Magic is not what it once was. The Magician guilds, four in number, still exist- but where once they plumbed the edge of eternity, now they gather in their libraries trying to salvage the work of a shattered and broken age.

Spells are less powerful since the Calamity left its mark, and those magicians who remain require more of the world in order to cast them. While spells can fairly simply be handed to another Magician within the same Guild to cast, the work which the Magician has to put into gathering and expending components, knowledge of domains, and the social pressures of the guild make this uncommon. Certainly there is no use in sharing spells with magicians of other guilds, for the spells would not work and the immense ire of the guild which owned the scroll would fall squarely upon the poor magician who acted with such misplaced generosity. These arcane arrays, gifted by the guild, are copied using a very specific and secret method that imbues the scroll with a certain connection to the fractured elements beyond, allowing the Magician to channel the energies through her body.

In order to gain these arcane arrays, or Arcana (Arcanum, singular), the Magician most often implores her guild for a copy to be made for her, and the guild then sets a task by which she must earn this gift.

The guild’s structure is such that it encourages spells to only be given through loyal service to the guild, and they frown upon those who gift spells to other Magicians who have not shown their fealty properly to the guild as a whole. Rank plays directly into the amount of spells you are easily gifted from your Guild. It is not unheard of for a Magician to find an ancient Arcanum in their travels, or take one from another Magician of compatible schooling, but it is expected that Magicians who come into the possession of spells that were not sanctioned by the guild will report them, and send them to the guild. A Magician may choose to overlook this expectation at risk of punishment. Though for every stick, there is a carrot; Magicians who find particularly potent or lost spells can see great rewards from their Guild. After all, this lost knowledge is coveted, and brings the whole of the Guild power.

Magicians Within the World

Long ago, the Magician guilds were some of the last bastions of independent political power that existed as a part of the Empire, and yet also separate. As a guild, their services were for hire and their goals were their own. Their influence stretched across the Throne and beyond, toppling dynasties when they chose, passing knowledge and secrets to their students and hoarding ever greater levels of power.

While the world has changed since those times, the Magicians guilds still remain, though in a diminished form from what they once were. It is written in some historical accounts that the magicians themselves were the primary reason behind the great Calamity which shook the foundations of the earth and changed the trajectory of history. Thus, some believe that their plummet in power and strength is punishment from the gods for striving to grasp what man was never meant to have. Others say that the magic of today is not the same as it was centuries ago, and that the current state of magicians is the result of magic growing weaker over time- stretched thin by eons of magicians pushing their limits.

It would be false to imply, however, that the guilds are not still feared- for anyone who can manipulate the very elemental forces of the world is not someone to trivialize. But the long reach of the guilds of yore has broken, and most people within the world will go their long lives only encountering a couple magicians, if at all. Most of the guilds have enclaves here and there, great libraries and places to train their students, but outside of their seats of power magicians tend to keep to themselves. Whereas generations ago, the Guilds may have recruited and sought students, negotiated tuition fees, and taken on students from great and powerful noble families, in today’s modern world they have grown more insular and removed. If students are taken on, it is usually only after a rigorous testing process measuring dedication, determination, and potential loyalty to the guild.

Opinions on magicians are, of course, varied. They are thought of as scholars and retainers of forgotten knowledge, always delving into strange places that are perhaps better left untouched in search of lost magics and components. They also are regarded as self-centered, pursuing personal power and gain at the expense of all else. And they also are distrusted and believed to be the force behind much ruin and misery, for when they harness powers they cannot control, it is often innocent bystanders who are hurt.

Some scholars of magic indicate that magicians did not used to have to use physical components in their spells, and that magic could be harnessed more quickly, but after the Calamity they had to turn to darker paths to make sure that their magics still worked. These paths required strange or distasteful components- and it is rumored that those objects necessary for more powerful spells border on the necromantic or the plain wrong. That said, those who find themselves in possession of odd and distasteful objects- whether the skin of a flayed man or soil stolen from a Salgothic enclave- and suffering a lack of coin, may seek out those representatives of the local guild to see what they’re interested in buying. Overall, though, most people simply see magicians as individuals best left alone.

Different cultures and parts of the world have differing levels of exposure, concentrations of types of magicians, and opinions on them.

The Gothic people generally see the arcane arts as one more source of potential power, and are perhaps more exposed to magicians than other cultures. Praesa, the city of guilds, has representation from each of the magician guilds within it, and some of the other Gothic cities have guild presence and dealings, depending on their masters. Emmanuel de Brisac of Lethia does not tolerate the magician guilds to operate openly in his city and find them vexing, but Sophia the Thresher and Sorath the Artificer of Fenristadt seem intrigued by the arcane arts, especially among the air and fire guilds who both have structured outposts within the city. They and their lieutenants have been known to hire and contract magicians more than once. Magicians of all guilds tread carefully within other cities and territories, as their rulers’ whims are not always clear, and some view magicians as a threat to their authority.

The Salgothic have a strained to outright hostile relationship with the magicians of the guilds. Their histories indicate that the magicians of old were at least partially responsible for the murder of the relgiious leader Benalus, and many argue that availing oneself with arcane energies is a moral weakness. After all, if magicians were meant to be, would they cause such havoc to the world around them? Would they require such unsavory pieces to their powers? Generally, it is agreed that if one is going to seek extra power, it should be through faith and prayers to the divine, or to simply become better. They view magic as a crutch for those looking for shortcuts at best, and at worst as a gateway to darker and sinister powers and gods.

Within the lands of Seravia, the Lords are very clear about their feelings toward the magicians. While their work, histories, enchanted objects, and tomes are beloved by them, the magicians themselves are not generally allowed to practice within their lands. This may be due to fear or a reluctance to have any potential challenges to power – after all, religious practices are not well tolerated either, or it could be a simple matter of economics. However, the Sons of Adam do tend to work with the magician guilds, seeking out their enchantments in order to gain as many advantages as possible. And it is believed that the guilds still do maintain a presence in Seravia – it is simply concealed from the majority. It is even rumored that some Lords, in particular Countess Heideveld, permit magicians in their courts for study, among other purposes.

The Hesha, meanwhile, don’t have as negative a reaction to magicians as some of the other cultures throughout the world. Magicians are usually welcome upon sailing ships either as a paying passenger or as a working crewmember, although there are some superstitious captains and crew who believe that magicians bring bad luck. Duchess Hamiah Veladria a Mute Witness seems to especially hate the idea of any magician touching that which is hers or stepping foot on her armada. House Shazaad, on the other hand, is known to have a very positive relationship with the Water Guild, and it is said that their special shallow draft boats are most used in navigating around the horn of the Fens and its islands in order to reach an island to the far east of the peninsula. This island is rumored to house the Water Guild’s greatest temple.

The Nemien as a whole also tend to think highly of magicians of the Water guild, to the exclusion of other magicians. Their primary religion, Aa’boran, uses water as a metaphor for their manyworld vision of reality- as well as an instruction tool and meditation aid for reaching a higher understanding of the perfect self. As such, Magicians of Water are believed to have already achieved enough of a mastery over the self and enlightenment to allow them to manipulate the very flow of reality. Their strength in the arcane is seen as strength of self, and they often double as teachers and guides within the Nemien. However, this friendship and reverence only extends to magicians of water. Members of the other guilds are not welcomed in the same way, although Nemien always strive to remain impartial when it comes to outsiders.

Those who practice the arcane arts are considered the worst of the Blight by the Forgotten Ones, as they twist the world to force it into something that is unnatural. Man is well-equipped to interact with the forces of nature, but should not harness or command them in the way that magicians do. Those magicians who hail from the Earth guild are especially reviled, for their magic directly distorts and perverts the natural world the Forgotten Ones so fiercely try to protect. In general, the clans of the Forgotten Ones will not harbor magicians, and those Forgotten Ones that are found somehow practicing such arts face exile unless they immediately abandon and recant such studies.

Among the Outlanders, by contrast, magicians are welcomed with open arms. Some of this attitude is likely related to a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie among the Outlanders to a person who has chosen to be set apart from society, and has also learned the extremes of self reliance. Magicians do not seem to need anyone besides their own strong wills and perhaps their guild of teachers. And out of those iron minds and skilled hands…what wonders can be created. Magicians are often warned when travelling through Outlander territory that they should guard themselves against overly aggressive negotiations or outright kidnapping from bands who badly wish to have a magician on hand who can solve their difficulties and resource shortcomings. In addition, the resources of the Outlands are often useful to the Magician guilds, and so trade between the various warbands and the guilds is common.

Structure

Magicians are members of only one of the four Guilds of Magicians. Settled in lands of their own, powerful enough to resist outside authority, they are basically a community unto themselves. There are very few in the world with the dedication, the force of will, and the intelligence to learn and use sorcerous power properly. Of those people, fewer still are those who are lucky enough or clever enough to be invited into one of the four Guilds that hold an unbreakable monopoly over such secrets.

Each Guild represents one of the Elemental Forces that make up the world: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air – each with different beliefs and approaches to their studies. The life of a magician is at once a difficult and uphill climb, and a life of privilege as well. For though the Guilds guard their knowledge jealously, and have their own agendas, they keep their loyal agents well taken care of.

The four guilds have long been at cold war with one another, and working with magicians of other guilds is a good way to earn the displeasure of one’s own guild. The channeling of each of the elements requires different training and connections that the Magician must make. The Fire, Earth, Air, and Water guilds each share the 12 words of power, but when speaking them call on a different domain beneath their element.

The magicians in each Guild are stratified into a hierarchy called Circles. The most powerful magicians still alive are of the Fourth Circle, and no man living has been known to reach a Fifth or higher Circle. There once were such magicians who had reached the fifth circle, and their legacy is left behind in some very advanced scrolls. The ability to initiate new magicians, for example, is done through a Circle 5 scroll, but the ability to newly create such spells is now lost. Those at the highest level of the Guilds work diligently to surpass themselves, and be the first to achieve greater power such as there used to be.

Circles are a social and practical approximation of a given Magician’s power and skill. A Magician’s Circle rating is their social rank within the Guild hierarchies as well as how efficiently they can wield magic. A Second Circle Magician is more respected and powerful than a First Circle Magician and so on. Besides the increased respect afforded to a Magician of a high Circle, the biggest benefit of a magical Circle is the deep increase in raw magical power that the Magician can command, and thus able to cast mightier and mightier magics, in the form of spells.

While the preference of the Magician Guilds is that they take promising apprentices under their wing while young so that indoctrination can start early they will of course take on older recruits, especially if an interesting case can be made for them, they display unusual talent or aptitude, or there is an unusual display of loyalty or means of assuring loyalty.  No induction is performed  without the guild’s knowledge and permission, and usually the induction would be done by an NPC since it is a high level spell. While a guild member that brings forth a promising new initiate may speak for their candidate, the onus is on the prospective member to prove themselves.

The Guilds

Magicians of the four guilds rarely mix well together, and often are in direct competition or even open hostilities against the others. They jealously guard their scrolls and techniques, kept far away from the other guilds, and should a member of one guild be known to be fraternizing with another guild, it is very likely that the member will progress no further in their studies – or much worse.
However, given how much magicians have in common with one another, and with much of the world against them, it strikes outsiders as odd that they do not band together more often.

The question of why magicians don’t work together is a common one among those who are not initiated.

The view from the inside makes the answer to this question more obvious. The goals of the four guilds are not the same, and despite how similar they may seem to outsiders, the way each group sees the world is very different. So it is that every time the guilds try to partner with each other the story is the same- partnership leads to horrid betrayal, in-fighting, and everything falls back apart.

The Fire Guild

The Domains of the Fire Guild:

Fire Magicians are those who command the power of heat, flames, and other domains symbolically associated with fire. They are as well suited to life on a battlefield as they are at the game of politics, for they have mastery over several emotional domains as well as physical ones.

Before the Calamity, the Fire Guild, also called Dextera Inflammatio, was known primarily for their use as mercenaries and military support in the various wars of the Throne, their destructive services of flame and havoc available to the highest bidder. But over the centuries, and with the loss of many of their former positions of strength, their goals have changed.

Hungry for the glory of a bygone age, the Fire Guild has dedicated itself to trying to rebuild the shattered remnants of the Throne. Many of those in power believe that their path lies in bringing about the next great empire of mankind, and they are hard at work doing so. Many Fire Guild enclaves function as small kingdoms unto themselves, with different locations experimenting with different methods of governance and control. One such outpost lies in the volcanic ring of islands outside of Ryker’s Gate, and goes by the name of Emberlight. It is rumored that the guild there regularly collects bright children by any means possible, whether through purchase or kidnapping, and raises them in a competitive environment of pure meritocracy in search of a leader who can lead them in a new age. It is said that another such enclave by the name of Luciole lies in the Wastes to the west of Balise, and that far to the south of the Thousand Cuts is another on the hidden island of Sparo.

Magicians of the Fire Guild are always in search of arcane objects that could further their goals, and their presence in war and politics is ever increasing as they grow more bold.

Fire Guild Starting Spells

The Fire Guild

The Domains of the Fire Guild:

Fire Magicians are those who command the power of heat, flames, and other domains symbolically associated with fire. They are as well suited to life on a battlefield as they are at the game of politics, for they have mastery over several emotional domains as well as physical ones.

Before the Calamity, the Fire Guild, also called Dextera Inflammatio, was known primarily for their use as mercenaries and military support in the various wars of the Throne, their destructive services of flame and havoc available to the highest bidder. But over the centuries, and with the loss of many of their former positions of strength, their goals have changed.

Hungry for the glory of a bygone age, the Fire Guild has dedicated itself to trying to rebuild the shattered remnants of the Throne. Many of those in power believe that their path lies in bringing about the next great empire of mankind, and they are hard at work doing so. Many Fire Guild enclaves function as small kingdoms unto themselves, with different locations experimenting with different methods of governance and control. One such outpost lies in the volcanic ring of islands outside of Ryker’s Gate, and goes by the name of Emberlight. It is rumored that the guild there regularly collects bright children by any means possible, whether through purchase or kidnapping, and raises them in a competitive environment of pure meritocracy in search of a leader who can lead them in a new age. It is said that another such enclave by the name of Luciole lies in the Wastes to the west of Balise, and that far to the south of the Thousand Cuts is another on the hidden island of Sparo.

Magicians of the Fire Guild are always in search of arcane objects that could further their goals, and their presence in war and politics is ever increasing as they grow more bold.

Fire Guild Starting Spells

The Earth Guild

The Domains of the Earth Guild:

The Magicians of Earth are those who command the power of stone and strength, nature and rot.    

Where once the Earth Magicians were known for their construction of infrastructure, cities, and miles of roads, they are now better known for their exploration of the new nature of death.  Within their halls the question is the same- how did it come to this?  How could there be so much death, and yet more people than ever?  How could the world fall apart, and how could nature fail?  Such questions have led the magicians of Earth into frenzied experimentation, a deep desire to understand the natural philosophies and mechanisms underlying the natural world. They want to know for a certainty why there are seasons, why the sun rises and sets, why some animals are predators and others prey, why do some live and others die? Underneath these scholarly questions is a driving determination to wrest control of life and death from the lax reins of an uncaring fate.

And so those of Earth study the domains of rot, disease, plants, and animals in their quest- even as they focus their strength on fortifying their own lives.  Many among the guild are convinced that the only way that nature could go so awry was if it was through the actions of the deity of earth- Vecatra- and the alien magics of her followers. It is well known among mercenaries and traders that earth magicians will pay well for priests of the deity should someone be fortunate enough to find one- although what they do with these priests is best not thought too much about. 

The Earth guild, also called Infragilis Vigilo, is known to have one large stronghold in a crystal forest to the Northeast of Troctown, although finding Arbremir is easier said than done. It is rumored that they also have another outpost far to the north of Fernwehn on a lonely peak- isolated far from the teeming masses that fill the rest of the world.

Earth Guild Starting Spells

The Earth Guild

The Domains of the Earth Guild:

The Magicians of Earth are those who command the power of stone and strength, nature and rot.    

Where once the Earth Magicians were known for their construction of infrastructure, cities, and miles of roads, they are now better known for their exploration of the new nature of death.  Within their halls the question is the same- how did it come to this?  How could there be so much death, and yet more people than ever?  How could the world fall apart, and how could nature fail?  Such questions have led the magicians of Earth into frenzied experimentation, a deep desire to understand the natural philosophies and mechanisms underlying the natural world. They want to know for a certainty why there are seasons, why the sun rises and sets, why some animals are predators and others prey, why do some live and others die? Underneath these scholarly questions is a driving determination to wrest control of life and death from the lax reins of an uncaring fate.

And so those of Earth study the domains of rot, disease, plants, and animals in their quest- even as they focus their strength on fortifying their own lives.  Many among the guild are convinced that the only way that nature could go so awry was if it was through the actions of the deity of earth- Vecatra- and the alien magics of her followers. It is well known among mercenaries and traders that earth magicians will pay well for priests of the deity should someone be fortunate enough to find one- although what they do with these priests is best not thought too much about. 

The Earth guild, also called Infragilis Vigilo, is known to have one large stronghold in a crystal forest to the Northeast of Troctown, although finding Arbremir is easier said than done. It is rumored that they also have another outpost far to the north of Fernwehn on a lonely peak- isolated far from the teeming masses that fill the rest of the world.

Earth Guild Starting Spells

The Water Guild

The Domains of the Water Guild:

It was once the way of Magicians of Water, also called Sahirim many generations ago, to dive deeply into the nature of time, that they might  study its ebb and flow.  However, somehow, somewhere along the way, the Temple lost access to this path.  Only theories remain as to why this might be, but those who now try to walk the path of time no longer can return to their own lives.  Instead they fade, disappear, and never come back.  Those few time spells that do remain, and which do not cause such disappearances, are mostly in the hands of the Magicians of Ta’talma- sequestered behind the barriers of their underwater city.  Necessity being the mother of invention, the domain of Reshtur was replaced by a different meaning and domain over the generations. It is now associated with  Blood- and the magicians who utilize it do great work in healing, battle magic, and cleansing. 

Ta’talma is hard to find, even by those who know the way. It is accessed via an island to the Southeast of Balise, East of the Circle of Iron, and beyond that, only those highly schooled in the arcane arts of Water may proceed. When asked directly about the city, the Magicians of Water of will often deny it, arguing that any Hesha knows that the ocean floor is overtaken by armies of Malefic Creatures.  How could such a city survive?

It is true that there aren’t many other known outposts or great temples of the Water Magicians, but that doesn’t mean that they are scarce. Some of them travel among the Nemien, or the Hesha, while still others seek out objects of power and new spells throughout the Wastes or cities.  

The goals of the Water Temple are spiritual in nature and highly secretive. The higher circles conduct ritualistic spells and research that seem closer to religious exercises than magic.  They desire to devise a means by which our reality may shift to one in which the darkness of the world is overcome, or one where several disasters never actually happened, so that the world might be whole and healed. To do so, however, they will require more power, more strength of will, and possibly a re-connection to the Domain of Time.

Water Guild Starting Spells

The Water Guild

The Domains of the Water Guild:

It was once the way of Magicians of Water, also called Sahirim many generations ago, to dive deeply into the nature of time, that they might  study its ebb and flow.  However, somehow, somewhere along the way, the Temple lost access to this path.  Only theories remain as to why this might be, but those who now try to walk the path of time no longer can return to their own lives.  Instead they fade, disappear, and never come back.  Those few time spells that do remain, and which do not cause such disappearances, are mostly in the hands of the Magicians of Ta’talma- sequestered behind the barriers of their underwater city.  Necessity being the mother of invention, the domain of Reshtur was replaced by a different meaning and domain over the generations. It is now associated with  Blood- and the magicians who utilize it do great work in healing, battle magic, and cleansing. 

Ta’talma is hard to find, even by those who know the way. It is accessed via an island to the Southeast of Balise, East of the Circle of Iron, and beyond that, only those highly schooled in the arcane arts of Water may proceed. When asked directly about the city, the Magicians of Water of will often deny it, arguing that any Hesha knows that the ocean floor is overtaken by armies of Malefic Creatures.  How could such a city survive?

It is true that there aren’t many other known outposts or great temples of the Water Magicians, but that doesn’t mean that they are scarce. Some of them travel among the Nemien, or the Hesha, while still others seek out objects of power and new spells throughout the Wastes or cities.  

The goals of the Water Temple are spiritual in nature and highly secretive. The higher circles conduct ritualistic spells and research that seem closer to religious exercises than magic.  They desire to devise a means by which our reality may shift to one in which the darkness of the world is overcome, or one where several disasters never actually happened, so that the world might be whole and healed. To do so, however, they will require more power, more strength of will, and possibly a re-connection to the Domain of Time.

Water Guild Starting Spells

The Air Guild

The Domains of the Air Guild:

In the annals of the Throne, the Magicians of Air, sometimes referred to as Praeceptor Caecus, were noteworthy if only by their absence. Their deeds are not seen in the recordbooks.  Rather, they are seen by the abrupt change of  alliances, the leaking of information at just the right time, in the sudden death of a leader, or the loss of an item of power.  Assassins, spy masters, secret enforcers of those in power, boogeymen.  Everyone claimed to know of someone who was of the Guild of Air, but few could point one out, and it was likely better that way.  The most terrifying thing about Air Magicians was that if one was near, it was suddenly uncertain if thoughts were indeed private or even one’s own.  

But with the fall of Empires and the reshaping of the world, the balance of power shifted. All those well-laid plans of generations seemed laid to waste as magic itself seemed to change and warp.  The Guild of Air dwindled, losing contact with many as entire cells of magicians would go dark. Those who remained consolidated what resources they could, and the Air Guild managed to put on a new face and step out from the shadows more fully into view.  Nowadays, they operate openly, seeking contracts, resources, and opportunities to travel in order to obtain more scrolls and components.  However, they often find themselves more in competition with the Tarrantists than they do with their fellow magicians.  Those who follow the Deity of Desire, Power, and Rebellion often find themselves offering similar services and temptations as the Guild of Air, but rather than partnering together for power, the two rival groups instead constantly work at cross purposes- desperately trying to prove themselves superior than the other. 

Those of the Air Guild are skilled in communication, and so rarely gather in large groups- but they have small outposts and halls spread throughout most of the known world.  One small outpost is on the eastern edge of the Mirror Reef, and is known as Terni.  Another is rumored to be to the northwest of Towerfall, near the frozen north in a place called Nordhal.  And while they, of course, have a presence in Prasea, it is said that their true place in the area is to the mountains to the north of that city, in a glen called Ventis.

Despite all of their changes and re-creation, when it comes to their goals the only thing that has changed for the magicians of air is the field.  The end goal of ultimate power remains the same as it ever was. 

Air Guild Starting Spells

The Air Guild

The Domains of the Air Guild:

In the annals of the Throne, the Magicians of Air, sometimes referred to as Praeceptor Caecus, were noteworthy if only by their absence. Their deeds are not seen in the recordbooks.  Rather, they are seen by the abrupt change of  alliances, the leaking of information at just the right time, in the sudden death of a leader, or the loss of an item of power.  Assassins, spy masters, secret enforcers of those in power, boogeymen.  Everyone claimed to know of someone who was of the Guild of Air, but few could point one out, and it was likely better that way.  The most terrifying thing about Air Magicians was that if one was near, it was suddenly uncertain if thoughts were indeed private or even one’s own.  

But with the fall of Empires and the reshaping of the world, the balance of power shifted. All those well-laid plans of generations seemed laid to waste as magic itself seemed to change and warp.  The Guild of Air dwindled, losing contact with many as entire cells of magicians would go dark. Those who remained consolidated what resources they could, and the Air Guild managed to put on a new face and step out from the shadows more fully into view.  Nowadays, they operate openly, seeking contracts, resources, and opportunities to travel in order to obtain more scrolls and components.  However, they often find themselves more in competition with the Tarrantists than they do with their fellow magicians.  Those who follow the Deity of Desire, Power, and Rebellion often find themselves offering similar services and temptations as the Guild of Air, but rather than partnering together for power, the two rival groups instead constantly work at cross purposes- desperately trying to prove themselves superior than the other. 

Those of the Air Guild are skilled in communication, and so rarely gather in large groups- but they have small outposts and halls spread throughout most of the known world.  One small outpost is on the eastern edge of the Mirror Reef, and is known as Terni.  Another is rumored to be to the northwest of Towerfall, near the frozen north in a place called Nordhal.  And while they, of course, have a presence in Prasea, it is said that their true place in the area is to the mountains to the north of that city, in a glen called Ventis.

Despite all of their changes and re-creation, when it comes to their goals the only thing that has changed for the magicians of air is the field.  The end goal of ultimate power remains the same as it ever was. 

Air Guild Starting Spells

Casting

In order to cast a spell, a magician must be in possession of two things: the scroll and the ritual fallacies called for in the scroll. Each spell, while the product of rigorous testing and refinement, is a carefully calibrated set of instructions that can be easily understood and performed by anyone with the correct training and enough magical power.

Each Arcanum scroll is marked with the sigil of the domain that it falls under. Each school associates different domains with the sigils, but the order of sigils is the same. The wheel looks like as follows:

This wheel references a Nanach, instead of Manach. Manach is the usual use.

In order to cast a spell, the Magician must perform all actions prescribed on the Arcanum scroll. A Magician is always in possession of 12 Sigils of Power, one 12-sided Fate die, her school’s sigil wheel, and her spell indicators.In order to cast a spell, the Magician must perform all actions prescribed on the Arcanum scroll. A Magician is always in possession of 12 Sigils of Power, one 12-sided Fate die, her school’s sigil wheel, and her spell indicators.

When casting a spell, the magician draws a Glyph made of the symbol of their guild upon the ground, along with the symbol of the Domain in the center, and places the Fallacies around it. At the bottom, she places the scroll she wishes to perform facing up and open to the sky. She recites the incantation, does any physical motions dictated by the techniques in the scroll, and offers up the Fallacies to the universe to be consumed. For each Fallacy provided to the spell, it increases the chances of success. You may substitute inaccurate fallacies, but doing so risks Anacrusis, a backlash of magic that can have dire results. It must also be noted that even inaccurate fallacies must be close in flavor and intent to the original fallacy called for. For example, if a spell calls for the tears of a mother in mourning, but none are available, the Magician may choose to substitute any tears they can find.  Should they substitute ale for the tears, the spell simply will not work.  She draws and places one sigil from her bag, blindly, in the center of her Glyph. If this Sigil falls within the range of her Complexity, the spell is successfully cast. If it does not, she loses the Fallacies and the spell does nothing.

She may then throw a spell indicator to mark the path of her spell.  These indicators are colored depending on the guild, and must glow at night.

• Air – white
• Fire – red
• Earth – green
• Water – blue

If magical energies are being held or cast by the Magician, or there are magical effects on her, this must also be represented by glowing lights on the magician (LED lights or glowstick jewelry). The casting of magic is thus very obvious – for the caster is awash in light, is gesturing with obvious hand signs, and reciting strange incantations over a scroll and glyph on the ground.

Success or Failure

It is a difficult thing to for a magician to successfully navigate the turmoil of spellcasting and to yoke and wield magic at her command. She has to take into account her measure of her overall will, confidence and skill, the orderly nature of her mind and spirit, as well as the magical power crystallized in her from her access to the deeper Circles of mystery.

Casting a spell is a combination of intense information processing and channeling unbridled magical energies through the Magician’s mind and body. The experience is different for each of the Guilds, each magical discipline being performed differently, but the experience is always incredibly intense, something akin to performing advanced mathematics in your head while on being on fire or drowning. As such, it is a godlike feat of will each and every time it is performed.

Every spell has a Rank and a Complexity level, which affects the performance of casting a spell. Casting a spell becomes more or less difficult based on if you equal these ranks. If the Magician has all the Fallacies and matches the Complexity and Rank of the spell, the magician can almost certainly succeed in her casting of the spell. 

The Complexity of the Magician is determined through two sub-categories: Her Intellect, and her Will, which is determined by the sum total of her Intelligence Attribute and her skills in the Discipline branch of the Willpower tree (Willpower 1 and 2 count as Discipline 1 or 2 for the purpose of this calculation.

If you are a higher complexity than the complexity of the spell it will add one sigil to each side. The same holds true if you are a higher rank than the circle of the spell, it will add one sigil to each side. 

These numbers determine the number of Sigils that a magician has to add or subtract to the success of their spell using the sigil wheel of her school. If a Magician matches the Complexity and Rank of the spell, then the spell will function if she draws the Sigil marked on the scroll from her Sigil bag. For example, if a spell is cast within the Korakh domain, then they must draw the Korakh Sigil for it to succeed.

In addition, a magician’s Intellect and Fallacies add to the Sigils that they may draw. For every rank above 0 that she has in Intellect, she may add one additional Sigil on each side of the spell domain as possible successes. In Example: If a spell is cast within the Korakh domain, by a caster with Intellect 1, she has access to Ujoctt to Silhil.

For every Fallacy she supplies, substituted or not, she may add one additional Sigil on each side of the spell domain as possible success. So if the same Magician provides 3 Fallacies, she can draw from Duma to Resthur and succeed.

However, if a magician does not match the Rank and Complexity of the spell, it is quite likely that they will fail. For every Rank the Spell exceeds the Circle of the Caster, you must minus two Sigils from each side and for every digit in Complexity of the spell that exceeds the caster’s, you must also minus one sigil from each side. In our example, if the Rank of the spell exceeds the Circle of the Caster by one, then they only have access to Sigils Vendicur through Gurhoka to make the spell work. If the Complexity of our spell is 5, but the Magician only has a complexity of 4, she will subtract one additional Sigil from each side, leaving her with only Tunaor to Yrael. A failed spell results in the loss of any fallacies used within it for no effect, although Anacrusis is still rolled if any part of the casting caused Anacrusis.

Anacrusis

Anacrusis is the name Magicians have given for a series of negative conditions that arise from overtaxing a subject, area, or object with too many competing magical forces. In general, a person may only benefit from one Enchantment effect spell at a time before additional anacrusis sets in. If an Enchantment is cast on a person, both the casting magician and the target are subject to any Anacrusis incurred. The Magician must check which Anacrusis effects are released and tell the subject what Anacrusis effect they have been subjected to.

Anacrusis is incurred by Fate dice, and the risk of it increases by each substituted Fallacy. Staff may also ask the Magician to roll on an Anacrusis chart at their discretion for reasons such as being in an area of high magic concentration, too many spells cast in quick succession or at once, too many spell failures, or attempting a damned or overly powerful spell. In general, if the same spell is cast on the same target within the same day it will generally cause a roll on the Anacrusis chart. If a Fallacy is not substituted, but is instead left out entirely, the Anacrusis is increased by one Anacrusis chart higher than otherwise.

Rolling the 12-sided Fate die for Anacrusis is as follows: If you substitute one fallacy, the effect is determined on the minor Anacrusis chart. Two, and you reference the Major Anacrusis chart. Three, and you look at the Ruinous Anacrusis chart. What number the Fate die turns up is the effect that occurs on yourself (and/or your subject) depending on the casting according to the chart.

If in casting the spell you would ever get more than 3 Anacrusis it doesn’t work and you automatically role on the Major anacrusis chart. As such, spellcasting is almost never attempted in these circumstances.

Minor Anacrusis Chart

Major Anacrusis Chart

Ruinous Anacrusis Chart

Fallacies

The word “Fallacies” has carried over from a time immemorial that the guilds harken back to, where there were certain ways to create spells that made them easier to cast. Now, in this time of scavenging and repurposing, it has been applied to a new use on the spells they manage to maintain — that of sacrifice.

The Fallacies of a spell, many of which are numbered in 3s, are components which assist the Magician when she casts her spell. While one can cast a spell without these exact Fallacies, it frequently works out poorly for the Magician who risks it, striking them often with Anacrusis.

Many Fallacies are morbid or creepy in nature, making it uncomfortable at times for people to deal with Magicians.  Fallacies have one of 14 different traits, 12 of which are common and two of which are rare.  These common traits are Stasis, Change, Decay, Purification, Destruction, Creation, Body, Spirit, Repulsion, Attraction, The Hidden, The Found. The rare traits are Void and Quintessence. Spell scrolls will call for fallacies of a certain trait, and any wyrd item with that trait can be used to fulfill that requirement. One or two wyrd items may be used for all three required traits as long as all three traits are present. Wyrd items may be physically represented by an opaque vial rather than requiring individual phys reps for all items.