Darkwriting

**Darkwriting** is the art of temporarily re-writing the natural laws of a space or object, called Writing. A single instance of darkwriting is called a darkwrit, or simply "writ". Darkwriting utilizes sigils written on an object, often a slip of paper. If it needs to last outdoors, carving into stone or wood is more resilient.

Each individual darkwrit is inscribed vertically or in a circle (at the points of a pentagram), and follows this syntax order:

1. Source
2. Initiation
3. Target
4. Action
5. Cataclysm

The acronym "SITAC" is used among darkwriters to recall this order. There are several mnemonics used by students to recall this order. If any one of these elements is missing, the writ will not function.

Darkwrits can have multiple sigils in any of these parameters, which, depending on the writer's skill and intentions, can result in incredibly complex outcomes.

The **source** is where the darkwrit draws its manipulating energy from. If the energy source is insufficient, the darkwrit may only partially complete, or fail entirely. Common sources include sunlight, an electrical source, wind, or the caster's own body heat. The source must be something that can come into physical contact with the darkwrit. Applying a darkwrit to a living being can cause feelings of weakness and cold sensations, and is often called "cursing" someone; this is morally reprehensible at best, and outright illegal at worst. If the sigil for "empty" is used, the effect will happen to the paper or object upon which the sigils are written - this has resulted in the accidental destruction of many novice darkwriter's experimental work.

The **initiation** describes what will cause the darkwrit to begin working. If the basic sigil for "empty" is used, the darkwrit will continually function and only cease to run if it is depleted of energy.

The **target** is the recipient of the darkwrit's manipulation. This can be a specific person, even vaguely assigned - for example, "my friend Jashkin" (which would cease to function if you stopped considering Jashkin a friend), or "my worst enemy" (which would change targets based on your own perception of who that was) - or object, or a description of conditions - for example, "anyone with blonde hair", or "all rocks nearby". The target cannot be very far from the object containing the writ itself, but some sources allow the effects of writs to travel farther than others (sunlight is well-known for being a source that allows a writ to travel physically far, but with weakened effects as the distance grows).

The **action** is what will happen to the target. Beginning writers often require more sigils here than experts; with the right intention and use, a single sigil can replace an entire string of sigils.

The **cataclysm** describes what must happen for the darkwrit to stop and the natural Writing to return. If the sigil for "empty" is used, the darkwrit will continue to operate until destroyed or depleted of energy.

#### Sigils

The symbols used in darkwriting are simple linear sigils that are easy to draw, write, carve, or trace in the air. The individual darkwriter's intentions play heavily into the actual effect that each sigil has in a writ. Two different people might write the sigil (quiet, peace, silence) and one may produce a writ that mutes all sounds within the immediate area, and another might produce a writ that instills supernatural slumber. It is not enough to merely write, trace, or imagine the lines of a given sigil - one must clearly and deliberately imagine or "summon" the meaning of that sigil, and their own intentions of how to utilize the sigil.

Recorded Sigils