> The 3 Basic Shapes

Everyone in this world is born with one of three shapes: a circle, a triangle, or a square. Each of these shapes represents a different ability that the person will be predisposed to: circles are magical ability, triangles are physical power, and squares are defensive strength. This shape will appear on some part of the person's body in various sizes and color. 

> Size and Color

The size of one's symbol is dependent on their natural talent at birth and will stay that size for the rest of their life. For example, a person born with an unusually large mana pool may have a symbol that covers their entire back. 

The color of a person's symbol is dependent on the element they have the highest affinity toward. This usually means that the color will remain the same unless the individual spends a long time cultivating a different element. Some of the basic colors and their respective elements are listed below.

Red: Fire || Pink: Healing || Maroon: Blood
Blue: Water || Teal: Ice
Yellow: Lightning || Orange: Thunder
Green: Nature || Light Green: Air || Dark Green: Plants
Brown: Earth || Light Brown: Wood || Dark Brown: Rock

> Gaining Shapes

As the person grows in strength, they will gain additional shapes depending on what they cultivate in. For instance, a person may be born with a triangle, but have an intense interest in Earth magic. Once they gain a basic knowledge of the discipline and learn beginner spells, their symbol may gain a circle. The circle and triangle can appear in a multitude of formations: one embedded in the other, the two connected at a tangent, etc.

Gaining shapes is a long process; it usually takes a year to gain even a single one. However, training under a competent teacher or following a strict curriculum can reduce this time-frame to a few months, thus there are many academies and dojos scattered around the world.

> Complex Shapes

The formation that a person's symbol develops into will usually carry meaning that becomes more pronounced as time goes on. Let's take an archmage for example, one that only has circles included in their symbol. The ways these circles take form depends in the way the person has cultivated their magical ability.

1. An archmage that has gained a decent understanding in several magical disciplines might have several circles surrounding each other as their symbol. This symbol would look similar to the barrel of a revolver.

2. An archmage that has focused in on a single type of magic might have circles layered atop one another, similar to a ripple, as their symbol.

3. An archmage whose magic is fueled by the moon might have a symbol that looks similar to the lunar cycle due to the way the circles overlap one another.

Though there are reports of twins and special lineages carrying similar symbols, these are counted as outliers. In most cases, no two individuals will have the same symbol attached to them. Several countries even use symbols as a form of identification when you reach a certain shape threshold.