Magic in our world is very common indeed, however there seems to be varying capabilities among the humanoid citizens of our land. For sake of simplicity, I have separated mankind into three levels of magical ability: Magician, Adept, and Unawakened. A magician is any humanoid who fully acknowledges, accepts, and utilizes their innate magical ability. An adept is any humanoid who, although aware and capable of some magical ability, chooses to embrace another path such as the way of the warrior. The unawakened are those humanoids who either choose not to or have not yet been able to articulate magic in any form.

II Traditions of Magical Training

   Most mundane creatures will never notice the difference between the Shaman and the Hermetic Mage, for their abilities and powers are equal. The difference is not in the result of their magic, but the techniques involved in acquiring those results. A Shaman, such as an Orcish Mage or Savage Shaman, is capable of linking with the powers of nature and, through the power of his belief combined with the appropriate emotion, will and faith, casts the desired spell. Mages of hermetic training, exemplified by Scribes and Scholars, organize the abstract forces and energies of the universe and learns to control them through complex symbols and formulae of power.
   In general, a Shaman seems more likely to evolve from tribal communities closely linked with nature, and are often at war with civilized mankind. Instead of the discipline and rigid control a Hermetic Mage maintains while controlling magical forces, a Shaman cooperates with nature's forces utilizing intuitive comprehension and improvisation, adapting the spell to each moment in time. Two things to note regarding Shaman are the fact that they do not require a spellbook to cast (but do require reagents) and are able to cast while moving or fighting, unlike traditional Hermetic Mages.
   The vast majority of Magicians throughout the civilized world are of the Hermetic Tradition. Magic is perceived and manipulated through theories that control how Astral Space and Physical Space interact. A mage becomes a master of both physical and metaphysical laws, commanding Astral Forces through very specific and precise formulae. Most of the effort is mental; the exercise of commanding the forces is a task of mental gymnastics and willpower. Although some physical activity and a few words of power accompany the spell, it is minor compared to the work the mage's mind is experiencing, calling up the mental multidimensional image of the spell formula, imposing it upon the current environment, then shaping and channeling it to produce the desired effect. Unlike the Shaman, the experience is similar or identical overtime the Hermetic Mage casts that particular spell.
   It should be noted that the mages inhabiting many dungeons such as Shame appear to be Shaman, for they move and cast much like a Rat Mage or other Shaman. It is thought that their abilities originate from some darker power, explaining their seclusion in such vile locales.

III Nature of Astral Space

   Mundane creatures, including humanoids devoid of magical ability, are restricted to the limits of the physical world. Astral Space is a parallel dimension that co-exists with the physical world, and is the source and medium for all magical energy. Every object and creature that exists in the physical world exists in the same dimension of time in the astral plane, although the laws of physics do not apply directly.
   Living magical creatures have a self-aware alternate persona within Astral Space, acting in unison with its physical counterpart to create a living whole. Non-magical living creatures and objects, including trees and the planet itself, generate an aura within Astral Space, which represents its dormant astral form. Non-living magical things are living entities in the Astral Plane, and it is from Astral Space that they receive their special powers. Non-living non-magical things are simply inanimate objects that deter the passage of astral energy.
   Most mages, both Hermetic and Shamanic, perceive Astral Space momentarily through their subconscious mind while invoking a spell, leaving the conscious mind without any memory of the occurrence. A few great mages have claimed to be able to actively perceive Astral Space, although few are willing to share what knowledge they have gained by the experience. Those few that were willing to share have given the information, including observations of Shaman in action from within Astral Space, from which these theories are based. Although all reported some risk involved in Astral Perception, most agreed it was no more than what most mages capable of the task might find from the physical world.

IV Dynamics of Spellcasting

   Regardless of the nature of the spell, a spellcaster must be within line-of-sight (unless the target is the caster) and range of the target to affect it. The reason for this emanates from the dynamics of spellcasting. The spellcaster targets the aura of the target within Astral Space, synchronizing his own astral persona with that of the target. This allows the astral energy of the spell to leap from the caster to the target through Astral Space as the spellcaster then creates a bridge at the target, allowing the spell to jump dimensions and affect the target within the physical realm. Such spells requiring targets are unaffected by armor due to the fact that the attack is originating (within the physical realm) from the target itself. A person's or creature's aura in Astral Space extends beyond any armour worn, but the bridge is created at the center of the being. Reagents merely act as a catalyst for the astral energy of the spell, being physically consumed as they manifest.
   Spells that summon merely form a bridge that allows the astral being to be brought from its astral home into the physical world. The Create Food spell creates a physical, usually living substance such as an apple out of astral energy. Teleportation is based on the theory of transforming one's being entirely into astral energy and reassembling at another point within line-of-sight and range. Recalling is a variation of this theory that allows teleportation to an astrally recorded location, a process commonly referred to as Marking, which records the location in a manner similar to scribing. Gate Travel creates a temporary astral link between the caster's current position and that of the target. Magic Reflect is in essence an astral shield for the target, allowing the recipient to reflect astral energy back to the caster, which bridges from Astral Space to the physical realm by the very process that the caster used to attack. The Earthquake spell assumes that the planet is the target while the Resurrection spell creates a bridge that allows the disembodied spirit to return to the physical world by manipulating and channeling its astral energy.
   The art of inscription locks the power of the spell onto a specially prepared scroll for later use. Because the scroll has already been bonded with the power of the spell, it may be used by one of lesser magical abilities, although some skill in spellcasting is usually required. The spells listed within spellbooks outline the required mental gymnastics for Hermetic Mages and, as such, are usually not found among Shamanic Mages.

V Thoughts and Conjectures

   I would like to take the time to acknowledge the fact that most of what I have covered are working theories and observations. Like any other scientific research, I remain open to other suggestions and theories that present themselves, however have not been able to accept most of them for one reason or another. I would also like to note that some of my findings for this manuscript has compelled me to conduct research on various related topics, such as the art of resurrection.