magic
magic in gwenn is a relatively recent subject of formal study. for most of history, people used it unknowingly, with no understanding of the forces they were interacting with. the first serious attempts to investigate these phenomena emerged during the early renaissance, when scholars began applying observation, record-keeping, and early experimental methods to everything from folk cures to oddities in metalworking.
over the following century, this curiosity grew into a loose collection of theories built by thinkers who approached these patterns as they would any other physical process, applying the new rigor of early science to understand them. by the current era, this work has divided into several major branches—oldcraft, flaskcraft, runecraft, and spellcraft—all built on the same foundation: the idea that magic is measurable, repeatable, and subject to rules that can be discovered rather than guessed.
oldcraft
long before the invention of modern arcane theory, people were already using magic for thousands of years using traditional techniques that produced small, reliable effects without the caster ever realizing they were interacting with the weave. these techniques and practices were never standardized and rarely documented, passed down through craft guilds, families, and rural traditions.
this was folk magic, practical, unconscious, ritualistic.
oldcraft was largely invoked through patterns and repetition that happened to align with the Weave’s natural tendencies. certain patterns—chanting, singing, rhythmic actions—would conjure different effects, and repetition legitimizes the ritual. most practitioners believed they were following superstition or good craft practice, unaware that their techniques infused mundane work with a trace of magic.
this type of magic cannot produce the sheer strength of true spells and they lack the reusability that makes runes so valuable, but they remain influential. oldcraft still continues to persist alongside modern spellcasting and runecraft, valued for its familiarity and simplicity among those with no arcane training.
flaskcraft
as scholars and philosophers started becoming more aware of folk magic, early research gave rise to several theories on the arcane. one line of thought suggested that certain materials and substances held latent magical properties that could be harnessed through precise laboratory techniques. from this idea grew the discipline now called flaskcraft, practitioners were able to create salves, elixirs, and herbal infusions that were able to produce modest magical effects when consumed.
this was alchemy, a significant step in the dawn of early modern chemistry and medicine.
early flaskcraft was a notoriously difficult and dangerous form of science. accidents were not uncommon, often resulting in structural damage, environmental contamination, or harm to those involved. even successful experiments often yielded unreliable results, even to the point that two batches brewed using the same recipe but with ingredients harvested at different times of day can wildly differ in potency.
despite these issues, practitioners of flaskcraft recognize that its strength lies in coaxing magical effects from natural materials, qualities that soothe, fortify, or restore. the concepts remain simple, the techniques learnable, and the results valuable to anyone who works with plants, minerals, or living bodies. for apothecaries, healers, and herbalists, flaskcraft remains an essential and respected art.