Question regarding the source of Magic

[Alec Colasante]

In an upcoming campaign, I am going to be playing as a drow noble who was born without the ability to use magic (either just his spell-like abilities or any spells, I haven't decided yet). Because of that, he was exiled at an early age, and wishes to, as he would say "set things straight". In order to do this, he is going to retrieve the Sceptre of the ages, which he believes is in the vault of Abadar (the vault with one copy of everything, name might be wrong). He believes the vault is locked with the Impossible Lock (the one that can't be opened except by the Perfect Key). So he is going to get the key, and open the vault, to get the Sceptre. Using the Sceptre he is going to go back to the beginning of time, slay Asmodeus right after Asmodeus kills Ithys (thinks that's how it's spelled), in order to be the only godlike being left. He is then going to convince the life forms that evolve on the material plane that he is a god, so that they worship him. He believes that their worship will grant him divine power, which is equal to magic (at least in his mind). The only problem is, I have no idea why he wouldn't have magic, because I have no idea why magic is accessible to anyone (except gods, because, well there gods).

Sorry for the wall of text. Long story short, where does magic come from?

[Alleran]

Well, worship doesn't actually grant divine power in Golarion. I think James Jacobs has said as much several times. What gods get out of worship is unknown.

With regards to where magic comes from, I was actually wondering about this last night. Many fictional settings have a certain explanation for the source of magic. Examples:

Forgotten Realms: mantle of power that the Weave/Shadow Weave/whatever allows access to.
Garth Nix' books: Charter Magic from the Charter.
Wheel of Time: Saidin and Saidar, the True Source that drives the Wheel.
Brandon Sanderson: AonDor, Surgebinding, and so on and so forth.
Belgariad/Malloreon: The Will and the Word.
Elenium/Tamuli: Magic comes from deities/Bhelliom-spirits, no exceptions.
Dragon Age: The Fade, or from the life energy in blood.
Dresden Files: Nevernever and so on.

I think the closest that I can recall (right now, anyway) to an explanation was a quote by Aroden in one of the opening chapters of Inner Sea Magic. However, I cannot remember exactly what was said, only that it was maddeningly vague.

EDIT: Ah, I found it.

"Magic is the extraordinary in us all. Even someone who has never felt the exhilaration of magical flight or who has never felt power coursing through the flesh as great works of art or devastation are unleashed knows magic. It's folded into the edge of an ensorcelled blade, it's the charm that soothes a panicked beast, it's the blessing inside a healing draught that closes a dire wound, and it's what puts the very mysteries of life on sale for a few golden coins in the markets of Absalom. As I have wandered the Inner Sea, I have come to know that magic - not wind, earth, water or even fire - is the bedrock of our world." ~Aroden

So, yeah. Not very specific about where it actually comes from.

[Paulicus]

I don't know if there's any official "source" of magic. You may have to define it for your own campaign (or ask your GM). Here's one take on it, off the top of my head:

Magic is an invisible force permeating the universe (similar to radio waves/other types of electromagnetic radiation). However, it takes many years of training to sense and manipulate this energy. Your drow could lack the ability/anatomical structures to effectively do so. This could be due to some kind of defect, or perhaps from a disease or injury. That could be an interesting hook.

[Alec Colasante]

I'll have to look more closely at inner sea magic, I must have missed that. Also, vague as it may be, it has to be better than nothing. With regard to the deities, I guess I will have to think of something else, or ask the GM how it works in his "version" of Golarion, if he sees fit to tell me that information.

[Alec Colasante]

I like your idea Paulicus, I will have to ask the GM about that.

[Alec Colasante]

The quote makes it sound sort of like ki, just a natural energy in everyone and everything.

[DM_Blake]

It sounds like this is a question for The Good Magician Humphrey.

[Umbral Reaver]

My magic comes from direct manipulation of the Planck-scale structure of the universe.

It's like memory editing, but with space and time rather than computers.

[Rynjin]

DM_Blake wrote:

It sounds like this is a question for The Good Magician Humphrey.

Of course before he answered he'd probably just send you on a Quest to retrieve the Scepter of Ages anyway.

[Troubleshooter]

Umbral Reaver wrote:

My magic comes from direct manipulation of the Planck-scale structure of the universe.

It's like memory editing, but with space and time rather than computers.

I should introduce you to my friends. They call themselves the Virtual Adepts ...

[The black raven]

Paulicus wrote:

Magic is an invisible force permeating the universe (similar to radio waves/other types of electromagnetic radiation). However, it takes many years of training to sense and manipulate this energy. Your drow could lack the ability/anatomical structures to effectively do so. This could be due to some kind of defect, or perhaps from a disease or injury. That could be an interesting hook.

The Drow lacks in midi-chlorians.

[Carbon D. Metric]

I suppose I've always treated "Magic" in my games kind of like a type of Radiation. It has varying levels of "Dosage" it outputs at a time (It's Caster Level), it comes in a variety of frequencies (Schools of Magic) and it is something that is either brought into existence by spellcasting, or lingers on something that is in itself Magical.