magic exists in this verse, but not everyone has the aptitude for it. and while magic is undeniably real and documented, most people have a sort of apathy towards it: its really no big deal if they weren’t born with the knack for magic, because science is capable of replicating some of the more practical feats
those who have the aptitude for magic will have an affinity for only one element; if one has an affinity for water, they cannot perform fire magic, and so on and so forth. a good indicator for a mages’ power is their ability to specialise in very specific elements, an example being that gem mages are earth mages who have honed their skills to a much more specific level. some mages may end up specialising in concepts so specific it becomes difficult to tell if they’re extremely powerful or just incredibly eccentric. anyone with the aptitude for magic can perform at least one very basic spell within their element, but it takes a lot of practice and training to learn anything more complex than say, making bubbles appear with the waggle of a finger
typically once a mage finds an element to specialise in, they’ll be locked into that specific affinity for that concept. they’ll still be able to use more general spells from their primary element, but they can’t double-dip into two separate specialisations. for example, an electricity mage who has developed a specialisation in electronic technology won’t also be able to become a thunderstorm/weather mage, but they can still utilise basic electricity spells
magic can be performed on its own, but some mages prefer to channel their powers through implements such as wands and staves. spellbooks are often kept by apprentices as study material, but an experienced mage will know all their spells from memory. chanting spells out loud isn’t required to perform magic, but it’s a common belief that it makes one’s magic more potent. really, it’s about the dramatic effect
magic and science are not at odds with each other, and ‘modern magic’ institutions which combined the two schools have grown in popularity. alchemy is perhaps the most well known, but other professions that combine the two are not uncommon. developing technological tools to help channel or further strength one’s magic is also a rising profession, including developing prosthetics (cybernetics or otherwise) imbued with magical energy
a mages’ power builds up over time, and upon their death will be transferred to their successor. for the most part, this will mean the mages’ offspring, but if a bond between a mage and their successor is close enough to be considered a familial one, they will inherit their power even if not blood-related. adopted children and non-related apprentices are known to have inherited their mentor’s power, and in instances where the mage did not have any offspring or apprentices, the power can be transferred to a romantic partner or even a friend. if the mage has multiple successors or close bonds eligible for inheriting their magic, their power will be transferred between them equally
historically, mage families would be highly selective with who they marry to ensure their offspring will be able to inherit the strongest magic possible, and would only have a single heir to ensure their power was not diluted. this tradition has since fallen out of practice given how widespread magic aptitude has become over the centuries, and now only hardline traditional mage families are concerned with ‘magic purity’