else. They can read thoughts, emotional states and memories, and manipulate them to different extents. Some mind-mages can alter memories and emotions, while others can forcibly control other people.
Given its potential for abuse, and difficulty to detect compared to other forms of magical attack, studying and using the Path of Mind is forbidden to council mages.
PATH OF FOLDS: Fold-mages (aka Folders) can distort space, time, and even the Veil dividing the Here from the Else. Depending on their specialization, they can teleport, create pocket dimensions, and manipulate or neutralize magic. The latter ability is especially prized by the Council, and any mage with affinity for the Path of Folds is highly encouraged to pursue it.
PATH OF LIES: Lie-mage (aka Liars) can manipulate possibilities, briefly forcing things that could be into reality. Usually, this power manifests as illusion and mental manipulation - while under the effect of this magic, a person believes in whatever Lie the mage has spun. Some Liars, however, can truly alter the physical world around them.
The exact nature and limitations of Lies isn’t well understood, both because it’s rare, and because given its manipulative nature, the Council entirely forbids its study.
PATH OF SUMMONING: There is, of course, no such thing.
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POWER AND LEVELS:
Historical magical organizations devised complex tests, specific for each path, to rank mages by power.
In modern times, technologies exist which can directly detect magic and measure its intensity. Roughly following traditional rank, the Council defined a system of levels, such that level zero denotes the minimum power required to reach into the Else, and every level after that represents a four-fold increase in power.
Most new mages manifest powers between level 0 and 1. Most mages gradually increase in power to level 2 or 2.5. Only the few which actively work to increase their power, and have a natural talent for it, grow past level 3. Mages past level 3 decrease sharply in number, and human magic caps at about level 6.5.
Only the Three Moonbreakers - three mages who are widely assumed to have transcended humanity - reached past that point, and have powers above level 7.
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THE DANGERS OF MAGIC:
Magic is considered extremely dangerous, and tightly controlled.
The first, and most obvious reason, is that magic is extremely powerful and destructive. A powerful mage can cause immense damage before they’re stopped, and the only non magical means to defeat a mage is using silver weapons.
However, mages that willingly cause harm are only part of the problem. While the mechanisms are not well understood, magic is harmful to the mind. The Else pulls at the human mind, worsening mental issues in mages. Any mage who uses their powers too much loses touch with reality - sometimes, the mage steps into the Else, leaving the material world behind. In other cases, formerly reasonable mages become paranoid, aggressive or delusional, suddenly unleashing their power against their allies.
Even very new mages are dangerous, since they can’t properly handle their power, risking catastrophic control loss, colloquially known as going nova. A mage that goes nova destroys their own body in a huge burst of Else-fire, powerful enough to raze a whole city block.
The last risk - that which lies in the Else - is best not spoken about.
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THE AGENCY AND THE COUNCIL:
At the time of this story, the use of magic is tightly controlled.
Young people who develop their power (usually between the ages of 14 and 18) are legally required to turn themselves to the Council of Loyal Mages, to be taught control. Once they master control, they can choose between permanently joining the Council or receiving silver tattoos, which permanently prevent the use of magic.
The Agency for Thaumological Control, a world-spanning military police force, exists to keep the Council under control, and most importantly, to find rogue mages and fight illegal magical organizations. The Agency uses modern technology and silver weapons to allow mundane soldiers to tackle mages.
The Agency keeps bases all over the world, and most of its agents work in small teams, typically consisting of one rifleman, one swordman, one drone specialist, and a Council mage.