Essence Magic

Essence Magic is often thought to be the most obscure of the Five Schools of Magic, and the most difficult for novice Mages to understand. Essence Magic deals with the spirit, energy, and the unseen forces of the universe. It lies in contrast with Archaic Magic, which deals with the forces of nature which are present and interact directly with life.

In relation to the Realms of Paradise, essence magic interacts with the magic of the Realms itself, it bends the stuff that is used by other Schools to bend the mortal plane, creating a doubling effect. This doubling effect can sometimes create spells which react to other spells, and can also bend the laws of physics in the mortal plane, a trait which the other schools cannot boast. For example, the spells of Archaic Magic still must follow the laws of physics in the mortal plane; a wave created by an Octa mage will still fall according to gravity. If a mage wishes it to float about in the air, he must expend energy on the water to break those laws. Essence Magic bends the laws themselves to create an effect. This confusing concept often makes young mages keep away from study of Essence.

Also, essence magic has the ability to effect the proverbial "essence" of living beings; their life-force. Sacillum philosophers conclude that because the Goddesses created life from their own magic, the essence of their life force must also be the stuff of their realms. So in short, the stuff from paradise that creates magic in the mortal plane is the same basic thing as the stuff which creates the laws of physics in the mortal plane, which is the same basic thing as the stuff which constitutes the life force of living beings. Essence Magic can effect them all.

This School of Magic was mastered by the mages of the Night Elves, who then taught its delicate interworkings to the other races.

Spells
The spells in essence magic can create a variety of useful effects. The group of spells which effect the laws of physics in the mortal realm are often referred to as "telekenetic spells." They allow the caster to move things from a distance without touching them, create invisible barriers around someone or something to protect it from physical attacks, and can create offensive attacks by using telekenesis to create a barrier which can hit enemies like a wall.

Essence spells which effect the energy of paradise can create very unique and useful effects. Offensively, a very powerful spell can be achieved which concentrates the energy of paradise and sends it at an enemy. It creates a visible blue lightning-type effect which can instantly kill the living. However, this magnitude of spell requires a master mage, and a whole lot of energy. Defensively, this type of spell can cancel of reflect the magic of another mage, Dispel spells can compleatly cut off a mage for their connection to paradise, and Reflect spells can reflect the effects of a spell back of a mage.

Spells which effect the life force of a sapient being can be both passive and lethal. The most common spell in essence magic allows the caster to detect the life force of living things, allowing the caster to see other people through walls and in the dark, a quite useful spell. Another more dangerous spell is one which sapps the life force of the recipient, and gives ore to the caster. A leech spell. This type of spell can compleatly kill a person or decimate multiple people if casted by a master.