Magic

Magic is the general term for the ability to control, generate, manipulate, and generally use elements and aspects of the world, either physical or paranormal.

Accessibility
Some races are better than others at learning and using magic, and magic can be rarely seen in some races, but generally any living being could learn how to use it, be it plants, animals, or people.

Another factor is hereditary. Typically, a family that has a history of being able to use a certain type of magic, their offspring and blood relatives will likely be able to easily learn that magic, as well, while a magic-less family will naturally be unable to use magic without great effort. This doesn't mean that you have a 100% chance of being able to easily learn magic if your family has a good history, just that it's more likely. The same goes for magic-less families.

Some magics are generally more difficult to learn than others, as well, and some magics require a certain knowledge of another magic to be able to learn it at all.

Ranking
There is a widely-accepted system for ranking someone's ability to use a certain magic, known as "Ranking". There are six rankings that generally serve as a "milestone" for someones ability, and describe any interesting feats the user is capable of doing at that point. These are the rankings, going from lowest to highest:

STARTER

BEGINNER

NOVICE

INTERMEDIATE

ADVANCED

MASTER

A good rule-of-thumb to follow is that the higher the ranking, the more of that magic or element they will be able to control and create. As a person advances to a new rank, they might discover how to do something new with their power, as well.

Deities and Paragons
Each type of magic has a deity associated with it. This deity is apparently capable of using that magic to it's absolute limit, capable of performing feats with it that no other being ever could, and are typically regarded as the embodiment of that power. Some Deities serve as the deity of multiple magics at once.

A Paragon is a term used for a person, deity, or entire race who display a significant superiority in using a type of magic than others that can use it, or one who was gifted a boost in power from a Deity of that magic, either directly or with an artifact enchanted with the power of that deity. A Paragon's general control over (and production of, if applicable) is much greater than others, and will learn stuff quicker, but a Paragon isn't immediately a Master ranking, although it will be easier for them. The proper listing with a Paragon and their ranking is "STARTER PARAGON, BEGINNER PARAGON," and so on.

Enchantments
A variety of magic types can be infused into Enchantment Crystals, a fairly uncommon type of crystal. If you are a MASTER rank in a certain kind of magic, you can infuse an Enchantment Crystal with that kind of magic. Enchantment Crystals can retain their magic charge for multiple lifetimes, although when broken this lifespan is extremely reduced, if it doesn't deplete entirely.

For examples of enchantments in a certain kind of magic, please look at the specific page for that magic.