The Source

The Source is an extraterrestrial artifact that landed in the Fairdonnel Ocean 2 years after the Arthonean Cleansing. It is considered to be the cause of all magic on Arthos and is credited for returning life to the world. Its origin is shrouded in mystery.

The Age of Revival

The most immediately appreciable effect of the meteor was the miraculous clearing of the the sky. Starting from where The Source landed and spreading out in a ripple effect, the ash layer covering the sky fell to the ground and dissipated in the course of mere days. Plants began to take root and the few animals surviving emerged from their hibernation. Soon too did the Prefellian races driven underground discover life returning to the surface above. Magic was now present in Arthos and with it the Prefellian races would spread out across Arthos and recover to their former glory in a matter of decades rather than centuries.

Magic

Before The Source landed, Arthos was bereft of magic. In recent years, scholars have determined The Source's magic to exist in a few distinct forms.

Arcane Fallout

Upon impact, The Source released an imperceptible wave of arcane energy spreading across all of Arthos. The omnipresence of this arcane energy is the essence wizards learn how to harness for their magic.
There is a particular controversy within the wizard community regarding the longevity of arcane fallout. Since The Source is no longer emitting arcane energy, some wizards believe it to be a limited resource that is slowly becoming discharged through the increased use of arcane magic. They site historical records of wizards routinely accomplishing monumental magical feats that would be difficult if not impossible in recent years. Critics of this theory argue that records from the past are subject to wild embellishment and that the methods used for measuring ambient arcane fallout are inaccurate and unreliable.

Conduits

A conduit is an object or creature infused with innate magic that no longer requires the presence of its creator in order to produce magic. Typically conduits are a result of exposure to strong arcane presence which goes as far as to explain the origin of sorcerer bloodlines and dragons. Enchantment is considered to be a weak form of a conduit, owing to its relatively low potency and need for recharging. A popular theory is that The Source itself is a conduit made from an entity incomprehensibly powerful.