H̶i̶j̶a̶c̶k̶ Dreamworks Only Zone

—————————————————

—————————————————

in zero days, there are different types of (human) magic users depending on how magic interacts with their Source (zero days ch75 for explanation). this post is a summary of that.

WIZARDS are born with an active Source. they are spellcasters who use a conduit to channel their magic and access that Source. low-level wizards start out with a bracelet with which they can pull up a list of the spells they've learned and cast whatsoever they select. their area of expertise usually focuses itself into a set domain, meaning all the spells they learn are related to a specific area of magic. hisirdoux casperan is an exception to this, though he is a wizard. morgana le fay is another example of a wizard.

WITCHES are born with an active Source. however, they do not use conduits to channel their magic. instead, they are conduits themselves, accessing their Source and using their bodies to channel (usually dangerous) forms of magic within a specific domain. witchcraft requires an immense amount of control to wield, due to the volatile nature of their magic, which is usually more focused on offense (though defensive witches have been known to exist, they are exceedingly rare). zoe ashildr is an example of an offensive witch, her connection with her Source manifesting in the form of lightning magic.

SORCERERS are a little more complicated, but there are two main types of spellcasters when it comes to sorcery. some are born with a dormant Source, which they have to awaken in order to be able to use their magic. others are born with no Source at all and must forge their own connection to one. sorcery focuses on broader areas of magic, and was once believed to be a simpler, lower form of magic, due to the misconception it could be wielded by anyone who chose to study it. this was proved incorrect due to the highly taxing and difficult nature of sorcery, which can often be fatal if wielded incorrectly. claire nuñez is an example of a sorcerer who was born with a dormant Source, activated through her first encounter with shadowmancy. alixe mckay is an example of a sorcerer who was not born with a Source, and had to forge a connection to one in order to wield magic.

MAGES are spellcasters who are born with an active Source, usually due to a phenomenon surrounding their birth (or however it is they came into existence). mages can only access magery related to that which they were born with. their connection to magic is a harrowing one, often demanding far more consequences to their physical or mental health when used. like witches, they access their Source directly, and use no conduit to channel their magic. unlike witches, they are a much rarer form of magic user, partially because of the mystery surrounding their origin and partly because mages typically do not tend to survive to adulthood. merlin ambrosius was an exception to this, going down in history as the oldest mage who ever lived. katie vega is another example of a mage, though she hasn't been alive anywhere near as long as the old man.

these are the different types of magic users in zero days canon that have so far been named. HOWEVER, it is important to note that while a person can be born (or forged) as one type of spellcaster, they can learn another type of magic-use on top of the one they were born (or forged) with. for example,

morgana le fay is a wizard who learned both sorcery to access the art of shadowmancy, and witchcraft to conjure lightning. her mastery over so many forms of magic is why she is commonly hailed as the most powerful spellcaster to ever live.

claire nuñez is a sorcerer whose Source was activated through wizardry. wizardry is one way to utilize shadowmancy, but shadowmancy as a form of magic is primarily tied to sorcery. this is why hisirdoux casperan did not have the gift for it, as he was not born/forged as a sorcerer for his primary form of magic.

merlin ambrosius is a mage who learned wizardry as a secondary form of magic. this is why he used a staff for most of his spellcasting. because he focused most of his magic into wizardry, his spellcasting ability became mainly reliant on the use of a staff, which is why he had a more limited range of magical ability without it.

it is also important to know that magic is not divided on gender, and that male witches, female wizards, and spellcasters of all (or no) genders (shout out to alixe mckay!!) can and do exist in zero days canon.