The School of Water Magic, along with the Earth, Fire and Wind Schools represents one of the four Elemental Schools of Magic taught in the Magical Academy of Ximax in western Santharia. Note that the Schools of Magic, their Spheres and Spell Classes, do not represent an objective "truth" on all things magical, but are only one of many possible categorizations, an arbitrary one as critics say, or an absolutely essential one as supporters confirm.

Within the Elemental Schools, the Water School overall tends to deal with both physical and mental changes, and does not generally focus too heavily on either side. On average, those who can remain calm, despite their erratic element have more control over it, but for those who demonstrate similar qualities to the constant changes of Water generally have the more powerful of spells, with lack of focus. Similar to Fire, Water Magic is very chaotic, compared to the Earth and Wind schools which tend to be more calm and can be kept at bay more easily.

Description. The Element of Water deals with everything relating to liquid, change and the frozen - physically and psychically. Water flows, and so does the mind, which constantly evolves, adapts, and grows, and thus the Element of Water is seen as a chaotic element, just like its counterpart, Fire. However, unlike the hot tempered rage of the flame, Water is not aggressive and inherently violent, but rather completely random and undecided, or at least has this tendency. One with a Water-like personality's perceptions can change with the flick of the wrist, and hate can turn to love before the turn of the tide, or vice versa. Like humans, the element's chosen race (if we follow the mythical categorization made in the Cárpa'dosía), Water is the center-point between the two counterparts of Wind and Earth. Not as calm and serious as Wind, nor stubborn and prideful as Earth, or lusting after matters of the heart as Fire, Water can be none, and can be all, and changed by the slightest shift of the tide. It is the most unpredictable element, and thus considered one of the most dangerous by some, more so than even Fire at times.

Unlike the aggressive Fire, Water is not inclined towards destruction, despite its similarly chaotic tendencies. The element is a source of everything, the sustenance. All life needs to change to survive, as it does need Water to take up or drink. Wind is the 'being', Water is the 'source'. Like its spiritual companion, Water is also never really destroyed in the circle of life, only recycled, gone by day and returned by night. The ambivalent nature of Water is also demonstrated continuously by the humans who constantly repeat their own mistakes and triumphs: Time flows like a river, some say, and history repeats itself. War comes, war goes, war is only to be fought again years or centuries later over some similar feud.

Water is the element of transformation. It is always changing. It can be molded to fit any container, or become each of the other elements, solid, cold ice as Earth, wispy, quiet fog as Wind, and boiling, destructive steam as Fire. Though, of course, manipulation of Water alone cannot control all these facets. Humans are the quickest race to evolve and develop, and like Water are only at a standstill for mere moments before the next rapid picks them from their feet and spurs their course onwards again, towards their ultimate destruction, or glorious domination.

Water can also equally affect someone's mind, by changing it and altering it in the many ways possible. A raging storm in a person's mind would result in the case of madness, while a calm and serene lake demonstrates a wizened philosopher. By altering the mind's cár'áll balance, a mage can create his desired effect.

Despite how many would say that Earth is the element of growth, it is in fact Water which stimulates that growth. How can a plant, animal, or any being grow without the most necessary commodity of Water? Without the life-giving sustenance provided by this liquid, Caelereth would be nothing more than a barren, lifeless desert. And if not for the ability to change, adapt, and evolve, the world would never have come to the point it is today, and would have died out long ago.

Spheres of Water Magic. Like at all other Elemental Schools, there exist three Spheres in order to categorize the School of Magic:

I. The Sphere of Change
The first sphere is commonly known as the Sphere of Change, as this sphere deals with a marginal changing of the target in relations to the instability of Water. This, however, is not an actual change, despite what its name suggests. Only Raw magi can truly change the form of something. However, by increasing something's affinity towards Water, a Water mage can cause a being or object to take on the physical properties of Water, or become more erratic in their emotions and spirit, as in relations to the spiritual side of this sphere, Enchantment.

II. The Sphere of Currents
The second sphere is commonly known as the Sphere of Currents, as this sphere deals with the natural form of Water, the application of it upon a target. By controlling the way the sea changes for example, a mage can create powerful tidal waves and Water funnels, but if far away from any source of Water the mage can often not utilize the physical side of this sphere. This sphere is only the manipulation of Water in a target and the aligning to that element, and so the mage guides the Water towards or away from its target or the mind to be able or unable to collect one's own thoughts and memories.

III. The Sphere of Evolution
The third sphere is commonly known as the Sphere of Evolution, as this sphere deals with the way a target adapts and changes, develops and evolves. What this means is that, by adding Water cár'áll, a mage can cause something to sprout and flourish, or change the mind's ability to learn and mature. This sphere can accelerate growth and the ability to learn, but it cannot give knowledge, such as Wind, which identifies and brings information to the caster. By adding new cár'áll, the mage can for instance spur forth the target's ability to change, but not change it directly. In this way, a Water mage can somewhat control the flow of time, but cannot revert time backwards nor directly control the course of history.

Spell Classification. Every Sphere of Magic within a School of Magic is subdivided into two Spell Classes, resulting in a total of 6 Spell Classes, as there exist 3 Spheres at each School of Magic. The first Spell Class always signifies the physical representation of the Sphere, while the second Spell Class stands for the spiritual representation of the Sphere.

The Spell Classes of the Water Magic School can be summarized as follows (a few example spells are provided at each Class):

• I. THE SPHERE OF CHANGE
  
  Spell Class 1: Transformation (Physical Representation of Change)
  Transformation spells deal with the physical affinity to the Element of Water. Something which has been graced, or cursed, with a high Water cár'áll is capable of assuming the flowing, swift currents of its liquid form. This class cannot actually transform a target into something else, as this would need the ability to change the form of cár'áll, and when the spell wears off, a target is immediately returned to the shape it possessed upon transformation. All that is done is lowering the affinity of the facets that normally control the shape and makeup of an object: the solid form that Earth provides, and the spirit that is Wind, and those who become transformed by Water generally lose most of their body heat and often become cold at heart with the lack of affinity towards Fire, and by tapping into the ice property, Water can be frozen as well, and this can be particularily deadly.

  TRANSFORMATION, SPELL EXAMPLES
  a) Liquidization
  This spell causes the body to begin to flow and shift with the makeup of a lake or ocean. The being at first retrains the form of its original shape, but can bend and shift to any liquid form, and is immune to most physical attacks.
  
  b) Freeze
  This spell takes Liquidization one step further, by focussing and stressing upon the ice properties of the Water Element, and hence freezes the target into a solid, yet brittle form.
  
  c) Ice Touch
  By increasing the ice property of Water at any location he/she sets his hand upon, a mage can deal a mild chill to a lethal heart-stopping blast of frost to the target.

  Spell Class 2: Water Enchantment (Spiritual Representation of Change)
  The spiritual class of change, Water Enchantment causes a transformation to occur at an inner level, and thus, not visible to the outside world except for its indirect effects, such as causing a person to go mad who was once sane. These spells must be cast on a group if a mage wishes others to experience the effect, rather than the single individual.

  WATER ENCHANTMENT, SPELL EXAMPLES
  a) Harmony
  This spell causes a person's mind to become serene and calm, and thus makes the target feel as if they are safe and at ease, even when in the middle of a rage.
  
  b) Lunatic Fervor
  This spell creates a raging storm of chaotic emotions and thoughts to spiral like a whirlpool in the target's mind, bringing all but the most serious of mind to madness and insanity.
  
  c) Negative Image
  Similar to the way that rain water causes multitudes of colours to appear, this spell causes the mind to think that it is seeing the entire area around them to sparkle and dazzle with random colors, confusing and bewildering the target.
  
  d) Skin of Painlessness
  This spell dilutes the mind's ability to detect physical pain, similar to the way water generally can dilute harmful substances (like alcohol), causing the target to be able to withstand unbearable torture with a smile. Only pain is reduced, and so damage and death still apply.

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• II. THE SPHERE OF CURRENTS
  
  Spell Class 3: Tides (Physical Representation of Currents)
  Tides demonstrates the physical ripples, waves, and tides associated with oceans, lakes, and rivers, and this class deals with everything relating to the physical manipulation and application of Water in its purest form.
  
  TIDES, SPELL EXAMPLES
  a) Part Water
  This spell serves to create an expanse between two "parts" of water, by causing the water elements to flow away from each other.
  
  b) Wave
  Wave serves to move large, and even massive amounts of water to run over enemies, fields, and whatever else needs a decent washing.
  
  c) Bath of Cleansing
  This spell is used to wash poisons and viruses from a targets body. While it does remove the source of the damage, this spell does not heal or reverse the effects caused already by the poison.

  Spell Class 4: Thought (Spiritual Representation of Currents)
  Thought is the spiritual equivalent of Tides. This class deals with the spiritual directing of Water. By guiding the Waters of the mind, a mage can confuse, startle, or guide them to clarity and focus. Most of these spells have harmful side-effects to their use, and a mage without proper focus over the chaotic element can cause a raging storm to emerge within a person's mind, rather than the peaceful lake he had meant to create.
  
  THOUGHT CLASS, SPELL EXAMPLES
  a) Water Extraction
  This spell extracts water cár'áll from a person or thing so that it is available for the caster’s use. It can also be used to dehydrate and kill a target if enough water is taken away.
  
  b) Repel
  This spell causes the mind's natural cár'áll to swirl and shift with such a chaotic fervor that any other mental spell becomes difficult to attach to the target's mind. This spell often gives a headache to the target, however.
  
  c) Splash
  By swiftly guiding the cár'áll away from and then back to the target's perception, Splash causes a person to suddenly become startled, causing them to forget where they are and what they were thinking for a few moments. In rare cases, this can also give bursts of inspiration to people.

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• III. THE SPHERE OF EVOLUTION
  
  Spell Class 5: Growth (Physical Representation of Evolution)
  By the creation of Water within something, a growth mage can manipulate the very speed in which things grow and flourish. This allows a mage to marginally control time itself, though only extremely powerful magi of old had the ability to affect very large areas with a complete increase in the flow of time. As with all Water spells, incorrectly cast these spells can have dire side-effects.
  
  GROWTH, SPELL EXAMPLES
  a) Soften
  Cures the Petrify spell.
  
  b) Revitalize
  Restores a dehydrated person back to perfect health.
  
  c) Fester
  Causes wounds to decay and fester as if they have been present for days; making them spread and do more damage in a shorter amount of time.
  
  d) Ripen
  Causes fruits and various other vegetables and plants to grow quicker than normal, thus allowing them to be picked earlier than the harvest. Higher level magi can use this on other things as well.
  
  e) Weaken
  Increases the growth rate of a person’s muscles, to the state of the elderly, which inevitably decreases the strength provided by those now weak muscles.

  Spell Class 6: Development (Spiritual Representation of Evolution)
  The spiritual counterpart to Growth, this is very similar except it is the growth and evolution of the soul, and thus can also be used against spells that have taken hold on someone's aura, which is a common use for this class. While not nearly as effective as Dispel, for example, which completely removes a spell, Development can cause the duration to speed up as if the wheel of time were turning faster, and will cause it to wear off within a seemingly shorter time.
  
  DEVELOPMENT, SPELL EXAMPLES
  a) Deteriorate Spell
  Causes the duration of a spell to age with time and thus end far sooner than the true duration.
  
  b) Enhance Spell
  Enhances the duration of a spell by causing its duration to slow to a crawl.
  
  c) Decrepify
  Causes a person to believe they have aged to the years of an old man, when in reality they have not, and thus feel they can not make the moves or actions of their youth.

Reagents. A short list of possible Water School reagents includes the following:

• Water
• Scales of a Fish (generally, most fish will do)
• Most types of Seaweed
• Wet Stones
• Ice
• Human Skin (not dried)
• Aquamarine gems
• Starberries
• Krakenweed Tentacles
• Telerun Algae
• Mil'no Leaves (moist, not dry)