In Alethia Magic is divided into three categories:
The first are the Divine Blessings bestowed upon the people of Alethia by their gods. These are typically granted at the age of 16 (or the equivalent age in longer or shorter lived races, goblins get theirs at 6) and grant powers appropriate to the god and the region in which they live. Typically the blessing is received from the god that created the Divine Pillar under which you live. These Blessings are typically the same from the time they are received until the day the blessed die.
Blessings use a persons mana to produce effects.
The second is Ritual magic, learned though practice and experimentation in the manipulation of Alethia's abundant mana, these spells take more time to cast and use the mana of their environment to produce their effects but the range of spells a mage can produce depends only upon their imagination and their will.
Ritual magic uses Fatigue to produce magical effects.
The third is Essence magic, gained through the absorption of Essence Cubes and Affinity Stones, these powers begin as potent as week ritual spells but are quicker to manifest and grow in power with use. Each Essence Magician is only able to have a total of twenty essence powers and they have little say in the exact powers they receive beyond selecting which Essence Cubes and Affinity Stones they absorb.
Essence abilities use a combination of Mana Points and Fatigue Points to produce their effects.
The native mana levels of Alethia are high and as a result the population of Alethia are naturally too saturated with magical power to be able to absorb Essence Stones.
Essences users are divided into ranks based on fundamental thresholds of magical power built into the very fabric of reality.
To see the game mechanics pertaining to Ranks and how they alter your character click here.
Iron rank is the designation for those who have absorbed at least one essence and gained their first power. To advance through Iron rank an Essence Magician must absorb additional essences and awakening stones to unlock a full collection of 20 essence abilities.
Bronze rank is the designation for those who have collected a full set of Essences and Awakening stones, unlocking all 20 of their powers. When this happens they cross the first threshold of magical power, transitioning from a normal humanoid into a creature of magic, and purging some of the impurities that separate the mortal and mundane from the timeless and magical.
As Essence Abilities advance they reach a threshold at which they cannot advance further until all of the Essence Magician's power have advanced to that level and the Magician themself advances. Silver rank is the designation for those who have advanced all 20 of their essence abilities beyond the threshold of Silver rank. When this happens they go through another transition, heightening their power and purifying their bodies further.
The next threshold is much the same as that of Silver rank, however the road is longer and involves a considerable amount of personal growth and introspection. Power on this level becomes truly formidable and the changes to the body of an Essence Magician take them from being a creature to that of a manifestation of magic.
Beyond the bounds of mortal flesh and power, a Diamond Ranker is immortal and completely comprised of magical materials. Their power is legendary and most leave their world of origin to travel the cosmos.
Many aspects of Essence skills, powers, and aura abilities take a rank modifier into account. The modifier is as follows:
Iron = 1
Bronze = 2
Silver = 4
Gold = 10
Diamond = 20