Magic

The term 'Magic' refers to any number of means of affecting the world which are categorically constrained in access to specific individuals or groups of individuals. This label is implicitly applied from a Human perspective, since the majority of study of magic takes place in Human institutions. The definition of magic therefore, separates it from science in that- theoretically at least- anyone is capable of using the discoveries and creations of science since they require no special ability or skill beyond the use of working Human anatomy (such as a hand to operate a pistol).

In practice, there is quite a bit of crossover, as scientists have been working on techniques of refining raw magical energy to create technology which makes magic more accessible. As well, Imperial Mages have worked to standardize the practice on an unprecedented scale, so that the cultural institutions surrounding the access to magic has been likened to an industry.

## Essence

At its core, magic boils down to the intentional utilization of a type of energy labeled as Essence. Essence is understood as the energy of life itself, that which animates and motivates everything from the smallest specks to sound waves to living creatures to heat mirages to lightning bolts to the growing of plants and so on. Even in the most stagnant of swamps and inert of caverns possess tiny swirling insects and growing algae and dripping water which reveals a flow of Essence to those who are capable of perceiving it. Every living creature generates Essence through its natural processes.

In contrast, any area that has been completely drained of Essence feels unnervingly quiet and still, an oppressive weight in the air, suffocating all breath and thought and speech. Luckily, such null zones are rare, as Essence naturally permeates the world.

All 'magical' abilities are actually the manipulation of Essence through a technique of limited accessibility, by definition.

# Human Magical Schools

In Human nations there are many different approaches of understanding magic, largely in line with national methods of approaching its study and classification.

## Imperial Magical Research Academy

Excerpt from a 1910 IMRA Report Labeled "On the Impact of Religious Faith on the Effectiveness of Magical Applications":

> ***Introduction***
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> *Our ancestors saw the world much differently than we do today. At one point, the reigning theory of why we suffer sickness, was a belief in 'unclean air.' This theory was based upon observable reality as understood at the time, and the actions it prescribed to protect against this 'unclean air' did have some measurable beneficial impact. But it was incorrect; we know this now, using information we have gathered through means that were not available to our ancestors.*
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> *So it is with humble reservation that I present the results of my experimentation. Although the precise mechanism for magical ability is not as of yet known, we can theorize, and we can test, and we can measure. And I do have results that will no doubt be of use to our magical combat assets in the field. But part of me cannot help but wonder if these are mere incidental discoveries in the pursuit of a faulty assumption- if we are accidentally washing away germs while thinking we are scouring ourselves of 'unclean air.*
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> *We cannot know for sure, and I can only imagine how our descendants might look back upon our conclusions, and efforts. I do not share these misgivings with any of our test subjects, for fear of impacting test results through undue influence. And I certainly do not wish these doubts upon any of the valiant men and women who will serve in the newly formed Imperial Mage program. Quite the contrary, I wish to arm them with every potential advantage that might guide us to the prosperity and protection of the Fatherland.*
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> *As you will see in the extensive documentation to follow, the Human practice of magic receives an incredible increase in effectiveness when combined with sincere faith (as well as observation of rites associated with adherence to this faith) in Ortues, the Living God. Until such a time as a more compelling theory is presented, or an advancement in technology allows for previously held beliefs to be dismissed, it is our conclusion at the Imperial Magical Research Academy that we- as a nation- should turn our prayers to the Living God, that he might deliver the Fatherland from the hostile forces that surround us, and ensure a safe future for our posterity.*
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> *Amen.*
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> ―Senior Research Director Rudolf Wexner
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The leading institution within the **Grienzen Empire** seeks to examine magic from an academic perspective, attempting to unravel the mysteries of magic through clinical experimentation and thorough documentation. This bureau is the Imperial Magical Research Academy, founded in 1880 after the Rossko-Osmani War two years prior made it clear that magic could provide a significant tactical advantage in warfare.

It wasn't until 1897 that the Helleno-Karpanian War spurred the approval of the formation of the Imperial War Mage program. Using what they had learned thus far, Imperial Mages drilled recruits who exhibited the affinity to manipulate Essence. Early results were discouraging, with War Mage cadets managing only marginal improvements in battlefield effectiveness. Their lack of precision and widely varying degrees of raw capability meant that any amount of organized strategies were destined to fail. That all changed with the creation of the War Soul.

### War Soul

Relying on elements of old myths about magic use, IMRA researchers began exploring several methods of creating an arcane focus for the purposes of improving magical abilities. Their efforts stalled after two years of unsuccessful testing and additional requests for further methods of experimentation were denied due to moral concerns, and the project was shelved.

Once again, a war changed the opinions of the Empire, as observers returned from the 1905 Rossi-Wakokese War with firsthand accounts of Wakokese ritualistic suicide used to empower great magical effects that had devastating effects on the significantly larger Rossiyan army. The growing tensions in Uropa combined with the increasing scale of violence in recent wars lead to the approval of a new wave of tests.

As a result, IMRA researches worked alongside Burrower volunteers to backwards engineer the focal point of their powers: the Soul Stone that houses their ephemeral being. Careful magical testing revealed that it was this crystallization of a soul that enabled the interfacing between ambient Essence and the physical world, much like the way that a lens can condense sunlight into a single point bright enough to ignite a fire. With this in mind, IMRA scholars went to several Preusvian hospitals where they sought cooperative elderly and terminal patients to assist in their experiments.

Within four years, they successfully crystallized the soul of a 68-year-old patient named Max Neumann in 1909 after a lengthy ritual overseen by two **Ortueist** priests and a pair of **Night Raven** assistants. Despite his failing health, he was made fully aware of what was being requested of him, and after a week in prayer and meditation, he died in his sleep. After his death, the gem prepared to be the vessel of his soul shone with inner light, and the Night Ravens reported that his Essence had been successfully encapsulated.

Despite the excitement of this success, several more experiments brought significant relief as findings came out that a soul could not be unwillingly trapped within a gem, which – due to their military purpose – were given the name "War Souls." Additionally, a soul is not harmed at all through this service, and should the gem break or even decide not to serve anymore, it will simply depart to the afterlife as usual. Even intense prayer about the morality of this technique did not afflict divine guilt on the priests who aided in the first transfer. And so the process was allowed to continue, albeit with strict oversight to ensure that the method and implications were spelled out thoroughly to the volunteers and that no pressure was ever applied to get an agreement.

Although crude at first, these Human Soul Stones were eventually refined into their modern form: an amulet built around a subtly glowing crystal of solidified Essence that bears the imprint of a Human soul. This arcane construct acts as a semi-conscious channel through which Essence can be collected and directed by the Imperial War Mage attuned with it.

As a matter of legal course, only volunteers who have already raised children who have their own children may offer their lives for the purposes of the formation of a War Soul. As such, they were in short supply until very recently, when the threat of war stirred up a wave of patriotic self-sacrifices on behalf of those too old to defend their countrymen in any other manner.

## Imperial Army Ministry Corps

Transcript from the 1897 Formation Proposal Hearing for the Imperial War Mage Program:

> *With all possible respect for my counterpoint from The Academy, I must oppose the current proposal for the purely secular oversight of this new program. Just as biological alteration without moral guidance takes the form of physical degeneration, so too does man's unguided pursuit of power take the form of ineluctable corruption. One need look no further than the depravities of our Gallian neighbors to see that proven true in wretched excess.*
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> *That being said, let it not be claimed that the Grienzen Ecumenical Council would have our people disarmed in the face of pressing spiritual threats inherent to recent political machinations. We advise only that any preparations be carried out with the characteristically Grienzen capacity for satisfying every demand of a complex problem. To that end, let us turn to the submitted counter-proposal in front of you now, for the creation of a new department that would see to the religious ministry of our mighty armed forces. A chaplaincy corps that would lead jointly with The Academy into this dawning era of industrialized arcane knowledge and large-scale defensive magical needs.*
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> ―Patriarch Hermann von Schneider, Bayernian United Church Assembly
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The second largest institution dedicated to the understanding and utilization of magic in the Grienzen Empire is the militarized wing of the combined body of Grienzen churches. Titled the Imperial Army Ministry Corps, this supplementary organization began as a research-focused outreach program to ensure the continued blessing of the various **Ortueist** assemblies within the Fatherland. Since then, the improvement to morale and ability to inspire great zeal in the people has seen the expansion of the simple chaplaincy program into a full-fledged specialized branch of the armed forces.

The IAMC works with the Imperial Military to provide training and guidance to ministers and priests who enter the armed forces. The role of the Battlefield Chaplain is internally recognized as a separate but attached unit, much like the artillery corps and medical corps. Chaplains often act as moral advisors for the soldiers they are attached to, as well as counselors and sources of inspiration in the incredible hardships of modern war. All this in addition to being expected to fight and carry out all the normal tasks of a soldier means that the standards for recruitment of a Battlefield Chaplain are extremely rigid, selecting for the most stalwart candidates.

Beyond their mundane morale duties, chaplains have increasingly been called upon to deal with supernatural threats. The chaos of war appears to have upended the natural order of the world and disturbed the many spirits that used to enjoy a metaphysical homeostasis. The violence and dark intentions of so many Humans feeds malevolent entities and gives them opportunities to enact cruel machinations upon the physical world. And even more pressing, chaplains must be ready to contend with the threat posed by the spreading shadow of the **Ascendancy of Man** and its vehement hatred for the Living God and His followers.

As such, chaplains are taught the means to protect themselves and others from spiritual threats, the prayers and rituals (according to the branch of Ortueism to which the minister belongs) that can be used to drive the enemies of the Living God back. They are instructed on how to recognize spiritual corruption and the proper measures to help combat it, to bless the men and machinery of the Imperial Army so that it should not decay and fester in a cesspool of discord and depravity. Though some cases where supervision are called for are beyond the authority of the standard chaplain.

### The Department of Ecclesiastical Investigation

With so many citizens now serving as either Battlefield Chaplains or Imperial War Mages, the risk of a rogue ideology or cult element doing severe damage to national unity became too large to ignore. The temptation of power poses a looming peril for some apprentices, who have left behind lives of near powerlessness to be suddenly thrust into possession of incredible magical might. After several high-profile cases of War Mages caught engaging in heretical and damning practices (one regarding pagan sacrifices and two concerning communing with malicious spirits), the Grienzen Ecumenical Council established the Department of Ecclesiastical Investigation

Given a special permission to act outside of the structure of the Imperial Military, DEI is tasked with identifying, preventing, and uprooting the spread of dangerous creeds and cancerous false doctrines. A DEI Investigator has full permission to interview any Grienzen citizen or foreigner they need to, and at higher ranks have even the ability to inspect classified IMRA experiments. Some dislike how much power the DEI is given, but they are just as merciless about finding corruption within their own organization as they are in others. Most officers simply tolerate any interruptions their presence brings with minimal resistance, as compliance is often easier than the alternatives.

## Gallian Republic

### Vital Force

At the heart of the political upheaval in the **Gallian Republic** has been the violent dismissal and dismantling of everything remotely resembling magic. As such, it might be surprising that there is a form of magic still being practiced within the Gallian Republic. Referred to as 'the Will of Man,' this school of magic began with the positing of a hypothesis by a biologist regarding the driving factor that spurred on adaptation and evolution in animals. This then became the bedrock for a philosophical assertion by Louis Bertrand who applied the idea of a distinct form of motivating energy that inspired the persevering of a species into the field of Human psychology. He called this the Vital Force, and began working on ways to measure- through physical and mental tests- the presence of this force within individuals, attempting to correlate it to their life outcomes and use it for predictions.

Eventually this theory solidified with a much better clarification of what the Vital Force really was. It is now believed that the Vital Force is a measure of the harmony of the elements of the Human mind. Any imbalance between the various cognitive fields will cause a diminishment of the Vital Force as the mind must devote its energy into counterbalancing around the problem. This is believed to be the cause of moral and mental failings, and tests are under way to attempt to more directly measure such imbalances and to begin correcting them, through medication and surgery.

It wasn't until the last decade that the Vital Force began to garner interest from superiors in the Gallian government, and especially within the military. The body of evidence that proved that those who possessed greater measured Vital Force could attain success and accomplish amazing tasks in ways that others simply could not, and this had obvious application for the commanders who were seeking to gather the most competent fighting force. While it wasn't possible to be so selective in times of mass conscription, the doctrine that developed mandated the creation of a dedicated core of strong-minded individuals. These gifted soldiers were put through a grueling training regimen specifically designed to increase their resilience so that they could take on the roles of special forces as well as leadership positions in the Republican army.

## Rossiyan Federation

### Winnowed Path

> *Only in the presence of the gravest sins, can the greatest grace be found. Only in times of immense pain, does comfort truly matter. Only in the face of crushing death, can one truly live.*
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> *And I have come, that you all may truly live.*
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> ―Nicolai Rubashkin, the Greatest Fool
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In the **Rossiyan Federation**, the addition of Nicolai Rubashkin to the Federal Council has seen his influence on Itor Mikhail grow, and as a result the cult of Holy Winnowing has taken on a newfound national authority. In between hiring prostitutes and visiting with the wives of government officials, Rubashkin shaped his new gospel so that students might learn his message. Preaching to vagrants and nobles, criminals and former Austeric priests, Rubashkin showed his methods to all who would sit through his lengthy meditations and wild sermons. He trains his Fools at the Pg Pyotrgorod Cathedral, an Austeric church now entitled the Lunatic Asylum, repurposed into a combination training ground and alehouse and vomitorium and whorehouse.

Those who come out the other side of his drug-fueled seminars are known as Winnowed Fools, and are said to carry a sliver of the **Dark Tyrant** within them. They act as her emissaries, performing miracles and preaching the cessation of previous moral foundations in order to bring about the eagerly awaited end of the world. One common feature about them is the complete lack of hygiene combined with a horrendous odor that permeates the world around them.

Winnowed Fools possess the following abilities: fleshly regeneration, mass hypnotism, divination and fortune-telling, and poisoned wind. The more powerful Fools can even bring themselves and others back to life from death. It has been said that Rubashkin himself has been murdered a dozen times over, and yet is still seen in the dark city streets and frozen forests of Rossiya daily.

## Nordia

### Inscribed Power

Very little is known to the world about **Nordia's** method of runic magic. Unbelievably ancient, and historically repressed, this mystical arrangements of markings comes from a time when the **Primal Ways** were widely practiced across central and northern Uropa. There are still active cults which keep the knowledge alive and even use their inscriptions to cast spells and to imbue artifacts with arcane power.

There have been attempts to reproduce the magical properties of runes within the religious context of Ortueism, especially within the Austeric Church and at some **Synenolic** monasteries as well. These efforts have achieved very limited success due to a refusal to cross certain boundaries regarding morality that followers of the Primal Ways are not afraid to circumvent.

## Grand Breteyne

### The Learned Arts

In addition to the Vital Force, the other form of magic most often purported to be mundane in master is the Learned Arts of the **Commonwealth**. Also called the Cunning Craft, the Hidden Science, the Eighth Discipline, the Forgotten Path, and many other names, the Learned Arts is a collection of individualized esoteric practices considered dangerous by the Church of Ortues. While there have been numerous cults and covens that practiced the Learned Arts throughout all of Uropa, the prominence of the Church has kept them at bay and operating only in the shadows. It is only the recent dissolution of national churches by the Ascendancy of Man movement that provided the opportunity for the Learned Arts to blossom and fill the void.

While looked upon with extreme skepticism in the Gallian Republic, the Learned Arts have a long tradition of being practiced by the Brettish and as such there is more of an attitude is acceptance of the claimed scientific legitimacy of them within the Commonwealth. It is only the presentation of rigorous (albeit highly personalized) formulaic practices that manages to assuage the rabid hostility that the Ascendancy of Man holds toward anything considered superstition or mystical. While their Art may be obscure and sometimes inscrutable, the Learned Few insist that they are obedient practitioners of science, following only what the experimentation and data had lead them to. And they are willing to teach skeptics, though few of the more politically-involved are willing to take them up on that offer.

As for what one can do with the Learned Arts, it can be very difficult to detail given how varied the practices of each coven are. Much of the focus is on various forms of alchemy and herbalism, creating potions and poisons that modern chemistry simply cannot yet recreate. They also employ many elements pilfered from other magical systems, such as divination, the use of runes, the communing with spirits, etc. There have also been reported cases of Learned Few manipulating the spirits of the dead or the raising of corpses to do their bidding.

## Other Human Magic Systems

### The Thousand Voices

On the distant isles of Wakoku, the reigning belief states that every aspect of creation has in itself a governing spirit that lays claim to the element or object it inhabits. Wakokese magic accordingly relies upon requesting that these spirits exhibit their abilities in the world and perform a desired action for the requester. The act of making the request takes the form of a ritual, but very few of these rituals have been observed by outsiders. Sacrifices seem to be an important part of the process, along with prayers and specific clothing, but beyond that not much is known.

### Exalted Revelation

On the archipelago and peninsula nation of Hellenic League, the traditional form of divination magic is still occasionally practiced. The Exalted Revelation is the name for this type of magic that revolves around consulting oracles, who put themselves into drug- and sex-fueled trances which are said to allow them to see the future. Unfortunately, their prophecies are often vague and the meanings of them are usually only understood after they are are said to have been fulfilled.

# Non-Human Magic

In addition to Human magical studies, the various Non-Human Races also possess abilities considered magical by Humans. To those Races, the abilities are as natural as the capacity of a Human to grip a tool with five fingers, yet because these talents are not possessed by Humans, they are still classified as magical.

## Night Raven Magic

### Night Magic

**Night Ravens** can learn to use their access to the darkness of night in a way that no other Race can. Their reach can extend into the realm of sleep and dreaming, able to invoke the onset of sleep in others, see into people's sleeping minds, as well as to manipulate the content of their dreams. They are often blamed for nightmares, and might- as a favor- grant pleasant dreams to friends.

Additionally, the darkness itself can be used by a talented Night Raven. The creation of shadows (or blocking of sunlight) can be used through fine control so that an area or person or object might be masked in darkness. A Night Raven is never blinded by darkness, but one who is skilled with Night Magic can even peer from distant, deep shadows as if standing there in person. And a master Night Magic practitioner can even entirely step within the shadows, to appear elsewhere from within another shadow, instantaneously.

### Keen Eyes

One capacity all Night Ravens have is exceptional eyes which can see the flow of Essence in the world around them. Naturally, so that this additional visual information is not overwhelming, they are able to tune this out when desired, but the ability to examine and observe closely for unnatural fluctuations in Essence grants them the ability to see all manners of magical abilities. Every sort of illusion is easily spotted by an alert Night Raven, as are normally subtle magical effects or spells.

## Wolfen Magic

### Shapeshifting

**Wolfen** magic is entirely focused within their ability to alter their form into one of three different shapes. None of their forms are technically their 'real' form any more so than any other, but that being said, maintaining a completely Human shape is the most stifling for them as it means cutting off their natural senses and power in the most egregious of manners. There is no limitation to the amount of time that can be spent in one shape or another outside of tolerance or need, and no technical limit to the amount of switching back and forth, outside of exhaustion.

Wolfen shapeshifting utilizes surrounding Essence to provide the animating energy to alter their body. This can be very taxing in terms of concentration and stamina, but is not magically depleting as their nature circumvents the necessity for a magical focus like Humans require. In other words, their bodies act as the focus itself, and the Essence is channeled inward rather than into an external effect like with Human magic.

## Half-Horses

### Hyper Alertness

In accordance with their equine nature, **Half-Horses** possess Super-Human senses regarding sources of potential danger. But what's more, every Half-Horse possesses the capacity to focus his attention to the point of near precognition-levels of awareness, such that the slightest of muscular twitch or flex can be interpreted as the intended movement it will lead to. A Half-Horse so trained is capable of projecting forward in time the movements of a singular object or person with uncanny accuracy, which has helped foster the common perception that Half-Horses are able to predict the future.

Significant testing has proven that Half-Horses are not able to see the future, but they can track swift and sudden movements far better than any other Race. This ability helps greatly when it comes to accuracy with firearms or other projectile weapons, no doubt being responsible for the superior archery skills which Half-Horse warriors were ascribed in ancient times. Even to this day their ability to track and hit moving targets even while at full gallop surpasses that of any other Race.

### Steppe Hymns

According to the Half-Horse cosmology, the world and all living and non-living things on it respond to descriptions and evocations of them through a harmonic sympathy. When recited in accordance with the basic, most essential nature of a creature or object, a song or chant has the power to invoke and incite aspects of those things. While this might sound complicated, most Half-Horses do not even understand the mechanism by which their song-based magic works, but they have a strict system of generational education of the unchanging sung verses and poetic meters for their hymnals.

Young Half-Horses are taught basic songs about heroism and bravery and sing them when frightened, and new mothers rely on traditional lullabies to protect their children in their early months. But some take this on further and memorize entire songbooks and add to them the playing of ancient ritual instruments. Wind instruments such as the shawm or shepherd's horn along with waist-mounted double kettle drums serve to amplify the magical effects of hymns, as do greater amounts of singers.

Initial testing seems to suggest that – while Humans are incapable of reproducing the effects of Steppe Hymns on their own – a Half-Horse-led hymn does seem capable of benefiting in the magnitude of its effect if properly-taught Humans join in.

## Dragon Daughters

### Metabolism

While perhaps not obviously magical, the fact that **Dragon Daughters** do not need to eat as much as the increase in their volume would indicate compared to a Human has been suggested to be magical in nature. A fourfold increase in height equals a sixty-four fold increase in volume, but their dietary needs are only sixteen times greater than that of a Human. It is believed that their digestive process includes some manner of Essence transfer and restoration that allows for this feat of metabolic superiority.

### Elemental Exhalation

Aside from their sheer size and strength, the majority of Dragon Daughters have the ability to unleash a stream of elemental magic in the form of a mighty exhalation. Some also have the power to spit elemental material further distances or for more precise projection. This ability is both physically and mentally taxing and as such is limited to moments of dire need, but its destructive potential makes it an excellent option in combat.

If employed at a lower intensity, the Exhalation is not as exhausting and the elemental aspect also has a number of potential utilities. Fire breath can be used to warm areas or individuals in cold environments that would cause frostbite and death to exposure. Ice breath can act as an easy and safe form of refrigeration while commercial refrigeration technology is still unstable, dangerous if something does go wrong, expensive, and very bulky. And Lightning breath can be harnessed by electrical catchment systems to provide energy for devices able to harness it. More research into lightning arrays is needed, but finding volunteers is proving very difficult.

## Fey Cats

### Illusions

The most commonly known ability of the **Fey Cats** is their capacity to project illusions known as glamours. Most Fey Cats can only create an illusion centered on their own body, causing them to appear as someone or something else to others. This was most often used to disguise themselves as Humans, though instances of impersonation were not unheard of. More skilled Fey Cats can create an image external to themselves, projecting their illusion onto another person or a location as needed, though this is more difficult, tiring, and magically draining.

### Fey Ears

The triangular ears above a Fey Cat's head are not just adept at capturing sounds, but are capable of hearing a short ways into the future as well. At least, this is how their sense of hearing has been described. Not that this sensory projection is completely accurate, but more that it can pick up sounds of danger or notice surprises before they occur, thus allowing faster reaction and even some degree of preparation. The small amount of testing done with cooperative Fey Cats has revealed that this future hearing extends to roughly five or six seconds for most, with a rare few individuals in tune with their senses able to hear out to ten seconds ahead of time. The 'volume' (defined as the degree of danger or risk) appears to play some part in how far ahead a Fey Cat can hear an event, but further testing is needed before IMRA researches are ready to formulate a theory.

As an interesting additional note, Fey Ears are also able to notice lies, half-truths, and other forms of verbal falsehood at a higher level of accuracy when only able to hear the voice of the liar than a Human control group. The sample sizes were small, but there does appear to be something to the claim that Fey Cats are able to pick up the sound of a lie on someone's voice. Preliminary tests done with gramophone recordings of lies do not elicit the same response from Fey Cats, nor do second-hand lies told by an unaware middle man, so it appears to require hearing the sound of intentional deceit from a person directly.

### Fey Realm

**Royal Cats** are able to shift themselves into another space that does not exist in sync with our observable reality. Dubbed a 'Fey Realm,' there is very little information available about what this other space is and what the rules that govern it are. For starters, time does not seem to flow the same within, as watches taken with Royal Cats and retrieved a matter of seconds later report wildly different amounts of passed time, with no discernible pattern or rule even with the same individual and in the same physical location. As a general guideline, it seems that time passes far slower within the Fey Realm than without, as often a span of several seconds in the real world matches a span of several hours within the Fey Realm.

Beyond that, there is little data for how large a space this Fey Realm is or what it is like inside. Self-reporting by the extremely few Royal Cat individuals who have deigned to help IMRA researchers reveals that not only are each individual's Fey Realm different, but they do not always share the same features or aesthetics or themes when limited to just a single Royal Cat. There may be an element of intentional influence on the part of the Royal Cat, but it is not clear if these are entirely artificial places or a glimpse of a greater, unknown world.

What is known is that the entrance into this space, followed by traversing through it and departing in a different location does correlate to reappearing in the real world in a different location than the initial entrance point. The maximum observed distance was about 20 yards, though it has been reported that more powerful individuals can achieve far greater distances. There was also mention that cooperating groups of Royal Cats can manage far larger spaces, but this has not been confirmed.

### Cat Curse

**Dark Cats** have the ability to inflict an unknown ailment through contact with the claws or teeth. All natural and pharmacological methods of attempting to treat this affliction have not lead to any results, though a few old herbal remedies do seem to reduce the severity of the symptoms. Speaking of which, the symptoms have been thoroughly documented. These include: a bump or blister at the bite or scratch site, fatigue, headaches, fever, body aches and joint pain, loss of appetite (leading to weight loss), personality changes, paralysis, and eventually death. The progression of symptoms can take a very long time, ranging from a week to several months, depending on the hardiness of the victim and some unknown quality of the Dark Cat.

The only known cure for the Cat Curse is a voluntarily given kiss upon the initial bite or scratch site by the same Dark Cat which caused the injury in the first place. It is theorized that another Dark Cat could cure the Cat Curse but none have ever agreed to try, regardless of reward or punishment offered. A Dark Cat will cure an afflicted individual if they deem that whatever wrong caused them to bite or scratch the person in the first place has been corrected or that amends have been made. It is unknown if there is some objective measure required before this condition is satisfied, or if it is merely a judgement call.

### Feline Domain

**Bright Cats** have the least understood of the Fey Cat subtypes' abilities. There have been no volunteers willing to demonstrate their powers for IMRA researchers, so everything known about the Feline Domain ability is from field reports. Bright Cats possess the ability to indicate or set aside a location that is claimed as their own. As with the Royal Cats' Fey Realm ability, the more powerful the individual and the more individuals working together in a group, the larger this domain can be. An area that has been claimed like this is placed under esoteric and specific rules that the Bright Cat(s) who claimed it decrees upon time of seizing it. These are a form of metaphysical etiquette or behavioral expectation, and not following these rules (even if they are not followed because of ignorance) will result in terrible misfortune. The form this takes is as varied as can be imagined, giving catalogers a very difficult time, but often include accidents, illnesses, getting lost, getting into conflicts, losing possessions, and other such misfortunes ranging from immediate to delayed by a day or two.

There are as of yet no proven methods for avoiding the ramifications of disrespecting a Feline Domain nor how to dispel one once it has been established. Likewise, it isn't clear what the criteria are for where one can be created or what the creation method or ritual is. These secrets are apparently only known to the Bright Cats and the rare few they trust intimately enough to divulge such information. It does not appear possible for instantaneous claiming of a domain, and it also does not seem likely that a high traffic or very public area can be seized in this way.

## Burrowers

### Stone Walk

**Burrowers** can 'step into' stones and rocks in order to hide from purely physical sight. They have been very helpful in allowing IMRA researchers to examine their capabilities and to test this power, so it is very well-documented. Burrowers are able to convert their physical bodies into a form of Essence that is specifically attuned to align with solid masses of mineral. A Burrower must be touching the rock that they wish to inhabit, which does explain the reliance upon physical tunnels to reach down to bedrock

This alignment allows them to inhabit the same physical space as rocks or stones in much the same way water can occupy the same space as a sponge. Experimentation has shown that larger solid rocks are more comfortable for a Burrower to occupy, and that multiple Burrowers can inhabit the same rock if it is large enough. Interestingly, the request to demonstrate this elicited an embarrassment response from the Burrower volunteers, so there may be cultural context surrounding such an act.

Burrowers who are denied access to stone to inhabit grow listless and demotivated as if suffering from exhaustion. They are capable of sleeping normally but do not appear to be as reinvigorated by it as most creatures are. The quality of the rock used for this alternative form of sleep also seems to affect the quality of the rest, with buckets of dirt producing irritability within Burrowers after a night spent in it. Larger, solid, natural rocks without cracks are preferred, of a size equal to that of the Burrower's physical body when manifested.

### Earth Manipulation

Burrowers are also able to move dirt and rocks without touching them through the use of their aligned Essence. This ability allows them to form tunnels, trenches, ditches, hills, and any other sort of imaginable features within dirt, without any tools or difficulty. The apparent range of this power is approximately ten feet, though this varies between individuals, as does the level of fine manipulation. There are notable Burrower artists who use their Earth Manipulation power to alter stone to form exquisite statues, but not all of them are capable of this degree of control.

While this is most often seen as manipulating dirt due to the easier nature of it, Burrowers can move rock and stone as well, including creating tunnels through solid rock. This appears to be much harder and requires more time, likely due to the need to shift far more material to create openings, but is still feasible.

### Metal Sense

**Cave Burrowers** possess an unknown sense that allows them to detect all kinds of metal at a distance. This sense is not tied to sight but is related to it, as they can effectively see metal through walls and in the dark. The strongest response is to unprocessed metal ore, as befits their proclivity for living in mines. They can still detect refined and processed metals easily enough, though the amount of metal does determine the difficulty or ease with which they can notice it. Small amounts of metal such as that found in belt buckles or a couple of coins are not enough to detect from any appreciable distance (though they can pick them up from a few feet away), but a thick roll of copper wire was successfully detected from twenty feet away through a wall, for instance.

### Cultivation

**Meadow Burrowers** can use their earth manipulation to cause plants to grow at an astoundingly accelerated rate. There are many things about this ability that confound researchers, such as their ability to seemingly spontaneously generate vegetation in previously sterilized soil. The few Meadow Burrowers who have been willing to demonstrate their abilities described it more as an art form than a science, saying that they were 'coaxing the soil to realize the potential of plant life' rather than any notion such as sowing seeds or fertilizing the ground or any normally-recognized means of farming. Tests done on plants grown through their cultivation power appear to be entirely natural, albeit extremely healthy specimens. Once a Meadow Burrower ceases maintaining their influence on the plant, it will react like any other plant in such conditions: it needs water, it will eventually die if the soil is poor, and so on.

### Luck Bestowal

**City Burrowers** have the least understood of the Burrower subtype abilities, due to its nebulous nature. A City Burrower is said to be able to grant someone they feel genuine positive emotions toward the benefit of good fortune. This has been difficult to design experiments around. Preliminary surveys have been conducted which show that there is very likely a tangible effect of a City Burrower's blessing of luck, but it is difficult to tell due to the trouble in quantifying such things. Surveyed individuals certainly report feeling more lucky, at the very least.

## Sea Hounds

### Essence Sense

**Sea Hounds** possess a unique, sixth sense called Essenoreception. Their sensitivity to Essence itself allows them to perceive its movement and manipulation by living creatures around them. While this is most useful in detecting organisms in conditions that the other senses would not permit, the extension of this sense into the eddies and swirls of Essence permits Sea Hounds to perceive intention with some degree of foresight. They are able to tell when a person or animal near them is going to move or act up to a half-second in advance of when their muscles actually begin to contract, which gives them a very limited degree of prescience.

### Water-Blood Affinity

The least understood of Sea Hound abilities is easily the esoteric sympathy between the quicksilver that builds up within their blood and water around them. Due to the toxicity of liquid mercury, no experimentation to mimic this power has ever been successful. However, for some reason Sea Hounds are not harmed by what would be lethal levels of quicksilver running through their veins. And through activation by focusing their Essence upon that liquid metal, Sea Hounds can manipulate water around them in a manner that resembles tidal motion. This requires intensive meditation, but can produce impossible results such as drying muddy terrain in close proximity, or causing water to flow against the force of gravity in impossible manners.