Magic

Supernatural effects that depend on focus, intent, symbolism, and context.

## General

>
> “Anyone can learn the basic principles from a book, sure. Knowing which books to trust is the first real trick. Putting it to work is a level up. Also, it’s important to remember there’s more than one way to fulfill the principles. Different Practices have different philosophies. It can feel like the magic works in completely different ways, but there’s a kind of cart-before-the-horse thing going on when it comes to sorcery.”
>
>
>
>

— Onyx, *Past Due*, chapter 14

Magic is supernatural effects largely which depends on belief and probability. Most people, human or supernatural, can learn some magic with effort, belief, and discipline, but accomplished or natural talent is rare.⁠ The way a mortal approaches magic is called their Practice, and the individual is often called a Practitioner.

Focus, intent, and symbolism are important factors in magic. How they are expressed varies with each individual Practitioner.

Magic can appear as obvious manifestations such as fireballs and other magical attacks, or as illusions. It can be used to ward against individuals or groups of supernaturals. It can also cause unlikely events or coincidences to occur, even across millennia. It can help to set the right people on the right path.

A sign of a mortal Practitioner using magic can be that their eyes turn red. It is possible this is a sign of magical strain or achieving more magical power than usuak.⁠⁠

>
> “I think about it like magic is shy. Magic is comfortable with big, splashy antics as long as everyone is a friend or in the loop, but around strangers it’s timid. It’ll only do stuff the strangers won’t notice.”
>
>
>
>

— Molly, “More Than Friends”

Overt magic and other supernatural powers are suppressed or made less effective by many mundane witnesses, though probabalistic magic, like charms of luck, can still be effective.⁠⁠ At the same time, magic attracts other magic and supernatural effects.⁠

## Magical power

All magic users in an area draw on the same pool of magic, and are thus to one degree competitors with each other. By forming into a circle, Practitioners will both reduce their own individual draw on that pool and have access to a greater amount of power.⁠ As an example, the Practitioners in Seattle noticed an increase in available power soon after the destruction of the Brotherhood of Apollo.⁠

The exact effects and mathematics of this are largely unknown so far. It is possible that individual talent and symbolism also plays a part in the power available to a Practitioner or circle.

The power to make magic usually comes from the caster themselves.⁠ Sacrifices can be used to generate magic external from the caster.⁠ Another way to generate magical power is through sex.⁠

## Magical foci

Human Practitioners often have need for various foci in order to use magic. They should preferably be personally meaningful to the user, *e.g.* by having been made by the Practitioner themselves, or be symbolic for the desired magic.

Thus wands are usually made by the users themselves.⁠ Molly’s lock-breaking spell uses any spare key as a focus. Iron nails can serve to either anchor a spell or disrupt incoming magic.

Generally, Practitioners require precision of speech and gestures in order to work magic.⁠ Some very skilled human Practitioners can cast spells using only their hands—or possibly other body parts—as their focus.⁠ However, it appears that the most important factor is to be able to enter the proper state of mind.

## Types of magic

Not all Practices will use all of the following types and the list is by no means complete. Some types—like necromancy—might be associated with both an effect and a particular type of Practice. This does not imply that only that particular Practice can use those effects, or that the Practice only concerns itself with that particular field. *E.g.* both shamanism and necromancy concern themselves with communication with spirits, and a necromancer is likely to be hugely concerned about wards. Likewise, some of the methods of demonology are applicable to angels, and probably vice versa.

### Body shaping

Changing the looks or the shape of a body. It seemed to be a common practice within the Brotherhood of Apollo.⁠ Succubae can shape their own bodies and appearance to a great extent, and also affect the bodies of other people.⁠⁠

### Demonology

The study of, communication with, summoning, and binding of demons. The knowledge also applies to angels, as evidenced that a ritual meant to summon a succubus—Lorelei—instead could summon an angel—Rachel.⁠

### Dispellings

Magic that counteracts or cancels other types of magic. Salt can act as a natural medium for dispellings.⁠

### Divination

Magic that foretells or hints at the future. It functions by giving a sense of what other people or animals plan to do or are concerned about.⁠⁠

### Dowsing

Finding or locating places, people, or objects. Even relatively simple wards can block most of these techniques or make them less effective.⁠

### Fighting magic

Magic that is usable in a fight. Rare according to Sunday.⁠

### Healing

Magic that heals the body of wounds. Good healing magic can avert otherwise certain death. Some Practices allow the Practitioner to heal themselves.⁠⁠ Angels have great natural powers of healing. There is also healing magic for the mind and spirit.⁠⁠

### Illusions

Magic that make things or people look different or hide them. They are greatly enhanced and simplified by mundane actions.⁠ Many supernaturals, like succubae and jinn, have great inherent powers of illusion concerning themselves and people nearby. Cameras might have a limited capacity to see through illusions.⁠

### Language

Magic can translate between languages and interpret unknown scripts.⁠⁠

### Life extension

Some Practitioners are known to have lived very long lives. Elizabeth lived through the First World War, and was still hale and hearty when she was murdered.⁠ Her methods were unknown. Kashvi gained youth and longevity through a deal with a supernatural being.

### Mind control

Magic that influences the mind of another person in various ways. It is a common ability, to varying degrees, among many supernatural beings. It can go from nudges, to suggestions, outright commands, and total control of the body of the target. Mind control can be countered by willpower or magical defenses, but also be conditioned against.⁠ Frequent or forceful use can cause mental damage.⁠

### Necromancy

Magic that concerns itself with communication with the spirits of the dead, the control of corpses, ghosts and other undead, and the line between the dead and living.⁠⁠ It can be used to create and bind ghosts.⁠

### Potions

Magic that is ingested for various purposes. As a result, it is impossible to detect or undo.⁠

### Probabalistic magic

Magic that influences the probabilities of events over a period of time. Examples are charms of luck or love. A love charm works by putting the right persons on the right paths to meet each other, but does not make people fall in love magically.⁠ The succubus curse works in a similar way, and also draws on natural desires.⁠⁠

### Scrying

Similar to dowsing, but more focused to seeing or visualising distant places. Scrying is usually accomplished through sense sharing, since sending one’s senses outside of the body takes great effort.⁠

### Second sight

The ability to see or otherwise sense auras or magical effects. It can also serve to see through illusions or perceive invisible beings.⁠⁠ Some people have it as a natural if uncontrolled talent.⁠

### Sense sharing

Sharing the senses of one person or animal with another.

### Sex magic

Sex can be used to enter a specific state of mind or to generate magical energy. Some rituals also require sex magic. These often involve procreation or relations between the participants.⁠ Garrison’s ritual to bind Rachel and Lorelei to him included sex magic.⁠⁠ See also succubus.

### Summoning

Calling and binding natural or supernatural beings to you, for various purposes.⁠

### Telekinesis

Being able to move or interact with items at a distance, *e.g.* to open or close doors.⁠

### Time manipulation

Manipulating or warping time is possible, but very hard and takes lots of power.⁠ It is probable that the easiest way to manage it is to balance the manipulation of time, so that supernaturally fast actions of the caster are balanced by prior supernaturally fast actions of the intended target.⁠⁠

### Vitality

Magic that give more energy, increase resilience, and alleviates pain. One such spell is *Breathe In the Sun*.⁠

### Wards

Protective magic that blocks, curtails, or warns of the supernatural. They can be personal or cover an area. Permanent or stronger wards require physical anchors, where disruption of the anchors will cause the ward to dissolve.

Wards often use salt. Other elements used are ash and rose quartz.⁠⁠

### Weather control

Starting or stopping rain, controlling winds, calling lightning, and so on.

## Theories

§ Fighting magic is rare according to Sunday.⁠ However, most known Practitioners in Seattle has shown some knowledge or aptitude in using magic as a weapon. One possibility is that the magic users encountered so far are an atypical group. Another is that groups like the Brotherhood of Apollo and the Light placed a premium on fighting magic. A third is that Sunday’s definition of fighting magic was more strict than magic usable in a fight.

## References

1. ↑  *Personal Demons*, chapter 15
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 “Date Night”
3. ↑ “Outsourced”
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1  *Natural Consequences*, chapter 10
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1  *Personal Demons*, chapter 14
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1  *Past Due*, chapter 4
7. ↑  *Personal Demons*, chapter 5
8. ↑  *Personal Demons*, chapter 7
9. ↑  *Personal Demons*, chapter 10
10. ↑ “Authenticity”
11. ↑  *Natural Consequences*, chapter 2
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2  *Personal Demons*, Prologue
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1  *Good Intentions*, chapter 16
14. ↑  *Good Intentions*, chapter 4
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1  *Good Intentions*, chapter 3
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2  *Good Intentions*, chapter 15
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1  *Past Due*, chapter 14
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1  *Good Intentions*, chapter 17
19. ↑  *Natural Consequences*, chapter 13
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 “Charting Stars”
21. ↑  *Good Intentions*, chapter 18
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1  *Personal Demons*, chapter 20
23. ↑  *Past Due*, chapter 27
24. ↑  *Good Intentions*, chapter 5
25. ↑  *Past Due*, chapter 10
26. ↑  *Past Due*, Prologue
27. ↑  *Past Due*, chapter 7
28. ↑  *Natural Consequences*, chapter 18
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 “More Than Friends”
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2  *Past Due*, chapter 12
31. ↑  *Personal Demons*, chapter 3
32. ↑  *Good Intentions*, chapter 11
33. ↑  *Natural Consequences*, chapter 5
34. ↑ “Rough Day”
35. ↑  *Personal Demons*, chapter 11
36. ↑ “God on the Run”
37. ↑  *Past Due*, chapter 16
38. ↑  *Personal Demons*, chapter 19