there are 3 types of magic in goaty's realm: natural, demonic, and cryptic.
Natural Magic
natural magic is the magic that flows through all things. the air, the water, the soil, every person, every creature, every plant, etc. there is nothing untouched by magic.
damn near everyone is able to perform feats of natural magic. you simply think of what you want to do and it happens… as long as you have enough calories! performing magic uses calories just like any physical action would. and, like a physical action, the amount of calories spent depends on how strenuous the feat is.
small feats, such as making a small object float or checking the time, cost very few calories. larger feats, like harvesting a field of produce or making a large, heavy object float, can cost a lot of calories.
also like with physical actions, the more you use magic the better you get at doing it! you can "work out" (or "grind" if you are a gamer nerd) your magical prowess simply by using it. just keep in mind that you need calories for things other than magic, too!
no hand motions or magic words are required per se, but some people find that pointing at what you want to happen can help you focus on it happening right.
Technology
rather than earthly electrical circuits and transistors, most technology more complex than strictly mechanical devices is designed, created with, and powered by natural magic. magic's ability to do anything is not limited to what people can accomplish—materials and objects can be created with magical properties.
magic can be stored in "batteries," and ambient magic can be harvested. that's not the only way to charge a battery, though—you can also simply hold a battery and will your own magic into it. like all magical feats, this burns calories.
the technology page of this section goes more into detail about technology!
Potions
as magic flows through everything, there are ways to create potions that have magical effects—effectively storing the intent of a magical feat (or "spell" if you will) in a form to be enacted later. through the use of magically-inclined (and sometimes calorie-dense) ingredients, a lot can be accomplished with a potion that the user's own magical abilities may not be able to accomplish.
Demonic Magic
demonic magic is magic provided through contract with demons. maybe easy to guess.
demons have nigh limitless power at their disposal… for a price! a payment (sacrifice?) or deal is required to harness a demon's power. this could be as simple as a payment of orbs, or as major as selling one's soul to eternal servitude.
Demonic Engine
while most technology functions via natural magic, there are some examples of demonic technology. perhaps the most well-known is the demonic engine. this machine, varying in size and design, is acquired through a contract with a demon and will provide uninterrupted natural magic to power machines for a predetermined period of time, guaranteed.
generally, people avoid using these given the cost, but some applications benefit from them—things that one would rather not accidentally and suddenly run out of power, for instance. all demonic engines start emitting a tone one week before they run out of "fuel."
Cryptic Magic
🤫 don't worry about it. i'm sure it's fine.