While some still practice the craft of magic in the old ways, the majority in Bastion treat it as a measurable and industrialized resource. Most users rely on spellwork derived from arcane theory, which frames it as energy refined and channeled through rune and craft. This approach dominates urban infrastructure, from large works, such as the ArcRail system and airships, to smaller conveniences like city lighting. 

Magic and magical development is highly regulated by the Order of Luminaries, requiring free casters to be registered, and all research shared. 

The technology level for the world is at the beginnings of industrialization, while large cities such as Bastion itself, and prominent factions have greater industrialized access to magic.

Magical communication usually requires larger magical enchantments at anchored locations. Some small and short range devices do exist, however, they are rare and controlled.

Most equipment still takes the form of steel arms and armor, though with more common enchantments. Magical firearms exist, but are rare and not widely used, as they require specialized knowledge of the enchantments.

The Bloom

A diffuse aetheric miasma that was produced during the cataclysm. Within The Bloom, spellcasting becomes unreliable, often causing a surge of wild magic related to the nearby planar intersections. Similarly, those that stay in the Bloom for extended periods (months, for most places), can be altered themselves, gaining strange physical features and in some cases, a changed mental state. The specific effects caused by Bloom often depend on the plane that is intersecting with the world. Both Manastorms (causing areas of sudden magic chaos), and Bloomtide (constant and somewhat predictable Bloom flux in areas) make travel difficult.

Protective wards are maintained by the Lightkeepers to keep Bloom away from certain areas, but maintenance and production of additional wards is expensive. These wards require a crystalline material called Aetherite, which is both rare and used in other technologies as well.

Aetherite (Crystals)

This is the primary stabilizing material used to counteract The Bloom’s distortive effects, acting as both a ward and energy source by gathering and focusing the ambient magical energies around it. Raw Aetherite is mined much like other ores, usually found along leylines. It must be carefully handled until it can be refined at a Manaforge, which must be built in Bloom-rich areas, making them dangerous to man for extended periods. Refined Aetherite is used in nearly all magical enchantments, arcana and technology, with more potent uses such as Aethergates, Airships and Pylons needing to be reenergized over time. While unprotected by wards made from refined Aetherite, all magic and Arcana use is subject to wild surges in areas with sufficient Bloom.

Airships

Airships are categorized into broad classes: stealth, courier, heavy, and venture. Each guild has their own proprietary designs and unique designation, though they all share the same basic structures. They each have a hull shaped like their sea-faring cousins, but with three Aetherite coils (shards suspended in a special horizontal circular housing), the main near the prow for lift, and two smaller on the sides of the stern for stabilization.

Types:

Stealth-class vessels are long and narrow, optimized for quiet travel.

Courier-class vessels prioritize speed, replacing sound suppression with propulsion arrays.

Heavy-class vessels rely on larger coils and wider, reinforced hulls.

Venture-class vessels sit in the middle of these, balancing speed and durability for a variety of tasks.

Sizes:

Cutters hold 1-2 people, most with no sitting room. These are small, sleek craft somewhere between a hoverboard and dingy.

Sloops have a crew of 6-10, with 2-3 small rooms and limited cargo space.

Frigates need a crew of 15-30, and has 6-8 rooms including a captain's quarters.

Brigantines have a crew of 50 or more, with multiple decks and extra space that can be used as the owners wish, such as to hold cutters of its own.

The aetherite crystals used to power these ships need to be fueled regularly, and can get prohibitively expensive for larger vessels, leaving them to be operated only under larger guilds. Personal crafts tend to house between 6-20 people.

The ArcRail

This is the primary rapid-transport for Carina's Rest and the surrounding regions. The ArcRail is a magitech railway that runs on aetheric repulsion, its embedded pylons emitting a field to let it glide with minimal friction. The line connects Bastion's central market to fortified waystations outside of the city. The rail is fast and reliable, but loud, drawing in nearby creatures usually too slow to catch it.