Hi let's talk about magic. I've wanted to make this post since I made that other post about breaking magic systems but motivation is hard so we're just getting around to it now and that's okay.
So before I get into it, I have to explain a few things: these rules only apply to the main universe of WYS. Due to the hugeness of the setting of WYS, there are multiple universes and since they're made by different gods they play by different rules. This means that there are characters in the org and the rebellion that don't follow these rules at all because they're from completely different universes. The main universe is the only one that I have any actual information on, so unless otherwise specified I am always talking about this one.
So, how does the magic work?
Every living creature contains a spark of life in it gifted to it by the gods, from a magical elemental made of pure fire, to a mushroom growing on a dead log. This spark is magic in and of itself, a piece of pure creation, and it powers all the magic a creature does.
Now, this magical spark is pretty much dormant unless someone chooses to use it. If someone wasn't told it existed, they probably wouldn't even be aware of it. The same way you're not aware of your appendix until it explodes on you, you're not aware of your magic until it does something, and the average person's magic never does anything on its own without outside prompting. Some people have naturally stronger magic which allows them to do stuff on their own, but we'll get into that in a bit.
Now there are three main types of magic
1. Innate magic aka species magic
2. Gifted magic aka godly magic
3. Crafted magic aka learned magic
Innate magic is the simplest to use. It’s magic that has such a low activation requirement that anyone who has magic in their core—so (almost) everyone—can use it. The reason it's also called species magic is because your species determines what kind of magic you can do/if you can do innate magic at all (we'll talk more about this later)
Gifted magic has such a high activation requirement that the ability to perform it can only be given to you by an outside source that can augment your natural magic to be able to hit the threshold. This is usually done by a god to their follower as a reward for devotion, hence godly magic. There are other ways to acquire this type of magic, but they are taboo and usually come with consequences, so you won't see this very often.
Crafted magic has a higher activation requirement than innate, but lower than gifted. People who naturally have more powerful magic can do crafted magic on their own, and people who have normal magic levels can train themselves to reach high enough to do crafted magic. Tha main difference between this and the other two types of magic is that with innate and gifted, you can only do the specific type of magic that you have. With crafted, you can do just about anything, so long as you know how. That's why it's called crafted, people are always making new spells, runes, tomes, wands, etc. That allow them to do something new. The downside to crafted magic is that it's very difficult to learn and nearly impossible to master, and you need to put in a lot of time and effort into not only honing your skill but retaining it, as your magic ability will degrade if not used. Most crafted magic users devote their lives to it.
Now let's talk about filters. There are two types of magic filters: species filters and soul filters.
Species filters only apply to innate magic. They're found somewhere in your body, (dependant on what species you are) and your magic passing through that filter is what makes your innate magic work the same as the rest of the species. Species that don't have magic simply don't have a species filter, because as previously discussed, without a way to use magic, your magic core is dormant.
The term soul filter is a little misleading, because it isn't a filter attached to your soul, it just is your soul, but when referring to it in terms of how it affects your magic, it's called a soul filter. Soul filters are most important when it comes to gifted magic, but it can have an impact on the other two as well. When using gifted magic, it passes through your soul, which is what determines what kind of magic you have. This makes magic unique and personal instead of just being whatever magic your god gave you. If a crafted magic user is particularly skilled at one specific type of magic, it's because their magic is passing through their soul filter, which matches that type of magic, and in order to get better at other kinds they'll have to divert their magic around their soul filter. The soul filter doesn't naturally have an impact on innate magic, but there are some mutations that cause your soul filter and your species filter to overlap, causing your innate magic to be a combination of the natural magic of your species and the magic you would have if you used gifted magic.
So that's how magic works! There's a whole bunch of exceptions and specifics and examples and other fun stuff, so if you have any questions feel free to ask!
