All abilities have belts to indicate how awesome they are. Like in martial arts. The order is black > brown > blue > green > orange > yellow. Many abilities have versions for each belt, other abilities only exist with one belt.

In the Magic Center of your capital, you can learn some basic abilities for free. You can also buy abilities from other players in your Magic Center or the Magic Centers of allied nations, if any are for sale. Your Fylgja might also loot abilities from rare creatures if you participate in finding and/or killing them.

When you participate in finding and/or killing a magical creature your Fylgja might loot a script to learn an ability. For most abilities, you get the right to teach the belt below it in the Magic Center when this happens. Then you just have to go there and offer it for sale.