I fell behind on updates way back in like Luna I. (I didn’t even finish the archon quest cuz I got spoiled ab the >!Sinner showing up!< and lost all excitement, but I’m getting through it now). And I feel like an old man going “bACK IN MY DAY, We didn’t have no StElLar ReActiONs or mOoOn GoDdEssEs!” And I slowly quit

But then I hear Snezhnaya is coming. And this irritating grating voice speaks to me, and I just have to redownload Genshit Impact. That Boy has been with me since 1.1. Six YEARS now. That’s longer than all the friendships I’ve ever had. I gotta get him home, man. I gotta let him see Teucer and Tonya and the like two older siblings that are never mentioned ever again (afaik, but im behind so).

BUT NOW WE’RE >!ON THE FUCKING MOON?? CHILDE I THINK THIS IS BIGGER THAN US AT THIS RATE!< WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON??

Overall - Magic

This system is based on the inherent properties of each material. The magic energy is the same, but it is expressed differently through different materials. Like a light source appearing differently depending on what sort of lens is set in front of it. The way magic is expressed will be based on two things: the material’s inherent properties and the way that the material is cut.

Magic here works like electromagnetic fields: everything has a little bit of magic, including people. Magic is then “released” by breaking the surface of the material. How the surface is broken is irrelevant, only the shape of the cut itself.

Magic functions similarly to water in that it will take the path of least resistance. A sigil creates that path of least resistance. Some expressions of magic flow easily while others require more support. It can do anything if you express it in a certain way, like giving it instructions on how to flow and therefore, what to do. 

It still abides by the basic laws of physics. 

Overall - Sigils

Sigils themselves can be read and understood by anybody. It’s like code: anybody can read it and figure out what it does, but the person who wrote it will have the easiest time altering and explaining it. There are common sigils (ie, heating something up will have an “optimized” sigil) that anybody can understand at a glance, and then there are more complex ones (ie, levitating something and making it fly at 40mph North). 

Sigils are most commonly created by slicing into a surface with a knife or something similar. For more complex sigils, it is possible to create a stamp of some sort and drive it into the surface of a material to instantly create the form. For metal, it is more common to use acid etching. Sigils created in clothing are considered to be an extremely specialized skill that requires high maintenance. Sigils in organic creatures is possible but frowned upon. 

Overall - Materials

Any material can express any magic, but certain materials will do certain expressions better. Ceramic could be used to conduct electricity, but it will require more back-bending and more convoluted than using metal. Metal can be heated, but will not be set on fire like wood will.

Limitations - Magic + Sigils

1. The “surface” of an object will objectively change over time. Eventually, the sigil itself will become part of the “surface.” Magic is not infinite, and will eventually clot. Sigils will need to be maintained and re-cut. It is possible to incorporate a “cut down in this specific pattern every 3 days” clause into the magic, but generally it is not recommended. The sigil for that instruction would be extremely ornate and likely more inconvenient than just re-cutting it every so often. 
2. Some materials are more difficult to cut or have very slippery magic. For instance, clay is very difficult to draw magic out of considering it is made to be manipulated and its surface changes very quickly. Or, the magic clots itself very easily. If you solidified it by letting it dry or firing it, then the magic would stabilize and it would be easier to draw magic from. Liquids and gases cannot be used to draw magic from, considering they have no solid or defined surface on their own. 
3. Sigils require space. Smaller objects will have inherently less potential for magic than larger objects. A 4x4 piece of wood will have less magical possibility than a 10x10 piece of wood. Sigils also has a depth requirement. Too shallow and it clots too quickly, too deep and it may become unstable or too powerful.
4. Magic does not care about intention. If a sigil gets messed up, then the magic flowing through it will be unpredictable and possibly unstable. “Messed up” is subjective, but the ideal sigil is at the right depth, smooth cuts, and created relatively quickly. 
5. It’s possible for an object to run out of magic.

 

World-Building / Meta / Misc. ideas

1. More organic materials (wood, clay, plant matter) have more flowing and “art nouveau” style. Man-made materials (plastics, refined metals) have more minimalistic, angular, and geometric sigil style. 
2. How did they discover which sigils are the best? Scientific theory. 
3. Sigils are then based on technical skill and theory, making it a trade like carpentry. 
4. There are “magical vegans” that are vehemently against the use of sigils on organic beings such as plants.

Prototype ideas:

Accidental Magic:

Because magic is an objective, natural force, it is possible to accidentally create magic. This can happen by scraping a material too deeply, animals can accidentally create magic. This would mean that animals have evolved in certain ways to avoid blowing themselves up. Humans would have easily discovered magic this way. 

Magic Expression:

When magic is actively flowing through a sigil, it emanates a fuzzy sensation akin to television static, or something like it? I’m not entirely sure. I don’t want it to glow. If it glows, it makes magic seem more attainable(?). It makes it seem less like an atom and more like a substance. 

Concerns

I'm worried that the magic system is too grounded in reality, or too subtle to be worth being called "magic." Like I've just accidentally just re-made protons or something of the sort.

Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X4GKjatexYVNqNDxppB7epwuCetOSGlf9dDRPv9SFrk/edit?tab=t.0