Varieties of magic in Ethshar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article summarizes the different varieties of magic and magicians in the fictional world of Ethshar

Contents 1 Demonology 1.1 Demonologists and Society 1.2 Partial List of Demons 2 Theurgy 2.1 Theurgists and Society 2.2 Partial List of Deities 3 Sorcery 3.1 Sorcerors and Society 3.2 Examples of Sorcerous Talismans 4 Wizardry 4.1 Wizards and Society 4.2 Wizardry Spell-list 5 Warlockry 5.1 Warlocks and Society 6 Witchcraft 7 Science 8 Ritual Dance 9 Ritual Song 10 Herbalism 11 Prestidigitation 12 Oneiromancy

[edit] Demonology

Summoning one or more demons, and convincing them to perform various tasks. Traffic between the realm of demons and Ethshar became more difficult at the end of the Great War, as depicted in The Misenchanted Sword. Demons are typically referred to as belonging to a particular Circle, indicating the relative difficulty in summoning them or relative price the demon requests for service. When summoned, demons may require sacrifices in the form of gold, blood, or lives (not necessarily human ones). Demons see all humans as human beings whether they are magicians of any kind or not.

[edit] Demonologists and Society

During the Great War, the Northern Empire used demonology extensively to directly reinforce their military forces. The army of the Northern Empire included half-demons known as shatra. In the final days of the war, an army of demons turned the eastern half of Ethshar into a desert with their occult powers.

After the Great War, the use of demonology is forbidden throughout the Small Kingdoms. Although demonology is permitted by law through the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars, the destructive nature of demonology tends to prevent its widespread use. Ships travelling past the Pirate Towns between Ethshar of the Rocks and Ethshar of the Sands sometimes hire demonologists as ship's magicians for their ability to sink pirate ships.

Demonologists wear black robes, sometimes with red trim. They may also wear a symbol associated with demonology as a pendant upon a necklace.

[edit] Partial List of Demons

Individual nameless imps (First Circle?)
Spesferis the Hunter (Second Circle)
Degorran (Fifth Circle)

[edit] Theurgy

Summoning a deity and requesting the god to perform a service of some kind. Successfully summoning a deity requires reciting the correct prayer formula in the correct way. Actual faith seems not to be necessary. About thirty gods respond to prayers. Gods answered the prayers of theurgists more reliably prior to the end of the Great War in The Mis-Enchanted Sword.

[edit] Theurgists and Society

During the Great War, theurgists contributed to the war effort of Ethshar by providing magical defensive support in the form of healing and defensive charms. Theurgists also performed intelligence functions by summoning appropriate deities and asking them questions about important strategic and tactical information.

Following the Great War, theurgists mostly belong to a hierarchical priesthood. Theurgists market their services on a mercantile basis, even while maintaining the trappings of temples and shrines. The practice of theurgy is not known to be banned in any location. Because of its focus on divination, some theurgists find employment with courts of law, such as in Ethshar of the Sands.

Theurgists wear white robes with gold trim.

[edit] Partial List of Deities

Aibem (General Information, such as locating specific people)
Asham
Bellab
Blusheld (Health, maintaining good health)
Blukros (Health, restoring minor wounds and illness)
Govet
Konned (Light and Warmth)
Luzro (God of the Dead)
Mazhom (Goddess of Courtship)
Mekdor (Health, Major Trauma, Plagues, Epidemics)
Morrn the Preserver (Genealogy)
Piskor the Generous (Extend food supplies, Purify Water)
Unniel the Discerning (Information about magic, carries messages to other gods)

[edit] Sorcery

Creating and using talismans, magical devices with functions similar to technology. Sorcerors create magical effects with a magical power called gaja, derived from the order outside the universe. These magical effects dissipate without talsimans, physical artifacts which anchor the magical effects.

[edit] Sorcerors and Society

During the Great War, the Northern Empire used sorcery heavily for magical support, although how is not clearly documented. Following the end of the Great War in The Misenchanted Sword, many sorcerous artifacts are destroyed or confiscated by the army. Some find their way into private hands as soldiers take unreported loot and are passed down within families as heirlooms ("Portrait of a Hero").

After the end of the war, the use of Sorcery is not expressly forbidden throughout the Small Kingdoms, but is widely avoided. Few talismans remain, with a higher number of sorcerous talismans remaining in the Baronies of Sardiron, closer to the original territory of the Northern Empire. Whether new talismans can be constructed after the end of the Great War has yet to be reported. If no new talismans can be created, how talismans originally came into existence has yet to be documented. Since both demons and gods were involved in creating the Towers of Lumeth, some particular demons or gods would have the knowledge necessary to repair, recharge, or create new sorcerous talismans.

Sorcerors are known to dress in robes made of fine white linen.

[edit] Examples of Sorcerous Talismans

1. The Towers of Lumeth
2. Sorceror's Oracle
3. Motion Detector
4. Fingerprint Talisman
5. "Denekin allasir"
6. Fire Talisman
7. Bug-Shaped Communicator

[edit] Wizardry

Given time, concentration, verbal, somatic, extremely varied and sometimes difficult-to-find material components, and (usually) the focus of an athame, a skilled wizard can do most anything, including granting immortality or eternal youth, creating an artificial universe/dimension, and reversing the flow of time. Wizardry is thus the most powerful variety of magic, and the wielders are able to (but very rarely do) enforce their will on every king and magician on Ethshar

Wizardry uses charged symbols to manipulate chaos, and the components therefore usually do not in any way represent the effects. Wizardry spells have different "levels",that represent the increasing difficulty of casting.

It seems likely that wizardry does not require an inborn talent, but some are more suitable than others.

[edit] Wizards and Society

The Wizards' Guild claims that it originated to protect the Towers of Lumeth long before the Great War began. During the Great War, the army of Ethshar used wizardry extensively in a variety of combat and support roles. Some of these roles were quite dangerous. For instance, the working life of a typical army research wizard extended an average of forty (40) days.

After the Great War, most of the flashier and more dangerous spells were quietly suppressed by the Wizards' Guild. Wizards returned to a previous behavior pattern typical of other guilds: protecting trade secrets, demanding obedience of their members, and exercising discipline amongst their members to maintain the image of their profession.

Wizardry is not known to be banned in any lands. However, in Ethshar of the Sands, the Lady of Justice will seek to use any of the following before contracting a wizard due to previous perceived manipulation of the government by the Wizards' Guild: theurgist, witch, or warlock.

Apprentice wizards wear grey robes for formal occasions(IR,p.12).

[edit] Wizardry Spell-list

• Familiar Animation [variant] (E:8 pg.10)
• Fendel's Spectacular Illusion (E:8 pg.39) - partial components: drop of dragon's blood
• Javan's Restorative (E:8 pg.28) - two peacock plumes - one white, boiling water, jewelweed, 1/4 lb block of special incense prepared in fog or sea-mist
• Spell of the Obedient Object (E:8 pg.14) - partial components: blood of a gray cat, gold coin
• Servile Animation (E:8 pg.27) - 6th Order - partial components: dragon's blood, opium poppy seeds, virgin's tears, red hair from a woman married at least a year
• Thrindle's Combustion (E:8 pg.39) - component: pinch of brimstone
• Spell of True Ownership (E:8 pg.39)
• Yellow Cloud (E:8 pg.39) - partial components: chip of chrysolite

[edit] Warlockry

Warlockry resembles telekinesis as depicted in popular fiction and films. The resolution of this power is fine enough to stop hearts and manipulate items smaller than bacteria.

Warlockry came into existence when an object fell from the sky during the Night of Madness. This object awakened a number of warlocks to its power, it grants them telekinetic ability which varies by their range from the object, which also 'whispers' to them. Warlocks become more powerful the more they use their abilities, and those who become very powerful hear what is known as "The Calling" from this object, and are unable to resist traveling to it. None have ever come back from these trips. There is another unsentient version of this object to the South, in Lumeth of the Towers, near the Empire of Vond, that already empowered warlocks can tap for power. Otherwise warlocks in the south would be too far away to tap much power from the whispering object.

[edit] Warlocks and Society

Warlocks did not exist during the Great War between the Northern Empire and the Ancient Holy Kingdom of Ethshar. Warlocks also did not exist anytime in the history of the world until the Night of Madness in Year 5208 of Human Speech.

During the Night of Madness, the Aldagmor Source first transformed thousands of otherwise normal people or other types of magicians into warlocks. The most powerful of these new warlocks immediately heard the Call of the Aldagmor Source and travelled to it using any available means (typically flying or walking). The first twenty-four hours were filled with looting, chaos, violence, and destruction as some new warlocks did not immediately realize the responsibility of possessing their newfound powers. After the first week or two, the Wizard's Guild enforced existing rules regarding the use of multiple types of magic, causing all warlocks to relinquish use of all other types of magic or perish.

Following the Night of Madness, warlocks established a Council of Warlocks to perform guild-like functions similar to the Wizard's Guild. With the assistance of the Wizard's Guild, warlocks narrowly avoided being banned within the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars. During the events of The Vondish Ambassador, the Wizard's Guild banned all warlocks from a 200-league radius around Lumeth of the Towers.

A warlock on business for the Council of Warlocks will wear a black tunic with white or gold trim.

[edit] Witchcraft

Resembles warlockry, in that much of what it does seems a variation on telekinesis (moving objects, warming, heating, drying, etc.) but is weaker, and more suitable to healing. Witchcraft is powered by the witch's own body. Whereas a warlock may feel more powerful after a great effort (because their ability to draw on the source increases with use), a witch is often physically exhausted after a major use of witchcraft. As with the other forms of magic-users in Ethshar, witches may be male or female.

[edit] Science

Science on Ethshar is counted a category of magic. Scientific knowledge is at a relatively low technology level and includes knowledge of things like creating a rainbow with a glass prism and the basic mechanics (pulleys and levers).

[edit] Ritual Dance

Little explanation has been given as yet, but it is apparently the only form of magic that requires more than one person. Groups of dancers can allegedly improve a person's luck.

[edit] Ritual Song

Never mentioned in any of the published stories, the author has said in online discussion that there was once a form of song magic, but that it's probably been lost by the time most of the Ethshar stories take place.

[edit] Herbalism

Using plants as medicines, poisons, and so on. Generally not thought of as magic in the real world.

[edit] Prestidigitation

Sleight-of-hand.

[edit] Oneiromancy

The magic of dreams, including sending and receiving dreams, and interpreting dreams, and witnessing distant events. Oneiromancy was used in reconnaissance during the war between the Holy Kingdom of Ethshar and the Northern Empire.