Following the Cataclysm, the planet of Aqueon, once flush with magic and strange creatures, experienced a drastic change. Magic as it once was - a powerful force commanded and wielded with ease by wizards and witches from all walks of life - was no longer present. Even the simplest conjurations and prestidigitations have become nearly impossible to cast for even those few men who held the rank of Spellmaster before the cataclysm. After many centuries of study, it has been determined that the only commandable magic left available to mortals resides in the soul. Sorcerers have manufactured a means of capturing the soul of a dying creature, and then using that soul as an energy source to cast a wide range of rudimentary spells.
It has been found that intelligent souls offer a great deal more power than the souls of animals.This magic is not without it’s drawbacks however, the moral implication is clear - if you want to cast a powerful spell, you will likely have had to commit murder (or multiple murders) in order to do it. In response, all of the kingdoms of Aqueon agree on one point when it comes to spellcasters: magic may be a great boon to society, but it must be heavily policed. Often wizards are forced to travel under guard, make formal applications to committees and bureaucracies for the right to cast even a single spell, and the possession of a soul (even a non-intelligent one) outside of a kingdom’s written permission is punishable by death.