Magic

This article is about the types of magic in the world of Geardagas and serves as an inspiration/basic guideline for characters who are Witches. It is *not* meant to be all-encompassing of what’s available nor a restriction on what can be done and **players are encouraged to explore or expand upon these ideas as they wish!** Think of learning magic as venturing down the various branches of a skill tree.

Additionally, the barriers between beginner, intermediate, and advanced are not absolute: it basically means the *safest* route is to master one rung on the ladder before moving on, but if your character is eager or reckless, they can certainly try the hardest spell immediately. Chances are just high they’ll hurt themselves or someone else -- or at the very least get a stern lecture from someone in the Coven about safety first.

Some spells *are* restricted or forbidden in the sense that attempting to learn them will be very difficult and can result in permanent consequences for your character, but these are spells that are effectively considered a heinous crime (i.e. mind control or enslavement spells).

**For information on what it’s like to be a Witch and how magic affects them in their daily life**, see Witches (Character Role).

## Types of Magic

### Alchemy

Alchemy uses a combination of ingredients, sometimes supplemented by minor spellcasting, to convert pre-existing matter. More commonly, it’s simply making potions, although advanced alchemical processes do exist: combining *living matter* is considered alchemy, as well, but anything other than doing so with plants to create crossbreeds or hardier crops and maybe small animals (rats, insects) is extremely frowned upon.

Even in its most basic form, alchemy can be delicate work not unlike mixing chemicals. Inexperience can still affect alchemy via potions and materials exploding, effects being the complete opposite of expected unless instructions are followed closely -- and even then, the slightest bit of air could ruin an alchemist's day.

**It is possible for someone without magic to do basic forms of alchemy**, as it’s largely based on mixing and brewing ingredients (i.e. anyone can mix a healing poultice). More advanced alchemy will require someone to be a practicing Witch, however, to control the volatility of the alchemical creation.

#### Beginner

Basic alchemy involves mixing common ingredients that have a low volatility: herbs for healing poultices, draughts for aches and pains, sleeping powders, and so on. Generally, what’s created doesn’t rely *too* much on everything being extremely precise. A less skilled Witch might end up with a headache cure that tastes too bitter, for example, or a dye that turns one’s hair an awful shade of orange instead of red -- but nothing will explode.

Examples of beginner alchemical creations include:

* Healing poultices and other medicines (usually for topical use rather than ingested) for common ailments (headaches, nausea, cuts and scrapes)
* Warding potions that can be misted or sprayed, usually for small things like keeping pests away from gardens
* Perfumes, colognes, dyes for hair/feathers/scales, and other cosmetic products
* Sprays or fertilizer for visually enhancing foods (shinier apples, plumper blueberries)
* Enhanced metal alloys, lumber, cloth, and other crafting materials
* Relaxants like enhanced bath salts or oils for relieving stress
* Small theatrical effects such as colored smoke, little sparklers for festivals, candles that change color, etc.
* Moderate truth potions -- basically encourages one to speak more freely, but won’t prevent someone entirely from lying, avoiding answering, or from not speaking at all. Using a truth potion of this kind is closer to giving someone a few beers and then asking them questions than it is to forcing the truth out of anyone. (Truth potions that force someone to speak against their will fall under Mind Control, which is considered forbidden.)

#### Intermediate

Intermediate alchemy is similar

in process to basic alchemy, but can include more volatile ingredients and processes. Mistakes might cause minor burns or ruin equipment/ingredients, but it’s unlikely anyone or anything will come to major harm. Still, some danger does exist -- Witches who are too careless have been known to put someone to sleep for days instead of just a few hours with the wrong mixture. It’s not unusual for a lab teaching intermediate students to be covered in scorch marks.

Examples of intermediate alchemical creations include:

* More advanced healing medicines, including ones meant for ingestion; these are strong enough to aid with chronic ailments and illnesses a bit more severe than the common cold or a headache -- as well as minor Cwyld infections
* Defensive creations such as bombs or powders that cause minor status effects like smoke, sleep, or brief illusions to disorient
* More offensive creations: solutions that are mildly corrosive, small explosives
* Crossbreeding or enhancing various flora in order to create hardier strains or different flavors/effects
* More advanced versions of the things learned as a beginner: fireworks instead of sparklers, crop enhancers that can service an entire farm instead of a small garden, etc.
* Purification potions that are capable of purifying even Cwyld infections in small amounts of water or food for consumption
* Mild poisons and antidotes
* Potions to temporarily suppress magic to a minor degree -- most effective on the local Witches rather than the Mirrorbound Witches
* Potions that suppress a Monster’s feral/bestial nature. This is **temporary** and cannot be relied upon to bypass the full moons’ effects nor to take the place of a proper Bond -- but it can help aid Monsters who are especially struggling.
* Aphrodisiacs -- these cannot force or manipulate desire, but rather enhance one’s sensitivity or sense of pleasure. Generally used to spice up a couple’s bedroom.

#### Advanced

Advanced alchemy is where the process is at its most delicate. This doesn’t just mean things blowing up (though there’s plenty of that, too) but other risks such as creating highly sensitive sleeping doses for surgery or cures for Cwyld infections that might kill the patient if something goes wrong. Witches tend to study for at least 1-2 years before beginning advanced alchemy and some of the most powerful alchemical creations can only be done by a rare handful of very skilled Witches who’ve been training for many, many years. Of course, there are those who do try to bypass the process -- and have risked life and limb in doing so.

Examples of advanced alchemical creations include:

* Advanced healing creations, including those that can help slow or stop the spread of even some of the more severe cases of Cwyld infection. (Being able to cure it successfully generally requires the most masterful of Witches, however -- but slowing the spread is still a vital part of treatment.)
* Dangerous offensive creations including powerful explosives that can level entire buildings, stronger illusions that feel more real and/or last longer, etc.
* Purification potions capable of purifying slightly larger areas (a well, for example), although purifying entire lakes, etc. of the Cwyld would require the effort of many skilled Witches and a lot of time
* Potions that grant significant cosmetic effects such as reducing the size of horns or wings that may be especially cumbersome (these effects are **temporary** and must be refreshed on a regular basis to maintain. Imbibing too frequently or too much may also cause side effects that are up to player discretion!)
* Stronger poisons and antidotes
* Magic-suppressing potions, effective long-term only for the local Witches. Mirrorbound Witches may find it useful for a few hours, but cannot rely on it to be “human” or non-magic practicing, and progressive use will have diminishing effects over time. Brewing this requires a lot of skill and ingredients are rare and expensive -- hence the human population being largely the aristocrats.

It’s important to note that while weapon-like creations aren’t technically illegal given the threat of the Cwyld and Shades, making or holding a significant amount *can* put characters under suspicion if there happens to be anyone causing trouble in the city or they attract the wrong kind of attention -- so be careful.

### Spells

Spells are magic drawn from the reserves of the Witch themselves and from the leylines running through the world. The more advanced the spell, the more likely it will be to backfire on an inexperienced Witch, and especially powerful spells can go wrong even for the most skilled of Witches. Using big spells frequently can also cause exhaustion or even lack of consciousness -- especially Witches without a Bond to stabilize them.

Spells are divided into “schools” or “magic classes”. Some characters will specialize in a certain school of magic, but most are encouraged to at least dabble in several to be as well-rounded as possible. Some schools of magic are easier to master than others, but all schools of magic consist of varying levels of advancement.

#### Schools of Magic

The Coven has categorized spells into the following schools:

* **Abjuration:** spells of protection, blocking, and banishing
	+ ex: barriers, counterspells, dispelling of magics, medium-level healing spells

* **Charms:** spells involving a level of suggestion or manipulation; can skirt some morally and legally grey areas and characters should be careful when using this type of magic on another person, especially without permission as it can very easily be judged a crime
	+ ex: sleep spells, suggestion, calming emotions
* **Conjuration:** spells that summon creatures or materials
	+ ex: creating fires and food, temporarily summoning animals; not to be confused with evocation

* **Divination:** spells that reveal information
	+ ex: speaking with non-humanoids (such as animals), interpreting dreams, finding hidden things, scrying using a reflective surface

* **Enchantment:** spells that magically imbue the target or give the caster power over the target
	+ ex: charm spells, spells that strengthen someone or something, spells that imbue some sort of element. **All enchantments are temporary to a degree** and will need to be “re-enchanted” at some point, as the magic imbued in the item will eventually deplete. Precious gems and stones, as well as obsidian, are best used to hold an enchantment.

* **Evocation:** spells that manipulate energy, or create something from "nothing"
	+ ex: most "offensive" spells, such as fireball, lightning bolt, and ice strike; high-level/multi-person healing

* **Illusion:** spells that alter perception, or create false images
	+ ex: disguising oneself or others, fooling the senses, creating noises from nothing; not to be confused with enchantment

* **Transmutation:** spells that transform the target
	+ ex: transforming into an animal, mending broken objects, altering one's form

* **Universal:** spells that are generally easy to learn, usually lower-level spells from other classes; or, spells that may not fall into a specific school of magic but require knowledge of several
	+ ex: minor versions of healing and teleportation; spells like prestidigitation, identify, detect magic

#### Beginner

Beginner spells are basic spells usually used by Witches in their day to day lives. They tend to be practical rather than defensive or offensive.

Beginner spells include:

* Minor healing or purification
* Less powerful evocation such as lighting a campfire, creating a gust of wind on a hot day, etc.
* Detection magic for inanimate objects or small animals (i.e. locating a lost book or cat)
* Basic wards and barriers that can be used to seal minor elements out such as dust, wind, rain, etc.; the basic form can help slow down someone actively trying to break it, but the barrier will crack more easily than an advanced version
* Temporary basic transmutations, i.e. changing the color of one’s hair for a few hours
* Summoning inanimate objects, including food -- though note that summoned food is **not nutritious** and will not sate one’s hunger; while depending on the level of skill, it can taste, look, and smell just like the real thing, it’s not possible to use as sustenance.
* Teleportation limited to within about one block and requiring a high familiarity with the place being teleported to (such as teleporting from inside one home’s to the street outside their front door, after having lived there for a few months); at lower levels, teleportation cannot transport anyone else but the Witch performing the spell

#### Intermediate

Intermediate spells can be learned by Witches after at least one or two months of hard studying; Witches who study at an average pace may take longer to reach this point.

Intermediate spells are essentially more skilled versions of the above and also include:

* More powerful healing and purification spells
* Temporarily summoning animals
* Communicating with animals, scrying, interpreting dreams
* Stronger offensive spells and barriers/wards, including the ability to dispel other spells (i.e. “dispelling” an illusion)
* The creation of temporary illusions, including creating noises or fooling the senses -- though these illusions can be seen through depending on the level of skill and experience
* More permanent transmutations, mostly that of objects like mending a broken glass, but can also include things like “cutting” one’s hair or altering a hairstyle
* Enchanting objects and other items
* The ability to track or detect larger living beings. At this level, tracking a person is possible if they’re not aware, but it’s still possible to be thrown off course depending on skill and practice
* Teleportation of a greater distance, though a strong familiarity is still required (such as teleporting from one’s home to a favorite bar ¼ of the way through the city); it’s not recommended to try teleporting anyone else besides the Witch performing the spell due to a high risk of complications, such as missing the mark and landing in midair, on the roof, or inside a solid surface, etc. causing injury or worse

#### Advanced

Witches reach this stage after at minimum 4-5 months of hard studying or as long as a year or more if studying at an average pace. Advanced spells can carry with them a risk of backfiring even for Witches who are fairly skilled. During the full moons (or the new moons for Mirrorbound Witches), these spells are especially prone to backfiring and it’s generally not recommended for Witches to use them.

Advanced spells include:

* Charm magic, including sleeping spells and suggestion spells. Suggestions basically “nudge” someone towards doing something, but **cannot force or outright convince them to do it**. Charms have a moderate level of success on unaware targets and a low one on those who are on high alert. Should they backfire, they will usually cause the opposite effect (so someone who was supposed to fall asleep will feel very awake). Security guards or professional negotiators usually come with their own enchantments with resistances to this kind of spells and most of the shops have wards against “suggestions” to allow someone to take something for free (i.e. stealing)
* Stronger illusions that are more difficult to “see through” or dispel
* Barriers with greater strength that can hold back threats or weather powerful storms
* Full transmutation (albeit temporary) of one’s appearance, including transforming into an animal; this will wear off after a few hours or a day depending on the Witch’s strength and how much magic they have to spare
* Healing spells strong enough to cure severe ailments and moderate Cwyld infections (more wide-spreading infections will require extreme skill and the work of more than one experienced Witch)
* Wards that can help repel the Cwyld around an area such as a farm or a house
* Teleportation at greater distances (i.e. halfway across the city) with high familiarity or shorter distances with casual familiarity (it is never possible to teleport somewhere you’ve never been before). A very advanced Witch with lots of practice is able to teleport one person by touch, with their permission, but the risk is always there that they may land unfortunately on the other side. Note that it is not possible to teleport outside of the Bright Wall from within the city, and teleportation may behave unpredictably out in the Wilde so is not recommended. Large groups of experienced Witches are required to set up teleporters and anchor them for general use, such as those found between Aefenglom and the Northern Outpost.

### Restricted Magicks

Restricted magicks are magicks that require convincing and trust in order for Witches to begin to learn, and take a very long time to master. Even so, they may face scrutiny for their work unless they have a large amount of influence. Mirrorbound characters who want to take this route must be well-established within the Coven and the city and **its use must be sanctioned by the Coven**. Trying to sneak around to learn or perform restricted magicks can result in punishment.

The following magicks are considered restricted:

* **Resurrection:** A more minor form of necromancy, resurrection is essentially the spell that’s used to resurrect player characters who have died. This spell is sanctioned by the Coven and it’s possible for players with a trusted standing and advanced training to learn -- but all incidents of resurrection must be approved and reported to the Coven before proceeding. **Please PM the mods if you want your character to make headway in learning resurrection of people.**
* **Paralysis:** Spells and potions causing paralysis on sentient beings are more difficult to master and are restricted as its usage is considered the equivalent of restraining a person -- using it on someone without their permission is the same thing as tying them up without their consent. As a result, it’s largely restricted to City Guards or authorized security personnel. It’s possible to make a case for learning paralysis spells, but **characters caught using it without authorization and/or valid reasons** will face consequences.
* **Necromancy (Animals):** Depending on the “level” of necromancy a character is pursuing, they will face more or less scrutiny in learning it, and it will also affect how difficult it is to be successful. Reanimating dead plants and flowers, for example, is a low-level form of necromancy that won’t cause many waves, while reanimating animals such as rats for additional research might require some credentials to be presented. Reanimating creatures for non-scientific purposes like pets is frowned upon and if any character is caught doing so without authorization, they’ll likely be slapped with a fine. **Necromancy also affects one’s Bonded**, which is part of the reason why it’s considered taboo. While minor necromancy work will not cause side effects, if a Witch pursues it deeply, side effects for a Bonded Monster -- especially for a Chimera -- can range from a deep, pervasive feeling of dread (on the lower end) to scales, fur, teeth, or claws falling out, wounds not healing quickly or at all, milky film forming over the eyes, or attracting swarms of flies. The only way to counteract it temporarily without dissolving the Bond is to dampen it with potions, which may have to be purchased from the Goblin Market in a case like this dealing with illicit magic. Necromancy is taboo partly because it does have these dangers attached -- **a bond to a necromancer who practices constantly and who would be considered advanced or higher tends to lead to the death of their partner** without intervention, and sometimes intervention only slows it.

### Forbidden Magicks

Forbidden magicks are spells or alchemical effects that will under no circumstances be taught or endorsed by anyone in the Coven. This type of magic is difficult for any character to even try to learn, and attempts to do so can draw the attention of the Coven or Parliament. As a general rule, it is **not possible to learn these spells at this time**, but if your character is the type to take the risk and continue to make aggressive attempts to do so, **please PM the mods.**

That said, should your character make some attempt to learn or ask about these magicks, they will face some intense interrogation about why they want to know, even if they try to pass it off as “innocent” curiosity, and the Coven will warn them off from pursuing the topic further. If they continue to search, they will discover that the only way to learn about them is through **illegal slave traders** or **underground supporters of Morgana** who continue to lurk largely in the Black Market. Considering the Mirrorbound are responsible for bringing down Morgana, her few remaining followers will be *very* reluctant to trust one of the Mirrorbound characters.

The Coven is the sole judge and jury of all unsanctioned magicks, including forbidden magicks. Using forbidden magicks of any kind carries the most severe of these punishments, which is **the permanent removal of a Witch’s magic**. A Witch without magic will in turn affect their Bondmates, if they are Bonded, and they will feel hollow for the remainder of their lives. For more information, see Crime and Punishment.

The following magicks are considered forbidden:

* **Mind Control**. Outright mind control spells have a long and bloody history of being used to suppress and enslave an entire population of Monsters in Dorchacht. As a result, even with Morgana Drummond having been executed, a lot of understandable fear remains that her supporters will attempt to continue her work -- which would include mind control spells. Mind control involves taking over a person’s mind against their will; this can involve physically controlling them, taking over their emotions or thoughts, or forcing them to speak things they don’t believe. **This includes truth potions that do more than simply loosen the tongue.** Essentially, any potion or spell that takes over someone’s mind is forbidden. The closest allowable magicks are *suggestible* ones, and even those can carry consequences depending on how they’re used. For example, a suggestive calming spell to ease someone’s stress is okay, but using it to manipulate them into letting you steal something is not. Characters who try to pursue this route will face a lot of obstruction and challenges, and doing so will require association with the morally corrupt. **It doesn’t matter if a character has a good reason or not** to perform mind control, even if they claim it was to save someone’s life or in self-defense. Because mastering it is so difficult and there are *plenty* of easier spells to learn for self-defense, it can be presumed that any character who wants to learn mind control has only ill intent to control others.
* **Memory Manipulation:** Manipulating someone’s memory is similar to mind control, and is treated accordingly as a result. Memory manipulation involves erasing someone’s memories, inserting memories they didn’t have, and implanting thoughts and beliefs that weren’t originally there.
* **Necromancy (People):** Necromancy is different from a standard resurrection spell in that it’s used to raise the dead into an undead state that’s under the sole control of the caster. Most necromancy-practicing Witches live either outside of the city or within the bowels of it. **It is forbidden only when raising undead *people*.** Raising a dead pet or reanimating flowers is still a bit taboo, but if the Witch has a good reason to do so -- for science or research -- then they can do so. See Restricted Magicks for more information on allowable necromancy. Necromancy of people will carry the same side effects described above for Necromancy of animals.

## Side Effects

### Magical “Presence”

Depending on the sort of magic that a Witch decides to specialize in, or perhaps finds themselves using the most, they may find themselves with a sort of magical "presence." This means that those around them that are perceptive to magic will be able to detect -- on a base level, with enough practice and exposure to it -- what sort of magic they've cast recently and frequently. A Witch that mostly practices fire evocation will radiate a warm magical presence. An active healer has a calming magic, even if they aren't necessarily the calmest person around. A necromancer's presence, if they practice heavily, will cause discomfort to those around them.

### After-Effects

These are also after-effects of their magic, a manifestation of traits associated with the spells and classes they use the most. These traits can be tempered, and even abated, with discipline and practice, and an understanding of moderation and balance.

For example:

* A Witch who specializes in ice magic may find their body temperature dropping, and objects they touch being coated in a layer of frost, if they've overused ice spells.

* Someone who uses teleportation magic frequently could become a little scatterbrained, and may pop in and out of "existence," as it were, as their magic works out some of the residual energy used to teleport.

* Healers must especially take care, as their magic may naturally draw on life around them (typically from plant life, but may run the risk of harming others) to heal their own injuries unconsciously.

* Necromancers who practice the art too frequently will effectively taint their magic, and it will build up to a degree that allows others to sense the inherent wrongness in the magic that they cast. It can even drain their own life force if they go too far.