#for the infection magic - it's like very far post-apoc humanity discovering a nuclear wasteland and extrapolating nuclear power as much as

[fatesline]

Magic is used through concentration and strength of will, and draws upon life energies - most frequently and easily the caster's own, or, with some finesse, that of other people, animals, or plants.

Learning magic is a bit like learning math or how to whistle: theoretically anyone can do it, but in reality some people struggle a lot while others find it comes naturally. There's a steep learning curve, and it can be especially dangerous for amateurs to practice, since they can accidentally cause themselves serious harm or death due to not being able to regulate what they're doing. Most people don't have the luxury of being able to spend the time and energy to learn to do it.

Casting magic also requires knowing specifically what you're doing. You can't just 'heal' someone in a vague, general sense, though you can perform specific actions like clamping a blood vessel. Such a precise action has risks, since one could accidentally clamp the wrong vessel, or close several.

Virtually anything could be done with magic with enough energy and if you know what exactly you were doing, but in reality it's more difficult and you're more likely to fail and die anyway. For most people who don't have magical training and live in an area where other tools are available, magic isn't worth it. The biggest use it has in the general world is for sapping heat from water to make ice.

Magic has historically also been valued for its usefulness in warfare - being able to use enemies as a source of energy is especially powerful.

There are also less direct but more safe forms of folk magic, with efficacy that is less certain. Instead of doing something concrete like lighting a fire or drawing water from the air, these have more general uses: warding away evil, attracting luck, etc. The methods vary based on the region.

A secondary type of magic is accessible after infection from the spirit reaches, an area that had been magically scoured to stop the spread of disease hundreds of years ago. The original methods of magic used were lost to time, existing only as residual magic, which allows some expanded magical ability as the infection provides a source of energy, but also some really rough side effects.

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Tell me about magic in your world. Who can use magic? How can they use magic? Are they born with magical talent or can magic be learned?

WBW Alert - thanks for the submission!

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