Magic

Magic is varied as it is unpredictable. There are rumors of great
flying beasts in far-off lands, shining towers of glittering mana, and
legends of enchantments and supernatural phenomena the world over.

But, in the Free Cities, magic revolves around *ambergris*.

## Magic of the Free Cities

*Ambergris*
 is a potent, volatile concoction, specially prepared from the organs
and blood of the great sea beasts and leviathans that roam the waters
not-too-distant from the Free Cities' shores. In smaller quantities, it
is simpler to work with but less powerful. In large enough
concentrations and doses the force of *ambergris-*fueled spells can rock the heavens.

Throughout the Free Cities, *ambergris*
 is used to power simple "hearth magic." Most houses count at least one
"hearthmother" amongst their kin, who can prepare simple, practical
spells for the benefit of the house. Torches and lights that last for
weeks, setting a bone, healing a wound, or driving down a fever are all
in the purview of hearth magic. Hearthmothers typically pass down their
wisdom and spells from mother to daughter, though some men have been
known to dabble in it as well.

"Sea" magic, as it is colloquially known, is the varied, chaotic, and powerful *ambergris*-powered magic of the Sea caste's mages and witches. Each Sea caste uses *ambergris* somewhat differently, and the schools and variety of magic they perform is as varied as the stars in the sky. Some use *ambergris*
 to see past the horizon-of-things, to guess at future outcomes and
spout prophecy. Others use it to calm or quell great storms. Still
others simply use it to hone their ships, or power great, vast public
works normally outside the strength of human hands. In general, the
magic of the Sea is themed around stars, the sun, sand, and the water
itself.

There are rumors of "blood" magic, spells that use forbidden concentrations or organs of the leviathan*s*.
 Such magic is said to be devastating, both in it's outcome on the world
 and to the soul of it's users. Still, one never knows when a Sea house
might start down the path towards heresy and destruction.

## The Ambergris Trade

The
 production and trade of ambergris is highly restricted and tightly
controlled by the Regents of the Free Cities. The inherent dangers in
the acquisition and use of the material makes it far too powerful to not
 be.

Technically,
 any Sea Caste house could hunt Leviathans all by it's lonesome, but to
do so would prove somewhat foolhardy. Instead, most Sea Castes ally with
 themselves with Blood houses dedicated to the art of the hunt. There
are entire techniques and schools of martial prowess built around the
hunting of leviathans, and the Blood houses that keep such secrets guard
 them jealously.

There
 are a great many rituals, forms, and regulations involved in the
hunting of Leviathans. The great beasts are considered sacred to the
Mother-of-Waves, and must be hunted with honor, skill, and great care. A
 leviathan must not be fought "unfairly", a harpooner may not cause the
beast too much pain, and all the rites and rituals contingent in such a
holy act must be observed.

When
 a leviathan-hunter returns to port, they can expect their catch to be
closely inspected by the Regent's tariff and tax men. These inspectors
hunt for any sign of impropriety in a hunt, and may impose penalties
ranging from stern warnings to confiscation of *ambergris* to revocation of licenses should the leviathan-hunter's quarry fail to meet their exacting standards.

From
 there, the leviathan is handed over to a Blood House trained in the art
 of butchery, taking great pains to avoid the corruption of blood or the
 spilling of organs. A Sand house may then take the necessary components
 and render them (through arcane and highly guarded means) into *ambergris*.

While Sea houses can and do trade in *ambergris*, the extraordinary amounts of wealth involve typically mean that Sand caste houses must be involved as well.

The export of *ambergris* is
 likewise tightly controlled, but yet it still occasionally makes it to
foreign ports through less-than-official means. Foreign mages are known
to prize *ambergris* more than diamonds or jewels, and the lengths some will go to in order to acquire the Free Cities bounty are staggering.

Smuggling *ambergris* or poaching leviathans is dangerous, deadly work. The tax and tariff men are known to be just as ruthless to the smuggler of *ambergris* as the Sea caste houses are with those they catch attempting to claim the bounty of *their* seas.