Basic Process of Spellcasting
Magic is the art of using the bodies own Vitalis to change the world around the caster.
Resolve
Mages use their own imagination to form reality, this means that in order to actually perform magic, the caster must have a firm belief that he is indeed able to perform the feat. This is called Resolve.
Flare
To begin casting a spell, the mage must draw out their own inner energy into their Aura. This is known as a flare, because the Aura of the mage gets denser in this process. It becomes erratic and even visible to the naked eye if the density of energy becomes high enough.
Discharge
When enough energy is accumulated, the spell discharges. The Aura of the caster sends out a pulse of energy and the effect of the spell becomes apparent.
Other Requirements
A spell can dictate certain mental and physical actions needed for it to work. Some require gestures, spoken words or even writing to unleash their potential. Not meeting those requirements usually results in a kickback, as the accumulated energy in the Aura erupts violently around the caster.
Spellcasting is a very personal process. Spells taught at the Church of Life or the High Sorian University are merely the raw prototype, the essence of what a spell is capable of. Learning this spell means to adapt it to the actual caster.
Raw Spells
There is a spell, that allows the user to control and manipulate rocks. This is what is called a raw spell, magic without interpretation. A veteran warrior might punch against rocks to form them into projectiles that accelerate towards an enemy but a dancer might incorporate the spell into their performance and manipulate the ground to fit the movements of them. Both spells originate at the same point, but evolved differently for both users. Mastered spells are called refined magic.
This led to a large collection of raw spells that are collected in schools and universities. There, promising candidates learn a variety of standard spells (easy to learn as their concepts are rather basic). If they graduate, these institutions usually provide opportunities to further study the world of magic.
Cost
It is not free to perform magic. The caster has to provide the necessary energy for a spell to work. This energy usually comes from their own reservoir of Vitalis leaving them exhausted afterwards. It is possible for a mage to kill themselves by using up all energy of the body.
There are other sources of Vitalis to fuel magic as well. Generally, every Aura in direct contact with the casters one can become provide the fuel for a spell. For this to work, the caster has to attune their aura to the foreign one. After their frequency become the same, both participants can access the combined energy of them. The process is hard to pull off with living things who are not actively participating in the process of sharing their energy but easier with passive sources of Vitalis, like a Livith crystal. Passive sources have a frequency that changes only slightly - if ever - making them a good energy source, even inexperienced mages are able to utilize.