Ancient Magic refers to a collection of supernatural abilities that all humans inherently possess, but that must be discovered within the subconscious in order to be utilized. Those that master it are able to create and cast spells, and apply enchantments to physical objects. Such enchantments range from crude and simplistic to vastly complex computer-like systems.
The Tolgethic Tribes of ancient Antarctica were the only known human civilization to practice magic before its re-discovery by modern humans in the New Era. The practice of magic has defied all attempts by modern science to explain its functionality. The discovery of ancient ruins in Antarctica sparked a mass immigration to the area in the early New Era, but the general public remains unaware of the existence of magic, as knowledge of it is tightly controlled by government research organizations like the Torchlight Historical Society of Aetheria and the Espyan Archaeological Division of Historical Discovery.
There is no known genetic or biological component to the ability to use magic; all living creatures are apparently able to tap into its power, but only if they are aware of it. The process of casting spells is handled by the human subconscious. Spells can be written down and taught in the form of spell scripts, which appear as complex circular drawings full of hieroglyph-like symbols. These scripts are meaningless to the conscious human mind. Those wishing to use magic must meditate into a state that straddles the line between sleep and wakefulness in order to read and fully comprehend the cryptic markings, which are then committed to memory. Once this is done successfully, a person is said to have "unlocked" their body's magic powers, and from that point on can draw on their subconscious knowledge to perform the learned spell at any time.
Ancient magic can perform a wide range of tasks that manipulate reality in ways conventional science has so far failed to conclusively explain. Spells exist that can summon fire without a visible fuel source, change the state and composition of matter, heal wounds, control the thoughts and memories of others, make objects defy the laws of physics, and even communicate with ghosts.
Casting spells is the simplest magical art. Once a spell has been learned from an existing script through meditation, the user can cast it at will. Most spells require specific hand movements and conscious thoughts to activate the subconscious neural pathways formed through learning its script. Spells vary in the time they take to cast, the magnitude of their effects, and the strength of the caster's body required to perform them reliably.
Enchanting is the act of casting special spells that imbue physical objects with supernatural properties. Simple enchantments might make an object emit light, become weightless, or resist physical damage. Enchantments differ from spells in that their effects are permanent, and usually require additional physical materials such as Aetherium to serve as a fuel source as the caster's own innate energy is insufficient.
This branch of magic involves creating magical substances by combining Aetherium and other natural materials. It is the only branch of magic that is possible to perform without subconscious knowledge. Alchemists create potions that apply supernatural properties to those who consume them. Other alchemical substances can act as hyper-energetic fuel sources and strong chemical reactants.
Metamagic refers to spells and enchantments that modify other magic, without having any effects of their own. This highly advanced branch of magic can combine multiple enchantments and metamagical components into complex enchantments with multiple effects and interactions through combinational logic, creating enchanted items with computer-like behavior.
Considered the most difficult and imprecise type of magic to work with, spellcraft is the art of creating entirely new spells. In order to do so, a magic user must develop a deeper understanding of the subconscious mental signals that make up known spells and manipulate them to achieve new effects. This is incredibly difficult to accomplish and rarely achieves the desired effects right away, often requiring several attempts and iterations before a new spell is reliable.
The governments of the Antarctic Nations keep the existence of magic secret from the general public due to fears about the impacts it would have on society if revealed. The largest group that studies magic is the Torchlight Historical Society, an Aetherian federal organization employing some 10,000 people that masquerades as merely a historical research group studying the ancient ruins.
While scientists have not reached a consensus on how these spells function, there are well-established theories on its principle of operation. Spells appear to draw from an imperceptible source of energy which is present in all living creatures (although humans appear to be the only ones capable of utilizing it), and which is not unlimited - spellcasters become exhausted after continuous or repeated use of their powers in a short time and lose the ability to cast further spells until rested. This energy has also been found to exist in physical form, in the mysterious substance Aetherium.
Among the potential applications of magic being studied by the Torchlight Society are new means of transportation including space travel, advanced computing technologies through the study of Technomancy, medical uses such as in surgery and in the treatment of disease, and military applications in the form of new weapons.
Although the Torchlight Society spends considerable resources keeping the existence of magic a secret from the modern world, a number of other small factions have some knowledge of it, both in and outside of Antarctica.
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