Magiology
Magiology is the encompassing study dedicated to the practical application of Mana. It is closely related to Mana Theory, and is also considered the theoretical basis of Magic as a general metascience, and branching into various other dedicated subdisciplines that are restricted to certain thematic domains, and also to their own specific principles.
Contents
Definition
Magic, as a technical term, defines all processes involving Mana that are triggered by an instance of the Activation Formula. It is an extremely unintuitive system that relies on both theoretical and experimental knowledge above everything else, but is also the most prominent, universally-accessible way of circumventing most scientific laws of the universe. However, classical interpretations of the word consider Magic to include all processes that defy the physical laws of the universe, rather than being just an extended property of Mana. This, by definition, includes other energies with systematic processing potential, namely Spirit and Malice. Modern Magiology categorizes these processes as Magic nonetheless, though the term "Non-Manalistic Magic" is often applied to differentiate between the two interpretations.
A Magic System is Magic that has been effectively placed into the world, and is fueled by aetheric energy derived from the depletion of Mana. All instances of Magic become Magic Systems once they have been cast to produce results, though not all Magic remain as Magic Systems once this has happened. For instance, Magic used to affect a given area will have an active Magic System that passively imposes certain effects, though Magic that simply invokes a projectile will have a Magic System that is solely used to create said projectile before terminating on its own.
Activation Formula
The Activation Formula is a sequence of virtually-simultaneous operations that initiate when a command given by a subject (hereafter, the Caster) is interpreted by a psion in particles of Mana, and culminate in the disintegration of the potent's resonant and thus the release of magitrons into the medium in order to perform a result, or a chain of results. This is a phenomenon that is entirely inherent to Mana, and is thus immutable at its core. While the Activation Formula refers to the fundamental mechanisms that jumpstart any Magic System, a Spell are the combined, Caster-defined parameters that specifically lead to an intended result, and furthermore, the result itself as well.
Defined Will
Parsing of the Caster's will into viable Thought Particles, a constant quantity that is represented by 1 syel of Mana. This occurs through intrinsic resonance between the Caster's Mind Component and their Mana Pool, which is entirely comprised of Mana particles that are bound within the Caster by the passive interaction with the Soul Component. Once a Defined Will has been issued, the entire Spell is considered to have initialized.
Casting Body
Identification of the Mana Pool the Spell is meant to draw Mana from, and furthermore, the technical "source" of the Spell. Normally, this is considered to be the Caster's own body, but in cases where the Caster remotely triggers a Magic System within an outside source of any sort, the status of Casting Body is shifted to the object in question. This, however, implies the presence of a working Mana Pool integrated within the object in order to fuel the resulting Magic System; furthermore, it is entirely impossible to grant complete independence to an object in that regard, as the Caster will inevitably expend Mana through the triggering Spell.
Logic Equation
Structuring of the instructions given by the Caster, and the concise, technical elaboration of the Defined Will. The vast difficulty of Magic is entirely derived from the Logic Equation the Spell is meant to follow. This is an array of a potentially-infinite number of parameters that are calculated by the Caster prior to the termination of the Activation Formula; the mental processing required to fulfill this rises proportionally to the complexity of variables the Spell has.
Mana Input
Complete transmission and reciprocation of the Defined Will in Mana via a chain reaction of resonants, and, immediately afterwards, disintegration of said resonants due to Psion Decay in order to transform Mana into aetheric energy. Mana Input will, by the Principle of Equivalence, always be a constant value that is directly proportional to the absolute potential of the Magic System.
Magic Output
Release of residual Magic Particles into the medium as Ley, and conditioning of the fabric of reality to construct the Magic System out of scratch, following the Logic Equation as a basic framework. At this precise point, the Spell is considered to have been cast, and the Activation Formula finalizes.
