## Magic: Rare and Revered > …as I dreamt, I saw again the inner workings of the great machine that serves as the core to our advancement … _[illegible]_ … and a great many symbols, all of which were unknown to me, arranged in such a manner that one can not help but wonder: if this has been designed as such, could ever there exist such a thing which is not? > — **Odam**, The Path of the Traveler: Volume II, page 53 ### Innate Magic In Kald, powerful magic is scarce, setting it apart from many high-fantasy settings. That's not to say that magic isn't a natural part of the Kaldic realms, however reliable access to it is somewhat uncommon—proficiency with it even less so. Various races have innate spellcasting abilities, though it is usually limited to minor magical tricks that can be used as tools during day to day life, rather than world-shaping feats of extreme power. ### Studying Magic With magic comes the natural desire to try and understand it. There are more than a few institutions dedicated to the study of magic throughout Kald, but none as esteemed as the [[The Arcanum]]. Comprised of seven towering spires, six of which form a circle around a central middle spire—called the Magister—the Arcanum is where every aspiring magic user hopes to study and earn themselves a Crescent—a half moon pendant with a star in the center, recognizing the wearer as one who has stepped through the [[The Gates|Ninth Gate]]. If admittance into the Arcanum is difficult, working your way up the ranks is nigh-impossible. Few spellcasters advance far enough along The Path and learn spells from the Third Gate, while the truly excellent are expected to master spells obtained from the Fourth Gate. Such proficient mages are likely to earn a very comfortable living as advisors to entire towns or cities, while Crescent-bearers typically advise—or even rule—entire regions. > [!bug] > ![[logo.png|200]] ### Rarity of Magic As mentioned, low-gate spells are somewhat common, but relegated to the studious and a few magically-gifted races (which alone doesn't guarantee their proficiency with such things). Smaller villages are unlikely to have anyone available to cast spells of the Second Gate or higher. However, it would not be surprising to find a priest in a larger town capable of casting spells of the Third Gate. Witnessing someone cast a spell from the Fifth Gate would be among some of the strongest magic most common folk would have heard of, yet would not expect. Any student of the Arcanum would be overjoyed to have reached this gate along The Path in their lifetime. Beyond the magic worthy of a coveted Crescent of the Arcanum, Seventh Gate spells are things of legend. Those who witness such magic will remember it for years to come and will often tell stories about it. Spells like Conjure Celestial, Teleport, and Resurrection are world-shaking magics beyond the pale of all but the most powerful archmages.