In my story that I’ve got laid out, I’d like to incorporate elements of magic. However, I don’t necessarily mean that there a handful of wizard-like entities running about and everyone else either doesn’t really give a tinker’s cuss about it or never comes in contact with it. My goal is to make magic kind of an everyday thing.
For story context, the universe I’ve been forging is currently in a technological time frame analogous to the mid-1700s. However, the overlying cultural reference point is comparable to a mixture of that time period in Europe, Early Colony Life in North America, the late middle ages, and Feudal Japan. In short, it’s a relatively anarchic society on a global scale with a handful of large city-states and polities accompanied by massive tracts of wilderness. I’m certain that would affect the advance of technology.
And in terms of magic, I’ve got two types of magic planned out. One is “Bodily Magic”. This is a type of magic that allows someone to manipulate the electrical impulses in their bodies to generate abilities akin to telekenesis, as well as being able to influence the environment. However, only a small portion of the population actually has the ability to use Bodily Magic. That, and whenever someone uses it, it slowly eats away at their body’s functionality. These are the wizards, so to speak.
Then there’s “Natural Magic”, which is found pretty much coming out of anything that lives. The way I’ve envisioned it is akin to batteries in function. You can “bottle it up” and store it for use in a multitude of functions, such as using as a fertilizer, fuel for a lamp, among other things. However, I’m not entirely sure how to define what it can and can’t do. Any advice on that would be great.
But again, my overlying question is that I want to make it seem like a regular thing to have magic involved. But at the same time, I don’t want to make it boring. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!