The Magic that weaves all of existence into what it is, can be harnessed by beings called the Mages. These being are humans with a sensitivity to magical forces. It is unknown how this came about but there are as many theories as there are fleas on a dog. A mage when coming into their own, can be dangerous and unstable if they aren't taught any control. In the larger cities, there are colleges dedicated to teaching these youngsters how to hone their talents and control. Depending on the student, they could live within these colleges for years to decades. However, not every student yearns to become Archmages. Some only stay until they have enough control to live out a normal life.
Three types of magic are taught in the colleges: Elemental, Transmutation and Necromancy.
Elemental deals with the six primal forces that weaved the world: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Lightning and Ice. A mage that specializes in elemental magic will specialize in a Major Element that they are attuned to. This Major Element when wielded, is strong while a minor element that the mage wields won't be as affective. The simplest form of this magic is lighting a candle with the mind. Harder forms like calling a elemental spirit into the realm will require an incantation and a great deal of concentration.
Transmutation is the art of creating a more refined object out of the materials present. There has to be equal materials and the correct alchemic equation in the form of glyphs for the transmutation to work. The bigger the object, the more internal power to fuel the transmutation. If one tries to transmute something that is out of their league, they run the risk of killing themselves and becoming apart of the transmutation. A ghastly end indeed.
Necromancy is a tricky field as it can be about healing the wounded or raising and controlling the dead. Its about controlling the forces of positive and negative energies that affect life and guiding them elsewhere. For one to heal, they must take positive energy from something living. As this field deals with the living public, a healer will use plants to supplement this energy. Crystals can be imbued with positive energy from fonts that happen naturally in the world and be used to supplement the fuel for a healing spell. If neither are available, it has been known that some mages will sacrifice their own lifeforce to save a life and take on their injuries. This is usually a last resort. The darker half of this coin is to redirect a stolen lifeforce to reanimate the dead. This is usually done by slaughter an animal or another being to fuel the reanimation. To clarify, a reanimation is not a true resurrection. The corpse may be brought from the fields of death, but they aren't the person they once were and are nothing more than an empty puppet. Necromancy can also be used to drain lifeforce energies from another to heal themselves of wounds, called a Drain Touch spell. Because the use of Dark Necromancy has caused more problems than helped, it is banned in many parts of the North Continent.
So what do you guys think of that?