asy . ▁They ▁can ▁be ▁anything ▁from ▁a ▁quest ▁to ▁locate ▁the ▁Mac G uff ins ▁necessary ▁to ▁save ▁the ▁world , ▁to ▁an ▁internal ▁quest ▁of ▁self - real ization . ▁ ▁Magic ▁ ▁In ▁fant asy , ▁magic ▁often ▁has ▁an ▁over wh el ming ▁presence , ▁although ▁its ▁precise ▁nature ▁is ▁del ine ated ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁in ▁which ▁it ▁appears . ▁It ▁can ▁appear ▁in ▁a ▁fant asy ▁world ▁( as ▁in ▁The ▁Lord ▁of ▁the ▁R ings ▁or ▁Sh ann ara ), ▁or ▁in ▁a ▁fant asy ▁land ▁that ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁reality ▁but ▁ins ulated ▁from ▁the ▁m und ane ▁lands ▁( as ▁in ▁X anth ), ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁hidden ▁element ▁in ▁real ▁life ▁( as ▁in ▁The ▁Dresden ▁Files ). ▁ ▁A ▁common ▁tro pe ▁is ▁that ▁mag ical ▁ability ▁is ▁inn ate ▁and ▁rare . ▁As ▁such , ▁magic - w ield ing ▁people ▁are ▁common ▁figures ▁in ▁fant asy . ▁Another ▁feature ▁is ▁the ▁magic ▁item , ▁which ▁can ▁end ow ▁characters ▁with ▁mag ical ▁ab ilities ▁or ▁enh ance ▁the ▁ab ilities ▁of ▁the ▁inn ately ▁powerful . ▁Among ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁are ▁magic ▁s words ▁and ▁magic ▁rings . ▁ ▁Self - ful fill ing ▁prop he cies ▁are ▁amongst ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁forms ▁of ▁magic ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁an ▁often ▁used ▁plot ▁device . ▁O ften ▁the ▁effort ▁undert aken ▁to ▁a vert ▁them ▁brings ▁them ▁about , ▁thus ▁driving ▁the ▁story . ▁It ▁is ▁very ▁rare ▁for ▁a ▁prop