Just got an e-mail from my friend who's characters I'm trying to create.
My apologies also for the length, I tend to get wordy with explanations so please bear with me.
-Can you give me examples of some spells that Sphyre would have?Sure. Sphyre specializes in spirit magic, which consists of putting life into inanimate objects, conjuring apparitions from a target's dreams, thoughts, or memories (though Sphyre's obsession with the truth would demand that he only show truthful conjurations, rather than illusions or nightmares), summoning of ghosts or spirits to fight for him, non-elemental magical damage by directly attacking a victim's soul, projecting a soul into another body, interfering with a person's connection to the spiritual realm, thus preventing them from using magic effectively, or, in cases of extreme success, cutting off their magical ability altogether, that sort of thing. As for making people blind... it isn't too much of a stretch to assail a victim's mind using spirit magic, but I feel that such things would likely fall more under the realm of shadow magic. Not to say he can't use other types, of course: just that his focus is on spirit. He will primarily focus on the reanimation, most likely, as he does with his chains in order to make them a sort of living weapon. He also uses spirit magic to "see" the world around him by sensing the spiritual energy of all things (this does not mean he can tell exactly what spell someone is using, persay, just that someone is using a certain type of magic). This is by no means an all-inclusive list, and if you come up with anything else that could fit into the realm of spirit magic, I'm perfectly open to suggestions.
-Those chains of his, are they living or are they just wrapped around his body?They're just wrapped around his body. They are 'alive' once he infuses them with his magic, and fight for him under his will, able to hover in midair and bend at angles that would be impossible for an inanimate object.
-Is he a fast fighter type battle mage?He primarily relies on others to do the real dirty work for him, and is fond of using summoned/infused minions rather than engaging in personal combat. He does, however, command a respectable physical strength, which makes him dangerous in close combat as well. However, due to his blindness, his real focus is on magic so he has time to read his opponent's energy; an up-close-and-personal encounter with a master swordsman would likely end very badly for him, for example.
-For Aislyn, how exactly does the lightning work? Is it spells? Is it something she was born with? Is it limited?Aislyn uses a limited amount of magic and primarily fights with martial arts and her strings, though she uses lightning magic to maneuver her strings, to paralyze enemies, render them unconscious, etc. She can use a fair deal to support her strings before her supply is depleted, but she could only generate a couple of powerful lightning bolts, say, 1 or 2, before her supply was depleted. It's really a matter of efficiency in use; sort of like a very high mana cost for larger actions.
-Why is she NG when she actually kind of reads Chaotic Good?...I'm no expert on the whole alignment system, so I kind of took a guess since she seems to fit into either alignment. You are probably correct, though, that she does fit better as Chaotic Good, so I'll update that on the site once it lets me log in to do so... it's not cooperating right now, though. :\
To cover magic for both of them, I'll address my magic system first. My approach to magic is that everyone and everything in the world possesses an affinity to the spiritual realm; "everything has a spirit" in other words. This means that, theoretically, any person in the world is capable of using magic to some extent or another. The ability to use it, however, is the result of training; there are very few people in the world who can use magic without being taught. Magic is used by manifesting spiritual energy in a physical form.
The limitations on magic come from how efficiently a person uses it... think of this efficiency as the 'mana cost' of a spell. A strong spell is not very efficient because it draws a large amount of energy out in a short burst, resulting in a larger net loss as the caster cannot generally control a large torrent of energy very well, though with training, this control improves and less is lost as 'waste energy'. (Though of course, as with all physical energy, none is actually 'wasted', just converted into a form that the caster cannot use that is not part of the resulting spell).
The system itself is divided into 11 elements. 10 of these are properties of the physical world and are considered 'physical energy' just as any form of energy covered in a physics class would be (these are Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, Ice, Wood, Light, Darkness, and Poison, in no particular order of importance), and the 11th, Spirit, ties them all together, and represents 'Astral Energy', which provides life and gives properties to all living things (rocks, air, water, etc. are not considered 'alive', as they are composed of a much higher concentration of physical energy than of spiritual; there is still spirit energy to be found in anything, though it is most abundant in living things, where the balance is approximately equal). Every person in the world is born with an affinity for one form of magic or another, primarily by the types of physical energy that make up their body. Thus, people from the same family often, but not always, have similar elemental affinites and abilities, and regions of the world tend to focus on one element over another when they are close to a large source of elemental energy.
The system as a whole is by no means perfect, as this entire project is a work in progress. Any feedback is appreciated so that it may be refined into the best possible end product; this applies to the systems I propose as well as to my characters.
I apologize again for the length, but thank you sincerely for taking an interest in my characters and project. I'm not an expert at this, I'm just one guy trying to create and organize a whole world simply because I find it fun, so feedback on stuff I do wrong (or right!) will help me fix it and make it better, and new ideas will help me to keep it alive. I'm glad you're enjoying what I've had available thus far, and hope it continues to hold your interest!