Magic

“	Magic yearns. It's the raw stuff of chaos that desires order. It wants to be formed, shaped and canalized. It longs to be built--to become something.	„
	~ Frau Totenkinder describing the fundamental nature of magic's power in Fables #99

The grand effects of magic

Magic is a metaphysical and supernatural force featured in Fables, Jack of Fables, Fairest, The Unwritten Fables, Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, Cinderella: Fables Are Forever, The Literals, Fables: The Wolf Among Us, and Everafter: From the Pages of Fables. All creatures (both humans and non-humans alike) are, theoretically, able to access magic through practice and study.

Magic can be considered a substance (i.e. the mystical energies that permeated through the known worlds) and sorcery the manipulation of that substance, along with all the practices associated. Magic is not only a means for changing reality, but also many beings (e.g., Fables, the Great Powers and fairies) are inherently magical by their very nature.

Function

“	Remeber, Samantha, that magic often trumps logic.	„
	~ Maddy regarding the effects of magic in Everafter: From the Pages of Fables 7.

Magic is capable of rewriting the laws of physics and altering reality itself. The basic components to magic is the energy being transferred, the individual or objects transferring that energy and the specific actions involved that influenced the result of that energy's transfer.

Magic also has its own set of principles and regulations, more specifically every spell has a price and every cantrip has a consequence. For every magical action, there is a reaction. Hadeon made mention of "higher magical principles," and although she didn't elaborate, she did admit it was more draining to fly in a gravity well as opposed to empty space. Hadeon also claimed that it cost less power and yielded fewer problems to rewrite the minds of a handful of sophonts as opposed to altering physiological laws to become invisible. Magic may also work differently on different worlds.

According to the current incarnation of the North Wind, while magic isn't exactly alive, it does yearn. Like bad men, some magic longs to do bad things, whereas some magic wants to serve a greater purpose, similar to children wishing to be mighty heroes someday.

Magical energy

Magical energy is the supernatural force that is channeled and manipulated for magical purposes. Magical energy is a key component in performing magic as this energy fueled the applications magic allowed and using too much magic at any given time will make the user lose that energy thereafter and thus limit their capacity to perform magic for a period of time, potentially requiring the user varying intervals of time to recuperate.

Sourcing energy

“	Spells don't work when you've got no power source to draw from.	„
	~ Frau Totenkinder to Geppetto in Fables #77.

In order for magic use to be accomplished, the user has to channel that energy from a source and exert it through themselves. While certain experienced magic users can use magical energy already inside of them, magical energy usually needs to be drawn from external sources. These sources ranged from special artifacts (e.g. the silver slippers), magical beings (such as d'jinn) who granted this power or such power can even be drawn from the ambient environment itself. Certain worlds were also more magical than others and served as more potent places to practice magic (i.e., originally the Mundy's world was a land of scant and miserly magic when compared to the Homelands).

Transferring energy

Magical energy can also be transferred between others, either willingly or forcefully. For example, Ozma had the other members of the 13th Floor lend her their own power so that she could perform grand acts of magic on a whim. The Magic Mirror also claimed that the 13th floor witches could tap all the extra magical power Hadeon claimed to have after being transformed into a vehicular servant, and put it towards their reserves saved for resurrecting a glass-transformed Bigby; instead of wasting their own powers, they could forcibly take hers. Magical power was also known to flow between those who competed in the "winnowing" in Snow White and Rose Red's family.

Examining energy

Powerful magic users can also sense magical energy to determine information a person's magical power, including what spells they cast, the magnitude of their power, if that power was depleting and what they intended to do with it. Ozma mentioned that the Mister Dark was radiating all manner of energy - a magic field which she and her associates could examine, measure, and break down. She also claimed they could possibly explore its nature and qualities. During Mr. Dark's battle with Bellflower, Ozma was also able to examine Bellflower's wells of power and that she was spending it lavishly, along with the fact she prepared hundred of spells in advanced, linked to trigger words.

Usage and execution

While in essence, the rudimentary process for using magic is simply drawing mystical energies and manipulating it for a desired effect, there are many factors involved that determine how successfully this energy can used and what it can be used for. Successful magic involves a combination of knowledge, power, resources and experience. Possessing an intricate mastery of these aspects could reduce the need for complex preparation and strengthen the individual's ability to preform powerful feats of magic without using as much time or effort but sheer willpower alone.

Methodology

Practitioners of magic may employ a number of ways to perform magic.

• Spells
• Tools
• Powers

Baba Yaga casting a spell.

One of the most obvious characteristics of magic is the casting of spells; a "spell" being the word used to signify the means employed to carry out a magical action. A spell could consist of a ritual action, a set of words, a verse, a gesture or any combination of these. According to Morgan le Fay, ceremony and naming are the beginning of all spellcraft, and are the first steps to binding magic to the will of the sorcerer. Particular spells can also be activated by personal phrases predetermined by the caster. Maddy also stated that spell construction is focusing the caster's mind so precisely that the power they release does exactly what they intend and nothing more. Apparently, their are some spells which don't need to be performed by practitioners of the highest sciences as the power resides within the spell itself. According to Mister Dark, the more powerful a spell, the hardest it is to aim, akin to shooting an arrow a distance away.

A trove of magical artifacts.

Certain objects possess magical properties, and thus can form the catalyst for magic use. For all intents and purposes, magical practitioners may use various tools to perform magic (e.g., candles, colored sand, crystals, wands and etc.).

• Magical Artifacts: Physical objects that have been imbued with mystical properties.
• Cauldrons: A container used to mix ingredients in.
• Potions: Mystical substances created from the mixing of certain ingredients which results in a concoction with magical properties.

Magic can manifest as a specific supernatural ability or power (e.g. aerokinesis, cryokinesis, shapeshifting, flight, and teleportation), which allows one to perform specific magical feats without the need of a spell or potion. Powers vary with every magical being; with the Great Powers they are usually a reflection of their realm of influence. Powers are usually accessed by one's emotions, mind or instinct.

Training and potency

Frau Totenkinder and Ozma conjuring a rain cloud to douse a fire.

With proper training, magic practitioners become capable of performing feats of magic through sheer force of will. These acts can range from small useful cantrips (e.g., minor acts of telekinesis, levitation, and glamours) to more complicated feats (e.g., transmogrification, conjuration, firing eldritch energy blasts and even magical transportation).

Though anyone can theoretically perform spells with access to the proper books and training, sorcerers typically had greater knowledge and power over such forces. Also certain people seemed to have a predisposition to the magical arts (e.g. Frau Totenkinder), and in some cases this innate magical skill can run through a family line. For instance, both Snow White and Rose Red are innately very magical and both of them descended from a line who was also adept at using magic. Regardless, having a natural talent for magic does not necessarily guarantee that one will develop into a potent sorcerer.

Types of magic

There are several branches of magic that focus on a specific application and differ with the level of difficulty associated with performing them.

• Conjuration: These are spells that seemingly create matter from nothing. According to Frau Totenkinder, conjuring gold from thin air is possible, but always costs more than it yields.
• Glamouring: Glamours are spells that allow the user to change their appearance.
• Sympathetic magic: A type of magic based on imitation or correspondence.
• Arboreal magic: Magic relating to trees.
• Belief magic: Pinocchio claimed that magic such as this is based on confidence. Ozma further clarified that strong conviction does create power, but not as much as other disciplines. According to Prince Aspen, magic based on collective belief structures are always the most fragile kind.

Limitations

Despite the awesome effects of magic, it has its limits and can have negative consequences on the user and those around them, both physically and mentally.

Overexertion

The overuse of a magic user's magical powers can deplete them to the point that further use of them starts to put a considerable strain on their physical well-being, and this leaves them mystically debilitated for an extended period of time. Frau Totenkinder being a prime example of such, as after her battle with Mister Dark, she apparently spent most of the magical powers she had accumulated for more than a millennium. Normally, the practitioner must rest for an extended period of time in order to restore their waning powers. Skilled magic users can also go about drawing magical power from other sources to more immediately replenish their magical reserves.

Risk factor

According to Maddy, a spellcaster must allow magic to flow through oneself in order to accelerate the target of a spell smoothly; attempting to force it may either produce no effect or result in unwanted consequences. According to Hadeon, when a spellcaster tries to modify spells for every possible exigency, this dilutes the power of the spell and leaves room for loopholes

Practitioners of magic

Alyas Baba Yaga † The Blue Fairy † Bobby Speckland Cendrée Dunster Happ † The Evil Queen † Fairy Godmother Frau Totenkinder † Great Fairy Witch Geirvé † Geppetto Mister Grandours Hadeon

Halldis † Hallerna † Ionna Ísond † Káta † Katrya Mister Kadabra † Kolbrún † Lake Lauda † Lif † Lumi Maddy Morgan le Fay

Nauma † Nyura Ozma † Prospero Rose Red Snow White Sofiya Mrs. Someone Syala † Tobba † Valka † Yeva

Trivia

• In D'jinn & Tonic With a Twist, Frau Totenkinder described the levels of magic certain creatures have:
  • D'jinn are creatures of almost pure magic — close to 97 percent.
  • The typical accomplished sorcerer's make-up is primarily of mundane matter and energy, with some slight magic infection.
  • The average elder god is barely a fifty-fifty mixture of magic and mundane material.
• In Fables #74, the Emperor revealed that it took the Empire at least twenty years to train the most basic combat sorcerer.
• During the Empire’s reign, sorcerers required licensing to practice magic.
• According to Jubilee Mirant, a captain in the Emperor’s sorcery corps, in Fables #86, by the time most sorcerers learned to stop aging via magic, they were already too old to be of any use to his division.
• In The Literals 3, it was revealed that under Mr. Revise's care, magic gave way to science.