Editing Magic (section)

==Magic of Discworld==
On the [[Discworld]], magic is a fundamental energy that holds reality together, especially in the more "shallow" portions of reality where Great A'tuin swims. Magic users are able to perceive this energy as the Eighth Color, Octarine, and manipulate it through raw willpower, which is a genetic trait. Fundamentally, it was inspired by Pterry's work as a nuclear physicist, but also incorporates elements of faerie tale magic and some light parodies of D&D and Warhammer magic, though these latter elements are downplayed if not phased out as the series progresses.

Magic use on the Disc is constrained by the concept "Conservation of Reality", a parody of "Conservation of Energy". Essentially, magic has a price, and it costs roughly the same amount of energy to do something by magic as it would to do it the normal way. This makes certain kinds of magic use vary in difficulty; the subtler the effect, the easier it is. Tinkering with minds or changing shapes is comparatively easy; creating something out of nothing is hard. Spells can also be made easier by "piggybacking" off of physics; levitating through willpower along is incredibly tough, but blasting something from a high position and then "transferring" its momentum from falling to launch yourself skywards is much easier. It ''is'' possible to ignore Conservation of Reality to at least some degree, but doing so has its price, ranging from insanity to opening portals to the Dungeon Dimensions.

An exception to this rule are "Sourcerers". These beings are [[mage]]s squared; the eighth son of an eighth son of an eighth son, they don't simply ''manipulate'' ambient magic, they '''create it''', effectively letting them rewrite reality as they see fit. Sourcerers are '''big trouble''', and pretty much everyone everywhere has agreed that they ''do not want them around''.

An interesting aspect of Discworld magic is that it is almost entirely a matter of willpower and perhaps a few physical elements to pay for Conservation of Reality. The fancy physical trappings associated with magic - dribbly candles, big eldritch [[rune]]s and sigils, elaborate clothes, ceremonial knives, etcetera - are by and large pure bunkum. They don't ''do'' anything, they just make things showier and more impressive, which can actually be useful in its own right. A good early example of this is found in the Rite of AshkEnte, which is used to summon Death to the caster's side for questioning; the "traditional" casting calls for eight wizards arranged around a ceremonial octogram, but a single skilled wizard can pull it off with just a fresh egg and a candle.

Magic on the Disc is traditionally divided into two major styles: [[Wizard]] Magic and [[Witch]] Magic. Whilst these are heavily gender-associated (male wizards, female witches), the reality is that this purely cultural bias; women can learn wizard magic, and men can learn witch magic, you just need to have the raw talent for magic and be willing to open your mind to the fundamental paradigm. Both styles are also divisible into "Old" and "Young" branches, as well as any number of smaller, more officially recognized categories.

Wizard Magic is largely associated with flashy and usually destructive displays of magic. As such, it has been socially curtailed by society doing everything it can to dissuade wizards from actually performing magic. Wizardly magic is more "scientific" in nature, with a lot of emphasis on study, intricate languages, sigils, and so forth. "Old Wizard Magic" is the iconic faerie tale/old-school fantasy wizard style, whilst "Young Wizard Magic" is more along the lines of the [[artificer]]; it's all about boiling magic down to make it as simple, mass-producible and useful as possible, largely through the field of [[magitek]].

Witch Magic is more subtle and intuitive focused. Whereas wizards are conditioned to refrain from magic through education and an overabundance of food, witches naturally prefer subtle magics when they have to use magic at all. Wizards throw fireballs and force others into strange shapes, witches tinker with the minds of others. The big difference between Old and Young Witch Magics is largely stylistic; Old Witches prefer a more a subtle, practical and magic-less approach to magic, relying heavily on practical doctoring and words of wisdom, whilst Young Witches are more flashy and ritualistic, to the point that the Old Witchery practitioners usually deride them as just wanting to be female wizards.
[[category: Fantasy]]
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