Magic

Magic is essential to the world of Squish. Magic is divided into two categories based on its behavior, the more commonly known Natural Magic that forms the basis of casting, the enviroment, and health, and the more enigmatic and god-sourced Divine Magic, existing outside of known logic.

Natural Magic

Natural Magic is suffused everywhere, from the air you breathe, the food you eat, and the spells you cast. It is the default someone assumes when you talk about magic. It behaves in cycles, and in people, is stored in the blood. In the enviroment, magic behavior is determined by heat gradients.

In the atmosphere, Natural magic is pure and relatively unusable until it hits a certain heat threshold. This can either occur naturally in people, who can break it down to use, or in warm climates, where this energy is quickly absorbed by the environment. Conversely, cold climates accrue more pure energy, but need heat to break it down before use. Creatures in these climates must keep themselves warm to continue to break down magic or exist on little magic at all.

Harnessing the magic in one's body to express different effects has existed for centuries. Casting magic, traditionally, used only the body's own magic to create spells. In more recent times, there are different methods that put less stress on the body, such as Charms. Magitech mimics a person casting magic to create several amenities of the modern day.

The Soul is the metaphysical organ that directs one's magic to behave a certain way.

Health

Magic is an essential facet in life. Having low magic in your blood can result in lethargy, weakness, and succeptibility to more illnesses, while too much can result in the body attempting to expel the excess. An inability to harness magic is synonymous with death, as only living beings can continously break it down. Low levels of magic is especially common amongst those who cast often.

Magic illnesses are defined as issues with levels of magic in the blood. Difficulties casting spells are more serious and instead relate to the soul.

Magic Recovery

When drained of magic, the easiest and most reliable way to recover is sleeping. However, for some, sleep is slow, unreliable, or inconvenient.

Fortunately, there are plenty of quick fixes! The most simple and affordable of which are snacks and drinks.

Most people gravitate towards magic restoring energy drinks, which can quickly restore a reasonable amount of magic energy for cheap. They're simple, packaged in small plastic bottles, which can keep magic from escaping. To account for the average magic decay many incorporate a marble that resembles a large bead in the packaging. Fancier drinks may even include a marble pop top. Many drinks contain high amounts of caffeine so any decay of magic after manufacturing is less noticable.

Plenty of novelty drinks and snacks, though less effective, will incorporate crystals in other ways. A popular alternative for magic energy drinks are instant coffee crystals with small amounts of magic inside. Crystalline candies like rock candy or pop rocks are also popular, especially in novelty cocktails and gift shops.

Medical Recovery

In dire medical situations, there are quicker and stronger modes of magic recovery. A common addition to EMT toolkits are vials of liquid magic.

Liquid magic is pure magic, distilled and sterilized from blood drive donations.

They are used in IV drips, injected, or in unusual cases, drank. The injections and IVs are preferred as drinking large amounts of pure magic can induce vomiting, heart palpitations, or loss of consciousness in some. In less time sensitive cases a patient may request the drinkable form, instead which is watered down.

It is advised not to consume pure magic unless under supervision of a trained medical professional. Consuming or injecting unlicensed forms of pure magic is also discouraged with the extra risk of contaminants and variable doses. Unfortunately, unlicensed pure magic has an appeal to many, especially those without insurance, as it is much more affordable this way.

Blood Recovery

An uncommon mode of magic recovery is getting it from the source: Blood.

With the rise in popularity of vampire novels amongst young teens, medical professionals warn parents against it. Drinking blood is not only taboo, but dangerous. There are all the same risks that come with consuming pure magic, as well as spreading blood-borne pathogens and potential death.

Divine Magic

Divine Magic is an inscrutable force of the gods that deals only in absolutes and does not abide by any known law. It is law, bending reality to its whims. It usually is referenced when talking about Blessings, detailed on the relevant page.

Unlike other forms of magic, Divine magic can't be harnessed to cast or use in magitech. Its workings remain a mystery, and likely forever will based on its nature.

All divine magic is sourced from a god and is stored in themselves, unlike natural magic, which is found throughout the enviroment. An expression of divine magic is moreso an outlet of their power. Most divine effects are entirely passive and cannot be controlled because of this.