Artefacts

Famous Magical Artefacts

This article is a collection of some of the more powerful or renowned magical artefacts present in Adylheim. Please note that any item whose location is not included in the text can be considered to be lost.

Weapons

The Axe of a Thousand Dead

The Axe of a Thousand Dead is a bearded axe made entirely of iron, both the haft and the head are made out of solid iron. The head is full of carvings, showing a drake's head baring its teeth and blasting a breath of fire reaching the very tip of the blade, from the back of the drake's head run intersecting lines that go all the way down the haft till they form a knot at the knob end of the haft.

It's wreathed in many powerful enchantment, it never dulls and swinging it never wearies the wielder. Anyone who wields it is marked as a grave enemy of all faeriekind however, even elves will feel a certain amount of antipathy towards anyone who's wielded the axe. Anyone who has wielded or is wielding it can expect to be attacked by faeries at any time. Luckily for them, the axe is also a potent anti-dote for their magics, rendering the one who holds it entirely immune to the effects of faerie magic. No one who has held the axe has survived it for very long, however and the name is said to come as much from the wielders of the axe as the faeries it has killed.

The axe is currently held in the halls of the Archduke's Spire in Spire City.

The Crystal Blade

Ser Eckhard was a hero from the early ages of the Empire, renown for his chivalry, courage, and his extraordinary weapon. The Crystal Blade was said to have been forged from Wyrmsteel and completely invisible when wielded to all except it's user. Although everybody agrees that the blade was a longsword, nobody is quite sure about where the sword is. Some claim that Ser Eckhard melted it down as a sign of devotion to Luxor, others say that it was lost along with the knight himself when he was slain by Northmen. Scholars point out the disparity between each telling of the story for proof that Eckhard himself is nothing more than a myth. After all, the very concept of knights was a product of the late empire. Still, the legend of Ser Eckhard Shadowsword lives on and prospers and has spawned it's fair share of imitators, though no mage has been able to recreate it's abilities.

Death’s End

Death’s End is a powerful artifact created by the monk Sashuen to rid his temple of an infestation of vengeful ghosts. Death’s end is a spear where the spearhead itself is created by papier mache of pages from the holy writings of Akar and the shaft entwined in pages from the books. Death’s End can destroy incorporeal undead such as ghosts with ease, however it is a fragile weapon and should not be taken out in the rain unprotected.

Maia's Pride

Maia's Pride is an executioner's sword. It's long hilt makes it perfect for holding with two hands, though the relatively short blade and blunt tip makes it relatively unsuited to combat. Maia's Pride has been made for the sole purpose of severing heads from the bodies of prisoners. On the steel of the blade the words "I give unto you a soul" are carved. The sword itself is ancient and worn, the hilt is threadbare and the blade is pitted and blackened. It is impossible and forbidden to polish it. The wielder of Maia's Pride will never be hurt by undead, any undead in the vicinity of the sword will be forced to kneel before the wielder and will not be allowed to hinder or hurt them in any way. They cannot, however, be forced to do the wielder's bidding.

Moonlight Dirge

Whist the members Black Watch frequently visit the court of the Emperor, only the bearer of Moonlight Dirge speaks for Mia the Everliving. The creation of the guandao was itself the work of decades as Arameian nobles and knights present at the siege of Night were abducted and sacrificed to Khanes; their blood basting a steel idol for years on end. When the generation had passed, the statue was melted down and the stained steel used to craft the blade of the weapon. The handle of the weapon is carved from a single piece of jade and adorned with all manner of precious stones.

As a badge of office, Moonlight Dirge is usually kept beside Mia the Everliving's sarcophagus. Most members of the court--and by extension the populace--know the weapon only by its handle. Moonlight Dirge can pass through nearly any form of defense to kill and maim when wielded against a hated foe. Knights are found bisected whist encased in full armor, wizards found eviscerated inside impenetrable fields of wards. When used in such a manner, the blade burns with a heatless green flame.

The Ravenblade

The Ravenblade is a strange blade indeed, it a shortsword of immense power. The blade itself is made of what appears to be normal steel, though black silhouettes of ravens can be seen along the blade. The pommel is a silver raven's skull.

The Ravenblade acts as a normal blade against most opponents, but it is one of the few blades which can cut and kill any kind of undead, corporeal or no. In all but the most powerful undead, a single cut from the Ravenblade is enough to destroy them. The Ravenblade also vibrates slightly whenever a nearby battle is about to take place.

The Red Sword

The Red Sword was once a potent sword in its own right, ensorcelled with potent magic. It belonged to the hero known as Mar the Bold, long before the advent of the Empire Mar the Bold fought the armies of the Witch King of Kand, the final battle took place on an iced over lake far into the Northern Ribs where Mar the Bold and the Witch King met in a battle of champions. As his final act, Mar plunged the sword into the chest of the Witch King. But the power of his magic was such that it travelled up the sword and destroyed Mar even as the Witch King lay dying.

From then on the lake has always been covered in ice, no matter the season. And the only sign that a battle was once fought there is the sword sticking out of the ice, the steel blade having turned a dark crimson through the long years. According to the legend, the sword waits for someone, though the soul of the Witch King still lives in it, making it a fearsome weapon in battle, for wielder and foe alike. The Red Sword has been known to have a will of its own and almost all later wielders have been compelled to return the sword to its resting place on the lake.

The Sword of Frost

The Sword of Frost is one of the few prelapsarian items known throughout Adylheim. Its fame is only second to its power. The eternal chill of the blade itself is said to destroy the hand of anyone unworthy to wield it. Who or what it considers worthy is long since lost though. According to the legends, the one who wields the Sword of Frost need fear neither cold nor fire and will bring the chill of winter wherever he goes. It is so sharp to this day that it cuts through silk as it falls on the edge.

Many are the tales of those who have believed themselves worthy and have come away from the blade lacking an arm, as such, there are few these days who dare to move the blade. It is currently located in the castle of the Prince of Nevros in Alden.

The sword itself is a longsword crafted meticulously from something which appears to be ice but can cut through steel like it was butter.

Vorpal Blade

Mysterious weapon that has been used throughout history to slay great beasts and lead armies, it is said to take on whatever form most suits its wielder, and those who have witnessed its powers say that the blade has an inconsistent appearance, growing and shrinking slightly when no one is looking at it. Most commonly it is portrayed as a meat cleaver that is nevertheless an effective weapon, as most accounts say that it can cut through the hide of any beast. Although this technique does not apparently extend to inanimate objects it's said to be quite effective against magical wards as well.

The location of the Vorpal Blade is lost to history, however it is said to be a weapon that one can only encounter when they're not looking for it, or only if led by a fool on a mission. The blade is rumoured to whisper to its wielder: to tell stories of far off lands and to tempt them to face greater and greater foes, or merely to ramble on meaninglessly until the wielder goes insane. The truth of these stories, is, of course, unconfirmed, but an unnatural majority of its wielders over history have been madmen and fools, obsessed with hunting great monsters and beasts of all kinds.

Other

Addison's Cube

A luminous blue cube no bigger than a man's hand, Addison's Cube is a peculiar object. Its last known whereabouts was in a ruined tower in Arameia, where when activated it would send a beam of blue light into the sky and drastically alter the physical elements of nearby wildlife. However, the cube is highly experimental and incomplete, thus rendering it unstable and liable to change properties over time and in different conditions.

Popular rumour in magical circles states that while Addison, a powerful user of low magic, became fascinated by the cube and constantly attempted to tinker with its power, he himself was not the creater, and nothing is know of the artefact's origin, or even where the mage originally found it. Because of its volatile nature the cube has gained a reputation of being highly dangerous, and thus it still sits in Addison's tower long after the mage's death, since no one is prepared to go near it. Activation appears to occur at random, or at least a cause of it can not be established, therefore the magic of the cube is released spontaneously, and can lay dormant for mere hours or as long as centuries.

The All Box

The All Box is said to be the blueprints of creation itself, the very thoughts and schematics of Eirwin. The All Box takes the shape of a relatively simple wooden box, though it may change size and to a limited extent shape as it sees fit. The All Box is intelligent and contains the schematics for the creation of the multiverse in all 4 dimensions and as such contains all possible knowledge. Given that the box is intelligent and a map of all possible realities, it may choose to give its owner the wrong information though.

According to the legends it was given to the first monk of Eirwin, but to keep it from being abused, he hid it when he died.

The Annulet of Repose

Possibly the most famous of a set of magical rings created by Orthern the Pallid in the early days of the Empire. The Annulet of Repose is a single band of silver with strange magical runes inscribed along its surface. Unlike normal silver, however, it does not corrode and gives off a faint silvery glow. The ring puts the wearer in such a deep sleep that they cannot be roused, except by removing the ring. While they are wearing the ring, however, they are immune to all manner of scrying and malignant spells as their Numen all but ceases to exist during this time. They remain vulnerable to physical assault, although any wounds will stop bleeding and they will not heal nor worsen during the time they wear the ring, their bodies remaining in a perfect, dreamless stasis.

The Bone Chair

Beware the necromancer spurned, for the mind willing to traffic with Maia are not known for patience and understanding. The Bone Chair is a magical construct of unspeakable malice; its very existence the subject of much debate and discussion among the more learned magical circles. To put it simply: the Bone Chair destroys a person's soul.

The Bone Chair, as the name so wonderfully suggests, is constructed entirely from the pristine skeletons of several people. Gold lief traces runes and sigils on the bone whist a silvery--but immensely strong--network of wires keeps the construct standing. When activated (stories suggest that this requires an immense amount of energy and some serious spellcasting), the chair imprisons the target in a cage of bones--the chair monikor becoming common use from the vaguely sitting position that the body ultimately assumes.

Once the machine has done its terrible work, the soul appears to have entirely disappeared from the Multiverse. No resurrection is possible, no communication even with the most complicated necromantic scrying spells.

It should be noted that the artifact carries significant risk in useage, as Maia takes being cheated out of a soul quite personally.

Bugbump's Wand

Bugbump was legendary in his time. A comedian, mage and consummate performer, Bugbump made frequent tours of the various kingdoms and became quite wealthy entertaining rulers, magi and priests. The story goes that he wanted to forge a wand which only he could use. Being fairly popular in the magic world for his comedy, he had several highly powerful friends. He gathered them together for a big show and entertained them. It was called his greatest performance.

At the end of the show he asked everyone attending to help him create the wand. The assembled mages were all somewhat drunk and lively, and so they immediately roared their agreement. Together, they cast a spell on the wand which would permanently turn the skin of anyone except Bugbump who touched it purple. Forever.

It's often said that Bugbump was a joker right to the end. His wand is highly prized by the wizarding world for its power, though few have ever deigned to touch it.

The Cauldron of Plenty

The Cauldron of Plenty is a blackened iron cauldron which is always slightly chilly to the touch. Despite this it will create whatever delightful dishes its owner commands it to. According to the legend a demon is trapped inside it, having to make dinners and food till the end of all that is. The Cauldron of Plenty can produce as much as needed and has, according to the legends, fed large armies in its time.

Chalice of Tears

Hell hath no fury like a goddess scorned. The Chalice of Tears is a beautiful silver vessel covered with the iconography of Thisseis. Entwined snakes run along the circumference of the lip; fields laden with all manner of fruit and grain fill the inside. Around the outer face of the cup dances a string of children--the very children that have earned the Chalice its terrible reputation.

Once upon a time, an Arameian lord swore an oath to the priestesses of Thisseis to grant them the finest quarter of his land's harvest if the rain would grace his lands. True to the words of her servants, Thisseis opened the heavens. But when it came time for the lord to part with his offerings, he sent the priests only rotten grain and shriveled fruit. The priests communed with their goddess and, at her direction, placed a plain chalice in front of the castle gate. In a matter of moments the blessings of Thisseis were stripped away, the bounty of nature stolen from the land and engraved on the inside of the vessel. So too were the children stolen away, and all those who had deigned to cheat Thisseis rendered barren.

The Chalice of Tears is now kept in the temple of Thisseis in Spire City. Once every decade--sometimes more or sometimes less--it disappears and wreaks vengeance on the unfaithful. It is considered an immensely bad omen for the Chalice to disappear.

The Eye of Agar

The Eye of Agar is a powerful red jewel filled to the brim with enchantments, it is cut to have exactly 13 facets and is the size of a fist. Those looking at anything through the Eye of Agar will see all that is hidden around them, those holding it will see through any lie spoken to them and sense any falsehood.

The Eye of Agar was last seen in the treasury of the Emperor before the Great Winter Fire but has since been lost.

The Mysanthropic Hand of Bael

Commonly called simply, "The Hand" by necromancers, this seven-fingered limb has a history as dark as its curse.

There was a nobleman of Andragoria named Naelor who was quite wealthy and well loved by his contrymen. When, after many divorces, Naelor discovered that he was incapable of bearing children he left his lands in search of a wizard who could cure his impotence. He traveled far north, in disguise, finally stopping in a small town to rest. There he told his tale to several men in a bar and they told him of the necromancer Soveliss.

Soveliss was a comely maiden and she bade him bed her. She cast a spell and became great with child. Naelor left, planning to return in nine months to take the child home with him.

But when he returned Soveliss refused to give the child up. Naelor became furious and consumed with anger. He returned home a second time and gathered a small army of young nobles and brought them back to Soveliss' home. He pounded on the door, demanding she open and let him have his child. When she refused they broke in the door and slew the necromancer. As she lay dying she muttered a spell.

Naelor went to the crib of his child and was stricken with horror; the babe that lay in the carriage had seven fingers on each hand and seven toes on each foot. Soveliss laughed and died. Disgusted, Naelor left his child to die with his mother.

Lucky for the boy he was discovered by elves who felt his strong magic and raised him. The child, called Bael'ost by the elves and simply Bael by others, became a great necromancer and after his death his seven-fingered right hand became a powerful totem. Holding it amplifies the power of necromancy. However, Soveliss' curse remains attached to the hand: If it is ever used, the corpse of Soveliss rises and walks slowly toward the user. If she touches the holder of The Hand the user dies instantly.

The hand is currently interred in a monastery in Southern Andragoria.

The Master Book of Elron

The Master Book is kept in a secret vault which is known only to the Order of Elron, though speculation places it in Nander. It is a vast tome detailing the accounts and the loans of every bank of Elron throughout Adylheim. What is so special about this book is that it communicates this information to a series of lesser books which can be found in the banks of Elron, all information written down in these books go into the Master Book which then ships it out to the other books. While the Master Book and its Daughter Books are certainly the most famous Ayem Books in Adylheim, they are far from the only ones.

The Moon Emperor's Ring

An artefact of a long lost southern nation predating the Arameian Empire. According to the legend, the Moon Emperor's Ring belonged to a powerful Emperor of this nation who had it made so that he would never be alone, who made it and on whose command has long since been lost to the annals of history. It is a golden ring with a jade stone and according to the legend, when one rubs the stone the right way, a marvellous palace filled with courtesans and all the earthly delights one could want for will appear.

The Philosopher's Stone

The marvellous epitome of what an Alchemist can do, this miraculous substance can not only turn base metals into gold, it can heal almost any ailment or wound and greatly lengthen the lifespan of those who use it.

Tormod the Fast

Tormod was a wizard of some repute, though he is now something of a cautionary tale among wizards, he dabbled in becoming immortal. Instead of making himself immortal, Tormod created a spell which made him live at a speed much, much less than a normal human being. His spell has fashioned him into something like a living statue, unable to comprehend a world that moves far too quickly around him to notice, unable to communicate with others in any meaningful way. Despite what one might think, Tormod the Fast's name is not a not-so-clever pun on his state, but a recognition of his earlier speed of memorization. Tormod is currently travelling north towards Aram at a speed of half a metre per year.

Everyday Magic

This article concerns the impact magic has on the daily lives of the inhabitants of Adylheim, explaining the various definitions of magic and also explaining some of the major ways in which Adylheim separates itself from the real world.

Defining Magic

The major problem with explaining the kind of impact magic has on the every day life of the inhabitants of Adylheim, we have to understand the meaning of the word magic. Generally when speaking of magic in Adylheim, we're talking about Low Magic and High Magic, however when compared to our normal world, there are several phenomena which we would also term magic. We have specific instances such as the miracles produced by priests, the mischief of spirits and fairies and other instances of strangeness. And also what might, to some extent, be called Folk Magic.

Low Magic and High Magic

Low Magic plays a limited role in the lives of most inhabitants of Adylheim. Some can go their entire lifetime without seeing a wizard or sorceress or their ilk. More rural practitioners are sometimes called Shamans and might be seen in smaller communities. The rarity of such users of magic means that the undead and necromancers is hardly something for the average village to worry about, strange magical phenomena caused by wizards is also a rarity.

That said, villages and even towns which have been entirely taken over by wizards do exist, though these are the exception rather than the rule as wizards rarely apply themselves to political paths and ruling over others.

Users of High Magic are somewhat more common, being relatively randomly scattered genepool. However, while High Magic talents can be very flashy and impressive, most never even notice their talent.

Magical Artefacts

If seeing a wizard is rare, magical artefacts are almost even more so. Though rich nobles may occasionally afford to purchase artefacts from wizards, outside of the wizard's towers there are few artefacts to be found. Certainly they may appear in temples and long lost crypts of dead wizards or legendary warriors and similar, but for most a magical artefact is never going to be able to lay their hands on.

That said, there are some artefacts that have a distinct effect on the world around them. One such is the Master Book of Elron, an artefact of immense power, without which the priesthood of Elron would not be able to support their banks throughout the fiefdoms. Few others have such a direct impact on the life of Adylheim, and primarily serve as inspirations for legends and songs.

Religious Events

It is a well known fact among the inhabitants of Adylheim that the Gods are a good way to get the edge over others with. The practise of praying or sacrificing things to the gods is present in just about every inhabitant of Adylheim. As a result of this, you will find small shrines to Gaern in most farmsteads and to Elron in most merchant houses. However, few turn their attention to just one god, finding their life somewhere between the myriad of powers of the Gods. Though it should be noted that some races, such as the Dae'vol and the Dragonkin, do not participate these kinds of things and remain attached to the worship of the Sleeping God and the dragons respectively, neither of which answer prayers.

While normally prayer and sacrifice will just tip the scales of chance in their favour, priests who have dedicated their lives entirely to one god or another is capable of performing miracles through the power of their belief. Priests are much more widespread than wizards and the religious miracles they are capable of performing are often seen by the commoners of Adylheim. It would be a mistake to think miraculous cures to diseases and such are the majority of their enterprise though, the powers of the priests are as diverse as the gods they pray to. Priests of Gaern would be well equipped to bless a farmer's crops, but no good at healing the diseased, priests of Thissies may call the rain or cause drought but are equally bad at healing the sick and so on. Divine magic such as this is usually relatively subtle and its influence on the lives of those who see it is equally subtle.

Magical Creatures

Another cause of what may be considered magical intervention in the lives of the inhabitants of Adylheim are magical creatures. This can be a host of creatures, from ghosts, to fairies and genius loci and more besides.

You could probably include elves in this category thanks to the strange glamours elves are capable of casting, these illusions are commonplace wherever you find elves and cause many of those who deal with them to have a piece of iron on them to make sure they're not being cheated.

Fairies are seen less often in urban environments, though they are a terror in the countryside. Though they are by no means a common occurrence, a single fairy can terrorise an entire village, easily. Stealing their babies, terrorising the men and women of a village in a myriad of interesting ways is all easily within the grasp of a fairy. Though, when they are appeased, they may even prove useful by helping with the work around the farm and similar. Even the most ignorant farmer knows not to trust the fairies though, for even if they may occasionally do them a favour, their morality and reasoning is wholly alien.

In the cities and towns of Adylheim, especially those with some age to them, one of the more frequent problems is ghosts. Ghosts can be found in all manner of places though and are hardly restricted to cities. These ethereal presences can be a plague in all manner of ways, from rendering buildings uninhabitable, to possessing the still living and many more besides. Ghosts are a relatively common presence, especially in cities, though they may be either impossible to tell from the locals or so ethereal as to be outside the sensory range of all but sensitives and wizards.

While sensitives are hardly a magical creature in their own right, they are a somewhat common occurrence among the populace. Sensitives are people who in some way or another are more susceptible to magical forces than others, they may never even notice that they are sensitives, but those that do are often more aware of ghosts and other creatures and all manner of magical effects.

Magical Diseases and Effects

Another malady which may affect the common man of Adylheim are diseases and effects which are magical in nature and differ highly from similar things in the real world. A prime example of which is the illness of lycanthropy, which causes a person to slowly become wolf-like and feral as a wolf grows within them, till the wolf bursts out of the man's skin, leaving him for dead. Such diseases that might seem strange to us are, if not commonplace, then at least not considered to be strange among the inhabitants of Adylheim.

The presence of ley lines under a village or town may affect the entire town, causing it to slowly degrade no matter what, or remain a bastion of sameness or even grow and change wildly depending on what manner of ley line passes beneath it.

It should be noted that sensitives can be found in most villages and they are, to varying degrees, more susceptible to various magical effects and will be the first to feel any such effects, even if others are unaware of them.

Folk Magic

Folk Magic comprises small tricks and things which are considered so commonplace in Adylheim that they're no longer considered to be magic. There are hundreds of these tricks in a myriad of forms and while they draw on the exact same forces as Low Magic they're rarely considered a part of it. Usually such tricks are simple things which grants one a modicum of safety from fairies, ghosts or other magical creatures, or they're intended to dabble in the affairs of love, ways of improving the harvest or foreseeing the weather or other things to come.

Farmers may place a bit of iron (often horseshoes) over a door to keep any fairies from entering it. This keeps fairies of both the hostile and the non-hostile fairies from entering though so it may not always be advantageous. Placing a marigold under your pillow on the night of the full moon means you will dream of the person you will marry. If a sheaf of wheat or barley whispers the name of the person you love then you know that they love you back.

High Magic

By far the least common version of magic, High Magic is never something which one can pick up. It is innate, either one has it or one does not. Part of the elitist thinking of the magi is that only those born with this trait make truly great mages. There is, however, no proven link between proficiency at High Magic and proficiency with Low Magic.

High Magic is divided into several Talents, each of which is separate from any other. Of course, due to the fact that it comes from the attunement of the soul, or the Numen, it is not possible for a person to attain more than one Talent of High Magic.

The most common Talents are the Four Elements. These consist of Fire, Water, Air and Earth and represent the vast majority of the users of High Magic. The more rare Talents are Plants and Life. It is often said, among those who have studied High Magic intensely, that the Talent a person has attained is usually connected to the spirit of the person receiving it. A man known for his temper might have Fire, for instance, a woman who is very compassionate may have Water as her Talent and so on.

At its most basic, High Magic is the manipulation of a nearby Element or Energy. Compared to Low Magic, High Magic has hardly anything one could call a spell. It is all about different ways of manipulating the energies around oneself. On the whole, it is considered a thankless skill to pursue by some as it offers a lot of power early on but lacks much by way of power as one increases in the skill, rather it increases in finesse. Using High Magic for wide scale destruction generally runs the very real risk of burning out or killing the caster.

High Magic users share a weakness with elves, they lose all control over their magic when an iron object is introduced into their bodies. For this reason those hunting High Mages often carry iron arrowheads or iron weapons and slavers occasionally give their slaves iron piercings to keep them from utilizing their Talent to escape. Unlike elves however, merely touching them or their magic with iron will not be enough to dispel it.

Low Magic

Low Magic

Low magic is shorthand for ritualised magic, it shares a lot of attributes with alchemy, mantra and every day magic, but is a skill separate from these. This article will deal primarily with it as a skill and not delve too deeply into its cultural aspects and how to roleplay a low magic user.

Mundane vs. Magical

Those who practise low magic tend to view the world as a sliding scale between the mundane and the magical. Low magic occupies both a position of strength and weakness towards itself. The further someone or something is from the mundane, the easier a time low magic will have in manipulating it. Therefore an archwizard will be easier to affect with a magic spell, than the common peasant. Most low magic users counteract this with layers of defensive spells, there are wizards who no longer dare to leave their towers for fear of the spells that may assail them the second they leave their place of power.

Of course, this weakness extends to a number of things. It's much easier to create a spell that will effectively make someone feel pain or make them think that they cannot move in a certain direction, than it is to actually wound them or restrain them. The ethereal is always more magical than mundane, so manipulating the ethereal is always easier than the physical for low magic users.

Spellcasting

The most important thing to note about about spellcasting is that it takes time. Even the smallest of spells will generally take over an hour to cast, the most powerful spells have been known to take months and even years to cast. There are some spells that can only be cast at certain times, or given certain circumstances.

The importance of casting a spell properly cannot be understated, not filling the ritual requirements of a spell can be the difference between success and catastrophic failure. Spells can fail for many reasons, though the most common of all is sloppiness on the spell caster. Of course, a spell failing can have all manner of strange effects, from simply not doing anything to tearing holes in reality and all manner of intermediate effects. For this reason, apprentice wizards are generally considered to be the most dangerous and are rarely allowed near powerful spells. An important part of a spell caster's training is learning to recall by rote the intricate rituals required for spellcasting.

Spell Components

A spell is made up of several components, the most important of which are the Power Source, the Sigil and the Interface. Their roles may overlap and something which is used for the interface may also be part of the power source.

Interface

Every spell has an interface, it's what allows the caster to decide its application. The most commonly used interfaces are Numen and Prime Words. The former allows the caster to control the spells mentally, although at the cost of some effort on his behalf. It is generally used for spells which need to be adjusted on the fly. The latter is a textual interface, Prime Words function much like a programming language, allowing the caster to create a spell which works without the caster's input.

An example of the former would be a wizard casting an illusion of himself, he would constantly need to alter it to mimic speech and movement to make it look realistic. By using his Numen the wizard could do this in such a way that the spell responded in real time. Whereas if the spell were merely a recording of something that had happened in the past, the illusion would not require input and the wizard could use Prime Words or some other interface to cast it, however the wizard would have little to no input in what the spell did beyond choosing before time what would trigger it to do certain things.

Power Source

The power source is another integral part of a spell. It is what provides the energy necessary for the spell to have the desired effect. While wizards have a range of different power sources at their disposal, the most important lesson is that power can be drawn from just about anything. Some curses have been known to be powered simply by people believing that the curse exists.

An important part of what powers the spell is the ritual itself. Certain materials are known to lend themselves to magic better than others, such materials are often found used in spells. The more mundane the materials used in a spell, the harder the spell is to cast. The kind of materials used will depend on the spellcaster though. A druid or shaman might use strange herbs and bones of animals, whereas a wizard would be more the kind of person who uses silver and athames.

Of course some power sources are worthy of note, among the most potent are leylines, whose power can be harnessed for the most terrible spells. It should be noted that most power sources have their advantages as well as drawbacks though. While a leyline is easily among the most potent power sources out there, it can be shifted from its course leaving the spell suddenly bereft of power. Sacrifice is another power source, but it is often a fleeting one, the taking of life can only be done once and cannot sustain a spell indefinitely.

While a small spell such as the Dark Mirror might be powered solely by the use of Prime Words, a more potent spell such as one to reanimate the dead would require more than merely Prime Words, but would require the energy which is released when someone dies. Leylines are rarely used, except to power the most powerful of spells, such as those powering stationary magical machinery.

Sigil

A sigil is generally used in spells designed to effect a certain area or which is made to take a particular shape. Sigils are made to direct and constrain the flow of power within a spell. A ward might have a sigil as simple as a circle, to define its boundaries, whereas the holding spells of some summoning spells requires more elaborate sigils, often involving pentacles and similar designs.

Seeking

Spells containing a seeking is targeted at something or someone specific and will generally include a True Name or some object connected to the thing which the spell is targeting. Curses often use a seeking, as well as Scrying spells intended to look for a specific person.

The Magic Arts

There are several magic arts, each describing a different kind of spellcrafting. The line between them can often be shifting and most effects can be achieved in more than one way. Most spellcasters will have certain magic arts that they specialise in and are known for, but any sufficiently advanced spellcaster knows at least the basics of any of them. It should be noted that this list is not conclusive and that the arts are largely a cultural expression in character.

The Basic Arts

These are the easiest magic arts and are generally considered to be the easiest to learn. This doesn't mean they're less inherently powerful than others.

Hexing

Hexing is the casting of curses with potentially harmful effect towards others. It relies a lot on Resonance. While you do not see it very often among wizards, it is relatively common among shamans, village witches and similar.

Enclosing

Enclosing is creation of wards and powerful magical barriers. It relies a lot on sigils and can contain everything from simple spells to make people get lost to powerful traps that imprison even the most powerful of entities.

Sortilege

Sortilege is a grab bag term for spells that do not fit in any other category, it contains many strange spells.

Mantike

Mantike is an art which deals with altering the properties of the body through body point and more permanent tattoos. It is one of the few arts of low magic practised by the dragonkin.

Necromancy

Necromancy is an art of low magic which deals with raising the dead and controlling them through the use of a Fetish. While it carries a certain amount of stigma, necromancy also has a high standing in certain communities as querying one's ancestors is generally considered to be important.

Scrying

Scrying is primarily an art that deals with the finding and spreading of information. Many apprentices start out learning some scrying and it is one of the most common art, but not one many choose to specialise in.

Summoning

Summoning deals with calling, holding and ultimately banishing creatures from other Planes. Each Summoning spell only summons one individual and for game play purposes each summoning spell is a summoning, banishing and holding spell. Summoners rely on bargaining with their summoned creatures to get them to obey their will.

Advanced Arts

Certain arts are considered to be more difficult to learn than others, these often require a great deal of insight into low magic to perform. A character should be at least level ten before starting to master these arts.

Artificing

Where Creation is all about creating a new kind of living being, artificing is about creating magical machinery. Spells capable of sustaining themselves indefinitely, strange sources of power. Everything from flying ships to murder machines have been made using artificing. Much like Creation, Artificing takes a lot of time to cast.

Creation

Creation is an art wherein the wizard learns to create life forms independent of himself. Unlike summoning and necromancy, the life forms are both independent of the spell caster and (usually) devoted to their well being. Creating an intelligent creature from scratch is considered to be a highly difficult task even for a seasoned wizard, as a result most of those created by Creation are fairly dumb.

Those just starting out with Creation will often use it to splice together already intelligent life forms and using them as their building blocks rather than make something entirely from scratch.

Techniques

Techniques are different from spells and spell components in that they are more of a trick that a spell caster can learn, they are not a spell in their own right, but spells can sometimes be made to imitate their effects.

Auramancy

Auramancy is the ability to be able to view a person's aura. The term is generally used to cover the senses a spell caster tends to develop over time, an ability to sense when magic is being used nearby, viewing a person's aura, and similar. While viewing someone's aura is by no means the same thing as reading someone's mind, a skilled auramancer may be able to pick up on the general mood a person is in.

Death Curse

A Death Curse or a Great Work is the act of a spell caster fashioning their entire numen into one last, completely new spell. Unlike other spells this is often created immediately, but it is done so at the cost of their life. The differentiation between a Death Curse and a Great Work, is merely that the first is generally what spell casters cast on those who have tried to kill them, whereas a Great Work is a spell which is not intended to be a curse, but more of a productive effort.

Enchanting

Enchanting is the creation of magic artefacts. When a spell caster knows this technique they can bind on of their spells into an item, creating a magical artefact. This process is time consuming, often taking months to complete and tends to leave the wizard weakened for some time after its completion.

Familiar Ritual

Using his numen the spell caster may be able to semi-permanently bind themselves to a familiar, be it an animal, a demon or anything else living the spell caster chooses. The familiar acts as the eyes and ears of the wizard and may do all manner of mischief in their name. Of course, if the familiar proves more powerful than the spell caster, it is the spell caster who will be bound to the familiar and not the other way around. Shamans often use this deliberately allying themselves with spirit animals, potent genius loci and similar.

Geis

A Geis is a magical contract, it holds the most power if entered into freely so most of those who enter into it are aware of doing so. It is not a spell in its own right, but most wizards will know how to make one.

Great Work

A Death Curse or a Great Work is the act of a spell caster fashioning their entire numen into one last, completely new spell. Unlike other spells this is often created immediately, but it is done so at the cost of their life. The differentiation between a Death Curse and a Great Work, is merely that the first is generally what spell casters cast on those who have tried to kill them, whereas a Great Work is a spell which is not intended to be a curse, but more of a productive effort.

Resonance

Resonance is the bond between one thing and a thing related to it. It is often used in Scrying and Cursing for establishing a bond between the spell and the person it is supposed to target.

Skill Tree

Most practitioners of low magic will only learn a handful of spells from their mentor in the course of their apprenticeship. For the purpose of character creation, the number of spells your character knows is equal to 5 plus the number of experience points in low magic. The spells can be spread across most of the known branches of the magic arts.

As practitioners of low magic advance in their knowledge of low magic, they will become more able to improvise with their spells, adapting them for different power sources and more spectacular effects. However, as a trade off, they are becoming increasingly vulnerable to hostile magic.

For every experience point a low magic user accrues they may add one spell to their spell list, so even if you have reached the level cap, they may continue to gain spells.

0. Someone without any knowledge of low magic generally has very little insight into it, wizards guard their secrets carefully and most would only be able to tell that low magic is afoot, insight into the mechanics of spellcasting is jealously guarded.

1. The point at which a low magic practitioner enters training.

3. Rigourous training allows a low magic practitioner to manipulate their numen to allow for controlling spells with their minds.

5. By this time a spell caster has picked up the ability to see auras and their senses will have expanded somewhat to allow them to sense when powerful magic is being practiced nearby.

6. The spell caster may at this point have gained enough control over their numen to fuse it with a Familiar without the guidance of their teacher.

7. A spell caster generally starts becoming more aware of how spells are put together and may start their first clumsy steps in modifying spells for greater or smaller effects.

9. This is about when the spell caster becomes able to make a Geis.

10. For wizards, they will now be nearing the end of their apprenticeship. Outside of wizards and heavily specialised spell casters you rarely find anyone with low magic skills greater than this.

11. At this point a spell caster may learn how to make use of the more advanced arts of low magic.

13. As their skill with Prime Words and magic increases a spell caster may be able to hazard an educated guess as to what another spell will do merely by studying it.

15. Around this point the spell caster may learn the costly technique of enchanting items and infusing their spells into them.

17. Around this time a spell caster becomes so proficient with using their numen that they may fashion it into a Great Work or Death Curse at the cost of their lives.

25. The pinnacle of low magic skill, those who reach it are considered the very most potent of wizards and may be so ensorcelled that the very air around them feels unreal.

Role Playing a Spell Caster

Role playing a low magic user will always be something of a challenge. They are not the best suited to combat, as their spells can take hours to cast and their will only be useful if prepared beforehand or used in ambushes and similar situations where the spell caster lures the enemy onto their turf. They also face something of a challenge as those they are most likely to run into are generally those who are the hardest to use magic against. Low magic is at its strongest when dealing with the magical, and at its weakest when dealing with the mundane. It is therefore generally advisable to avoid spells which are directly geared towards combat and focus on other uses for magic.

The cultural aspect of a spell caster is also very important. What a user of low magic calls themselves will tell you a lot about them, a shaman will generally have spells that are very different from that of a high born wizard or sorcerer. Low magic seeps into every day life in Adylheim through folk or everyday magic, you can find someone in most villages who practices a little bit of low magic, witches, shamans, wise folk, etc. Even though they are not the same as a wizard they will generally command a greater degree of respect than the common man. At the same time, should they overstretch their powers, they may easily become a target for the witchfinders and other dangers.

Every spell your character has should reflect themselves in the history or personality of your character. A shaman will cast a spell very differently from a wizard. Druids may have strange sacrificial rites where animals are slaughtered to power their spells, whereas wizards will draw elaborate pentagrams, use expensive candles and things like that. The spell should always reflect where your character is coming from, if he learned a few magic tricks on the streets, he might cast a scrying spell on a pool of water rather than the pool of ink a wizard might use.

Part of the fun of playing a low magic user is knowing your limits and when to exceed them in the name of fun. There is a reason why the apprentice who learns the wrong spell out of his master's spellbook and sets loose terrible peril on the world is such a fantasy classic. Low magic users can always have spells which are more powerful than their current level, but casting such spells may end in terrible danger for all those involved.

Magi Society

There are in fact very few underlying facts which can be held to be generally true concerning mages and their societies. A few simple things can be said, however. There are generally considered to be three classes of mages, the Magi, the Apprentices and the Hedge Mages. Magic societies usually cluster around a single coven or mage who teaches apprentices, some of which end up as Hedge Magi as they prove ill equipped to handle the tasks required of a magi.

Apprentices

Apprentices are generally the bottom rung of the magical ladder in any given society. They are the ones who end up doing those chores which are left outside the purview of servants and such. They are still being taught the basics of magic and are studying under a mage.

Hedge Mages

Hedge Mages are apprentices who have quit their apprenticeship before being fully trained in the magical arts. They know some tricks, but are generally considered to be mere dabblers and incompetents. They often serve in important positions performing small feats of magic to earn their keep. Though their positions are often important, they lack the respect a true magi receives.

Magi

Magi go by many names; Sorcerors, Shamen, Warlocks, Wizards, Magicians, Mages, and so on and so forth, depending on the personal preference of the magi. Some experienced magi may even don the extra mantle of Arch, referring to themselves as Archmagus or Archwizard, depending on their level of experienced when compared to their peers and their own self-conceit. They are the top rung of the magical society though they come in as many varieties as there are people.

Magical Servants and Tools

There are several magical servants which may be summoned up by skilled magi. Though the more usual extraplanar imps and similar used for this are one solution, some magi have found other ways of acquiring servants for other purposes and in other ways. Some are merely there for communication purposes, such as the Egregores, others are less subtle, such as the Magorgs.

Egregores

Egregores are humans which have been joined together mentally. An Egregor is never alone, their mind permanently connected to the other members of their group, Egregores in the same group are always fully aware of what the others are doing and what they are sensing and feeling. This renders them especially vulnerable to such things as torture. Egregores in one group are always the same gender.

Magorgs

The name Magorg can refer to humans or humanoids who have had magical implants in general, though they usually refer to the sect of Magorgs which are found in the Duchy of Starkwater.

Sleepers

Sleepers are humans which have been implanted with a specific spell. When given a set trigger, this spell will activate, usually replacing the human with an extraplanar entity of some kind. As the spell uses its host’s Numen as the power source, it only activates once and costs its host its life. Those implanted with this spell are often unaware of it. Sleepers often work as servants or otherwise near the mage who cast the spell and are used as a last resort defence if the mage should come under attack.

Magic of Adylheim

Magic in Adylheim is divided into two categories; High Magic, which is dependent on an innate ability and usually has a relatively limited effect, and Low Magic, which requires ritualistic spells, but can achieve effects of a much greater magnitude.

Basic Rules

1. Nothing comes from nothing - Magic cannot create something from thin air, magic is the art of manipulating the forces around oneself.
2. Something must come from something - All magic requires a source of power. There are a multitude of these found throughout the Multiverse, the foremost among which are the life force of the magi, the Numen, as well as Ley Lines, Artifacts, Divinity and other beings.
3. Magic is effecting change - Magic takes on several forms, but they all work to alter the environment around the mage, or to alter other things forcibly to the mage’s advantage. Magic is manipulation, not creation.

The Divide of Magic

High Magic deals with the manipulation of reality through using the Numen to manipulate the forces around the Magician. High Magic is divided into Talents, where each Talent manipulates a certain phenomenon. Some manipulate life, some manipulate fire, some manipulate plants and so on.

As High Magic uses the Numen, or life force, directly, it may have adverse affects if a mage overextends himself using High Magic. These effects can range from premature aging, dizziness and exhaustion to outright death. High Magic usually relies on immediate, localized effects. Sometimes the innate abilities of certain races may be categorized as High Magic.

Low Magic is a catch-all phrase for things that are close to High Magic in effect, or which are vastly different but are still considered magical. Low Magic often relies on rituals to unlock the potential of the Numen or outside forces. Examples of this is such practices as Alchemy and similar. Most crafting skills when reaching a certain level will be considered Low Magic. Low Magic is the primary source of artefacts, High Magic is not capable of producing artifacts.

Artifacts

Artifacts are items which have some supernatural function. They are primarily created by those who dabble in Low Magic. Artifacts can also be created by gods and other deities.

High Magic

High Magic relies on the manipulation of certain forces. There are very few spells in the repertoire of a High Magician, those that exist rely on the manipulation of nearby phenomenon or elements. The traditional sense of a spell which you find in Low Magic cannot be found here, as the more one develops their Talent the better their ability to manipulate whatever their talent allows them becomes. A Fire Talent would be able to change the size of a fire at a relatively low level, whereas later they might be able to shape this fire into specific things or even keep it from burning someone. However, due to the manipulative nature of High Magic someone with a Fire Talent would be more or less powerless in an environment where there is no fire to manipulate.

There are many forms of High Mages, the more common choosing to apply to the Four Elements. The rarer Talents include Plant manipulation, Life itself, temporarily increasing the abilities of others, or some are even capable of manipulating the Numen, allowing them to change the spells cast by other High Mages and even some Low Magic spells. No one can have more than one Talent. It should be noted that the Talent someone is born with often reflects their temperament and demeanour; someone with a Fire Talent will often be rash for instance.

Low Magic

Low Magic is also known as Ritual Magic. Ritual Magic allows one to tap into stronger forces than High Magic, but the spells invariably take much longer to perform and have much more precise costs and effects. Where High Magic cannot be said to have any set spells in any sense of the word, Low Magic relies on elaborate rituals taught from master to apprentice to create specific spells with specific effects.

Ritual Magic is divided into several different Arts: Alchemy, which attempts to activate the Numen in others through potions and elixirs as well as strange items. Summoning, which creates portals to other worlds and brings creatures into this one, either for knowledge or for service. Mantra, which can create miracles through extensive prayer, sometimes seeming to be the closest to High Magic, though some argue that the power from this comes from the Gods and not the Numen. Artificing, which specializes in creating items with strange and intense powers. Artificers are are the producers of the vast majority of magical items. Necromancers, who deal with the dead and the undead, raising them through elaborate rites. Enclosing, which temporarily or permanently create magic fields with various purposes and Creation, which endeavours to create or manipulate into being magical organisms.

It should be noted that mages are not bound to pursue only one Art, though it should be noted that Mantra is rarely used by those who claim to be mages and is rather used by priests and religious figures. The Arts are the tools of the magus, not the path of the magus.

Though it is rarely spoken of outside the practitioners of Necromancy, most users of Low and High Magic can boost their efforts through the illegal use of sacrifice to ensure that they do not expend their own Numen too much.

Spells and Rituals

The casting of spells in Low Magic is heavily ritualized, usually requiring several steps to be taken before any effect takes place. Most require hours, if not days, to cast and the general rule is that the more powerful and delicate the spell is, the longer it will take to get it ready and to cast it. These rituals are ways of harnessing the energy which is necessary to cast the spell. As a rule of thumb, the advancement of a mage depends on what kind of energies he has learnt to safely handle. The weakest and simplest spells usually merely require the use of Numen and Prime Words whereas more potent spells often use the power of leylines or sacrifice to power the spells. It should be noted that while ritual and spell may be used interchangeably, spell usually refers to the effect, while the ritual refers to the effort necessary for creating this effect.

Scrying

The Scriers rely on meditation and the Numen to aid them in their art. They send their spirit out of their bodies in a process they call “Witchwalking”, often sending them to other places, so they may perceive things that are happening elsewhere in distant places. They can also send their spirit to other Planes of existence. Scriers are also adept at bi-location and therefore are favoured servants of rulers in need of efficient messengers.

Mantra

A series of prayers that create miracles which often needs acts of sacrifice or days spent praying. Mantra is something of a special case as it is rarely used by mages themselves, but rather by priests. Though it is a form of magic, it is not usually used as such. Typical results include: healing, plagues, great strokes of luck, etc.

Alchemy

Items and Elixirs which may affect the body to produce temporary or non-temporary effects of a wide ranging nature. Alchemy too is a special case, much like Mantra, and though it uses some of the trademarks of Low Magic, such as sigils it is separate enough to be its own skill.

Summoning

Using ritual chants and summons to bring beings from other Planes to this one.

Necromancy

Uses sacrifice and dead bodies to create horrors. Involves the creation of a fetish as a control mechanism, and elaborate rites which deal with the awakening of the undead. If the fetish is destroyed, the necromancer loses his power over the undead he is controlling.

Artificing

Can create magical devices which can produce a number of effects, their power is entirely in their ability to create such devices. The prime producer of magic devices/items. Alchemy is seen as a branch of Artificing by most Magi, though Alchemy has developed separately from other magic arts and there are Alchemists who claim no part of magic. Artificing is perhaps one of the most diverse arts out there, it encompasses a wide variety of approaches, some create magical machinery, others create wonders out of meshing clockwork and magic, others again create out and out magical items, such as staffs and swords.

Enclosing

Creates environments wherein the normal laws of nature do not apply, these can be either temporary or permanent. Usually these will have specific effects, such as a light healing, incapability of using high magic and so on. Enclosing also incorporates the easier but somewhat less powerful practise of creating Wards.

Enclosers utilize the power of Leylines, transforming the natural power coursing through the earth, diverting it at critical junctures and restructuring it through intense rituals, creating zones wherein all manner of effects can take place. Leylines may also naturally create places of bad influence, in which cases Enclosers are sometimes called upon to fix it.

Enclosers usually work with loadstones and iron rods which they drive into the earth.

Hexing

Hexing is hard to quantify as a magical Art, it is a collection of spells which don't really have a common quantifier so much as that they don't fit under any of the other arts.

Creation

This Art is one of the more difficult of the magical Arts, it is the creation of magical organisms, usually through the use of Mind Crafting and Flesh Forging.

Geomancy

Several Magical Arts employ the use of geometric shapes to create their spells and this art employs the study of such recurring phenomenon in magic and why they’re important. Not a very practical field of study, but could potentially lead to a greater insight into the field of magic. This is also occasionally referred to as Gramarye.

Auramancy

The study of auras, given off by everyone and everything and how they interact. Also lacks a practical upside, but can theoretically be used to tell a lot about the world around oneself. Requires specific equipment/skills to see auras.

Racial and Non-racial Abilities Similar to Magic

Glamour

The Elves produce glamours which make them appear prettier to others, glamours depend on the elf being conscious so it will disappear if the elf is knocked unconscious, but not if it is sleeping. With more training Elves can also make themselves look like other people.

Telepathy

Having no mouth, the Dae’vol rely on telepathic communication, though they can only sense thoughts which are specifically directed at them. With more training though, they are capable of grabbing surface thoughts of others, using their telepathic ability as a radar and eventually becoming capable of looking through their memories and understanding things.

Transform

Bear men are a race cursed by the gods, they can shift between bears and humans, though their race is a highly unstable one, with babies often being killed because they were not right. They can transform into bears at will.

Death Curse

Magical beings and magicians of various kinds have learned the power of the Numen as it leaves the body is extremely potent, thus they may throw a curse at someone as they die. Being on the receiving end of a Death Curse is not a pleasant prospect.

Great Work

A Great Work is the equivalent of a Death Curse, where a mage uses the remainder of his Numen to create a powerful spell. Producing a Great Work can mean making something so powerful it drains one of the remainder of one’s life.

Miscellanies

Cats

Cats are naturally sensitive to magic and will often make friends with magi.

Iron

While Alchemists and Artificers make use of Iron in their work, certain forms of magic have proved to be hindered by its presence. Ley Lines may be halted by them, Scrying through Iron is also impossible. Iron has also proved to be a failsafe against most of the Glamours which elves create, while it will not keep someone from seeing the Glamour, touching the Iron to it will make it cease to exist till the elf remakes it. Elves are not fond of Iron for this reason and do not carry any on their bodies, though steel strangely gives them no problem. Iron is also especially useful for hurting extra-planar beings, Iron cannot be manipulated through High Magic.

Thunderstone

A rare substance which is impervious to all magic and may be considered the antithesis of magic.

Mantra

Mantra is the art of asking for divine interference and being granted it. It is treated as separate from Low Magic and Alchemy and is not treated as a skill, but a lore.

Mantra as a Lore

Mantra is treated differently from Low Magic, Alchemy and similar skills, it is in fact not a skill at all, but based around Lore. Unlike these skills Mantra has very few spells, each of which are usually specific to a granted deity which the PC would need to follow at least fairly faithfully in order for the spells granted by the deity to work. Those wishing to play priests of a specific deity may choose to equip themselves with two spells specific to their deity, and will be rewarded with more as moderators see that they act in their gods best interest during in character play.

Spells of Mantra

Mantra spells are similar to Low Magic in that they take a lengthy ritual to complete before having an effect, often these rituals involve prolonged prayer with the possible inclusion of sacrifices to the appropriate god. Due to the necessity of involving a god, Mantra spells will vary in power depending on the person casting it, the situation and if the god approves of the use the spell is being put to.

While there are few common denominators in the effects of spells, they will vary according to the deity that is being worshipped, one of the things priests have been known to do is bless various objects. However, the items blessed have different effects, objects blessed by priests of Erina (who typically bless water) have been known to protect against sea monsters, the nuts or seeds blessed by Priests of Akar are effective at warding off the undead, the wine blessed by priests of Lapis is said to be both an aphrodisiac and sure to turn hate into love, the mushrooms blessed by the priests of Il'unno is said to give visions and so on.

Apart from this though, the spells available to practitioners of Mantra will vary not only based on the deity they follow, but also the specific cult they are a member of, the Thissies cult of Spire City has a healing spell which works somewhat like a snake shedding its skin, whereas the Thissies cult in Fort Resolve has a spell which brings rain to the fields. Spells will typically fit the deity to which the cult is related though, a priest of Maadrth would never have any kind of healing spell.

The Extent of Mantra

For the most part Mantra spells are limited to the clergy of a certain god. Spells are passed down from priest to priest and the demise of a cult is often the demise of their spells. It should be noted that warrior priests, or paladins, often have Mantra spells too, cults which revolve around warfare usually have spells which aid in battle and the paladins cherish these as gifts from their specific gods.

Outside of cults and their holy men and women Mantra spells are rarely seen, they may occasionally be granted by the gods to especially favoured children though.

Exceptions

Dragonkin and others who worship dragons do not use mantra magic as it has no effect for them, along a similar vein, the Dae'vol who worship the Sleeping God do not use mantra for fear of waking him. Demi-gods and lesser deities such as the Walkers also do not answer to mantra spells, though they are occasionally worshipped.

Example Spells

Snake's Blessing: After a full two nights spent in prayer, the Priest may remove any trace of venom or poison from a man's body through the grace of Thissies.

Erina's Calming Hand: By ritually sacrificing their own blood and gifts of alcohol to Erina, a devotee of Erina may calm raging seas.

Future Sight: After spending a fortnight in constant meditation and prayer a priestess of Il'unno may be granted visions of the future.

Charn's Departure: By sacrificing a local leader and two vultures in an elaborate ritual involving prayer and meditation, a priest of Charn may remove the blight of pestilence from a village or town.

The Blossoming of Love: Through extensive prayer and the burning of incense a priestess of Lapis may turn hate to love and end old quarrels between neighbours.

Sources of Power

There are a myriad of mystical forces and principles in the world which may be taken advantage of by those who dare. Many of the more known Magic Arts take advantage of at least one of these forces.

Chaos

Tapping into this one force is considered extremely hazardous, it is nonetheless an extremely potent form of energy and there are always those who have been tempted by it. Chaos magic is potent, but it is a highly fickle form of magic. Chaos magic is prone to do things of its own accord and may often work against its user, or stop working entirely at crucial moments. Chaos magic also wears out the body of those using it, as mortal bodies are not meant to harness the power of Chaos. With potential for tearing holes in reality itself, Chaos magic is outlawed and its users are generally hunted down by mages.

Deodate

Deodate translates roughly to the Will of the Gods, and is similar to the Planar powers. These powers exist only as an extension of a deity. They are principally used in the magic art of Mantra and accessing them involves prayer and sacrifice in most cases.

Familiars

To explain what a familiar is, it is generally much easier than explaining how one manages to get one. Familiars are a creature which has been attuned to a particular magician, the exact manner of the creature depends entirely on the magician. A traditional choice is cats, those with less of a traditional bent may choose imps or gargoyles or any manner of strange creature that they can bend to their will. There are both advantages and dangers in having a familiar, many use them as messengers and with the special bond that comes with having a familiar comes being able to see through its eyes and feel what it is feeling. The negative side of this means that if the familiar is in pain, the magician will feel it, if the familiar is killed the magician will be grievously injured through their mental link and may be ill for days. Familiars are created through an intricate ritual which is known to most magi.

Geis

The precise nature of a geis is one that is difficult to understand. At its most basic, it is a magical contract forcing the one it has been placed on to do certain tasks or avoid certain things. While a geis can constrain someone from doing something they would otherwise do, it is always dependant on the willingness of the one it is cast on for its effectiveness. For a person to enter into a geis, he has to be willing to enter into it, using coercion or lies to make someone accept the geis will lessen its effectiveness. A completely voluntary geis will render the one who has the geis placed on him unable to not comply with the points of the geis. Some cults use a geis to keep their followers from doing things they should not. There are also examples of mages who will not let anyone into their towers without a geis being placed on them to not destroy or hurt anyone inside.

Leylines

This is the very power of the Earth itself. The Enclosers tap into it to create their powerful fields. It runs in veins through the Earth and some places may be more potent than others. An Encloser can do many strange things through halting or increasing the flow of certain parts of the energy of the Leylines.

Numen

The Numen is mystical force which resides in all sentient and non-sentient life forms. In some the Numen is more potent than in others. These are those few who can manipulate the art of High Magic, and indeed it is the pinnacle of High Magic. Use of the Numen through High Magic has varied results, such as exhaustion, nose bleeds, death through overuse and also slowed aging. Others also rely on the Numen to sustain their Magical efforts, though these forms of Low Magic use the Numen in wildly different ways. Necromancers, for instance, pervert the Numen and turn it into something they can control. Alchemists make use of Elixirs which temporarily alter the Numen of those who drink them, causing many strange effects. The bleed off of the Numen is what causes the creation of Auras, which may say many interesting things about persons. High Mages are immediately recognizable by their Auras.

Planes

Many strange things can be found on other Planes. There are those who like to seek out these things and summon them through opening portals to these Planes and bargaining with them. Planes are not countries, they are more akin to alternate existences and may vary extremely from Plane to Plane.

Prime Words

Certain words are believed to hold inestimable power when uttered, though merely possessing them may cause horrible effects. Geomancers believe that words of power are merely a stronger version of sigils. Alchemists believe they originate from the gods themselves, that they are part of the make up of the world. Words can be used by anyone, though they are extremely hard to find as they cannot be written down or spoken aloud without triggering them. Even keeping a Prime Word in one’s head can have profound effects on the caster.

Prime Words are in almost all cases divided into two camps; the Greater Prime Words and the Lesser Prime Words, the former being words of inestimable power such as described above and they are what is usually referred to by Prime Words. The Lesser Prime Words are words containing focusing power, such as what is used in Summoning and Mantra, these words not actually capable of performing feats on their own, but getting the attention of someone who can. It is believed that Lesser Prime Words are related to True Names. It should be noted that when one refers to Prime words, it is usually the Lesser Prime Words which are being referred to.

Known Greater Prime Words

Klaatu: stops time, temporarily
Nikto: death (causes all who hear it to die)
Plugh: opens a dimensional rift

Quintessence

Quintessence is believed by Alchemists to be something similar to a Numen residing in all things. It is the acting agent in the majority of their Elixirs and items. The Quintessence remains something of an elusive myth to others, though the Alchemists claim it is the equivalent of an echo of the power of the Numen or the Divine Principle which was used to make it.

Resonance

Resonance is one of the oft used forces in magic, the basic idea is that things which are similar will affect each other. It can be used for a variety of purposes, the most common is that of using something which a person held dear to track their whereabouts, or the construction of magical fetishes which allow one to inflict harm to a person from afar. It can also be used to find other things, such as water, precious minerals and similar. Resonance can be hindered, though doing so means undergoing several painful processes to painfully alter oneself so as to become disparate from the object through which the Resonance magic is used.

Sacrifice

By a process called “Bleed off” by the Auramancers the creation and ending of life creates energy which may be used for a variety of purposes. Nefarious necromancers have been known to create magical machines which require a constant stream of sacrificial victims to operate. Most capture this energy by trapping it inside sigils and channeling it towards specific purposes. While it is theoretically possible to gain the same energy by having a birth take place inside a sigil, such events are much harder to time than death due to their nature. Using human sacrifice to power one’s spells is generally outlawed though lesser forms of it. Using animals or plants, are generally frowned on, but not immediately illegal.

Sigils

There is said to be power in certain geometrical shapes, the most powerful of which is the circle. The Circle is a repeating phenomenon in magic, be it from the necessity of protecting oneself from others or for creating prisons. Other geometrical shapes also have power and are often used, especially by Enclosers and Summoners. The study of these Sigils and similar recurring phenomenon is referred to as Geomancy. Though Sigils are employed especially by Summoners and Enclosers, they are a part of nearly every form of Low Magic to some extent.

True Names

Some creatures can be bound by their True Names. This is especially true of extra-planar entities such as demons. It is also true of mages however, and those mages who lose their true name to a hostile entity may find themselves in dire straits. To most people however their True Names have little significance.

Wizarding Paraphernalia

Clothing

Most mages choose to dress themselves in robes expressive of their station in life, however, some choose to dress otherwise though this makes it harder to identify them as magi. The robes themselves may vary from the relatively simple robes of apprentices to the elaborate robes of true magi and according to local fashions. Experienced magi often have extensive protective spells woven into the fabric of their robes though, though it should be noted that there are very few spells which protect against physical harm, most hindering spells from having an effect on the wearer instead.

While hats, hoods and such are common among magi, they carry little by way of significance for them. There are several other items of clothing magi wear, but apart from the robes they rarely have any significance and are only rarely enchanted in any way.

Staffs

While not a necessity, most mages make use of a staff to aid them in spells. For most apprentices and hedge magi this is merely a piece of wood which occasionally serves as a weapon. The more advanced magi though implant powerful spells within their staffs, using them in a variety of ways, some make them into reservoirs for Numen, others make them a repository of powerful spells while some ancient wizards merely use them as walking aides.

The staff is another piece of a wizard's attire and is sure to give any wizard wielding one instant recognition for his rank. Sadly as often happens among wizards, when the particularly powerful die, their staffs quickly become highly attractive items for wizards who are still alive.

Rings & Jewellery

One of the more common items to be enchanted for the wizard's own benefit are rings. Usually these offer some subtle benefit to the wizard wearing them, such as the ability to see any spells located nearby or heightening the wizard's intelligence or any number of other similar effects.

Other pieces of jewellery are often enchanted too and worn as amulets, often these have protective properties and function to ward off offensive spells. Some wizards have a fondness for this, while other consider them too gaudy. Generally, to avoid spells interacting with each other in ways the wizard cannot expect, they will avoid wearing too many enchanted items while casting spells.

Spellbooks

One of the things which identify a wizard are his spellbooks, these grimoires are often warded with spells to keep others from making use of them. A spellbook will contain everything from a wizard's spells and notes to his diary and often contain information on spells no other wizard has in their possession.

These books can be anything from small personal books to large tomes, most contain spells and notes on magic which contain the wizard's personal research and spells. While wizards can usually remember their spells without needing an extra reference, for the less used spells and rituals the spellbooks are often handy. As a consequence of wizards wishing to keep their spells secret often write their spellbooks in code or in long lost languages.

It is also fairly standard practise to leave small traps for those reading it to keep the random dabbler from pillaging a wizard's work.

The Tower

While not every wizard has a tower, their abodes are often referred to as such. Most towers are immense places of power, wherein the wizards have spent years placing wards and barriers and all manner of spells of advantage. Generally speaking the older the wizard, the more potent the defences a tower has.

It is generally considered to be very ill advised to attack or act against wizards in their tower as this is where they are at their mightiest and hold all the cards. Despite this, there are often several rooms in a wizard's tower wherein no spells have been cast. Usually these rooms are used for allowing other wizards to communicate with them and for summoning things from other planes.

While towers often have specific rooms like magical laboratories and storage rooms and similar, each tower is specific to the wizard who lives there and will usually be made to fit the residing wizard.

After Death

Once a wizard is dead it often becomes a race for other wizards to get at their belongings, powerful enchantments, their towers and their spellbooks are all considered up for grabs, especially among the more mercenary wizards. For this reason, wizards often implant a Geis in their apprentices to bury them in prepared vaults with potent defences, to keep their bodies from being desecrated in death.

Often wizards also leave towers and other paraphernalia to their apprentices, though, just as often it is a case of some other wizard coming along, slowly destroying the defences and settling in where the powerful wizard once lived.

Generally speaking, the more powerful the deceased wizard, the sooner their counterparts will come to loot his treasures and research. Of course, the more powerful the wizard, the more potent the spells they will have left in place to protect their belongings once they are deceased.