I’m writing down the bare bones of my magic system and how it impacts the characters in my story, which is more political than anything. Right now, at least, non-magical perception of the various forms of magic – and conflicts between the users of each form – is more relevant to the story than the use of magic itself.
In past stories, I’ve tried to go deep into the operation of artifact magic, which is the primary branch that I have explored so far (I plan to touch on religious magic and pure magic in other stories in the same world), but I am not doing that yet, here. I will grow my explanation of magic in concert with the development of the story and my heroine.
For now, though, it is already creeping into her backstory and the political situation of the world. This continues to be the fun part for me, looking at the overview and impacts, rather than the minutiae. If I can keep magic at this level, then I should be in good shape!