Magic

"Magic is all around you. It is woven into the very fabric of the world. I know you have suffered because of magic, as many have. But not all magic and not all sorcerers are the same. I wish only to show you that magic can be used for good."

- Emrys

Magic or Sorcery, is a very real, very potent force in the land of Albion. Put simply, magic is the ability to affect and change reality. Like any power, its morality is reliant on that of the user- just as Nimueh plagued the kingdom with her magic, it appears she had used it positively when she and Uther were friends.

Nature of Magic
Magic is a natural force, albeit and very powerful. As such it's morally neutral. Magic can be used through spells, which turn the user wishes reality, but magic breaks the laws of logic in the process. Magic also has its own set of rules, one being that of balance, specially when dealing with the power over life and death. Most magic is tied to the Old Religion so the High Priestesses have a greater understanding of it, and people are gifted with magic by a reason, though few people or creatures of magic really know what this reason is.

Basic Structure of Magic
Magic can achieve, but is not limited to, such affects as shape-shifting, telekinesis, slowing down the rate of time and summoning creatures, elements and ancient forces. It is said that only magic can destroy or negate magic. Magic is not just a tool to be used - it is often stated that magic has rules, and in some cases, a will of its own. According to the seer Taliesin, magic began in a cave near the valley of the fallen kings, known simply as the Crystal Cave (The Crystal Cave). Sometimes, the essence of magic coincides with the Old Religion itself.



Some people, such as Merlin, can use magic institutionally and require little or no training. For others, magic can take years to study, but this is limited to magical aptitude. Many initially unlock their powers when their emotions are heightened, and such strong emotions can also cause the user to lose control of their magic, potentially causing massive damage. If the person in question lives among a magical race or is trained, they can access their magic much earlier. Other natural gifts, although caused by magic, do not affect the world as magic does, such as Morgana's ability as a Seer. There are also people like Gaius whose access to magic is obtained through study and hard work. These people can lose their touch and fluency if they stop practicing but they never lose the Gift.

Wielding magic, particularly for those without innate magic, generally requires incantations, the words of power of the Old Religion. It seems many prefer to say the spells as it gives a focus for the magic to be channeled.

However, some more experience or powerful magicians like Merlin and Edwin Muirden have been seen to use magic without incantations, but with simple will power and occasionally hand gestures. The limits of this are unknown. Merlin, for example, can perform many feats without speaking, others are limited to simple telekinesis.

For any spell there is physical sign when it is used- the eyes of the wizard, witch or druid glow briefly gold as the magic is channeled. However this is not the case for innate abilities- Mordred's telepathy and Merlin's telekinesis, for example, do not produce this effect.

The spells themselves are varied- they can required objects like crystals or poppets, potions, herbs, runes, rituals or nothing at all. The complexity of spell preparation relies entirely on the difficulty of the spell cast and the power of the sorcerer. Longer spells are generally shown to be more powerful, but this is not always shown to be true.

For some areas of magic, there are also several spells, all of which provide the same or a similar effect, like healing spells, unlocking spells and stunning spells, why this is, is unknown.

At least the magic of the Old Religon seems to exist in both the body and the soul of its possessor, as Cornelius Sigan still possessed his powers, when his soul possessed another body, and he later stated that if he took Merlin's body, he would gain his powers as well.

Merlin198.jpg
As a ancient art that have been practiced for countless centuries and with many lifeforms gifted with it, special kinds of magic had been created or appeared to fit those different practitioners. The currently known kinds are Sidhe magic, Troll magic, the magic of the Old Religion (used by most human sorcerers), Dragonlords magic and Elemental magic.

Sidhe Magic
The magic of the Sidhe (and apparently of the Pixies as well) is a very powerful and rich one. The spells of the Sidhe are spoken in Old Irish and their spells have very unique effects, with their eyes glowing red being the case. Sidhe Magic can control and posses humans, open portals to Avalon and channels their powers through enchanted staves. The humans who are naturally gifted with magic can master some aspects of this kind of magic, though.

Troll Magic
Despite their hideous appearance and culture, Troll magic is very powerful to the point Dragons themselves were allies of Trolls. This magic properties are that of destruction and mischief, with Trolls resistant to magic-gifted humans spells and having some control over the elements. The most amazing displacement of Troll Magic is their ability to change into human form.

The magic of the Old Religion
The magic of the Old Religion is the most shown, being the roots of all of human magic, but it's also the source of the Dragons', the Dorocha, the Caileach and Dragonlords powers. Balance is a key tenet in the Old Religion. In order for something to be taken, something must be given.

The most potent example of this is the circumstances of Arthur Pendragon's birth. Without a son and heir, Uther Pendragon asked Nimueh to help his wife conceive. In accordance with the Old Religion, for life to be given, a life must be taken, and so in order for Arthur to have been born, his mother had to die.

The magic of the Old Religion is spoken in Old English.

Dragonlords magic
The magic used by dragons and dragonlords, it seems to be a sort of subvarity of the magic of the old religon, but is shown to be more powerful than most other forms of magic. The magic of the Dragonlords is spoken in Homeric Greek.

Elemental Magic
Is the magic of harnasing the elements, this type of magic seems linked (or perhaphs overlaps) to the other types, as both users of the magic of the old religon and uses of troll magic can harnessed it.

Attitude towards Magic
In the kingdom of Camelot, the use of magic and enchantments is forbidden. Grief-stricken over his wife's magical death, Uther vowed to destroy all things magical. But not everyone in the kingdom followed Uther's beliefs. By seeing the great deal of people who have connections with druids and sorcerers, some people still follow the ways of the Old Religion.

Dragons also practiced the Old Religion before being hunted down by Uther and the Great Purge. In other kingdoms around Albion, druids and sorcerers still roam, some even working for the kings. But even though magic has brought great suffering to Camelot, people (Arthur himself included) don't think twice about using magic to save the ones they love.

Dragonlord
Dragonlords are able to talk to and control dragons. This gift is passed from father to son, but the son only truly inherits their father's powers after the father has died. The Dragonlords were wiped out in the Great Purge, except Balinor, who was later killed in a battle, which meant his son, Merlin, inherited his powers.

Seers
Seers are able to see the future. Some aren't aware that they see the future, as they see it in their dreams. This gift is extremely rare and an innate ability, meaning that those who have it are born that way. The only known seer in the series is Morgana, who suspected that what she saw was the future, but was convinced otherwise.