Natural Magic

Natural Magic refers to a series of phenomena that utilize certain objects with special properties to perform specific but powerful magic. In Gera, it is widely contrasted with Epzinic Magic, the more variable but less powerful magic that can be used by humans with Epzin in their blood. Natural magic is rarely practiced and not very well understood by humans, due to their general reliance on Epzinic magic. Some examples of natural magic, such as Mage's Bane, are nevertheless widely used and well-known.

History
Natural magic has been utilized to varying extent, both intentionally and unintentionally, for thousands of years. Elves, Osyans, and Danoians in particular have utilized natural magic in the form of plants for thousands of years, though these practices are largely unknown and poorly understood to outsiders. Panthiors have used the natural magic emanating from Savior of the Sharpened's resting place as a form of afterlife, using it to create and commune with spiritual copies of their ancestors. It is rumored that gnolls have a cache of minerals that have an extremely powerful form of natural magic, a rumor which was likely confirmed when the Great Tempest was created. Aside from Mage's Bane, humans have mainly used natural magic in the form of potions and alchemy. This art has been most practiced in the Zeminar area, which has remained at the forefront of potion production and understanding for centuries.

Cultural Significance
The difference between Natural and Epzinic magic was not universal throughout cultures. In many areas for most of history, no distinction was draw between Epzinic and natural magic; they were considered the same force. Zeminar was the first to recognize this difference and incorporate it into their mythology. Mighel, creator of humanity was said to have gifted humans Epzin, giving them a uniquely creative and infinite source of power by which to shape the world. Winter was said to have imbued the world with natural magic, with the intention of making the world flourish with magical effects. This description was canonized in the Scrolls, and has slowly permeated most of Gera's cultures ever since.

Substances
There are three known types of substances that can produce natural magic. They are listed in order of potency:


 * Plant life
 * Minerals
 * Animal life

Plant life is the least powerful form of natural magic, and it is currently unknown why some plants can produce it and some cannot. The most powerful forms of plant-based natural magic come from fermented plants. Fermenting plants for decades seems to greatly boost the speed at which they accumulate natural magic. There are also several clonal colony plants that also hold a great deal of natural magic, though these have gone largely undiscovered until recent years. Most famously, the root of the Kerito aspen was utilized in the goon experiments to give goons their hive-mind capabilities.

Minerals that contain natural magic are extremely rare in modern Gera, with one exception. Mage's Bane, as has been mentioned previously, is a mineral containing natural magic that is refined from soil dug from a certain depth. It is potent enough that one piece of Mage's Bane the size of a coin is enough to neutralize the epzinic magic of any living mage, as well as to protect the wearer from any mage's telekinesis. When built into the walls of a building or embedded in a tarp and draped over, it can neutralize the magic of all mages in the building, and even in a radius outside of it. It also lasts for an exceedingly long time, unless constantly bombarded by epzinic magic. Under normal conditions, most Mage's Bane artifacts will last anywhere from sixty to two hundred years, and magic-blocking prisons with large amounts of it built into the walls will likely last for thousands.

The natural magic that animals can produce is rare and little understood. The blood of some animals, such as the broodshade panther, is known the have some magical properties, though these could be the result of its diet or environment. Dragons are the among the most famous types of animal known to produce its own natural magic over time, and they have by far the most control over their own natural magic, but a few other species can produce their own natural magic as well.

Contrast between Natural and Epzinic
Though natural and epzinic magic are often considered manifestations of the same natural phenomenon, there are several differences: