Arcana: Magic

Courtean Wizardry

A School of Magic for Everway

by John "Seanchaí" Grose

An ashen sky ... a city without end ... one thousand and one fume-addled sorcerers...

Element: Air

The wizards of Court practice a type of hedge magic that involves components like the blood of a virgin mixed with the ash of a forest fire, magic squares drawn on fresh parchment, silver purified under the moon on the third day of the third month, and a deer's gall worn to ward off sickness. They create philters and charms, amulets, and potions for their noble patrons while trying to keep the incessant political maneuvering of Court out of their fume-riddled, smoke-darkened laboratories.

Magic of the Courtean Wizards

Courtean wizards rely on formulae to create agents that in turn create magical effects. An agent can take the form of a charm or amulet, or a philter, oil, salve, or the like. Charms are permanent in nature (as long as they are worn in the proscribed manner) while philters have a limited duration. Of the two, philters are the most difficult to manufacture but also tend to be more powerful.

Simple formulae require simple ingredients and little time to prepare. The effects of these are minor and limited, but the risks involved in creating simple agents are minimal. Example ingredients include hair from a dog in heat, a magic square drawn on parchment made from a lamb slaughtered at noon, the blood of an unfaithful man, the talon of a badger, or a figurine of a babe carved in the hour of Saturn. These types of things are easy to find on Court (there's a demand for them and most formulae utilizing them are common) and most wizards have all save the most esoteric on hand.

Complex formulae are more powerful, more rare, and decidedly more risky than their simple brethren. Potions made from complex formulae are the most powerful magic native to Court. The ingredients required for these formulae are either difficult to come by, expensive, or both. Examples include a pubic hair from a queen, a baby's first breath, a magic square written in the sky on a certain hour, dry water, sadness, or the soul of a good man.

Using a formula to create a potion or charm entails a certain amount of risk. The formula works because the ingredients--be they a physical item or a certain action performed under certain circumstances--are magically reactive. If something interferes with the reaction, unexpected and undesirable results occur. These range from puffs of smoke and non-functioning amulets for simple formulae to explosions, death, and the destruction of the concept of love across the entire sphere for complex ones.

Courtean wizards rarely create their own formulae. When a miscalculation can transform your arm into a snake or blow up the palace, its best to stick with something that's been done so often it becomes rote and boring. Formulae are recorded in books called indices (which every wizard guards zealously) and have fanciful names such as "Death of the Inner Sun" and "Transfixing the Upright Petitioner with Gills of the Fish." A wizard will generally have a handful of indices and will have memorized a number of simple formulae.

Game Mechanics

The magic of Court is weak and ineffective when compared with that found elsewhere. A character using Courtean magic cannot have a magic score greater than five; this reflects its reliance on agents and formulae and the simple metaphysical limitations under which it functions. Also, the magic score not only represents the inner qualities necessary in Courtean magic but also years of study, access to indices, a wealthy of memorized formulae, and just general arcane know-how.

(Wizards on Court tend to be unimpressed by outsiders with magic scores above those available to them. Having a score of seven is all well and good--until the local princeling perceives the wizard as a threat, then has him or her poisoned, accidentally drowned, accidentally positioned under a falling piece of architecture, or killed in his or her sleep.)

A Courtean wizard will have memorized a number of simple formulae equal to twice his or her magic score. He or she will have three to five indices and most of the materials necessary to complete commonly used formulae.

	Magic Power Levels
	At this Magic level, the practitioner can create items along these lines: 1 Apprentice: Potions which cause sleep or drunkenness, help the user stay awake or overcome the effects of intoxication, or aid in the recovery from natural ailments. Charms at this level are so weak as to be ineffectual and are not usually created. Items at this level take about an hour to create with the proper materials. Potions at this level can be created to last for up to six hours. 2 Weak Mage: Potions which influence the user's emotional states or open him or her up to suggestion (but not to the point where he or she will unquestioningly follow any order given), cause unnatural sleep, or boost one of the drinker's Elements to a small degree (less than a point). Weak good or bad luck charms are available at this level. Charms that cause the wearer to go largely unnoticed are possible for the weak mage. Items at this level take about six hours to create. Potions at this level have effects lasting up to a day. 3 Average Mage: Potions that cause the drinker to tell the truth or that prevent these types of potions from functioning, or that cause a coma in the imbiber for their duration. Charms that alter the wearer's features, and strong good or bad luck charms are common. Charms that provide weak protection against physical or magical attacks are possible. Items at this level take a day's work to create. Effects of potions last for up to one week. 4 Gifted Mage: Potions that boost one of the imbiber's Elements by one point, or turn the user invisible. Charms that provide moderate protection against physical and magical attacks can be created. Charms that weakly boost (less than a point) one Element are possible. Items at this level take a week to create. Potions' effects last up to one week. 5 Powerful Mage: With the right (very rare) ingredients, a lethal magical potion can be created. It cannot be detected by any means and will harm only the person for which it is intended. Charms that boost an Element are possible, as are ones that turn the wearer invisible. Items at this level take a month to craft. Effects of potions last up to one week.

Courtean Wizardry copyright © 1999 John "Seanchaí" Grose, used with permission;
Shop image by Martin McKenna, copyright © 1995-2001 Gaslight Press. All rights reserved.