Meta-Earth experienced a very magical past. Much of what is now considered myth and legend actually existed at some point.

Magic was introduced to the world before the dawn of recorded history. It's origin can be traced to the death of another universe that operated on the laws of magic, rather than physics. When this alternate dimension collapsed, all of it's ambient mystical energy, called mana, was somehow shunted to this dimension.

This sudden influx of mana created many new supernatural creatures and beings. The ancient pantheons of gods were actually mana that had gained sentience and form by mankind's collective unconscious. Shaped by regional religous beleifs these beings became the living embodiments of the gods and goddesses worshipped by ancient man.

The presence of mystical forces allowed for many fantastic abilities and entities. Those sensitive to these forces were rare and special indeed, even more so in modern times. Mages (druids, shaman, witch-doctors, and any other practitioners of mystic arts) are those that are both sensitive to mystical energy and capable of tapping into it to weave their magic.

Today, Magic is not nearly as powerful or abundant as it was in ancient times, due to mana slowly fading away from the world. To insure their continued survival, most of the ancient gods and other supernatural creatures fled this dimension for others more abundant in magical energy . Occasionally they will return just to check up on things, but for the most part they leave the denizens of Earth to their own affairs. Their time has passed and they are content with this knowledge. Besides, they have whole new world's to toy with now.

The public at large, and even most scientists, tend to think of magic as just another form of superhuman power, and to assume that "magicians" are just metahumans with a peculiar sense of aesthetics and a flair for the dramatic. Needless to say, they are wrong. Magicians are content to keep the world in the dark about their existence and often go to great lengths to protect their arcane knowledge from the mundane word.

There is a kind of "society" amongst most modern-day arcane practitioners. They can almost always sense each other, and many (though far from all) observe certain protocols when dealing with each other.

Unbeknown to the world at large, is that a secret arcane war going on, one that pits the more benevolent practitioners against those who side with Darkness. Of the forces of light, the White Lodge and Avalon (the extra-dimensional realm of the Fae) are the strongest and most dedicated. Evil is served by The Shadow Host as well as many evil sorcerers, demons, and horrific entities.

SPHERES OF MAGIC

Magic is divided into distinct fields  known as Spheres. Spells
belonging to the same school have similar properties. The twenty spheres
of magic do not remain wholly distinct from one another, howerver--some
spells do overlap.
The study and practice of magic requires a great deal of dedication
and devotion. Those who would master it, must possess great strength of
will and spiritual resolve.

A spellcaster's Willpower score  determines how many spheres of
magic they are proficient in using. One sphere for each point of willpower.

 
Abjuration

The sphere of wizardry is concerned with reshaping  magical energy
to create different effects. Heroes who have mastered the art of Abjuration
can alter the flow and behavior of

magic itself, but only magic created by another.
At its most basic levels  Abjurists can dispel, drain, reflect
or nullify magic spells cast by other sorcerers of any sphere.
At higher levels Abjurists can even alter the effect or nature of a
spell cast by another. The exact limits of this ability depends on which
of the spheres he has studied. For instance,

one skilled  in aeromancey, pyromany, and abjuration could absorb
the damage from a fireball spell  cast by his opponent and  redirect
that energy to  power or even amplify his

own air blast spell. In this way abjuration acts as a condiut between
pyromancy and aeromancy.

 
Aeromancy

The sphere of Aeromancy, encompassing the spells of elemental air,
can create anything from a breeze to a gale. Aeromancers might shroud their
enemies in clouds of choking

vapor, call up cloaking patches of dense fog. fly above the trees,
or encase themselves in  a bubble of air to travel underwater.
Aeromancy also allows a sorcerer to affect the weather, at least to
a limited extent. Such a dramatic action, however, proves very difficult
because of it's broad scale; only the most

powerful spellcasters can wield most weather magic.

 
Alchemy

The spells of alchemists involve magically manipulating unliving matter
at it's most basic level.
Those with limited knowledge of this power can alter the structure of
matter in only minor ways. He might change one type of metal into another,
but he could not change it into stone or glass. A master alchemist, can
totally change the nature of an object. The exact limits of this ability
depends on which of the spheres  he has studied. For instance, one
skilled  in aeromancey, geomancy, and transmutation could turn a stone
wall into a cloud of  fog.
Changes made with alchemy remain impermanent. When the duration lapses,
the transformation reverses itself.

 
Animism

Those with access to the powers of animism can commune with any living
thing. By harnessing these forces, animists can communicate with and control
the beasts and plants of the

world.
Some people call animists "druids" a term that actually describes the
priests of nature from past ages.

 
Channeling

Through sheer force of will, a mystic can use the magical energies
within him to adjust his ( or another's)  Physical ability scores.
Thus a channeler could make himself as strong or

as nimble as a great cat.
If a channeler wishes to adjust more than one physical ability , he
must weave a separate spell for each ability.

 
Cryomancy

Many consider cryomancy nothing but a hybrid of aeromancy and hydromancy.
However, such contenders cannot deny the fact  that a skilled cryomancer
can accomplish feats no

aeromancer or hydromancer could.: He can manifest great cold and call
into being large quantities of ice.
The spells of cryomancy can create walls of ice, freeze rivers solid
even in the heart of summer, and sear enemies with a wicked frostbite that
stops them dead in their tracks.

 
Divination

Through the use of primordial power, a diviner attempts to gain information
about the world around him. a spell of divination might allow him to see
magical auras or to note the

presence  of a trap in an otherwise harmless looking hallway.
It even offers glimpses into the past and future. The trick of divination
magic is knowing what to ask and when to ask

it.
Divining spells are not flawless, of course and do not make a sorcerer
effectively omniscient. Divination does not let a hero read another's mind.
In addition while a diviner might be

able to see events of the past with great clarity, his visions of the
future  remain subject to change--they may not even come to pass at
all. Indeed, many say that the very act of

observing the future changes it.

 
Electromancy

Few natural forces prove more powerful or widespread than electricity.
From the devastating potential of a lightning strike to the all-pervasive
sting of a static spark, most people

come into contact with the forces of electromancy every day.
A skilled electromancer can unleash streams of lightning form his fingers
to burn or terrify his enemies, or he can summon a faint blue aura to light
his way in the night.

 
Enchantment

The magic of enchantment can imbue common objects with magical energy. 
Examples include an enchanted weapon or shield. Enchantments can take many
forms, however:;

sorcerers should not limit them to combat. A clever enchanter might
use his power to cause the crystal on the end of his staff to to glow effectively
eliminating the need for a torch or

lantern.

 
Geomancy

Just as sorcerers can command the air above, so too can they make the
earth below do their bidding. Geomancers are noted for their ability to 
draw great stone walls from the earth

or cause the ground  to turn to quicksand beneath the feet of
their enemies.
A geomancer's power can effect stone, earth, metals, and even gems and
other crystals, no aspect of the geological world-even alloys such as steel-can
resist this sorcerer's will.

 
Biomancy

Among the most potent of the mystics arts is the ability to heal wounds,
cure disease and otherwise combat the ills of the world.
This healing can save lives but it does have its perils. Any attempt
to heal might bring about a mishap, which could exhaust or even injure
the healer.
Healers can never use this sphere of magic to inflict harm. Actually
causing physical damage with mysticism is an aspect of necromancy.

 
Hydromancy

The ability to manipulate all of the life-giving waters of the world.
Hydromancers can draw water from arid ground, and cause swift currents
to run beneath a ship. in its more

powerful form it can cause huge waves to appear  or crete waterspouts
or whirlpools.
A hydromancers power only affects water in it's liquid state. Not solid
(ice)  or air (vapor)

 
Meditation

The sphere f meditation allows a hero to alter his (or anther's) mental
ability scores. in almost every way, the work of meditators mirrors that
of channelers, including the use of a

single spell to adjust each separate score.

 
Neuromancy

A hero skilled in neuromancy can project his thoughts into the minds
of others. In addition, he may attempt to read the thoughts and memories
of another, often learning valuable

unspoken facts.
True masters of neuromancy are able to change memories, induce hallucinations,
and subjugate another's will

 
Necromancy

The mere mention of the word necromancy can send shivers down the spine
of the bravest warrior. If there is a forbidden art in the world of magic,
it is this blackest of black magics.
Necromancers deal in the very essence of life and death.  they
can cause wounds to appear on  their enemies, sap their vital energies,
or cause them to simply drop dead.  By the

same token they can infuse a corpse  with a sort of pseudo-life
, forcing it to rise from the grave as a zombie.

 
Pyromancy

Among the most ancient of mankind's tool's is that of fire. For millennia
it has heated homes and driven away the beasts of the night. Is it any
wonder that  the magic of fire holds a

particular fascination to sorcerers.
The power of the pyromancers makes them among the flashiest of sorcerers.
Indeed more than one bard has described them as living. breathing, fireworks
shows.

 
Spectramancy

Light and color have always fascinated mankind. As such, the school
of spectramancy numbers among the most commonly studied by young sorcerers.
A specrtramancer can create

light, alter the color of existing radiances, and otherwise manipulate
luminesces.
In addition to creating or extinguishing sources of illumination, knowledge
of spectramancy permits sorcerers to create images and illusions. While
these phantasms remain nothing

more than tricks of light and shadow, they can easily fool the unsuspecting/
Some of the most common spells of illusion are those of invisibility.

 
Spiritualism

Although somewhat less scorned than necromancy, the sphere of spiritualism
resembles it greatly. Unlike that dark art, which deals with the corporeal
dead, spiritualism allows a

mystic to commune with the dead and create incorporeal undead. 
Spiritualists can deal with existing undead and commune with the spirits
of the dead. at higher levels it can call

back spirits of the dead and create ghosts and other spectral , insubstantial
undead.
It is important to keep in mind the difference between necromancy and
spiritualism. While both deal with the undead, the former focuses on corporeal
creatures like zombies and

ghouls-- all of which fall outside of the spheres d spiritualism

 
Telemancy

Through the magic of telemancy, a sorcerer can transport himself or
others across distances by actually folding space. Those who have such
powers provide great service to

traveling folk. Of course transporting a large number of people any
great distance can prove such an exhausting and time consuming and difficult
ordeal that few summoners

embrace the challenge frequently.
Sorcerers can combine the art of telemancy with those of other schools
to draw powerful  magical creatures into the world from the various
elemental planes of the universe. For

example, a character gifted with knowledge of both pyromancy and telemancy,
might draw a living creature of fire  into the world from the elemental
plane of fire.

 
Transfiguration

Heroes who have mastered the art of transfiguration can physically
transform their bodies into the forms of other creatures.  For example
he could assume the shape of another

individual, an animal such as a horse. or even a creature like a wyvern. 
In addition, transfiguration can change the shape of someone else, though
casting alteration spells on someone else is harder than casting upon oneself
due to the increased range.