Toaru Majutsu No Index - Terminology

Terminology

Espers (超能力者, Chōnōryokusha?)

Also known as psychics or power users, Espers are people who can use psychic powers or supernatural powers. Very few power users are born with supernatural powers while most are ordinary people who have the potential to develop them. Academy City's Power Curriculum Program, which utilises tests, studies, lectures, medicines, body simulations and hypnosis used to unlock a person's powers, is one means of developing psychic powers for ordinary people with potential. Most power users are able to use their powers just by thinking. Espers are ranked with levels based on the level of their power, with Level 0 given to those who have little or no powers, or whose powers can't be detected through testing, and Level 5 being the strongest rank which is only held by seven espers in Academy City. Because of how different their bodies are from normal humans and magicians, their bodies will undergo extreme damage if they attempt to cast magic.

Magicians (魔術師, Majutsushi?)

Magic was created by people who wanted to have powers just like their psychic counterparts. Although magic was designed so that most ordinary people can learn and use it, regardless of what type of magic it is, people with psychic powers are unable to use it without suffering severe injury. Likewise, magicians cannot use psychic powers without grievous harm. Once a path is chosen, one is stuck on it. European sorcerers have a magical name, which is a combination of Latin and a numerical code. The Latin part of the magical name is the reason why they learn and use magic and the numerical code part is just prevent the magical name duplicate with others. In tradition, when magicians use their power, they are not allowed to use their real name, so they will represent themselves with their magical name. However, when a magician represents with his or her magical name, it means he or she will use all of his or her power to kill their opponent.

Grimoire (魔道書, Madōsho?)

Grimoires are books containing knowledge about powerful magic that is harmful even to those that are trained to handle them. The knowledge is "poisonous" in the sense that it is too "pure" for the human mind to handle and must be "watered down" in order for people to be able to read it without their minds being destroyed. Even then, it can severely damage a person's mind if not properly handled. Grimoires often contain powerful spells or magic and can be very dangerous. Many Christian magic organizations like Necessarius were set up to prevent grimoires from spreading in the first place. Index possesses hundreds of Grimoires in her photographic memory.