Magic

Magic is a barely, if at all, understood force permeating this world. It seems to come from the spirits that live in it, but there are people able to control it by themselves. To achieve control over magic, there are a few different approaches that will be listed below.

### Pacts & Binding

The first and most common approach is to deal with spirits in person. Bartering for power, fulfilling their demands or simple giving them no other option but to comply. There are a lot of different sub-categories called Practices. Some of them are listed below:

* **Necromancy** *Necromancy is the practice of raising the dead and controlling Afterlife Spirits.*
	+ Necromancy is the practice of dealing with Spirits of death. Binding ghosts, raising the dead, and so on to gain a plethora of different abilities.
	+ Most focus on ghosts, but some expand into the more difficult to deal with Souls, Lares or Draugr.
* **Diabolism** *Diabolism is the practice of making pacts with Hellion Spirits such as Hell-Born.*
	+ The practice of dealing with diabolical Spirits.
	+ Nearly all Diabolists are focused on pacts with Hell-Borns - powerful demonic entities seeking to ravage the world. Although Hell-Born are incapable of directly attacking our world, they will seek out desperate low-karma magicians looking for any power to channel their destruction through.
	+ Hellfire, Satanic forces, and curses are all common abilities provided to magicians. Curses are negative, karma-killing, long lasting effects inflicted on another. All curses have a way of being broken, and the method is usually one that goes along with the curse’s main premise in the worst way. A curse of fatigue will require the cursed to exhaust themselves to near death for
* **Elementalism** *Elementalism makes use primarily of Nature Spirits to conjure fire, wind, etc.*
	+ The practice of using elemental magic provided by Nature Spirits to summon fire, manipulate water, call fierce winds, and more.
	+ Elementalism is all about the natural elements in the world, and thus each variant will thrive in its own environment. Flame magic is quite useless in a Naiad’s domain, and storm magic will easily “malfunction” on a cloudless day. While any of the elements can be created by the magician, a ready source is sometimes necessary when power is low.
* **Glamor** *Glamor is magic that alters or conceals appearances and creates illusions. Glamor can be stolen or bartered from Pixies and Fae.*
	+ The practice of creating illusions and presenting false truths to the world. Glamour is generally gotten by pacts with pixies.
	+ Glamor is a magic that is hard to get right, but when done correctly, is a very powerful tool. Glamor works best when it flows with the narrative of the scene, and doesn’t outright contradict reality. Trying to disguise a water jinn as a flame jinn is a lot harder than trying to disguise a water jinn as a naiad or even a ventus. The closer it follows reality, the better.
	+ Breaking glamor is a tricky feat, but doable. To bypass the illusions and lies, one must assert their anti-glamor “narrative” onto the scene, to reveal the truth of the situation, to address the faults in the illusion. Glamor is magic powered by belief and perception, so twisting those things can help work to take down part of the glamor. Of course, this isn’t a guarantee.
* **Divinism** *Divinism is the practice of utilizing light magic and Purity Spirits.*
	+ The practice of using holy, light, purity, and healing magic, derived from Purity Spirits.
	+ A not-often seen practice, as Purity Spirits are not often ones that are dealt with, but those that do are powerful and should be revered.
* **Hosting & Harbingers** *The practice of being a vessel for more powerful beings.* **(Hosting)** Allowing a Spirit to enter inside you and assume your form, either as symbiosis or temporary possession. This magic is somewhat similar to summoning, but is usually more potent.
	+ The powers of the inhabiting Spirit are now channeled through the Host’s body, and the Spirit’s entire self dwells inside the Host. Either the Host and Spirit are in complete sync, acting as one, or the Spirit assumes temporary control over the Host’s body. The latter is easier and requires less coordination/unity, but puts the Host at risk of being subsumed. **(Harbinger)** Allowing oneself to become the tool of a powerful Spirit, often going forth to warn of their arrival.
	+ Giving up your body, soul, and mind to a more powerful Spirit in exchange for protection, power, or purpose. As an extension of the Master Spirit, the Harbinger is at the complete mercy of the Master and can be taken control of at any instance. A Master Spirit’s network of Harbingers acts as a semi-hivemind
* **Goblin Monarchy**
	+ Goblins can be effective tools when handled by a skilled Goblin King Queen or Monarch, but their ability to remain subtle leaves much to be desired.
	+ Most Goblin Monarchs use their goblins as attack dogs: vicious, violent, pointed at an enemy and then let loose with little concern for collateral damage. In this role goblins can be very effective. Some bind goblins into tools and weapons, too; such artefacts usually carry filth-related abilities or properties that allow them to better inflict bloodshed and brutality.
	+ Goblin Monarchs must be careful when handling goblins, as (in addition to their vulgarity) some can be surprisingly cunning, and may attempt to wriggle out of contracts and pacts.
	+ Those interested in playing a Goblin Monarch may wish to read *Zook’s Goblin Rules*, an optional ruleset that adds more structure to goblin abilities.
* **Cardinality**
	+ Cardinal magicians (often shortened to *cardinals*) are those who interact primarily with Fundamental spirits, such as Zeitgeists and Beacons.
	+ Cardinal magicians often have access to more esoteric and unorthodox abilities than other magicians, and the effects achievable with spirits so closely tied to fundamental processes are often more absolute than those of others. Altering the flow of time, opening or closing paths, and even interfering with life and death are all abilities within a cardinal’s reach.
	+ However, such powerful spirits also have stringent requirements when bargaining. It is not unheard of for cardinals to lose time when dealing with zeitgeists, for example.
* **Nomad Magic**
	+ Nomads bargain not with traditional spirits but primarily with avatars, instead. They make deals with the spirits representing landmarks, important places, and geographical features, gaining access to spells and rites that interact with those locations.
	+ Nomads are best served by forming a rapport and positive relationship with the avatars they bargain with. Attempting to strong-arm an avatar into a pact is possible, but may leave an entire region hostile to the magician.
	+ Nomad rites may allow them to access routes to an avatar’s source location from anywhere, or give them abilities primarily active within that location. In exchange, they may have to assist or serve that location in some way.
* **Collecting**
	+ Collectors work with any and all artefacts they can get their hands on. By binding or bargaining with spirits to create such artefacts they can put together a toolbox of magical trinkets that can be used in any situation.
	+ A collector’s tools often do not have costs associated with activating their effects; unlike other magicians, who need to call on allies or establish rites, a collector simply has all of their abilities ready to go - as many of them as they can carry.
	+ However, this comes with the caveat that these tools are just that: *tools*. They are wielded, not inherent, and so they can be stolen or lost.
* **Druidry**
	+ Druids work with everything under the Nature spirit banner. Though this may include djinn, druids differentiate themselves from elementalists primarily by bargaining with the more complex Nature spirits, like dryads, naiads, and the like.
	+ Some druids are also known to work with hollow men, gargoyles, and golems, employing them as guards or minions to assist in their tasks.
	+ Many druids end up custodians of certain areas of nature as a requirement for pacts with some spirits, though this is not always the case.
* **Bewitching**
	+ Witches - or warlocks if male - are those magicians that interact primarily with spirits of emotion. Using these spirits witches can influence the emotional state and psychology of their targets.
	+ They can be very dangerous politically or from a social standpoint, but their options when actually fighting are limited - but not nonexistent. The ability to turn enemies against each other is one that some witches can access.
	+ In bargaining with spirits so closely related to the mind, witches must remain vigilant and be sure that they are not themselves being influenced by the spirits they interact with.

### Heritage Magic

Some families that have been dealing in the same line of magic for centuries have developed a natural aptitude for it. They can perform their kind of magic without the help of a spirit, but in return spirits shun them and are unwilling to form pacts.

### Belief

Belief has power, and some people can harness it for their own gains. Whether it be reverence or fear, what other people think of you does have an impact.

### Rituals

There are certain combinations for word and deed that have over time formed their own kind of power. Performing these will give anyone the same effects, whatever they might specialize in otherwise.