The three Tools

**THE TOOLS OF MAGIC**

Over the centuries, Magicians have developed many tools to assist their efforts, but throughout it, all three have stood out. The Trifecta, if you will, consists of the Implement, the Familiar and the Demesne.

Humans, inherently, have no stake in the magical world. We must barter and trade for our place, our power, our very right to exist even, before the mark of Cain. The Trifecta is a magician's claim to a part of this world that belongs to them and them only.

As an accomplished magician myself, I can report that it is of the utmost importance which you choose, as the choice is irreversible. I could tell you stories of my friends, young and naive as they were choosing the most stupid of things for a quick joke! Oh, how I miss them…I remember a quite humorous anecdote where-

*[A slice of dried salami has been irreversibly fused with this part of the page. For all your efforts, it will not come off. It seems to taunt you with its green crayon inscription, proudly proclaiming “Sarah McAggis stinks!”]*

-and then he even tried to drink it!

Now then, a quick overview:

The Implement is a Magicians tool in the most literal sense. It shapes and guides their magics through its form. Its form, in return, shapes and guides your magic, if you understand my meaning.

The Demesne is the practitioners home. It’s his metaphorical place, or like in my case literal, to put on his slippers and sit in front of the metaphorical fireplace after a long day of work. Of course, there are others unlike me and their personality will reflect differently on it.

The Famulus, or familiar as the layman says, is your closest friend and ally. To stretch my previous metaphor, he is the dog to fetch me my slippers and the metaphorical wife to hand me a drink. In return one feeds and pets them.

(Addendum: We believe our late Father meant to express a symbiotic relationship between Magician and Familiar)

One needs to keep in mind that Magic is not like stone, though. It is flexible, rules can be bent and circumvented. No two implements will ever be the same. It would be impossible to firmly define any boundaries for the Trifecta, as my colleague Herr Hornochses pitiful attempt at ranking implements into different groups and power spheres should have demonstrated. What I want to say is that everything that follows should be taken with a grain of salt.

To create ones Implement, one must take the desired object, which must be able to be carried or held in the hands, and place it and oneself within the detailed diagram. Once within the circle, one must infuse the Object with power. The source could be one's own blood, a spirit's essence or whatever else. The stronger the source, the more powerful the Implement. But beware, a strong source can result in certain effects. For instance, using the essence of a strong Fire Jinn could empower all future fire spells but in turn weaken you to the effects of water magic.

**THE FAMILIAR**

As already hinted, a *famulus* is the lifelong companion of a magician and establishes their claim in the spiritual realm, metaphorically speaking. It is a magician's foray into the strange world of magic that is separated from our own. Any kind of Spirit can be a Familiar, as long as you are brave enough, the spirit smart enough to understand what is happening and it is capable of agreeing to it.

Of course, a Familiar can be far more than just that. My trusty Brundrich and I are also good friends, drinking buddies and he has often given me good advice in regards to my wife. Being a Rock Jinn, the latter almost exclusively boiled down to “give her more jewellery” but it never worsened her mood so it had to count for something.

On the more magical side of things, Brundrich and I have been in many a situation we wouldn’t have survived without our bond. Once, Brundrich was shot by three magical arrows-

(Addendum: It was only one arrow, not magical in nature. We are not sure if this error was due to our fathers growing confusion or his tendency to brag)

-and if it weren’t for our eternal bond, he would surely have died. Another time, I have been trapped deep underground in a cave-in and if it weren’t for his ability to find me wherever I may be, I would still be there. Or that other time, where I managed to transfer a fire Jinn’s energy *into old Brundrich **and he threw a fireball that killed our prey!** [The writing continues to get ever more rambling from here on out and for the next two pages there is no useful information]*

But I digress! Where was I? Oh, yes, The Familiar ritual!

Now, once you have located a spirit useful and amenable enough to be a companion for the rest of your life, you two will undergo the Famulus ritual, during which both parties will make their vows of what to grant to and demand of the other. Then, both give a drop of their life essence, let them mingle in a cup and the magician speaks the old words of power.

“Hoc est animabus nostris et principalius in ipso. Nentes stamina fata sumus. Me: [Magicians name] invitare te [Spirits name] in anima mea, protegendo. Et aperi mihi potestatem, et ut gerunt in favorem. Una: Venite facti maius esse quam uterque.

Of course, each relationship will be uniquely distinguished from any other. The benefits granted by each one to the other will vary from binding to binding.

(Addendum: Two constans, though, are firstly that the Spirit can not die unless the magician does and secondly the magician can channel his magic through the Spirit. Other effects might be:

* The familiar will always be able to find the way to their master, and vice versa.
* The familiar is able to override or dilute afflictions on the master such as pestilence or mind control.
* The Master can easily break their familiars free from bindings or seals.)

*[ Once you have bound your Familiar, submit this form to #pact-submission]*

***Famulus sheet***

*Magician: [Character Name, Player Name]*

*Spirit: [Name and Kind]*

*Vows: [Your vows and that of your familiar]*

*Effects:[The concrete effects this pact has on you and the spirit]*

**THE IMPLEMENT**

The Implement is a magicians way of staking their claim to the magical world. Normally, when a magician binds a Spirit or forms a pact with them, he will have to call on it to do its magic, or if it is bound to an object, he will have to use that. But as soon as he has an Implement, it will allow him to channel the benefits his pacts have granted him directly. However, the shape your implement takes will also influence the magic it does, strengthening some but weakening other magics.

Examples of implements might be:

**The Sword**

The sword is an extremely obvious implement in purpose. Though they have taken on more of a ceremonial role in the modern-day, a sword's purpose historically has been as a weapon of war. They are direct, obvious, near-impossible to hide, and represent a declaration of war when drawn or preparedness to make such a declaration

while sheathed.

Choosing a sword as an implement is likely to impact one's magic in the same way. Directly offensive or defensive applications will flow easier, and with greater strength. On the other hand, more utility-focused abilities, or non-combat functions, will be slower and less potent than without the implement. Hiding one's abilities or casting subtly will also become more difficult.

Alternatives to the sword include the dagger, which is more deft and agile in its application, and the athame, a ritual knife with greater ceremonial purpose than militaristic purpose.

**The Ring**

The ring is another common choice of implement. It's easy to conceal, it's not inherently conspicuous even among the mundane populace, and the notion of enchanted jewellery and cursed baubles have always had a presence in legend and stories. Further, rings carry symbolism - both geometrically, as unbroken rings, and socially, with their relation to love

and romance.

As a result, rings tend to alter one's ability to practise by rendering subtle effects much easier to cast. Additionally, while one may find one's spells taking longer to 'kick in', their eventual payoff will be greater. A pair of rings taken by allied magicians as corresponding implements may hold greater value and impact their spells' effects when working with

or against each other.

Alternatives to the ring include the amulet, which is more obvious than a ring while still being capable of hiding amongst the mundane world, and the coin, which draws to the more extreme ends - flashy in use, yet easily concealed.

Ah yes, I remember the old fräulein Adelheit had one of these. Of course she was a sympath, which you would think would work well with a ring as an implement, but all she ever seemed to use it for-

*[At this point,  the lightbulb above you flickers out. You move to the next shelf over, where you want to continue reading but the passage appears to have vanished.]*

**The Lantern**

The lantern is not as common an implement as it once was, as it has become more and more antiquated in the face of electric light sources. They are still used, however, most often among the scholarly types, as it represents illumination of the unseen and a beacon to others. Something to note though is that those carrying a lantern may expect to be surrounded by the dark.

Those magicians that take the lantern as their implement find themselves easily revealing the workings of other magicians - which by extension makes them effective at combating those workings. Additionally, they can disassemble illusions with greater ease. Lanterns are also helpful for attracting the attention of spirits, but it is best to be wary, as they are not always friendly.

Alternatives to the lantern include the spyglass, known historically for its use in assessing others from afar and revealing their true intentions, and the mirror, which carries associations with twisted truths and doorways to other worlds.

**The Die**

Dice have held a place among gamblers for millennia - and they have had a role in tabletop games for almost as long, but what is dice-based gaming if not recreational gambling? Fundamentally, dice are used to choose an outcome at random.

As expected of this, the magic of a magician who chooses a die as their implement will be significantly less predictable, both to their enemies and their allies, and they may find negative possibilities seeping into their workings. However, the greater the chance for an unexpected or unhelpful outcome, the greater the payoff they will see if they end up positive.

Alternatives to the die include the coin, which in addition to the aforementioned qualities of being both flashy and subtle, is also commonly used as a tool of chance, and the compass, which inverts the unpredictable nature of dice and instead conveys the message of always knowing one's path.

(Now then, I do know that I am dead but that doesn’t give you children the right to just ignore me. Replacing a whole chapter like that is insulting!)

(Addendum: Father, we can assure you that all changes are for the best.)

To create ones Implement, one must take the desired object, which must be able to be carried or held in the hands, and place it and oneself within the detailed diagram. Once within the circle, one must infuse the Object with power. The source could be one's own blood, a spirit's essence or whatever else. The stronger the source, the more powerful the Implement. But beware, a strong source can result in certain effects. For instance, using the essence of a strong Fire Jinn could empower all future fire spells but in turn weaken you to the effects of water magic.

**THE DEMESNE**

The demesne is a Magicians refuge. It can not be penetrated by anything but the most powerful of magic. Without an invitation from the owner, none may enter, again unless under the use of the most powerful of magics.

To claim a demesne, one must draw out its borders and then declare their claim. Once done, you will have to expect others to come and challenge you, Magicians and Spirits alike, because even if they might not *want to possess* the land you are about to claim per say, they could simply dislike the prospect of someone else having it. And who could hold it against them? None of us like noisy neighbours, which is exactly why I have claimed my demesne out here in the Schwarzwald.

(Addendum: The number of challengers will likely correlate with the worth of your claims position and it’s size. A small closet would draw up to four challengers while the average house would draw upwards of ten. Most demesnes consist of a single, medium sized room.)

Yes, yes, I was just coming around to mentioning that! No need to interrupt me!

Anyways, once you have spoken your claim and defeated all challengers, or, if you were particularly cunning or cowardly, managed to find a spot no-one would challenge you about, the land is yours and will bend itself to your will.

A demesne will slowly over time change itself to fit the Magicians needs and desires. It could become whatever you like, whether that be a cozy cabin or a fleshy womb, as my cousin Sarah prefered to do. Oh she was a strange woman and if you knew what else she did in that place you would-

(Addendum: you are boring the reader, Father. Again.)

Fine, fine. So, the demesne will help run your projects smoothly, like directing the light from the windows to your potted plants or always place the tools you might need into your nearest drawer. You will also be able to house spirits here that you have bound or make a pact with.  It will even attract spirits of the type you specialise in. For instance, I will often find a few fire Jinn in my fireplace after being away for a few days. Magicians dealing in less pleasant arts can ofcourse seal their home against such guests.

On the topic of spirits, do keep in mind that your Familiar will have as much claim to your Demesne as you do and will influence its appearance as well.

The most important feature of your Demesne, though, is the protection it offers. Curses or malevolent spirits sent after you will have a harder time reaching you, magicians that have not been specifically invited can not enter without bringing considerable force to bear.

I personally believe that one can strengthen these defensive measures with a special ritual I have developed, but this theory will still have to be tested. To this end, I have stolen old Redscales Teeth. Normally, such a major Hellborns fire should easily be able to penetrate a demesnes defences, but I am confident that mine will hold.

Oh now, I think I can hear approaching! Yes, that is definitely the sound of large wings! Well, dear reader, wish me and old Brundrich luck!

(Addendum: The experiment did not succeed. There was nothing left of the cabin but ashes and this manuscript.)

“Oh, that’s always the saddest part.” you hear an elderly voice saying from behind you.

As you turn around you see the translucent form of a small, old man smiling at you.

Then, a multitude of voices seems to respond from the tome in your hands. “Father, get back in. If we are ever to leave this dusty, forgotten shelf, you will have to stop doing that.”

“Oh, yes. You are right, of course” the small figure responds, melancholy heavy in his voice.  Giving you a last, slightly apologetic smile, he says “Well, I hope you have enjoyed my rambling.” and then vanishes into the book.