Spellcasting

Spellcasting is an ever developing art, with new spells being formed, old spells being refined, and thousands of variations dying out when they're not taught to new generations. There are three main categories of spellcasting used on the mainland: Environ, Viscera, and Psyche. These categories split spells into important groups for teaching and organization. Although, immense discourse over the categorization of certain spells or the entire categorization system in general is highly common. Unlike Sulparae and Sulashee, Kuuandra is notable in having little to no spell categorization across the region.

Environ

Environ is the most basal and largest category of spellcasting. Any non-living thing that can be manipulated, changed, or created falls under Environ. Considered the wastebasket of spell categories, Environ encompasses hundreds of thousands of spells that otherwise may have little to no relation to each other. Thus, Environ is often split into two subcategories: The tangible and the intangible.

• Tangible Environ is best known for encompassing elemental magic such as fire, wind, water, and stone. But Tangible Environ may also include the control or creation of just about any substance that tangibly exists within the world.
• Intangible Environ is a far vaguer and difficult category. Any spells that break the laws of physics or forms something which is considered non-physical is often categorized as Intangible Environ. This is a rather divisive category for the majority of spellcasters, owing to the immense variety for any one "type" of spell.
• Spells which create a magical shield may occur through various methods, including but not limited to the solidification of pure magic, light, or the air itself. Each of these spells would be typically categorized as intangible by scholars, yet two of them use tangible and pre-existing aspects of the world.

As a general rule, Environ spells are the easiest to learn due to the basal nature of its targets. Mana provides very little resistance when manipulated or altered, allowing for easy casting. It's not uncommon for an intalli to force-cast an Environs spell from sheer will, often facilitated by a burst of intense emotion and or magic within the caster (Although, such miraculous spells are often inefficient and highly draining)

While basic Environ spells are easy to grasp, the real difficulty comes with strengthening them. An ember is easy to summon, a campfire harder, and a wildfire near impossible without relentless study. The magic and control required for Environs rises with the size of the spell needed. While an intalli with an unfathomably powerful pulsar may be able to unleash a storm of fire, they may be hard-pressed to keep it from burning down their whole village. Elemental Environs casters are often stereotyped as having strong magic but without the technique to control it.

Viscera

Any spell which manipulates, alters, or creates a living being falls under Viscera. Unlike mana, life in all its forms has an innate resistance to spellcasting. The pre-existing systems within flora and the corpora of fauna will always attempt to maintain its current, consistent state. Thus, Viscera is an inherently harder art to grasp than Environ.

• Viscera specialists will often begin with the manipulation, growth, and creation of plants and fungi before moving on to sentient (and even sapient) creatures. The stronger and more complex the magic within a being, the more difficult it will be to influence their body.
• Growth is the easiest form of Viscera spellcasting. Rather than seeking to change the magic, growth spells only intend to expedite the pre-existing processes. While far easier for the spellcaster, growth spells requires immense energy and strain from more complex targets.
• Healing magic is rarely worth the trouble it brings. Depending on the variation of the spell, immense medical knowledge and precision is needed from the caster. Meanwhile, an unfathomable amount of energy, magic, and stress is needed on the part of the target. For a healing spell, all of the energy and magic which would have been used to heal a wound over time is suddenly required all at once. This can and will cause excruciating pain, exhaustion, and strain on the body which may only exacerbate the condition of the injured or ill party.
• Plants are about as easy to manipulate as they are to grow. Turning a sapling into a full grown tree is about as difficult as it would be to correct its lean. However, permanent manipulation will often require longterm spells, as a plant will always attempt to return to its original path.
• In sentient beings, manipulation is an entirely different story. Controlling the movements of another creature without being in their mind is extremely difficult. The intricacies of movement in a body other than your own is challenging to replicate, with fine motor skills practically impossible. Additionally, attempting to manipulate the movements of a conscious creature will result in an endless battle with their own natural movements, even if they're willing.

The creation of life is beyond the capabilities of most Viscera casters. While easier, the botanical knowledge and effort needed to create plantlife is far more inefficient than simply expediting the growth of a plant from a seed. Furthermore, the replication of a living, breathing, and moving creature is an arduous task. The most minute aspects of their anatomy must be studied, with the smallest missing details easily leading to the immediate death of any creature after birth. Even then, the replication of a creature's brain, behavior, and corpora is its own joke. The vast majority of spellborn creatures are either tiny and basal or malformed and demented.

Psyche

The most valuable and dangerous of all magic, spells which alter the mind of a sentient being belong to Psyche. The mind is a deeply fickle, poorly understood concept. There's little in the way of knowledge on the mechanisms behind intelligence and consciousness, even with comprehension of the pulsar as the soul.

The easiest Psyche spells break a mind irreparably. It's relative simple to reach into someone's mind and destroy it completely, but its far harder not to kill them. The biggest factor in Psyche spells is precision. Longterm damage is easy and death is easier. Psyche specialists will seek affect the smallest parts first before attempting to dive any deeper.

Sentient creatures are easier to influence, more drawn to basal instincts than to thought or consideration. But, reach your hand into the mind of an intalli, and you will find it biting you. The sheer presence of a pulsar is a threat to all Psyche spells. A pulsar will react violently and swiftly to any attempts to manipulate it. Every Psyche specialist has their own unique methods of getting past these barriers.

No matter the strength or power behind it, all Psyche spells require longterm and intense training. Each individual spell is rare, unique, and almost impossible to learn by one's self. Small influences are simpler, further than that and advanced expertise is needed. Complete control of the mind is unheard of, but not out of the realm of reality.

Sapient life cannot be created in a way that matters.