Magic in The Dragonlands

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Being a Mage is a 2 Point Advantage.

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     Most Guilds don't restrict what magic users do, preferring to let
players negotiate an outcome OOC.  "Strict" RP is usually different
in that (normally) players may not "refuse to Consent" to 
magic. I recommend that RP in the Dragonlands be Strict in order
to create a heightened sense of drama born of consequences
and surprises.

Strict RP means that plots don't utterly die and fail to happen
because somebody "didn't feel like doing it that way".  (It's
considered acceptable to call Consent under Persona RP.)


To keep it full of surprises, and to introduce a fair element
of possible failure, this particular magic system is meant to
be used with dice.  The value of a random dice element is that
when someone tells you a "war story" of something that
happened, and you know what rules they were using, you don't have
to wonder, did it happen because a player felt pressured, or was
it the rules of the game, the same for everyone.

The effects, and the chance of success or failure, are strictly described.  
That will also lead to more drama, more surprises, because whether or not a spell 
succeeds is somewhat up to chance.  

This system limits the number of times an ability can be 
used per RL period of time, so a mage gets tired--they can't 
simply try over and over and over.


     True, there are now limits to magic.  But rather than making mages "wimpy", I
think this will actually lead to them finally having some real power.  Many player's
character concepts of what a "mage" is will not fit into these narrow descriptions.
That's truly a shame, but it was a necessary trade-off.  More "open-ended" systems are
too abusable for online use.  With this well-defined system, wizards will finally get
the respect and effectiveness that is their IC due.


       Mages tend to be specialized, rather than having every
power in the book at their disposal. They tend to have one
of four casting styles, those being gestures, writing, talismans and 
cards. It is also well-known that mages
very very rarely raise their own children.

      Other than that, the typical furre
of Drakoria knows that mages can live a long time, and
that sometimes a mage will set themself up as a living
incarnation of a god. Drakorian history is full of abusive
mages of this kind. A Drakorian mage is most likely to
be either from the College of Shadows, or a Wild Talent
(and therefore hunted by the College of Shadows).

      The typical Olde Worlde furre is frightened
by them and has only fairy tales to draw on for what
they might be like. They are relatively unprepared for
the havoc that a coterie of evil mages might wreak.

      The typical Kasurian knows that there are two factions,
the College of Elements versus the College of Shadows,
but generally doesn't know what abilities are possible.
They would know that the College of Elements is well-
thought-of in Kasuria but that it hardly exists in
Drakoria.

      If you would like your character to start
with more than this much information, then you need to
send an application to the Sphere Wizard of Mages for
approval of your explanation. (It will need to be a
bit more interesting than "My mother was a mage," etc.)
(You may be refused because there are already enough
characters in play with "Mage Lore" already.)

      Because this is Strict Roleplaying and you may not
call "Consent" to avoid the effects of a spell, magic,
from the OOC perspective, has been SEVERELY limited.
Rules for spell acquisition are here.



--------------------------

MAGE SPELLS

     Magic in the world of the Dragonlands works by 
visualizing symbols, generically together called 
"Tokens", in a specific sequence and juxtaposition.
Concentration then energizes the construct.

     Valid tokens are: hand gestures in the air, 
runes, talismans (objects) or cards.   The training of an
apprentice consists of memorizing  each "token" 
and the valid ways known to produce an effect.

     Training also usually includes the ethical use of
spells and the many possible consequences of a mishap.
Mages tend to know quite a bit about mages throughout
history.

     Once a Mage has learned a system, that becomes
their most comfortable method of spellcasting.  It 
is not possible to perform a dodge or other defensive
maneuver while casting a spell.  Thus, those who are
taking the Turn to cast a spell are at -10 to their
roll if they are attacked that round.

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Choose your Mage's favored casting method:
Gestures, Talismans, Runes, or Cards.  When using this
method they receive a +3 to their Quickie Roll
when the spell is finally cast.

Choose a method to be the Mage's 2nd favorite.
They cast this with no modifier.

Choose a method at which they are least capable.
They must cast this at -10.

One method will elude them entirely.

[[[[[[[[[[[


  a) Gestures (slow) This requires no tools, but if the 
Mage is interrupted (by an actual combat attack, not 
merely by being hit by a pebble), they lose their 
concentration and must begin anew.  Gesture casting 
takes two full turns of preparation during which the 
Mage can not move or take other actions, and a third 
turn in which the effect occurs.

  b) Talismans (medium) These are items at least as large as 
a typical furre's palm that must be touched to be 
activated.  Talismanic magic is not interrupted by an 
attack.  Talismanic magic takes only one full turn of 
preparation, and a second turn for the actual directing 
of the effect.  If runes are tattooed or scarified onto 
a living furre, they technically become Talismans; they 
must be exposed for use in casting.

  c) Runes (fast)  This requires some kind of writing tools.  
It requires the completion of an inscription, some
kind of glyph, scroll or book.  Rune casting takes 
one full turn during which the Mage can not move or 
take other actions.  The advantage is that the spell 
can be pre-prepared, even by someone else.  The 
down-side is that the chance for failure is greater
(-5 Quickie Penalty).  The magical investment that
occurs while setting down runes fades after a while.

  d) Cards (varies)  Mages who use these are known as
"Cartomancers".  Cartomancers work by creating (or
possibly capturing) Elementals and placing them
into a dormant form that looks much like an elaborate
playing card.  This is the most unpredictable power-- a
Card entity can be anything from mostly-mindless to
fully intelligent.  These entities can be killed in
the service of their master/mistress.  They may also
have quirks, weaknesses, and goals of their own.  Once
bound as a card, they may not, however, hold motives
secret from their owner.  OOC, Cartomancers do not
get to choose what their next spell is; it is
random.  There is also one more possible weakness:
some Cartomancers get so attached to their card-
friends that they no longer wish to risk them in
battle or other dangerous situation.


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Buying Your Spells:

A starting Mage can automatically learn spells from
only one school, the one they started with.  They must
learn new spells from any other school in the course of
IC play, from other player-character mages (only in the
tabletop version is this expanded to include NPC's.)

  A starting Mage gets 10 "spell points" to spend on spells
for each time they buy the Mage Advantage.  If they buy it
twice, they will have 20 spell points.

  Any Apprentice Spell from your School costs 1.

  Any Journeyfurre Spell from your School costs 3.
  *You must know at least 3 Apprentice Spells from a school. 
  to buy a Journeyfurre Spell in that school.  

  Any Master Spell from your School costs 5.
  *You must know at least 2 Journeyfurre Spells from a school
  to buy a Master Spell in that school.

  Spells from the Schools of Essence and Dark Bindings
  cannot be bought during character generation.  They are
  only available to Masters and they are acquired through
  exemplary IC service to your College.  This is to represent
  the fact that they are not taught to wandering loners;
  the knowledge is only trusted to those who are still 
  members of the school in good standing who are willing
  to teach-- and possibly discipline-- others.  (The Rah,
  or whoever is in charge of the Continuity controls this.
  If you are playing without someone in charge, you're free
  to do as you please, of course.)


[[[[[[[[[[[

"How often can I cast a spell?"

You may cast Apprentice Spells
once per RL hour.  You may cast 
each Journeyfurre spell up to once
per RL day.  You may cast each 
Master spell up to once per RL week.

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     The College of the Elements

          The Elemental College is a Kasurian institution.  They 
     work with the support of the King and the Council of Lords 
     and Ladies.  Much of their good reputation comes from their 
     defense of the commoners against Vampfurres and Lycanthians, 
     and there is much enmity between Mages and those two groups 
     of Supernaturals.  Faeriefurres, on the other paw, tend to 
     have a long ongoing friendly rapport.
          The five Schools making up the College are Earth, Air,
     Fire, Water, and Essence.  Essence is not 100% equivalent
     to "soul" or "spirit"; it is perhaps best translated as
     "magical identity".

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          (ALL SCHOOLS)

            APPRENTICE
            Mage Sight- Before, during, and after
                    magic use, an image is left in the
                    air all around the Mage that anyone
                    with Mage Sight can see.


          THE SCHOOL OF EARTH MAGIC

          Earth magic is associated with minerals but also with
          household crafts and chores.  Earth magery is practical
          and, well, "down to earth".

            APPRENTICE 
            Mudslip- when they try to move, the ground
                    beneath the target will momentarily
                    becomes so slick that they slip.
                    The victim must perform their next
                    physical attack action that scene
                    at a -15.
            Bladesharp- magically sharpen a metal tool.
            Unsoil- cleanse dirt from all over a
                    3' cube of stuff (of clothes 
                    for example).
            Faeriefurre Affinity (Earth)-
                    Something about the Mage
                    makes it more pleasant for 
                    Earth Elementals to be around.
                    They are more likely to listen to,
                    respect, and help this furre.
                    Earth Mages receive a +1
                    to earth-related abilities
                    when a friendly Earth Elemental
                    is present, and vice-versa.
            Earthwhispers -The Mage can communicate
                    at a very very simple level with
                    creatures that spend a large part
                    of their time underground: snakes,
                    WatchWyrms, Burrowing Owls, etc.
                    (Invertebrates do not understand
                    Earthwhispers.)  This also permits
                    magical speech with other
                    Earthwhisperers.

             JOURNEYFURRE
             Disrupt Earth Spell- The mage can
                    attempt to block the proper
                    forming of an Earth spell from
                    up to 24' away.
             Refresh- This causes the subject to feel
                    less tired, replacing the need to
                    sleep for one sleep cycle.
             Boneset- Specifically for healing broken
                    bones, this causes even nasty
                    complex fractures to be undone
                    painlessly, in a matter of hours.
             Prospect- detect gems in a 6' cube
                    up to 6' away.
             Stonewalk- pass thru up to
                   10' rock as if walking or 
                    falling through glue
             Refine- half a pound of metal can be
                    extracted from the appropriate ore.

             MASTER
             Earthbind- cause rock to swiftly encase
                    a Furre's paws in a crystal crust.
                    It takes 2 minutes to
                    free them.  Requires rock beneath
                    the target to start with.
             Stoneshift- temporarily turn 6 cubic feet
                    of stone to warm liquid rock (like
                    wet glue for a few minutes).  After
                    it hardens, the stone is soft,
                    like perlite or foamy chalk.
             Coldsmith- metal can be forged without
                    a fire.  Note that this still
                    requires a hammer and anvil for
                    making a sword, etc.
             Bladewarp- Metal up to 24' away can be
                    turned to the consistency of wet
                    leather.  The spell will eventually
                    wear off but weapons such as swords
                    will be ruined.
             Crystalcraft- make beautiful items
                    of softened quartz, using tools
                    as if sculpting clay or plasticine.
                    Crystal knives and crystal swords
                    are possible, but they are not
                    durable enough for parrying or
                    penetrating armor.

          THE SCHOOL OF AIR MAGIC

          Air Magic has to do with wind and weather but
          it also has to do with thoughts.  Gliding and
          hovering but not true flight are possible, too.

             APPRENTICE
             Freshen- cools a room for 
                    three hours.  If performed
                    in an enclosed space, air will
                    remain oxygenated (as if it was
                    being recycled by a rebreather)
                    for that length of time.
             Waft- lift a very light item
                    such as a single piece of
                    paper or a feather
                    and move it up to 6'.
             Odor- This is a subtle ability that gets
                    better with practice.  The caster
                    can simulate a particular scent,
                    faintly, in the air around them.
                    (Furres who exhibit this as a Wild
                    Talent may end up being brought to
                    the Elemental College after all.
            Airwhispers -The Mage can communicate
                    at a very very simple level with
                    creatures that spend a large part
                    of their time in the air: birds,
                    Dragonmounts, etc.
                    (Invertebrates do not understand
                    Airwhispers.)  This also permits
                    magical speech with other
                    Airwhisperers.


             JOURNEYFURRE
             Disrupt Air Spell- The mage can
                    attempt to block the proper
                    forming of an Air spell from
                    up to 24' away.
             Glide- fall for up to a minute.
                    You can move the same
                    distance horizontally as
                    you moved vertically.
             Windswift- You can run at 2X
                    the usual rate due to a
                    gentle push from behind.
             Suffocate- For three minutes, the
                    victim can draw breath yet they
                    are still suffocating.  (This is the
                    opposite of the Waterbreaghing spell.)
                    Cast at a range of touch, it does not
                    kill the victim but if they attempt
                    to fight under its influence, they
                    suffer a -5 penalty to die rolls.
             Zephyrtalk- One breath's worth of words is
                    whispered and heard by someone up to
                    a mile away, as if it were being
                    whispered in their ear.
             Calm- The mage can calm the mind of another
                    and even temporarily block a phobia.
                    The target feels soothed and is better
                    able to concentrate for an hour.

             MASTER
             Windstorm- A wild chaos of winds makes
                    vision and breathing very difficult
                    for all but the caster.  Combat and
                    spellcasting both become impossible,
                    and communicating is reduced to loud
                    yelling.
             Soar- The mage falls but goes twice their
                    horizontal distance as they fell
                    downwards.
             Lift- A neat dust-devil lifts or lowers the
                    mage, as they please.  This does
                    not confer flight, it merely grants
                    the mage a change in altitude.  In
                    combination with Glide, the Air mage
                    can travel up to a mile effortlessly
                    in five minutes.  With Soar, the
                    mage can travel two miles in that time.
             Thoughtsend- The mage can send roughly a
                    sentence's worth of words to another,
                    who hears them as if they were a
                    whisper in their head.  Range is up
                    to a mile away.

          THE SCHOOL OF FIRE MAGIC
          Fire Magic is concerned with energies, lightning
          and life force as well as fire.  By manipulating
          that, amazing effects can be accomplished with
          living plants.


             APPRENTICE
             Firestart- as if lighting a match.  This
                    ability requires touching the
                    substance to be lit.
             Harden- turn light weak wood into something as
                    heavy and strong as teak or ebony.
                    (This is usually how stakes for use
                    on Vampfurres are made...)
             Woodmend- This ability was originally used to
                    get living branches to grow
                    together, but is also usable on
                    cut wood.  With a bit of practice,
                    this ability can be used to
                    cause a wooden handle to grow
                    around other tool parts, or seal
                    a leak in a wooden bucket, etc.
            Firewhispers -The Mage can communicate
                    at a very very simple level with
                    creatures that spend a large part
                    of their time near (or in) lava:
                    Volcano lizards, Dragonmounts, etc.
                    (Invertebrates do not understand
                    Fire whispers.)  This also permits
                    magical speech with other
                    Firewhisperers.


             JOURNEYFURRE
             Disrupt Fire Spell- The mage can
                    attempt to block the proper
                    forming of a Fire spell from
                    up to 24' away.
             Gardenglory- make a 6'X6' area of
                    foliage burst into rich blooming
                    within the hour.  "Herbaceous"
                    plants only; not usable on
                    "woody" plants, i.e. trees.
             Treeshape- Living wood is grown to the
                    caster's wishes.  The results are
                    somewhat crude and rough, and can
                    be used to make something the size
                    of a chair.  This takes about
                    ten minutes.  Fine details can not
                    be done with Treeshaping, however.
             Dispel Zombie- This spell disrupts a magical
                    lichen that has invaded the zombie body, 
                    and the corpse falls to pieces.
                    It can be cast from up to 24' away.
                    The interaction causes a flash of
                    daylight that will give any nearby
                    Vampfurres a painful sunburn if
                    they are within 2 tiles of the
                    target.

             MASTER
             Call Lightning- This is strictly an outdoor
                    ability.  By connecting with the
                    roots underground, the mage can call
                    down lightning from the sky, even
                    from a clear sky, to strike a target
                    up to 24' away.
             Firewalk- The caster is immune to damage from
                    fire for up to an hour, even breathing
                    dangerous, burning sulfurous air.  In 
                    this way they can even enter the lava
                    of a volcano.
             Thornwall- a seed of some kind of thorny
                    plant is thrown down, and, in the
                    course of three turns, becomes a
                    fence 12' X 12' X 12'.  Can only be
                    done outdoors.
             Woodmastery -A whole tree's mass can be reshaped
                    over the course of an hour.  Fine 
                    artistic detail can be added by a
                    skilled practitioner.


          THE SCHOOL OF WATER MAGIC
          In addition to being about water and chemistry, this
          kind of magic also has to do with health and emotions.
          Incidentally, the College of Water teaches its initiates
          sign-language.

              APPRENTICE
              Compress- causes a wound to stop
                    bleeding, and hurt much less.
                    The wound must be covered with
                    some kind of moist dressing.
              Sweetwater- purifies a cup of water, making it
                    safe and delicious to drink.
              Soothe Beast- This spell causes an animal that
                    is agitated or even angry to be quieted.
                    It does not make the animal more inclined
                    to tolerate the caster, it is only like
                    a mild sedative.  A faint sound like
                    rippling water accompanies this spell.
                    a leak in a wooden bucket, etc.
             Waterwhispers -The Mage can communicate
                    at a very very simple level with
                    creatures that spend a large part
                    of their time near (or in) water:
                    fish, turtles, swimming snakes, etc.
                    (Invertebrates do not understand
                    Water whispers.)  This also permits
                    magical speech with other
                    Waterwhisperers.
              Detect Bogblort - Bogblorts 
have been such a
                    pain in the butt over the past century
                    that there is a spell to detect them.
              Banish Bogblort -This spell is constructed to be
                    specific to that individual Bogblort.  It
                    causes the Bogblort to flee until they are
                    at least 100 miles away from the site of
                    the spell!

              JOURNEYFURRE
              Healing Waters- The mage pours water with herbs
                    over the wound to heal it.  Note that this
                    does not set broken bones, and will cause
                    them to heal askew if used first!                   
              Disrupt Water Spell- The mage can
                    attempt to block the proper
                    forming of a Water spell from
                    up to 24' away.
              Waterbreathing- This lasts three hours.
                    The furre still can't speak underwater.
              Raindance- This spell doesn't actually require
                    any sort of dancing, but it is traditional
                    that the village in need of rain split the
                    cost of the mage's fee by throwing a dance
                    and calling for donations.  A light drizzle
                    follows, lasting several days.

              MASTER
              Font- A spring of water appears, lasting three hours.
                    This must be done outdoors, and cannot be done
                    where the ground is solid rock.  It does, however,
                    work in the desert.
              Rise Up- Up to 300 gallons of water moves in a large
                    mass, up to 12' tall and 12' wide.  The mage can
                    get it to flow slowly forty-five degrees uphill
                    but it cannot "climb" a cliff or flow up the side
                    of a house.  Control lasts between a minute (for
                    difficult maneuvering such as combat) and fifteen
                    minutes (for simple maneuvering such as watering
                    a field).
              Cleanse- The effects of a disease are washed away.  (If
                    the victim was struck by the spell Plague, this
                    spell will restore their fur.)

          THE SCHOOL OF ESSENCE MAGIC
          This college's spells utilize the subjects' blood.
          Members of this College must first master another 
          element, which is then used in conjunction with 
          Essence magics.  Mages not in very good standing
          with all the other colleges are not permitted to
          be trained in this field.  Unlike the other colleges,
          it does not have an apprenticeship program, nor
          are there Wild Talents in Essence.

             JOURNEYFURRE
                Disrupt Essence Spell- The mage can
                    attempt to block the proper
                    forming of an Essence spell from
                    up to 24' away.
                Heartbond- (req. Air Mastery)
                    Two furres' essences are joined,
                    giving them the ability of mind-speech
                    with each other.  If a third furre is
                    Heartbonded to the second, they do not
                    enter a "chat channel" but instead have
                    a separate link.
                Heart Tree- (req. Earth Mastery)
                    A subject's aging process is
                    halted so long as a specific oak
                    remains healthy.  The tree must be
                    adorned with runes via Woodmending.
                Heart Blade- (req. Earth Master)
                    A subject's essence is linked to a
                    specific metal weapon.  So long as
                    the wielder lives, the weapon is
                    unbreakable-- and can even resist
                    the ravages of the Drakorian anti-
                    metal effect.
                Summon- (req. Air Mastery)
                    A subject is compelled to come to
                    the mage's presence within 3 days.
                    The subject will take every possible
                    action short of suicide-- including
                    killing a friend or relative-- to
                    answer a Summons.  After three days,
                    a Summons dissipates.
                Beastbond (any but Dragonmount)-
                    (req. any other Mastery)
                    The Pet and Master/Mistress are made
                    one in a ritual requiring the blood
                    of each.  (If done IC, character
                    must have had Character Generation
                    points set aside in reserve).
                Beastbond (Dragonmount)-
                    (req. any other Mastery)
                    The bonding ability of the Dragonmount
                    is locked and only with the performance
                    of their secret melody can a mage
                    perform this ritual.
                    (If done IC, character
                    must have had Character Generation
                    points set aside in reserve).
                    
             MASTER
                Banish- (req. Air Mastery)
                    One subject is permanently compelled
                    to stay away from a location.  They
                    cannot come within half a mile of it.
                Ward- (req. Fire Mastery)
                    A type of subject is unable to
                    enter a location no larger than
                    240'X240'.  Legitimate Wards are as
                    follows:  Vampfurres, Lycanthians,
                    Faeriefurres, Wyrmmes, Phoenixes,
                    Gryffes.  Blood of an appropriate
                    subject must be used-- and that
                    individual is unaffected by the Ward.
                Resurrection- (req. Water Mastery)
                    Water from a shrine to a good Prime
                    is poured into the mouth of the
                    deceased.  This can only be done
                    once per victim.


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     THE COLLEGE OF SHADOWS

          This is not a legitimate Kasurian college, it is an underground 
     movement in Drakoria.  It is made up of the Schools of Necromancy,
     Shadows, and Corruption, headed up by the elitist School of Dark
     Bindings, whose members are Masters in one or more of the other
     Schools.
          Individuals who possess "Shadow" Mage abilities
     do tend to be loosely affiliated because of intricate networks of
     loyalty.  Vengeance is a passion amongst these mages.  They will
     avenge a minion or ally's death as a matter of pride.  Those that do
     not play "The Game of Shadows" are very vulnerable and must hide most
     carefully.
          Wild Talents of THESE abilities face severe prejudice amongst
     Elemental Mages.  They are likely to be exiled and imprisoned.
     Shadow Mages slay Wild Talents out of hand unless they know they
     can be controlled.  They do not particularly want the competition.

----------------------------------------

          THE SCHOOL OF NECROMANCY- Necromancers have always dominated
          the College of Shadows.  They form occasional uneasy alliances
          with Vampfurres.  They are reclusive and many a Necromancer
          in Kasuria has a price on their head.

             APPRENTICE
             Deathwhispers -The Mage can communicate
                at a very very simple level with
                undead creatures: Vampfurres,
                lichen zombies, skeleton furres, etc.
                This also permits
                magical speech with other
                Deathwhisperers.
             Last Sighs- This spell can only be cast upon a corpse
                within a week of death.  It can then be questioned
                as a willing informant.  This is not resurrection,
                it is merely a playing-back of memories, so the
                corpse will answer as truthfully as it can.

             JOURNEYFURRE
             Wandering Paw- The hand of a furre is cut off and told
                the name of a victim.  Magically, it will go in the
                correct direction towards its quarry.  If the paw
                does not find its target within a month, it withers.
                If it does, the hand will attempt to strangle the
                victim.  A Wandering Paw can jump 3' off the ground.
             Screaming Head- This spell makes a corpse's head into
                an alarm.  At least one eye must be intact for it to see.
                If it sees anyone besides its creator, it will scream
                and scream until its creator touches it.  It has no
                need for lungs or vocal chords but must have a mouth.
                If well-preserved, a Screaming Head can last up to a
                year.
             Animate Lichen Zombie- By rubbing the spores of an unpleasant
                cave fungus on the corpse, the body is brought back to
                a semblance of life, with no memory of its former life.
                Provided that its head is intact, it can have the
                intelligence of a five-year-old child.  Lichen zombies
                can only be commanded by their creator.  They have an
                urge to eat the flesh of sentients, and, afterwards,
                that infected victim may also rise, usually in very
                poor shape. Lichen zombies are destroyed by sunlight.
             Mummy Assistant- A properly embalmed body can be
                reanimated.  The resulting creature has a mind of its
                own.  To Mage Sight, it appears to have just the
                tiniest glimmer of life.  Like the typical Vampfurre,
                Mummy Assistants are cold to the touch.  They begin much
                like infants, but can be raised to be fully sentient
                once again.  Of their former life, they have only
                the barest scraps.  (This spell cannot be used to
                create NPC's, it can only be used on PC's who have
                died.)  A Mummy loses all their special abilities,
                and can never reacquire them.  As a small consolation,
                they do not need to breathe or eat, and do not need
                to sleep.  Sunlight does no harm, but they must be kept
                dry because water dissolves them.  Mummies cannot
                heal back.


             MASTER
             Crematoria- This spell lasts a year and a day.  If the
                subject dies, they will burst into heatless green flames.
                There will be nothing left to reanimate or question.
                This spell is used to prevent information from falling
                into enemy paws.
             Command Vampfurre- It's no wonder that Vampfurres hate
                necromancers.  With this spell, the caster causes the
                Vampfurre to do as they say (short of destroying them
                self) for the next hour.  The Vampfurre will be
                unable to leave the necromancer's side unless ordered,
                and they will have no memory of this time later.


          THE SCHOOL OF DARKNESS- These are the warriors and assassins
          of the College of Shadows.  They are looked down upon by the
          scholarly Necromancers, and feared by the Corrupters.  


             APPRENTICE
             Dim- causes the victim to be surrounded by a dark haze
                that moves as they move for the next 6 hours.  They
                can barely see, and, if they fight, suffer a -5 penalty.
                (Note that this is a frightening spell because until
                you have survived it, you do not know it goes away.)

             JOURNEYFURRE
             Hide In Dark- If there are shadows large enough to contain
                the caster, they can become completely invisible while
                they remain in that patch of shadow.  If they leave the
                shadow they become visible again.  At night, this
                functions as near-invisibility.
             Blindfighting- This spell enables the caster to feel their
                surroundings with every hair on their body, giving them
                a picture as clear as if they had sonar.  All penalties
                from not being able to see are negated.

             MASTER
             Blind- causes the victim's eyes to turn pale blue,
                stopping all vision.  This lasts the next 24 hours.
                Should they attempt to fight, they are at -15 on the
                die roll.
             Veil- the caster fills up to 60' X 60' with darkness.
                This is not total darkness, but visibility causes all
                those besides the caster to make their die rolls at
                -10.


          THE SCHOOL OF CORRUPTION- The Corrupters are the least
          respected members of the College of Shadows.  They choose their
          apprentices from amongst the dregs of society.  The magical
          arts of Corruption are the most easy of all the magical arts
          to know, thus, they are the most numerous.  As despised as
          they may be, their powers are still highly useful, and
          Corrupters may parlay their advantages into considerable
          "mundane" power.  They are hedge wizards, beggar kings,
          thieves with more than throwing knives up their sleeves,
          and a thousand other things.

             APPRENTICE
             Blight- A 6' X 6' area of garden withers.
             Spoil- Food within a 6' X 6' area is destroyed by a
                  sudden growth of mildews and molds within a few
                  minutes.
             Nick- This spell makes the victim less wary, then
                  deadens their senses for a few minutes, making
                  pickpocketing very easy.  To check if the theft is
                  detected, the victim rolls a d6 and the thief
                  rolls a d20.  The thief is detected if the victim
                  beats or ties their roll.
             Overhear- The furre's ears become very sensitive and they
                  can hear whispers not intended for them.  (OOC,
                  this spell has special permission to be cast after
                  the fact of someone whispering if the caster can
                  beat the whisperer on a d10 roll.)
             Cheat- Even Masters of Corruption don't understand just
                  how exactly this spell works.  When playing cards,
                  the caster will find themselves in possession of
                  cards that are duplicates of other cards.  So
                  long as the duplicate card does not turn up, they
                  are likely to get away with this.  (OOC, the caster
                  rolls a d10 and a Staffer rolls a d6.

             JOURNEYFURRE
             Erase Writing- A scroll or book is wiped clean of its
                  contents, leaving an unusable mass of dark color in
                  its place.
             Command Lichenthrope- The mage can issue a one-word
                  command that will be interpreted in the simplest
                  manner.  For example, if told to "Guard!", the
                  Lichenthrope will wander a small area and attack
                  anyone besides the mage.  If the Lichenthrope can
                  not understand the command (for example, "Calculate!")
                  it will assume it was told to "Guard!".  The
                  mage can point to the object of the command, for
                  example, "Kill!" or "Fetch!"  An illustration or
                  sculpture can't be interpreted to mean the person
                  or place depicted.  Lichenthropes are DUMB!!!
             Befoul Well- For four weeks, the water in the well will
                  be undrinkable, smelling foul and tasting worse.

             MASTER
             Dispel Magic- With a sound something like a huge dry
                  stick being broken, the Corrupters are the only mages
                  who can lift most spells.  This is a very jealously
                  guarded secret.  If a non-Corrupter is found to be
                  able to cast it, a large price is placed on their
                  head.
             Plague- The victim is covered in painful boils,
                  and will cough phlegm as if they had a terrible
                  plague.  The victim will probably survive but their
                  pelt will be spotted with half-dollar-sized bare
                  patches all over their body.
             Lichenthopy- Castable only upon oneself, this spell takes
                  effect only if the mage should die.  They become
                  a Lichenthrope but they retain their mind and ability
                  to speak and cast spells.  They can learn no new spells
                  and can acquire no new abilities.
                  
                  (more about Lichenthropes in general)

          THE SCHOOL OF DARK BINDINGS- This is the evil counterpart of the
          Elementalists' School of Essence Magic.  Spells here are taught
          only to those in thrall to the teacher (usually via Dark Seed).
          MOST Binding Mages are  Cauldruin-born.
          Moreso than any other of the Shadow Mages, they are ALWAYS
          in the service of a Dark Prime!

             Dark Seed- Not affecting the subject's aura, and
                therefore not visible to Mage Sight, this
                enchantment causes the subject to be unable to
                willingly, knowingly hurt the caster.  The
                subject will do everything short of sacrificing
                themself to keep the caster healthy, safe, and
                happy.  The name of this spell comes from the
                part of the ritual that involves swallowing the
                black pit of a fruit, which grows into a strange
                many-tendrilled mass inside the victim.
             The Agate Ring-  Appearing to Mage Sight as a milky
                slightly bluish halo, the Agate Ring is the sign
                of one who cannot disobey an order from the caster.
                Casting it requires the subject to be in a state
                of deep sorrow.  Once cast, that sorrow can never
                lift, even if the subject forgets the original
                reason for their sadness.  This spell is cast at
                a range of touch.  Only one order at a time may
                be given, up to once per 24 hour period.
                The instructions must be simple and clear.
                Conditions such as "You may not speak of this to
                anyone." can't be added in.  Thus, a mage might 
                order their thrall to drop their sword, but 
                couldn't order them not to pick it up again
                immediately.
             The Jade Ring-  Appearing to Mage Sight as a faint
                green glow, this spell causes the subject to be
                unable to resist multiple orders and conditions
                from their master/mistress.  This spell can only
                be placed on a subject dislikes or hates the
                caster.  These feelings will be gone so long as
                the spell is in effect, returning a hundredfold
                should the spell be broken.
             The Ebon Ring- The mind of the victim of this spell
                is irrevocably destroyed, replaced with that of
                a sycophant who worships their master/mistress.
                It is called Ebon Ring because a black interruption
                appears in the halo normally seen by Mage Sight.
                To cast this spell, the mage must sever one of
                their own fingers.  Then the subject swallows it
                whole.  If this spell is broken, the victim
                will be a catatonic wretch, lost to perpetual
                internal nightmares until they die of dehydration.

========================================================================
ELEMENTALS ABILITIES
     Earth Faeriefurre
          Mage Affinity (Earth)-
                    Something about the Mage
                    makes it more pleasant for 
                    Earth Elementals to be around.
                    They are more likely to listen to,
                    respect, and help the Mage.
                    Earth Mages receive a +1
                    to earth-related abilities
                    when a friendly Earth Elemental
                    is present, and vice-versa.
          Feywalk- move through
             grass and soil leaving no 
             visible traces (such as
             disturbing the dew, etc.)
          Herbolspeak- by communing with a
             plant, the Faeriefurre can learn
             what medicinal uses the plant
             possesses.
          Green Repose- The Faeriefurre can fuse
             with either a mound of soil
             sheltered by greenery, or a living
             tree.  While in this form, they
             cannot hear what is going on about
             them, and will wake up either 24
             hours later, or if that tree/mound
             is significantly disturbed.


[[[[[[[[[[[

WILD TALENTS

Wild Talents are Mages who don't require Tokens. Only Apprentice-level spells can be performed this way. To those with Mage Sight, they glow constantly with magic use. Wild Talents are treated with mild suspicion by "traditional" mages who were trained at a College, because wild talents typically have little concept of what can go awry with their powers. The young Wild Talent will often use their abilities without realizing it-- even in their sleep. Wild Talents may lack ethical instruction ("With great power comes great irresponsibility."). The Wild Talent who joins the College of Elements by finding a Journeyfurre or Master teacher who is already a member may become a "normal" Mage after three RL months of teaching, at which point they receive 9 more Spell Points (spent as above). [[[[[[[[[[[ It costs 1 Advantage Point to be a Wild Talent. (You may not have this Advantage more than 2 times.) [[[[[[[[[[[

Magical Consorts

3 pt. Advantage
Consorts are not mages, but do fall under the Mages Sphere. I don't necessarily expect to see many of them played as characters, but they are an IC aspect of the world of the Mage. Consorts, and their value to magical society, is not known to the common furre, as Mages and Consorts themselves keep it private.

  • 1. The child of two Mages is born a Mage (50% chance) or a Consort (25% chance). 25% of the time, the furreling is stillborn, however.
  • 2. The child of a Mage and a Consort can be either a Mage or a Consort (50%/50% chance)
  • 3. The child of a Mage and a non-mage has a 25% chance of being a Mage and a 75% chance of being a non-mage.
  • 4. The child of a Consort and a non-mage has a 25% chance of being a Consort- and a 75% chance of being stillborn.

    Consorts can't cast spells, but they are full of magical energy. The value of the Consort to Mage society is their ability to "Gryth". Through physical contact in an affectionate gesture, energy is passed to the mage, who must use it within five days and nights, else it dissipates. After five (RL) days, the Consort is "recharged" and can do it again.

    This ability to Gryth is lost should the Mage Consort lose their virginity. (They are still called a "Magical Consort", however, because the term derives from the fact that they are sought-after as brides or grooms to wed unto Mages.

    Having once received energy from a Consort, the Mage cannot accept energy from another Consort for five (RL) months. Consorts, however, can do so with any Mage.

    Grything is only possible if the Consort is happy. If they are afraid or sad or angry, they cannot Gryth. In Mage society, Consorts may be kept under lock and key in perfect gardens, isolated from the toil and grief of the outside world. Their existence is not secret but it is a highly personal matter to Mages in general.

    There is a rumor that it is possible for Mages and Consorts to be born to two non-Magical parents. This is incorrect, though. The story probably comes from the occasional child produced by an affair.

    Consorts are sought-after by Vampire Furres, who start to absorb a bit of their life-like-ness. After having a Vampire Furre in their house, the Consort starts to look more pale and corpse-like, and the Vampire Furre starts to look and feel more alive. If a Vampire Furre attempts to "turn" a Consort, the Consort perishes.

    Lycanthians and Consorts are instinctively repulsed by each other. The Consort cannot Gryth while a Lycanthian is present; the Lycanthian is seized by a strong and undefined feeling of worry if a Consort is present. Consorts are immune to becoming Lycanthians.

    Faerie furres have quite the opposite reaction. Consorts grant them a sense of ease and peacefulness. Consorts are sensitive but also susceptible to Faerie powers. Consorts suffer a minus when attempting to see through Faerie illusions or otherwise resist Faerie influences.

    The life of a Magical Consort is a mixed blessing. They are valued and kept safe by Mages, but they may be treated like little children. (In Kosh, it is customary to dress a Magical Consort in adult-sized clothes of a young child because it is believed to protect them from evil spirits!)

    This Advantage has been deliberately priced high to keep them less common. When one is a Consort, one's whole existence is very likely to revolve around that fact.

    Should the Consort lose their virginity, they receive 2 Advantage Points which must be used immediately on any Advantage(s) that can be taken after initial character generation.