About Magic
This thing, or rather: these things, called Magic...
What is Magic, and what is it not?
Magic is the manipulating of reality through the use of arcane knowledge or supernatural powers. At least part is true for the observer, who will see the magic-user or daemon perform their magic.
But let us do another take on the whole thing and start from the other viewpoint. If you perform a feat using technology, or knowledge that is beyond the viewer, they will see that as magic. Your digital music player would be like magic if you only go back 50 years in time, and the digital camera a wonder in itself, not to speak of your old iPhone... If you go back little more than a century, it would be viewed as true magic indeed, as they would not even be able to guess at some of the physics involved.
So what is magic then, in reverse order of importance:
Technology that is beyond understanding of the viewer
Deeper knowledge of physics and cosmology, and how to practically use this knowledge
Ability of living creatures to use and manipulate the borders between realities
The last one is the most important, but hardest to understand. It seems that all living organisms are, more or less, dependent on the structure of the multiverse and its possible realities. From the photosynthesis that depends on quantum mechanics to actually work, to the complex information quantum storage in the DNA, when looking into the details, there is so much more than ordinary chemistry at work. A closer example (for anyone who reads this) is the mind, which is far more complex than the single neuron couplings that people normally would think is sufficient for thought, it takes a great deal more. Thus most living entities have the ability to at least partially make use of, or experience the effects of other realities.
Next thing that comes into play is evolution (that in itself largely rely on quantum mechanics and bifurcating realities), sooner or later beings will evolve that can directly manipulate realities in order to further their needs, thus are those that can travel the planes of reality - the daemons, born.
And the last point:
The use of knowledge, technology and ability to utilize these to move information, energy or matter between different realities
What magic is not: It is not something you can gain without difficulty. And it is not some occult thing that just happens and that you can gain without deeper understanding. Most of those believing so will be fooled by charlatans and cheep tricks, usually aimed at their purse.
Those believing that magic is the action of "spirits" may also think once again, if spirits are involved, where do they get the magic from. This is however a common way to gain "magic", and a livelihood for several entities acting as spirits, if you are willing to pay their price (the cost is often not obvious until it is time to pay).
Magic is Knowledge, and there is a reason why it is kept from the more average beings of the multiverse. And you won't let a child play with matches in a firework store...
The physics of Magic, and magic of Physics...
Physics can be boring and just theories, or so many thinks, they can't be more wrong. It's base is logic and mathematics, in one end it couples up with philosophy, in the other it extends into chemistry and biology, everything we know, and a bit more. "Our" physics have just begun to understand the more complex part of the multiverse, we are struggling with concepts that the mind can not easily fathom, but we are slowly on our way to a path of gaining insight into a more beautiful and varied universe, and multiverse, than we can imagine.
In just a few decades our knowledge of cosmos and the basic building blocks of reality have taken giant steps, greater than those taken so far in the last thousand years of observing the visible universe around us. And it is not only theory, we have been able to implement what we see, sometimes even if we don't fully understand it yet, and we are incorporating pieces of it, which would be magic for our ancestors, into our everyday life. And so far we have only scratched the surface of what there is.
We are still far away from understanding the idea of the multiverse, and even further away in being able to use this power. It takes discipline, a critical mind and hard work to get there, but a few will succeed. I would recommend some good books on meta-mathematics, quantum physics, string theory and counterfactual logic, which is usually a good start. If you think that is over your head then I am afraid magic might not be for you...
...and the dangers of its use.
As I stated above, the basis of magic is the movement of information, energy or matter between different realities, or even planes of existence, including spatial and temporal shifts. Opening up a channel between realities or planes is dangerous in itself, the effect could be something like boring a hole in a dam, it might be impossible to plug once opened.... When trying to move anything between planes where the actual laws of physics might be slightly different, the whole space-time fabric might rift, in the worst case annihilating the involved universes along with their spawned realities. Fortunately the universe(s) in themselves seem to be able to hinder this by simply presenting so high energy barriers, as to making it impossible to connect directly, which is why the first step is to be able to find a null-space between the realities allowing an indirect connection. But even that can be destructive, and many are those fledgling users who are lost when meddling with this, especially if they don't know what they are doing. So dabbling in things you don't understand is highly dangerous, something like a curious knight with a metal lance let loose in a high voltage transformer station...
The next great danger comes from those who can handle these things, and have interest in your reality, they will surely notice if somebody new is around, thus you need knowledge on how to negotiate and handle your fellow daemons, even if you have not reached the level of dimensional traveller yourself.
Lastly there would be your locals, things people don't understand, scare people. Showing your digital camera in a medieval setting, you could risk to be burnt as a witch, and the same goes for any display of unaccounted for power, wherever and whenever, you may be. It might be appreciated as well, but it is always good advice to be careful.
And back to what magic is...
As divulged above, real magic is in its higher sense the deeper working and interaction of the multiverse and its different realities and planes.
The exchange can be information, energy or matter:
Information: No we are not talking about exchange of gossip, we are talking about transferring information on states of reality. This is the basis of each universe, we are talking on information about quantitative states, wavelength and amplitude, of the strings of reality, and no such information can be lost, but can be exchanged. This is the most powerful magic, since this information is what is below energy and matter. By tweaking this you can change both time and space. As you can guess, only very powerful beings, what we might consider as gods, can handle this.
Energy: The possibility to exchange energy between two realities is powerful, it also takes some knowledge and care to handle, the energy you want must be replaced with the same amount of total energy at some point. Technically it is possible to get heat, if you send back the same energy using another wavelength, or energy in another form, like matter. This can be used with high precision, and there are quite a lot of magical creatures that have evolved to use this, like dragons, whose flight depend on their ability shift gravity by exchange of heat between realities.
Matter: A subclass of the above, exchanging matter is fairly easy (once you can open a portal, which is far from easy), since the exchange normally regulates itself. Opening up a portal to empty space will get you into trouble, most portals will however collapse long before any permanent damage is caused, which probably would not save anyone standing beside it...
Then we have the difference between realities and planes:
Realities: As discussed elsewhere we are talking about multiple possible realities here, that are paralleled to each other in some sense, since these can both bifurcate and collapse into one at any time (given that they where very close to begin with) it is easier than many would think to cross the border, but far harder to orderly go between them. Much simple magic is actually using the ability to move objects, or sometimes beings, between close realities. But the real magic starts when the difference grows greater. To set up a stable exchange between realities there must be a minimum distance making them so much different that they actually will stay apart even in the future. The farther away the realities are, the greater the differences, and the potential of magic exchange. Sometimes just getting technology from a distant reality is magic in itself (see clause above about technology beyond the viewers understanding).
Planes: If realities are different versions of our own universe, planes are different universes, as with realities of our own, the multiversal planes can be close or distant to ours. It is much harder to open a portal between planes, and much more dangerous. The exchange may not only be information, energy and matter, as described above, if the laws of nature, the universal constants, or equilibrium of energy is different, then even those may affect the exchange. It is very rare that portals can be opened between planes that are very different, and the use of intermediary null-space between them that is needed to connect them, buffers most effects.
With the use of this magic creatures and users can almost create anything imaginable, but the way to learn how to do it is long and hard, and most specialize in just some small areas.
Enough with ranting on magic, if you need more information seek out your nearest resident magician, your first test is to find him or her, and when you do, you can bet that it really was them finding you. In this game coincidence is rare...
Appendix
Spells commonly used in the Abode:
From the notes of Tomomi, in the order that she encountered them. Observe that this list is not an exhaustive list of spells, just some common spells, or noteworthy ones, used in the Abode. The comments and explanations are Tomomi's, and are not exhaustive, or even always correct, just her notes on them. For further information you should consult a common good lexicon on spells and probability manipulation, I will list some good references in the library section later.
As mentioned earlier "spells" are not textbook stuff, a method that works for one will miserably fail for another, it is not down to "say this, wave thus, use that". Every individual has their own way to make it work. Even if some of the simpler manipulations are formalized (makes them easier to teach), as they get more complex, personal utilization becomes more important and obvious.
Green - Simple spells, what also is referred to as household spells, simple to learn once you understand how...
Blue - Magic of intermediary level, easy to learn if it is within your main discipline, and the wielding of this level can be personalized.
Red - High level magic takes knowledge and experience to do and is usually very individual.
Spells * - Used by Tomomi. ** - Used by Tomomi on a low level of expertise
Homing* - One of the first I learned, although at first I did not really classify it as magic. You can decide on a set of locations, although you need to be in the spot when "setting" it, then when you concentrate on that spot later, you will find a natural tug that will pull you in the direction of the best path to the place. Can be placed (and some can even transfer a homing) to another individual, or even animal, when you begin to understand it. This spell is essential to get around in the Abode efficiently. Learnt from Old Magician and Sus helped me to refine it.
Temporary transformation - One of Sus favourite spells, I can not do it, it's the spell she use to turn other people into toad, frogs and crows when she gets crossed, it usually wear off within an hour or so. She explained it as temporary manipulation of the corporeal existence of an individual on any chosen plane, by phasing out part of the physical bulk, which is why the creature the subject is transformed into always have to be of a smaller size than the original.
Styling* (Cosmetic changes) - Another thing I learned from Sus. If this was known on our Earth, the cosmetic industry would be out of business in no time. It's not one spell, but a collection of related spells to use. It's a way to make smaller cosmetic enhancements (or similar) to one an others. Most are only semi-permanent (keeps for a few days to a week), but since they usually are easy to perform (and you have the necessary tools and ingredients) it really doesn't matter that much. Hair colour is one of those who keep best. A word of advice is to be in a calm surrounding when doing this, if the concentration is broken the result can be hilarious, at least for others (and quite upsetting for the one styled).
Hair growth* - Just as the name says, enables hair to grow faster (how fast depends on the casters knowledge), can be used both for own benefit or to prank others. Should be used with care, some say that magical hair growth not cast by specialists tends to produce brittle hair. There is also a spell to get rid of unwanted hair, which is really easy to use.
Clean* - Can be used both for "dust-busting" and cleaning dishes. Never managed to figure out where the dust and scrap goes though...
Mend* - works as a charm on broken things, but you need to have all the pieces of the thing that was broken. Will not replace any missing shards/pieces, or glue things that weren't together from the start. Otherwise it is like super glue, without any trace of breakage (or risk of getting stuck).
Hold* - Will temporarily hold something fixed in a room
Chill* - Another household spell, great for keeping food fresh, but can also be used to make people jump.
Freeze* - A spell that draws thermal energy from a defined space, the working is quite different from the above spell, and should not be used on living beings.
Heat* - Useful spell that can heat a litre of water up to boiling point, at least when I do it.
Fetch* - Can be used to get hold of things, but unless you are very skilled it needs to be in visual range. There is a version to fetch inanimate objects from far away or even between planes, but you need to know the exact item, and its position.
Levitation** - Sus taught me this one in a demonstration on how different physical forces can be manipulated. Since gravitation is a rather weak force, levitation should be simple according to her, but it takes time and concentration to set it up (at least for me). Made a small statue hover on my desk, and it hovers there still.
Transfiguration - The art of turning yourself into something else, usually of lesser size, but combined with other spells of bulk increase, you can turn into something larger as well. Once again from Sus spells and at this time far above my level.
Simple illusion* - A spell I learnt from Ren. It makes things appear as something else. More convenient than I first thought, and perfect to hide things.
Charm** - a way to affect others, just as the spell says. Still takes some effort, and is easily broken if you act contradictory to the charm you are trying cast.
Scribe* - A way to put words to paper (or whatever you are using) as you think about them, very useful, the words seem to flow from your fingers. I really like this spell, but prefer to use an ordinary pen when I have time.
Read** - A type of translation spell, to read books in foreign languages. One of the hardest to learn so far but is essential if you want to use the library. Can only be cast for one language at the time. For the inexperienced it can be a bit of Google translate, you get the words translated but the meaning is lost, and it does not help you understand a complicated text or words that are outside your grasp.
Cloaking** - a spell to make you blend in with the environment.
Hide** - another spell to keep you out of sight. Even though I once used both cloaking and hide, Opal had no problem seeing me. Lesson learnt is that these spells are only useful to a certain degree, and not to hide from more powerful beings.
Summoning - Only seen Old Magician perform this once. One of the more dangerous spells, and you need to know exactly what you are summoning. The summoning is forcing a named entity to appear, and it is not seldom that they get quite vexed when called in such a way. Wotatease on the other hand seems to use and have used this both carelessly and too often...
Protection - a thing you might need if you are doing summoning... or being in the vicinity when others cast it...
Bind/knit wound** - learnt from Alma, very handy when handling sharp weapons, but it still hurts.
Honing* - another one Alma thought me, but this one is good to use on kitchen knives as well.
Pyromancy** - Alma's speciality, how to make fire. I can light a candle or a stove using this, which is great. Alma can even do a "dragons breath" (even though Bel says that is no magic trick, any old dragon does that naturally), which is quite impressive.
Hydromancy** - A way to send messages using water, quite fascinating.
Power gathering - Necessary magic to do more powerful spells, beyond me, but one of the things Sus, Li and Old Magician often discuss in depth.
Adaptation - A powerful spell used to adapt a body (yours or others) to hostile environments (like water (well water is hostile if you are under it))
Connect - A spell used to create a connection between two temporal planes (actually connects one plane and a neutral void, then after that you make a connection to a second plane, or something like that) only creates a temporary portal though.
Close portal** - A spell I learnt can be vital in the Abode, to avoid catastrophes or threats coming from other world connected to the Abode. Old Magician taught it to all of us as a matter of precaution in troubled times. Fairly easy to use on temporary portals, while permanent connections take a lot more (and I do mean a lot more power and spell-casters). The knowledge used to perform this can also be used to break other manipulations, something like "dispel magic", where the success largely depends on the strength and mastery of the opposing casters.
Duplication var. cloning - To duplicate dead matter or things is fairly easy, but to make a perfect duplicate, or a clone, of a living being is not. We are not talking about a body double or simulacrum in the shape of a specific individual, but an actual copy, that is identical in all ways to the original, as to how it was at the moment of duplication, including memories and physical treats. You need time (it takes more than a day), a lot of preparations (like mixing the special goo that the duplicates grow in) and rare ingredients (like lapis philosophorum). The person who is to be copied needs to be in deep sleep or preferably in stasis during the time the duplicate is created. When finished you have a perfect clone, including the length of hair and nails (including any scar or any missing parts), but no other objects have been copied. So if the original had any ring, other foreign object or even painted nails, you have something to go after when identifying who is who. Problem is that it is recommended not to have any such "disturbing" items to make the process more accurate and faster. There is also a saying that the duplicates share the same original life-force.