Abilities
Category: Resources

Wordplay

At surface level, it's easy to misjudge Gin as an ordinary mage. He often recites incantations to achieve various effects: fireballs, walls of stone, beacons of light. The difference between himself and the common caster, firstly, is that this power is natural. No study was required; no specific phrase; no particular order. Rather, he manifests magic through sheer speech. This trait, most adequately described as "auto-incantation", is simply referred to as "wordplay".

Anatomically, Gin's mana is moderated by the left hemisphere of his brain-- the area known to control speech, arithmetic and comprehension. More specifically, his prowess comes directly from the region which focuses on speech. Therefore, in order to manifest magic, he requires some sort of verbal or written catalyst. Beyond that, a multitude of variables affect the potency of a spell. These include, but are not limited to:

-         The incantation's length and complexity. A paragraph would yield far more power than a word.

-         The "craft" of the phrase. Structure, elegance, and additional literary elements add quality and depth.

-         In a similar sense, melody and rhythm can also increase potency (particularly for illusion-based effects).

-         The audience. Not only the amount of people listening, but to what extent they are immersed. Are they hearing, or actually understanding? Do they believe?

-         The accuracy/truth of the phrase. Though specific, a true statement can be decisively quick, requiring less fabrication and forethought.

-         MOST of all, a phrase's power is determined by the emotion behind it. Passion of some sort is necessary for the magic to even manifest. The more powerful the emotion, the more powerful the spell. Love, hate, and fear are the holy trinity of emotion- the rawest and most instinctive feelings a being can have- and therefore make for the strongest spells.

Considering that people constantly fabricate new words and phrases, and that the human language is in constant evolution, the amount of versatility this ability could grant is baffling. Still, any truly powerful effect requires an immense amount of time, care, and preparation. Only minor cantrips can be spoken to life easily.