Meriath Magic System
A guide to the magic system in Meriath.


  Necromantic
The art of channelling the energy of life. Whlie the name of Necromancy is largely associated with the dark form of the art, the school of magic also includes the healing arts, as well as the powerful ressurection magic. Necromancy has been used by practitioners for millenia to heal wounds and inflict them, particularly clerics. A somewhat more discredited usage of the art is the creation of the undead, ranging from the souless zombies to the devious vampires. Gabriel is patron of Necromancers.

Healing
  The healing arts are one of the purest forms of Necromancy, the practice of chanelling pure light energy into a being with the intent of curing its ailments. Practised by clerics of Gabriel for millenia, these arts were perfected in the Lao-Tzu monastery in Lotan, where the first ressurection was performed by St. Enki, an impassioned monk who sought to save his slain lover, Damkina.

  Heal
The simplest of the light arts, a healing spell pours light energy into a being, sealing wounds and healing flesh. Its applications are in part limited, however, to simple wounds. Healing spells will heal anything with flesh, even undead. They will also however destroy the dark energy that animates them.

  Purge
A more careful application of the light arts focuses light energy into a being's immune system, allowing its natural defenses to overcome disease and, with experience, poison.

  Cleanse
Combining a purging of the system and a healing of the flesh, the Cleansing spell heals wounds while washing the body of poison. It also serves to refresh fatigue and can even improve the constitution.

  Restore
A healing spell may seal rent flesh, but it cannot replace a lost limb or refill an empty eye socket. A Restorative spell can reattach lost parts and, in its more powerful form, even completely regrow them.

  Resurrect
The most miraculous of the light arts, Ressurection uses the body's memory of a soul to return a soul to it. The journey back from the land of the dead is a harrowing one, but the spell can restore life to a dead body. Gabriel is told to have used the art to return himself from beyond the grave.

Blessing
  The blessing arts serve to channel light energy into a being with the intent of improving its physical attributes and allowing it to reach its potential. The blessing arts were perfected in the Karti mountains where the Karti people used them to empower their warriors in the constant struggle against the Manchurian Empire. The most famous usage of the arts was during the great battle of Karti folklore where the legendary hero Indra fought the Manchurian dragon Vritra, who had joined with the Manchurian Empire in exchange for dominion over the sea. Indra was Blessed by Soma, the most powerful of Karti clerics, giving him such strength, wisdom and fortitude that he was able to kill the dragon by wrestling it into a jungle amid a thunderstorm, where a lightning bolt slew the creature.

  Vivify
An expression of light energy that bolsters the tissues of a living being, rather than simply healing them. A being imbued with this energy finds itself more resistant to damage taken from injury.

  Augment
A more refined form of the Vivification spell, Augmentation serves to strengthen the tissues overall, allowing them to take both more damage and more overall stress.

  Imbue
As well as improving the tissues, this spell serves to imbue the nervous system with additional energy, heightening the reflexes of the subject. The spell is more effective at tissue enhancement than its lesser forms.

  Empower
Sacrificing durability for power, this spell serves to tremendously enhance the strength of the subject while doing nothing for his constitution, which actually suffers slightly from the stress. The light energy significantly increases the reflexes of the subject, allowing him keener senses and sight.

  Bless
By chanelling high levels of refined light energy through the nerves and tissues of a subject, a cleric can significantly enhance all aspects of his person, making him both capable of moving mountains and outwitting even the smartest of professors!

Channelling
  Channelling, the central subschool of the Necromantic school, cannot be learned until one spell from either pole of the school has been learned (e.g. One healing spell, one harming spell. Or one blessing spell, one harming spell. One healing spell & one blessing spell would not be sufficient, as an understanding of both ends of the scale are required for this subschool to be learnt.) Channelling expands upon the basic channelling which comprises the Necromantic art as a whole. Although all aspects of Necromancy require the channelling of basic spiritual energy, the channelling subschool focuses upon channelling spiritual energy more deftly and in more complex forms. Perhaps one of the most distressing uses of the channelling subschool is the creation of undead from soulless bodies.

  Focus
The soul itself is composed of the balanced energies of light and dark. While most of the necromantic arts channel energy from outside the body into it, a Necromancer who specialises in channelling can simply focus the energies already present within the body to achieve a more effective healing or harming of a being.

  Channel Self
Before one can know others, one must know thyself. With this view, a channeller learns to control the flows of his own body and soul with great adeptness. A channeller can focus the light energies within himself, clearing his mind, while channelling the dark energies into his fury and power.

  Channel Spirit
Once mastery of the self is achieved, a channeller can begin to channel others. Rather than simply channelling light and dark energy, a channeller reaches a more comprehensive understanding of the Underworlds where souls go after death. He learns to draw aspects of souls from these planes, fragments of beings that have long since been corroded by time. Channelling these into himself and into others, he can enhance the power of subjects with aspects of heroes and villains long-dead. A darker form of the art is to channel dark aspects into a soulless, yet intact body, reanimating it and bringing it under one's control as a zombie. The zombie will slowly destroy itself because the dark energy within it works to kill the tissues of the body, unless it is periodically healed with light energy (but not sufficient to destroy the dark aspect).

  Channel Soul
As the channeller's understanding of the soul increases, he learns how to weave together the broken aspects of the souls of the dead, bringing them back briefly to this side. Using himself or another as a focal point, a channeller can speak to the one who he channels. A darker channeller could, however, use this skill to reshape a soul, replacing the lighter aspects with darkness. While this frequently results in a powerful, yet limited undead, powerful channellers can give the creature the power to channel light energy itself, creating a Vampire. Vampires, while immensely powerful, must constantly consume the light energy of souls in order to repair the flesh of their bodies, which are constantly being worn away by the caustic nature of the dark energies within them.

  Manifest
With a true understanding of the soul comes the power to reconstruct it in a semi-material form. Some channellers use this powerful spell to allow a spirit to return to learn the reasons for its death, to exact revenge, or even just to speak to its family. Of course, darker channellers use the spell for the more vicious purposes of forcing a spirit to remain in this world as punishment, or even just to produce a particularly dangerous form of undead. The spell, regrettably, cannot ressurect the dead. The spell can also be used to temporarily allow a caster to transfer his own soul into a semi-material construct, for whatever reasons he might have.

Cursing
  The cursing arts serve to channel dark energy into a being with the intent of impairing its physical attributes and denying it its potential. The cursing arts were perfected in the iniquitous Manchurian Imperial Court, where the Emperor's ministers spent years in bitter vendettas. The most famous usage of the arts was in the punishment of Soma, the famed Karti cleric. Soma had grown arrogant with success and in his lust had carried away Tala, the wife of the Manchurian minister Bli-Spau-Ti. Bli-Spau, a warlord, waged a brief war against Soma in an attempt to get his wife back. Soma was prepared to enlist the help of the dragon and pay the terrible prices they would exact in order to keep Tala. Before this could happen, the Karti delivered Soma and Tala directly to Bli-Spau, rather than face another war or the desires of the dragons. Bli-Spau cursed Soma with such vehemence that Soma seemed to age a hundred years in a moment. Soma was abandoned, left to wander Manchuria as a blind, deaf, frail, weak-minded beggar to the end of his days.

  Weaken
Rather than simply causing the flesh to die, this application of dark power has a more insidious effect by spreading itself more thinly, weakening the flesh and making future attacks easier. Initially, the effect is just upon the power of the muscles, but eventually the fortitude of the subject comes into question.

  Dull
The dark energy poured into the subject has the twofold effect of weakening his metabolism and dulling his reflexes. In more powerful cases, his eyesight is weakened.

  Punish
As well as being a more powerful application of the Dulling spell, the Punishment spell can be specially worded so that it only comes into effect if certain circumstances come into effect. An example would be attempting to prevent a man from lying, such that if he were to lie, the curse would cast itself upon him.

  Steal
Rather than simply weakening a man's constitution, an adept cleric can rend the light energy from an opponent's body, strengthening his own. The Steal spell is the embodiment of this application of dark necromancy.

  Curse
Dark energy flows through the victim's veins, wracking his body with pain and sapping the strength from his flesh. As his eyes whiten, his mind dims. As he begins to cough and hack, his fingers become so rheumatic they cannot even grip a sword, let alone lift one. Truly, this is a Curse.

Harming
  The harming arts are a form of Necromancy as pure as the healing arts, the practice of chanelling dark energy into a being with the intent of causing it harm. Although not practiced openly by the clerics of Gabriel, more than a few have at least a cursory knowledge of its power. More prominently, the dark art was practised by the tribes of the Ragau desert, the only part of Manchuria not under the control of the Manchurian Empire. The art was perfected in the Lao-Tzu monastery, as were the healing arts, but under slightly different circumstances. Nergal, a Ragau warlord, had stormed the Lao-Tzu monastery in an attempt to kill St. Enki, his rival, and claim Damkina, the woman he loved. When Damkina announced to him her undying love for St. Enki, Nergal vowed to test this claim and in a fit of anger Killed Damkina with such force that her body crumbled to dust and was carried away by the winds. Overcome by sorrow, Nergal slaughtered his entire body of men with a single word and dashed the soul from his own body, leaving him as nothing but a living corpse. Legend has it that after St. Enki ressurected Damkina, he prayed to Gabriel for a punishment for Nergal, who was thereafter turned into the first Vampire and sentenced to roam the world for eternity in contemplation of his deeds.

  Harm
The simplest of the dark arts, a harming spell works by chanelling dark energy into a being, causing flesh to shrivel up and split into festering wounds.

  Poison
A more refined version of the Harm spell, Poisoning works by channeling dark energy into a being's immune system, initially causing the diseases already within the body to gain control and infect the subject. With more powerful applications of this spell, the infection reaches such a level of acuteness that the toxins produced serve to critically weaken the flesh within a very short period of time.

  Drain
A slower form of the Harm spell, the Drain spell works by initially depositing a very large concentration of dark energy in the subject, then allowing it to slowly disperse through the subject, causing internal bleeding and protracting the damage. In its higher forms, it can also be used to force out the natural light energy within the subject and channel it into the caster.

  Wound
Causes a wound that will not naturally heal - if left unbound, it will seep blood at a dangerous rate. Even after binding, there is still a strong chance of infection and the blood will slowly seep away regardless. It can usually be sealed with a Restorative spell.

  Kill
The most powerful application of dark Necromancy is to be able to instantly kill an enemy with but a word and a series of gestures. By casting a soul out of a body, the body becomes nothing more than a mindless, heartless living corpse. Frequently, the loss of the soul will also cause the flesh to die from the lack of light energy within them. In its most powerful form, the sheer power of the dark energy will utterly shred a soul. Only the most powerful of Ressurection magics could hope to piece together a soul in tatters.


  Mental
The manipulation of the mind. Perhaps the most dangerous of the magical arts, the Mental school ranges from incantations to make thought clearer to spells that will rip the very thoughts from a mind, and the very mind from a body. The art of Mentalism was perfected in the Manchurian Imperial Court, where knowledge is power and those who have it are as gods. Adam is the patron of Mentalists.

Freedom The Mental subschool of Freedom favours the freedom of the mind and mental processes from distraction and from control. In its highest form, the art frees the mind from the constraints of the body, allowing the caster to travel unburdened by material needs. This art has been studied for centuries in the monasteries of Lotan, high within the Lotan mountain range in Manchuria.

  Lubricate
A spell to oil the mental cogs. By sharpening the wits, a subject becomes more intelligent and capable of slipping out of mental traps.

  Ignore
A spell to toughen mental barriers. As well as strengthening willpower, the spell also provides additional protection against charming and suggestion spells.

  Clarity
A clear mind is important when deciding one's next steps. The spell clears the distractions from the mind, allowing it to work more clearly and with greater strength. It also provides even greater protection against mental control by enabling a being to see what assails it.

  Freedom
Total freedom from distraction is a powerful thing. The spell takes care of all of the mind's lower functions, controlling the body's basic needs for it and freeing it to concentrate upon higher matters. The resulting boon to the fluidity and agility of the mind are almost incomparable, bested only by the power to slip out of magical and mental traps and compulsions.

  Astral
At the highest level, the mind becomes free of the physical form, setting itself free in an invisible, incorporeal form upon what is known as the Astral Plane. Here it cannot be assailed in any way, except by another such freed mind. If the body is slain, the mind dies also.

Defensive
  The Defensive subschool of Mentalism was devised in the outer provinces of Manchuria by the monks who tended to the needs of the commoners. Warlords and rampaging demons would often attempt to take advantage of or destroy the inhabitants of the provinces for the resources available. The monks of the provinces not only taught the people unarmed fighting after their lords denied them the use of weapons, but also the Defensive arts of Mentalism. This aspect of the arts also gained them an almost superhuman reputation as they became able to simply shrug off pain and weariness.

  Bolster
Strengthens the mental barriers against assault and invasion.

  Shield
Provides an active shield against any mental invasion. The shield must be destroyed by a successful application of will before an opponent can affect a subject.

  Confidence
When a man has confidence in himself, he can accomplish anything. Pursuing this maxim, the Confidence spell serves to bolster the morale of a subject, allowing him to drive himself harder and for longer, as well as to take more physical punishment.

  Relieve
Pain is the simplest, most powerful sensation of the human body. Were it not for pain, men could accomplish feats they might never dream of. This spell Relieves a subject of the sensation of pain. This has the effect of greatly increasing their ability to take damage and makes them utterly immune to any sort of torture and to subdual damage.

  Enhance
The human nervous system is a wonderful thing, able to transfer mental impulses from one end of the body to another in but fractions of a second. However, everything can be improved. By increasing the conductivity of the nervous system this spell first phenomenally increases the reflexes then, as the heart begins to pump faster, increases a subject's basic fortitude. The subject gains a significant bonus to resisting any attempts to damage his nervous system, such as through Ennervation.

Telepathy
  Telepathy, the central subschool of the Mental school, cannot be learned until one spell from either pole of the school has been learned (e.g. One freeing spell, one controlling spell. Or one defensive spell, one controlling spell. One freedom spell & one defensive spell would not be sufficient, as an understanding of both ends of the scale are required for this subschool to be learnt.) Telepaths have an understanding of the mind such that they can directly connect and interface with another. As well as the power to speak to other across great distances and even listen into the thoughts of others, Telepaths have been known to actually enter into a person's mind and do battle beyond the constraints of the physical form. There are rumours, though, of powerful Telepaths who have been able to tear the very thoughts from a mind, causing permenant psychological damage.

  Speak
Allows telepathic conversation between two parties, only one of which needs to be a telepath. Range and duration of spell extends with experience.

  Listen
Allows a caster to listen in to the surface thoughts of a subject. This only allows them knowledge of what a subject is thinking at that moment in time, not memories.

  Doorway
Opens a doorway between the mindscape of the caster and the subject, allowing the caster to travel into the subject's mindscape. More experienced casters can open multiple doors, allowing several minds to interface. The mindscape is for the most part controlled by the subject's subconscious, with the actual subject allowed merely an avatar. In this place, strength of mind is paramount, as the power of the physical body is meaningless. Aspects of the subject's subconscious mind will wander the mindscape, which itself will be shaped to reflect the mental state of the subject. Such aspects are independent of the subject's avatar and may help or hinder the caster depending at their own behest. Memories and all the knowledge of the caster are located in one form or another within the mindscape, and successfully obtaining such representations will allow the caster access to the information. If the doorway is closed while the caster's avatar is still in the subject's mind, the caster becomes trapped there and his body simply vegetates until he can return there. If his avatar is destroyed, regardless of whether or not the doorway is intact, the body vegetates. If the subject's body is killed, his mindscape will crumble away with the death of his mind, destroying any avatars within it. It is worth noting that the doorways are doorways - travel is possible both ways between mindscapes. The caster can dispel the doorways, but needs to be 'near' them to do so. The doorways can be destroyed by others, but it is difficult to do so.

  Know
What they know, you know. This spell allows you to utilise knowledge from their mind as if it were your own, be it memories, surface thoughts or skills. An unwilling subject gets the chance to resist, and leaving the range of the spell causes it to end.

  Rip
Why bother asking when you can just take? The Rip spell allows you to rip a thought directly from a subject's mind and incorporate it into your own, be it a memory of an experience or detailed knowledge of a skill. Of course, forcefully ripping the thoughts from someone's mind is not without consequence. The subject suffers heavy psychological trauma as a result of Ripping, which may become permenant. Of course, this does mean that each subsequent Rip becomes easier. The downside is that the subject's mind will eventually be so damaged that it will collapse into itself. Of course, anyone you're willing to subject to such a horrific experience is probably someone whose suffering you are not particularly concerned about, at least in a positive sense.

Offensive
  The Offensive subschool of Mentalism is practised by those who, rather than attempting to control the mind, simply wish to destroy it. These Mentalists work to exploit the nature both of belief and the nervous system itself. With attacks ranging from convincing the body that it has been harmed to utterly destroying the nervous system of an opponent, these skills are wielded most expertly by the terror-inspiring Yan-Lo Clan, a group of Mentalists in the direct employ of the Manchurian Emperor. They have also been known to serve the Emperor's ministers, albeit as high costs.

  Confuse
It is remarkably easy to cross the wires of the mind and send mixed messages. This spell confuses a subject as to the most basic of facts, causing him to falter and even act against friends by mistake.

  Slur
There are those who say that a sharp sword can be less deadly than a sharper tongue. This holds strangely true for this spell. Worded as a curse with special mental effects, the oath has such a profound psychological effect upon the subject as to physically stun them.

  Imply
Many of us have dreamed of falling in our sleep. They say that those who dream of hitting the ground do not wake up. Even if an injury is not real, the mind may well make it real. The Implication of a wound can sometimes cause it to be, if the mind is sufficiently convinced.

  Restrict
The human nervous system is intriguingly complex. It is for this reason that it is so terribly difficult to successfully block the signals travelling throughout the body. When this can be accomplished, however, a most appreciable effect is produced. The careful paralysis of parts of the body, then the body as a whole, can render a victim completely helpless.

  Ennervate
The nervous system is exceedingly good at conducting mental impluses, taking messages from one end of the body to the other in but fractions of a second. By using the nervous system as a carrier for a highly specialised mental signal, a wave of disruption can be carried throughout the entire body, potentially causing the destruction of the entire nervous system. The subject would be left as a vegetable.

Control
  The Mental subschool of Control is based upon the domination and subjugation of the mind. With spells ranging from simply swaying another to your point of view to transforming him into a willing slave, this spell school is favoured by demons, who use their magic to keep their cultists in a permenant thrall.

  Charm
Makes the subject more receptive to your suggestions and more congenial to you as a whole. The subject will regard you as a good friend.

  Suggest
Plants a simple suggestion in a subject's mind, such as to carry out a single action. The subject will feel strangely compelled to perform the action.

  Compel
Allows you to give a potentially complex set of instructions to a subject, such as to undertake a specific quest. Failure to follow your instructions will result in the subject feeling strangely uncomfortable and eventually even experiencing extreme, debilitating pain.

  Control
Brings the subject completely under your mental control. The subject is effectively imprisoned in their head, allowing you to command their bodies. The subject cannot undertake any actions that would require their individual thought, such as recollecting knowledge or casting a spell. Concentration must be maintained to maintain control of the subject. Although you can take actions, if you are harmed, the subject is given a chance to escape your bind.

  Master
As amusing as it may be to wrest control of a person's body, it is far more satisfying to subvert their mind. This spell serves to alter the subject's perception of you such that they become utterly enamoured of you and will willingly perform any action you command, even if it means the betrayal of friends, although that might give the subject the chance to resist your domination. The spell does not require concentration on your part, although the subject's natural perceptions will reiterate themselves unless the spell is continuously reapplied. Only a powerful Mentalist could permenantly change someone's thought processes.


  Pure
Pure in name as in nature, the school of Pure Magic serves to bend the very laws upon which the universe rests. The purest, most powerful of all magical schools, a mage cannot become a Purist until he has obtained at least one spell in each of the central subschools of the other four schools. Prior to the development of the Universities, knowledge of this school was limited at best. Its study is one of increasing interest to mages in the modern age. There is no patron of Purists.

Motion
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Force
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Meta
  Almost nothing is known about this subschool.

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Matter
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Warp
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  Illusory
Although considered a rather cowardly school of magic by many, Illusion is a deceptively powerful art. Illusionists were of particular demand in the Lutetian courts, where the kings enjoyed the bright displays of performers and the ministers enjoyed the subtle yet deadly services of shadowmancers. This may well have been part of the many factors that lead to the centuries of enmity between Lutetia and Avalon, where most of the Elementalists resided. The Illusory school deals with the truth, both masking and revealing it. For this reason, divination is one of the prime subschools of Illusion. Uriel is the patron of Illusionists.

Obfuscation
  Obfuscation embodies the power to blind the vision of others. It serves to cloak the truth, rather than simply distort it, to produce a complete fiction. Most famously, this subschool holds the spell of invisibility, however it is especially useful in blocking divinations and reinforcing other illusions against them. Obscurers are valued in the continental backstreets of the Gruuman cities, where the blunt if effective activities of mercenaries do not always enjoy being noticed. Indeed, Gruuman Obscurers have become exceptionally good at hiding the odd skeleton in their closet (or back garden, as the case may be).

  Block
Blocks the senses of the victim for a limited time.

  Obscure
Shields the subject from Scrying and Piercing spells. Also makes them less visible.

  Cloak
Provides greater protection from Scrying, while also making a subject completely invisible, within the limitations of the spell.

  Reinforce
This spell serves as a method of strengthening other illusions against divinations, allowing them a stronger resistance to Piercing and Shattering.

  Blind
Serves to utterly Blind a subject, particularly if that subject is a Diviner. As well as rendering them partially or even completely imperceptive to the outside world, the spell Blinds a Diviner's second sight and makes it impossible for him to cast divinations.

Deception
  The most typically illusory subschool of the Illusory school, Deception is the art of weaving fictions in the eyes of others. Sometimes with mere tricks of the light up their sleeves, sometimes with considerably more, Deceivers make their living by fooling the perceptions of others. In Lutetia, the Cabal of Illusionists is the royally favoured institution for Deceivers, particularly entertainers. A Deceiver with quick hands and a quicker mind can always find a welcoming audience in Lutetia. Of course, there are the rumours of the higher members of the Cabal being able to bring forth the very primal fears of a person to kill them, but such things are merely deceptions. Right?

  Brightness
Curiously, this spell does not actually alter the light level of a location - it merely alters the perceived light level, making the area seem brighter or darker. As such, it is subject to Piercing.

  Deceive
Allows simple deceptions, such as figmented sounds or small illusory images. It is not capable of spectacularly complex deceptions, such as its stronger counterpart Illusion.

  Self Image
How one views one's self is not nearly as important as how others view one. By altering others' perceptions of yourself, you can disguise yourself adeptly, or even completely obscure yourself from vision.

  Illusion
The scale of Illusions are far greater than Deceptions. Capable of creating complex fictions that work upon all of the senses, the Illusion spell makes people appear to be cows and cows appear to be dragons.

  Phantasm
Fear is the most powerful weapon you can ever wield. Phantasms are individual illusions, visions of a subject's greatest, most potent fears. Such is the intensity of such that they can precipitate a heart attack in the subject, solely from terror.

Perception
  Perception, the central subschool of the Illusory school, cannot be learned until one spell from either pole of the school has been learned (e.g. One obfuscating spell, one divining spell. Or one deceptive spell, one divining spell. One obfuscating spell & one deceptive spell would not be sufficient, as an understanding of both ends of the scale are required for this subschool to be learnt.) The true Illusionist realises that the very heart of Illusion lies in Perception - the power not only to discern one's surroundings but to discern the difference between fact and fiction. The central school of Perception deals with both the enhancement and the misleading of the five senses, with the intent of empowering the other subschools of Illusion. However, the most powerful of Illusionists realise that there is only one truth - Truth is in the eye of the Beholder.

  Depth
Never underestimate the power of visual acuity. The Depth spell provides a great sharpness to the eyes and the ability to aim for a few moments, exponentially increasing one's ability with ranged weapons.

  Confuse
The Confusion spell is a little more complex than simply throwing a single person's perceptions out of synch. It allows you to randomly alter one or more of the five senses pertaining to a single object or creature. E.g. Altering the visual stimulus of a chair to make it appear to be a rock would make it look like a rock, but it would still feel like a chair and your hands would pass through the image to the chair sensations beneath. It would still make the same sound as a chair if you hit it, rather than the sound of a rock. It would still taste and smell like a chair (if you're into that sort of thing). Nonetheless, this is still a very confusing spell.

  Acuity
Rather than just visual acuity, the Acuity spell enhances all five of your senses, bringing about a great deal of enhancement to various aspects of your person.

  Distort
This is a dangerous curse, as it has the chance of sending a person completely insane. Every time the subject tries to perceive something with his senses, there is a chance that it will play a trick on him and make something appear to be something else. E.g. A red wall would appear to be bright green. Birdsong would appear to be a marching band. Lemons would taste like pork. A puppy would feel like a shard of broken glass.

  Beholder
Truth is in the eye of the Beholder. Perhaps the most powerful, yet initially most fragile spell in the world, this spell allows someone to turn a lie into truth. If the first person other than the caster to perceive the lie believes it, the lie becomes a little stronger, making it harder for the next person to disbelieve. And so on and so forth until the lie is so strongly believed that it becomes truth. After that, it can never be Shattered or disbelieved. However, if it disbelieved even once, it becomes nothing more than a fiction.

Shadows
  Shadowmancy is held as both one of the most subtle and one of the most confusing aspects of Illusion. The Shadowmancer weaves together the threads of truth and fiction, making for a combination that is perhaps even more deceptive than Deception. Shadowmancers are prized in the Lutetian capital, particularly the royal court, where their affinity for darkness makes them excellent theives and deadly assassins. It is dangerous to weave the threads of truth and fiction, however, for in the highest form can even a Shadowmancer tell where one ends and the other begins?

  Trick
Allows you to transfer your shadow or the shadow of another creature or object to a desired location within range. A shadow that passes over a mirror becomes a reflection.

  Shadowcast
Allows you to cast any Outer Ring spell that you know or have experienced in shadow form. The spell works to full effect, but is subject to belief. If disbelieved, the spell still functions partially because it is quasi-real.

  Summon Shadow
Allows you to summon a shadow of any creature you have at least a moderately detailed knowledge of. E.g. If you are a cattleherd, you can easily summon a bull. If you have a pet dog, you can attempt to summon a wolf. If you've studied demons extensively through books but never met one, you can probably manage to summon one, but a detailed knowledge would be required. If you've never seen a dragon, and don't know anything about their habits or appearance except through stories, unless you've been brought up on those stories, you cannot summon one. An experienced shadowmancer could attempt to summon a truly mythical creature purely from stories or from his imagination, but it would not be as strong as the real thing if disbelieved. As these are merely shadows, they are only quasi-real and subject to belief. If disbelieved, they are still partially effective.

  Shadow Self
Allows you to hide within your own shadow, making you completely invisible and intangible except for your shadow (which is only visible in sufficient lighting conditions). You can reach out of it at will for the duration of the spell, but can still be harmed normally by attacks. A successful pin by a sharp object results in the shadow (and you) being trapped in one place. Death ends the spell. Alternatively, you can send your shadow away from you and take control of it. While in shadow form, physical attacks are less effective, you can manipulate objects as if you were there and you can cast spells as if you were there. Destruction of the shadow results in heavy damage and permenant psychological trauma from not having a shadow (or reflection) until the shadow can somehow be regained. While you do not have a shadow, you cannot cast shadow spells.

  Half-Truth
This spell has the ability to hide half a truth, make half a truth appear to be a lie, half a lie appear to be truth, half a truth actually a lie and, in its most powerful form, half a lie truth.

Divination
  Divination is the study of the truth. Diviners subject their whole lives to the study of the truth, the uncovering of things hidden and the pursuit of knowledge. Diviners are particularly revered in Braatia, where the great forests that cover the country are famed for the secrets they hide. Perhaps the most honest facet of Illusion, Divination serves to banish the affectations of its sister schools.

  Read
Translation is at the heart of all divination. This spell allows a caster to read any language, read writing that has been erased, understand written magic, understand any language and speak any language.

  Scry
Vision extends far beyond that which the simple orbs through which we view the world can see. The Scrying spell serves to view events from afar with ease.

  Pierce
Illusions are a falsehood. A diviner can see past these tricks and view the natural truth behind them. The Piercing spell allows the diviner to see through illusions he encounters.

  Shatter
An illusion can be Pierced by the shards of truth, but a stronger understanding of the nature of truth can cause the illusion itself to be completely Shattered by an experienced diviner.

  Sight
Second sight is one of the most precious and revered skills of a diviner. This spell allows a diviner to see clearly through illusions and increases the range of their vision. It also allows them to catch a glimpse of the future. Of course, by knowing the future, one can change it. Sometimes the spell can leave a long-term effect upon a diviner.


  Elemental
The art of chanelling the four Elements that embody the qualities of not only the universe but of life itself. There are innumerable proponents to the belief that Elementalism is the most primal of the arts, particularly wizards. Typically, most wizards prefer to learn the arts of Elementalism, lured by the simple yet effective power it provides. For the longest time, wizards would solely practise Elementalism, barely paying attention to the other schools. It was not until the creation of the Universities in Avalon that wizards even began to properly consider practising other schools. Michael is the patron of Elementalists.

Fire
  Pyromancy, with all its flare and fandangle, found its heart in the hills of Avalon. Pyromancers love to burn things and in some ways seek to emulate flame itself. Frequently, however, this does lead to an unfortunate tendancy to consume all in their path, without regard for mercy or compassion. Pyromancy itself is the study and utilising of Fire, the last of the Prime Elements. Legend has it that when the God formed the first three Elements, he brought forth Fire to unify them all. Fire held dominion over them, but could not exist without them.

  Speed
Air may well hold power of movement, but heat is the true essence of speed. As the blood warms, the muscles become more fluid and the body becomes more graceful.

  Shield
Provides protection against fire and, a little later, ice.

  Burn
The spells of the fire domain are largely offensive in nature, and the Burn spell has many variations around a single theme - burning things. Ranging from producing a gout of flame to calling down a pillar of fire from the heavens, this is a remarkably versatile spell.

  Wreathe
Pyrotechnics are a favoured pastime of Pyromancers. This spell serves to wreathe the caster in flame, making it extremely dangerous to be in his presence. With more experience, the caster can wreathe others in flame, allowing them protection against the heat at his discretion.

  Flame
The heart of Fire lies in consumption, in destruction. The Flame spell can be used to scorch a piece of ground utterly, summon a pillar of flame from the heavens, take on an aspect of Fire, cause a powerful yet localised eruption of fire, or even convert a dying opponent into a creature of Flame.

Air
  Aeromancy is the study and utilising of Air, the first of the Prime Elements. Aeromancers are equally welcome in the windy hills of Avalon as Pyromancers, but feel most at home on the snowy peaks of the Svalden mountain ranges, where the chill wind and the tormentuous storms are like grand music to their ears. Unfortunately, Aeromancers have a tendancy to take on the unpredictable aspects of weather in their nature. According to the Legend of the Elements, Air was the first Element created by the God to fill the endless Void. It fathered Water and Earth but has always held a strange kinship to Fire, perhaps because Fire was created alone also. In addition, it is Fire that returns the other two Elements to Air, allowing the Element to be one with its child and grandchild. Air does not always get on brilliantly well with Water, as few fathers can fully understand their children, but the two can usually reach a compromise of sorts.

  Movement
The wind is the epitomy of movement. Is it not the air that you breathe that provides you with the gift of animation? The Movement spell serves to allow you to manipulate objects from afar, moving them with some limited grace.

  Shield
Provides protection against electrical attacks and, later, physical attacks.

  Spark
Air is the element of weather, and hence holds the power of storms. With storms come lightning. The Spark spell ranges from a simple electrical discharge to a fully blown forked lightning bolt, an excellent weapon for inspiring fear in the hearts of your enemies (not to mention probably charring them in the process).

  Weather
Past the simple application of electricity comes the true nature of weather - the swirling, chaotic atmospheric mass that helps and hinders at a whim. Ranging from simple cloud control to the summoning of a mighty hurricane, this spell gives a dangerously powerful level of control over that most natural of forces.

  Wind
Chaos, Gaseousness, Movement, these are all at the heart of Air. The Wind spell can be used to summon a gale-force gust, bring forth a tiny yet potent cyclone, take on an aspect of Air, focus a blast of wind with deadly precision, or even convert a dying opponent into a creature of Air.

Balance
  Balance, the central subschool of the Elemental school, cannot be learned until one spell from either pole of the school has been learned (e.g. One Fire spell, one Water spell. Or one Air spell, one Water spell. One Fire spell & one Air spell would not be sufficient, as an understanding of both ends of the scale are required for this subschool to be learnt.) When all of the Prime Elements have achieved equal balance, then can an Elementalist truly call himself such. The true art of Elementalism works to bring forth manifestations of the Elements in their combined form, particularly that of Life. Life is the product of all four Elements, and as such has a special significance for Elementalists. Legend has it that Michael used true Elementalism to create both the Dragons and the Daemons in his vendetta against his brother.

  Growth
The unity of the four Elements gave rise to Life. By understanding and manipulating this, an Elementalist can aid the processes of life, allowing it to grow unhindered. This spell strengthens a creature, allows vegetation to grow at a surprising rate and can even bring about a permenant enhancement to an individual creature.

  Conjure
With an understanding of the Elements, a caster can bring together the pieces of something into a coherent form, so long as he understands what that form should be. Although it requires made parts at first, even pure samples of the required materials later, a powerful Conjurer can sift through elements in the surroundings to find what he needs.

  Summon
This spell allows you to mark an object or creature for summoning. Although objects rarely object, you will probably need the permission of a sentient creature to summon them, at least if you want them to obey any commands you give. This may require some sort of contractual payment, depending upon the creature involved, as it can sometimes be very inconveniencing to be summoned in the middle of something. The spell does, of course, also allow you to summon marked entities as well. If you haven't marked any entities yourself, you might wish to invest in buying some runes from an arcane store which are keyed to certain marked items or creatures. Your own marked entities could be keyed to a rune as well, if you so wished.

  Create
An incredibly potent spell, this allows you to temporarily Create anything you so desire, within limits. However, the laws of the universe prohibit such things being permenant - they will vanish soon after their creation.

  Enhance
This most powerful of the Elemental spells develops upon the nature of Life and the Elements. It allows permenant changes to be made to creatures, startig with simple enhancements to health and vitality, progressing to strengthening of muscles and sharpening of wits. At the highest level, it even allows the alteration of the most basic physical attributes. Such alterations are costly to the caster, but they are permenant - they will be passed on to the creature's offspring.

Earth
  Geomancy is the study and utilising of Earth, the third of the Prime Elements. Geomancers hold some of the most powerful defensive spells available, while also possessing granite resolve and a slow but terrible anger. A Geomancer does not make friend or foe easily, but he will likely remember both for a very long time. The main downside to Geomancers is that they can be too attached to traditions and custom. According to the Legend of the Elements, Earth was the child of Water, created soon after the first two Elements finally reached an uneasy compromise. While Water may have disliked its father's flightiness, Earth found it outright unbearable. It deplored Air's lack of respect for tradition, for conduct. It saw Air as unprincipled, uncontrolled. The two settled into a natural enmity, something which always troubled Water. Earth never chose to assault Water, perhaps out of respect for its parent, perhaps out of an understanding that Water was the only Element to truly have the power to seriously impede it. Even after Fire's creation, Earth only chose to submit to its dominion and allow itself to be consumed because it understood that if it so wished it could at any time quench it with ease.

  Strength
Strength and solidarity are at the heart of Earth. The Strength spell increases a creature's natural strength exponentially.

  Shield
This shield magically harden's a creature's skin, protecting it against physical attacks and later grounding it against electrical attacks.

  Rock
Geomancers typically have a very practical attitude about using materials close to them. The Rock spell at its lowest level simply picks up the closest heavy rock (tearing it out of the earth if need be) and flings it at the intended opponent. At higher levels it can brings rocks together into a wall of earth or even form grasping stone hands to hold an enemy in place.

  Tremor
Earthquakes have always troubled certain parts of the world. It is in a geomancer's nature to know the secret of unlocking Earth's slow but tumultuous fury. A highly localised tremor can be summoned with this spell, disrupting enemies or even causing them to fall into the bowels of the planet.

  Stone
Continuity, Strength, Solidarity. These are the heart of Earth. The Stone spell can cause spikes of rock to jut from the ground, summon a swirling barrier of rocks around a creature, take on an aspect of Earth, turn a creature to stone or even convert a dying opponent into a creature of Earth.

Water
  Aquamancy is the study and utilising of Water, the second of the Prime Elements. Aquamancers are most frequently found in the Creean Archipelago, where they are always close to the sea and the power it grants them. Like the sea, Aquamancers can wield both immense fury, yet also can be as gentle as a lapping tide. With both the strength of a tidal wave and the immeasurable patience to slowly erode away an enemy's defences, not to mention a fluid tongue, the Aquamancer can be a dangerous enemy, as the Avalonians will testify. For centuries, the Creean talents for Aquamancy have been the only impediment to Avalonian dominion of the seas. According to the Legend of the Elements, Water was the second Element created, when Air became lonely from its sole existence in the Void. Water considered its father to be too chaotic, too impractical to get along with and immediately began to argue. Eventually, the two reached a compromise because although they differed, Water still loved its father and wished to be with it. When Fire was created by the God to unify the three quarrelling Elements, Water refuted the arrogant Fire's claim of dominion and sought to quench it, being unburnable. After almost being completely quenched by the Element, Fire retreated. Water rejoiced in his victory until it realised that Fire's absence was causing it to freeze into Earth. When Fire returned and Water became more powerful, it attempted to quench Fire again. Fire retorted by heating Water until it almost completely became Air. However, Earth partially quenched Fire in retaliation because it resented the growing influence of Air. Finally, an uneasy balance was obtained between each of the Elements and the world was able to form.

  Beauty
Purity is at the heart of Water. This spell enhances your natural beauty, also giving a boost to your self-confidence in the process.

  Shield
Protects against ice and, later on, fire attacks.

  Clarity
As with purity, clarity is also the heart of Water. This spell clears both your vision and your mind, allowing you to view the world with more clarity.

  Frost
When Water sought to escape Fire, it took on an aspect of Earth. Ice has ever since become a part of its domain. The Frost spell can summon shards of ice, weaken an opponent's muscles by lowering his blood temperature, or even freeze him outright.

  Wave
Motion, without recklessness. Strength, without restriction. Water is the balancing force between Earth and Air, and its heart lies in its wisdom. The Wave spell can cause the water in a body to ripple harmfully, summon forth a heated geyser, take on an aspect of Water, bring about a destructive tidal wave, or even convert a dying opponent into a creature of Water.

All material on these pages, unless otherwise noted, is © Khelden Iituem 2004. Creators Inc. is a subsidiary of Nakimono Industries, based in the Universe of Tryslmaistan.