The Source of Magic

At some point the party must return to find the entrance to the Shadow Realm which lies deep within the magic forest it is rumoured that it's gates are still opened during this era, and supposedly the great Sorcerrer Magus is the only one to ever have traveled there. In there quest in the magic forest they discover that there had been highly advanced civilizations prior to the Ice Age. During this time the world became heavily populated and advancded (similar to the Age of Technology) and then for unknown reasons entirely brokedown and collapsed. Famine, disease, and war were all common following. It was a time much like the Middle Ages, except even more dire as civilization had became far more advanced prior to collapse. After several centuries of dark ages, a Reenasaince occured and much of the lost technology was rediscovered. Have such advanced ruins to work, civilation advanced very rapidly, and soon became even more advanced then the previous one. Peace and stability were maintained for a while, but once again things began to breakown. Many world leaders feared tht the violence would escilate to the point of using their most dealy weapons, which could quite possibly destroy the entire planet, or atleast all life on it. Research had been underway for a long time in space on blackholes, and it was soon discovered that seemingly limitless energy existed inside blackholes, but due to the intense gravity they could not extract or harness it. A top-secret project was then created as a collbarative effort between many nations, to investiagte possible ways to harness this energy. When the acopoclyse seemed to dawn upon them a summit was called between the leaders of the five most powerful nations, and the scientists of the blackhole project. The scientists explained that they had found a way to access the blackhole's energy source, without going through a black hole. They explained that due to the spacial & temporal distortions cause by the blackholes a special kind of energy was created that was completely different then anything that ought to exist by the currently known laws of physics. However they had discovered a way to induce these distorions without using the gravitity of super-dense matter. Their alternative method's would produce the same energy, yet would require compartively little energy of it's own to run, and few material resources. The blackhole energy appeared seemingly out of nowhere, as if it came from some otherworldy place that the black-holes connected to. The scientist had merely found a way to connect to that same source without using blackholes. The scientists however feared their technology would bring about even more destruction, but also that if not used the world would destroy itself in fighting over the few remaining energy sources available on Earth. These scientists had experienced the corruption of world leaders first hand working in this program, and had begun to develop the opinion that their technology was a plague on all living existence. Deciding that their future was doomed either way, they endevoured then to give hope to the future generations of life, by attempting to wipe out all evidence of their culture existence. The operation began with a reversal of earth's magnetic polarity, which shut down electrical grids and left electronic devices unusable. The labratory complex - which had been built for the sole purpose of creating the gate through which this cosmic energy could be harnessed - was designed ot run in an alternative mode that would allow it function in the new polarity. - Things began to get clearer for the party when they saw where the complex had been located, at the site of the Magic Forest. The power they had stumbled upon inside the blackholes was none other then Magic (something that was not believed to exist in the Before Time, the source then surely was the Shadow Realm. The gate opened by the scientists had connected the Shadow Realm to this world, it fed the surrounding land with the magical energy, thus creating the magic forest, which scholars of magic believe to be the origin of all magical artifact, which in turn are commonly believed to be the basis of all power of magic in living beings. The first magic spells where cast then not directly by humans but by computers, under human control, running a vast complex of machinary. - Following polarity reversal, massive exploding firebals fell over every concentration of humans over 100 per square mile. All the remains of any human made objects were systematically transformed through transformation spells into fossolis, relics, skeletons, of creatures and peoples that never existed. They would fool any scientist of the future as to the truth of their past. The immense power of infathomable thechnology coupled with all the resources of the Shadow Realm's plethora of magic energy allowed them to to transform the earth itself, changing the properties of the planetary rock to appear as though the planet itself had lived a completely different life. The false fossels and relics were carbon dated to distort the coruse of evolution, and place the beginings of human history at some point in the future. All was concluded with the conjuration of a cloud to cover the earth and bring about an ice age that would last for thousands of years.

Theories of Magic

Elementalist - Azure
Time/Space - Believe Magic power comes from the dimensions beyond our own, and through them we manipulate what are normally cosntant factors in our dimension.
Control and contort the properties of time and space. Allows you to either aid allies (ie. haste spells) or disadvantage enemies (ie. slow spells),  though much more powerful manifestation will become available. The one who specializes in this school will gain the ability to teleport as well as temporarily slow or stop time.
Elementals - Believe Magic is derived from the basic elemental forces of Water, Fire, Lightning and Gravity.
Elementals include your basic elemental damage and healing spells, they are the quickest, cheapest and most basic way to damage or restore HP. While not the most powerful or versatile spells, the are surely some of the most useful. Masters of this school will learn some very powerful spells as well as some elemental immunities and/or defenses of your choosing.
Mathmatical - Believe Magic derives from the order and structure associated with numbers and linear thought.
Largely consisting of exact damage spells, more expenisve the elementals, and relatively short casting. Also includes some number-based targetting spells (ie. Lv. 4 Doom) and repetive damage spells (ie. 50 damage every turn). Masters of this school will recieve higher exp and gp rewards from battle, as well as the ability to contruct attacks consisting of multiple consecutive spells, the total of cost of which will be lower than the sum of its parts, and the damage higher.

Musician - Syd
Psychological - Believe Magic comes from within the psyche of intelligent beings.
Psychological spells have a wide variety of uses both on and off the battle-field. These including, predicting enemy behavior, maniuplating behavior, persuasion skills (ie. better haggling at shops), repairing psychological/emotional damage in allies, weakening or debillatating enemies, and use of chemical drugs. Master of this school can obviously have many, many uses.
Musical - Believe Magic is derived from the mysterious powers of music on the mind and soul.
Musical spells are slow, costly and extremely powerful. In addition some songs can be used on allies to boost or deteriorate stats depending on the mood they produce, and as "music soothes even the savage beast" can be effective for avoiding battle as well as winning them. Master of this school will gain access to some of the most powerful spells known to man and beast alike and learn how to charm townsfolk to their advantage as well.
Creative - Believe Magic is nothing more than materialization of the imagination, visonary, creative and artistic thought brought into the real world.
Creative energy is a very chaotic force, stemming from inspiration which can come and go seemingly at will. With the help of several muses scattered through out the game, these spells can become extremly powerful. Due to their chaoticness these spells due not have any sett casting time or cost, it varies with levels of inspiration, as does the damage and other effects. Sometimes a quick cheap spell will deal serious damage to enemies, other times a slow costly one will deal barely more than basic attack. Masters of this school will be the only capable of creating their own spells and magic items, and can have some interesting synergestic effects with the various conjuration and summing spells.

Poet - Blake
Naturalistic - Believe Magic derives from a benevolent force of nature, by existing peacefully with nature one can bring forth the full extent of its power.
Naturalistic abilities include the use of natural herbs and drugs, often for restorative purposes. Also included are some attacks spells similar to those of the elemental school, but these vary depending on ones surrounding. Master of this school will be able to make special items, as well as making regular ones cheaply, and can commune with nature in various ways.
Poetic - Believe the Poetic Mind is the source of all magic, as a way manifesting our visions and a form of protection for the artist of the world.
Various poems are capable of enchanting items or characters with various properties (ie. a Water Vest will allow attacks to pass rite through you) sometimes leading to very powerful offensive and defensive items, enchantments. Also included are some weapon based attacks (essential one-times use encantments) that are useful for some quick damage. Masters of this school can create permanently enchanted items.
Creative - Believe Magic is nothing more than materialization of the imagination, visonary, creative and artistic thought brought into the real world
Creative energy is a very chaotic force, stemming from inspiration which can come and go seemingly at will. With the help of several muses scattered through out the game, these spells can become extremly powerful. Due to their chaticness these spells due not have and setting casting time or cost, it varies with levels of inspiration, as doues the damage and other effects. Sometimes a quick cheap spell will deal serious damage to enemies, other times a slow costly one will deal barely more than basic attack. Masters of this school will be the only capable of creating their own spells and magic items, and can have some interesting synergestic effects with the various conjuration and summing spells.

Arcane - Magic spells created before the advent of the 8 Schools of Thought, often times their power is derived from ancient spiritual dieties. Magic Ice users.

Shadow - Argued as a 9th School of Thought, it is unknown whether Shadow Magic truly exists, as all those who have supposedly dabbled in it, are quite bent in the mind, that is, of course, assuming they survived at all. Capable of dual spell casting, Taoism and casting extremly powerful Shadow spells.

Dualism - The ability to cast two spells at once, artifacts are the only knowm method
Taosim - The ability to cast spells w/o effort, replication being the only known method (i.e. FF Mime ability)

Energy Theory of Magic

Kinetic - Spells involving the physical movement of objects. Generally fast and powerful spells that require large amounts of energy to cast, this exta MP cost is a result of energy lost to friction. Best synergies with Heat Energy; adding to heat from friction.
Heat - Spells eliciting thermal changes, overwhelmingly Fire-Elemental spells. Syngestic with Kinetic by adding to friction; and Atomic Energy (which produce sizable amounts of heat on their own). 
Atomic -Cheap powerful spells, with nasty side effects. Exs: Damage enemy and ally; Good spells that cause negative status effect; Heal allies and enemies. Synergestic with Heat (as nuclear reactions produce their own heat); Chemical, since both involve the manipulation of atoms. Chemical/Atomic specialists are capable of harnesing the power of Fusion Energy.
Chemical - Energy stored in compunds and their bonds. Manipulated when synthesizing mater Exs: Making herbal rememdies, synthezing chemicals, conjuring spells (creating elemnets and compunds out of protons, neutrons and electrons in the air). Synergestic with Atomic, since both involve the manipulation of atoms. Chemical/Atomic specialists are capable of harnesing the power of Fusion Energy; Heat, adding to heat produced by chemical reaction, or supplying heat used by as reaction thus lowering MP costs.
ElectroMagnetic - Light, Electricity, Radio Waves etc. (not Radioactive rays). Distractions (Light effects), manipulation (electrical brain waves

Creative - Cannabis
Poetic - MDMA
Musical - Opium
Psychological - LSD
Naturalistic - Psylocybin
Time/Space - Ketamine
Elemental - Mescalin
Mathematical - Amphetamine
Shadow - Adrenachrome