Editing Magical Realm Cyoa/Avalon (section)

===Magic===
Magic is as essential to Avalon as technology is to Earth, only perhaps more so. It is what people most people live and breathe (although there are, as always, exceptions), and is certainly the driving force behind the advancement of civilization. 

There are many different types of magic in Avalon, but the most basic form is known as Bond Magic. This is the natural magic that all Avalonians have access to, and is based upon their bond with the world itself. Avalon is the name of the Realm and the primary land within said Realm, but it also the name used to describe the, let us call it "soul" of the world. This is comparable to the Greek deity "Gaia," who was simultaneously a goddess and the very Earth itself. 

All Avalonians are born with an inherent metaphysical connection to Avalon. This connection allows them to communicate with it, to a limited degree. Avalon may choose to give them warnings or guidance at times, although it's knowledge is limited to what it can ascertain through the eyes of its occupants (both human and inhuman). In return, the citizens of Avalon pass on their perceptions and emotions to the world, thus allowing it to experience the many joys and wonders it possesses through the eyes of those who live upon it.

Bond Magic harnesses the connection in a more substantial way than simple empathy or information, however. To utilize it is not to channel or wield power, but rather to petition Avalon to act on your behalf. Those that Avalon is most closely attached to, either due long and intensive correspondence with the world or through actions taken in the interest of Avalon itself, will receive more assistance from it than those who have a weak bond with Avalon.

Bond Magic rarely gives the user direct control over anything. Simple "spells," (which are more formalized requests than anything) such as those used to conjure elements in their natural state, are reliable and straightforward, but will be altered by Avalon for the sake of the caster as needed. The same "spell" may be used to light a candle or fireplace, for example, and the amount of fire conjured will be determined by Avalon, rather than any direct action of the caster.

More advanced Bond Magic is extremely unpredictable, if ultimately effective. Healing magic, for example, may conjure stitches and sutures to bind a wound. It may also, instead, grant rapid regeneration or cauterize the wound. The form the spell takes is ultimately determined by Avalon, according to what you asked for, what you need, how attached to you Avalon is, and what it believes you deserve. Those injured due to recklessness, for example, are far more likely to find their wounds painfully cauterized than those who were injured through no fault of their own.


Bond Magic is not the only form of magic in Avalon, however. The second most common form is Contract Magic. This is very similar to Bond Magic, except that it draws power from a Spirit rather than Avalon. Contract Magic is gained by forming a contract with a Spirit of some type. These can be the Departed, Elementals, or Celests, although each form of Spirit will offer different abilities. Contract Magic, unlike Bond Magic, gives roughly equal power to the Spirit and the Human. Humans may utilize magic as outlined in the established contract, and the Spirit will not be able to deny its contractor that power as long as said contractor does not violate any of their obligations.

Of course, this is not one sided. The Human may only use the Spirit's power as long as he or she acts in accordance with the contract in question. Weak spirits grant simple contracts (low level healing magic in return for a periodic donation to a charity a Celest favors, for example). The strongest spirits, however, place onerous requirements on contracts they form (Demigod-tier elemental manipulation in return for stopping a volcanic eruption, defeating a rival spirit's similarly empowered champion, or devoting one's entire life to the Spirit's personal cause).

The third major type of Magic is known as Magecraft. The origin of the term is unknown, but some claim it originated with a member of the Court. If the other two forms of Magic center on bonding with other forces for power, then Magecraft is the opposite. It is the only form of Magic which the user has complete power over, and works by manipulating Mana through esoteric means. The method of manipulation varies between users, as the power of a spell or ritual is determined by the symbolic value it has in the mind of the user. This is because Magecraft requires no such things to be performed. A person in possession of a reservoir of Mana can manipulate it freely using their will, if they can attain the level of focus necessary to do so. Unfortunately, that is almost impossible. Thus, the mechanical aspects of Magecraft exist as a way for the Mage to manipulate his or her own conciousness into utilizing Mana in a way they desire.

While it is true that pure Magecraft has no truly necessary mechanical components, many of its branches do. This is because many derivatives of basic Magecraft work by using outside mechanisms in order to bypass much of the work a traditional Mage must do while casting a spell. A normal Mage must Draw, Attribute, Manifest, and Direct Mana in order to perform even a simple spell, a conjured fireball for example. The Draw the Mana from a source, mentally grasp the concept of Fire and impose the concept on the Mana, give that metaphysical energy physical form and substance (Manifest it), and then control what it does once created (Direct it).

Some Mages will, instead, use an object that already possess the Attributes that they want to apply to the Mana, such as an elementally attuned crystal. They may then simply Draw the Mana, channel it through the crystal, Manifest it, and then Direct it. They may even remove other steps using tools, such as using a wand to Direct as spell linearly.

Other forms of magic are rumored to exist, although evidence is severely lacking in many cases. The most notable rumored forms are the High Magic used by the Court, Blood Magic (which many claim is simply Magecraft which breaks down blood and body parts in order to generate Mana), and Lunacy (Supposedly a perversion of Bond Magic that utilizes a bond with Underland instead of a bond with Avalon.)