Hexian Magic

Magic varies from universe to universe. Sometimes it's very simple, just wave your hands and something happens. Other times, it's very complicated and nuanced, possibly even dangerous. I tend to operate somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.

The Basics

In general, in my writing magic tends to work on some fairly straightforward rules- you channel mana to produce unusual effects. You only have so much mana, and if you run out, you have to wait for it to recharge. For the most part anyone can learn any kind of magic, but some forms are harder than others, and some people are better at certain types than others. Pretty much everyone is capable of magic on some level, given the right training, but some are more capable than others.

That's how it works broadly. But, of course, like with many things, it gets more nuanced if you get into the details.

Mana Pools & Channeling

Let's start by touching on how mana works- every living being has an intangible reservoir of magical energy linked to them. This reservoir is typically referred to as a 'mana pool', and a creature can draw from theirs, channeling and transmuting mana to cast magic. This mana travels from one's core, moving through the body, frequently along blood vessels, until it reaches a point where it leaves the body, frequently the hands. Notably, though it's not uncommon to just cast magic with no special equipment, mana for casting a spell can be channeled into objects, allowing them to be used as foci; this can be useful for a multitude of things, particularly directing or enhancing the magic being cast.

Pretty much any object can be used as a focus, assuming it's sufficiently conductive to mana, and in some contexts different foci might produce different results; a spell that generates a plume of fire from your hands may instead generate a wave of fire when channeled through a swinging sword, for example.

When using magic, the mana pool is gradually depleted, and takes time to refill. How fast it refills varies wildly from creature to creature; for some, it may refill in the span of an hour, and for some it may take a few days. This, of course, also depends on the pool's size, which can also vary considerably. That said, it is certainly possible to change both; using magic regularly, with appropriate rest periods, tends to promote growth in one's mana pool, increasing its capacity and allowing it to recharge faster.

One's natural recharging can also be supplemented in a number of ways; the most common way is by consuming mana-rich substances. There are, of course, potions designed to do this, but there are also a myriad of plants and animals that naturally contain high volumes of mana, most famously Mana Gems, a species of berry found in the Runic Archipelago. Mana can also be drawn from the air, particularly in highly-magical areas, or from other substances containing high volumes of it, particularly crystals.

Of course, we'd be remiss to talk about all of this without addressing a... notable caveat.

Mana Overload

If you've paid close attention, you might've noticed me using the term 'conductive' earlier, in reference to the movement of mana. Those of you acquainted with the mechanics of electricity may already know where this is going, but allow me to explain.

When moving through matter, mana generally doesn't interact with it much, but it does interact. In most cases, this is pretty much harmless; the occasional bit of mana lost as heat here and there. So long as the flow doesn't get too great for the material, nothing much will happen that isn't supposed to. When it does, however, either mana will try avoiding the material altogether... or bad things will happen. What those bad things entail varies based on the material, and often also on what's being done with the mana; in living beings, these 'bad things' are referred to broadly as 'mana overload'.

Mana overload isn't exactly the most well-known subject matter outside of the sphere of mages by trade; it's fairly rare that any normal person ever encounters it. A living being's body typically has good mana conduction, after all, so it tends to take a lot to get mana overload to happen. But it does happen.

How does it happen, and what actually happens? Well, put simply, mana overload happens when a creature channels more mana than their body can handle. In most creatures, this requires an expenditure of mana that typically entails emptying most or all of their mana pool in the span of only a couple seconds, though with dedicated mages with significantly expanded pools, that fraction can be significantly smaller. What happens varies a bit based on a number of factors, including severity, body composition, and the nature of the magic being cast, but the most common effects from especially severe overload include internal hemorrhaging, lesions of multiple varieties, and even effects similar to second- or third-degree burns, among other things.

In most cases, the effects are relatively mild, and can be recovered from with no permanent damage. In some cases, however, the effects can be severe, and even life-threatening. People can and have died from casting way harder than they can handle. Those that do survive tend to be worse off in the long run, though the exact extent to which they're affected long-term does of course vary based on the nature of their overload; at bare minimum, many wind up with significant scarring, usually in the form of lightning-like scars forming along the path the mana took at the time. Some may be permanently crippled, while others may be left with nerve issues.

Notably, though this is highly inadvisable, research suggests that most creatures can build up their body's resistance to the effects of mana overload, by way of repeatedly causing it in themselves on a low level. It goes without saying that this is incredibly dangerous to actually attempt, but hypothetically someone crazy enough to repeatedly expose themselves to that, or with little to no self-preservation, may find themself able to handle intensive casting better than they could before.

Seriously though, don't. Don't do that. That's a terrible idea.