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The Mark is the name for the change made to your soul that allows you to use magic. Each mark has several qualities that are associated with it: resonance, indicia, stigmata, ascending & descending energies, and supernatural traits.

• Resonance: a quality associated with your magic that manifests within your spells and enchantments. Can be used to identify the magic of individuals.
• Indicia: a quality that improves or augments your magic.
• Stigmata: a quality that hampers or weakens your magic.
• Ascending Energies: A pair of magical energies, one form and one method, that come easily to you.
• Descending Energies: A pair of magical energies, one form and one method, that are difficult for you.
• Supernatural Traits: Powers, abilities, or phenomena that manifest outside of a mage's magic or conscious control. Each mage has two supernatural traits.

Additionally each Mark belongs to one of three categories - minoris, mediocris, or majoris - that influence the strength of their supernatural traits and the effect of their Disquieting. Disquieting is a pervasive aura of wrongness that surrounds a mage.

• Minoris Marks have no discernable Disquieting and they have the most subdued supernatural traits.
• Mediocris Marks, the most common Mark, have a moderate Disquieting effect causing people to be uncomfortable and can lead them to develop an irrational fear of the mage. This imposes a minor penalty (-2) to all social interactions with mundane people and animals. They also have moderate supernatural traits.
• Majoris Marks have the strongest Disquieting effect and the most pronounced supernatural traits. This leads to them having a major penalty (-4) to all social interactions with mundane people and animals. People may become enraged, flee, or attack the mage unprovoked.

Note: The intensity of one's mark does not affect the individuals magic outside of the potency of their supernatural traits.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:20, Mon 07 Feb 2022.

Magic is the result of drawing energies from different planes through the mark. What magic an individual can perform depends on the qualities of their Mark, experience, and preparation.

Each spell requires at least two different energies to be cast. One that represents the Method of the spell and the other to represent the Form.

Methods:

• Modus: Augment, change, or modify something that exists. Modus is derived of the energy of Pandemonium, Realm of Change.
• Ruina: Damage, decay, or otherwise destroy something. Ruina is derived of the energy of Gehenna, Realm of Destruction.
• Incepio: Create something from nothing. Incepio is derived of the energy of Oriror, Realm of Creation.
• Elucidus: Gain insight or understanding into something. Elucidus is derived of the energy of Binah, Realm of Knowledge.

Forms:

• Natura: The physical aspects of living things: animals, plants, humans, etc. Nature is derived of the energy of Ectasy, Realm of Primordial Nature and Life.
• Anima: The mental aspects of existence, concepts, and abstracts. Anima is derived of the energy of Hypnos, Realm of the Mind and Concepts.
• Materia: Inert physical matter and machine: Materia is derived from the energy of Primus, the Realm of Machinations and Matter.
• Ephemera: Metaphysical substances and energy. Ephemera is derived from the energy of Sephirot, Realm of Spirits and Energy.

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:20, Mon 07 Feb 2022.

Spellcasting

To cast a spell you must first have a Method + Form total greater than 0 after reductions. Secondly you must make the necessary gestures and speak the necessary invocations unless otherwise stated. Finally, you have to have a certain degree of focus. More powerful spells require greater focus to be cast. In certain situations the Concentration total of the mage must be greater than or equal to the spellcasting penalty for a given rank of spell. If these requirements are not meet then the mage is incapable of casting the spell or suffers a penalty to their attempts; whichever is more appropriate.

Aethelwulf is a prodigious master of the elements but when he falls into an ambush he finds the volley of arrows too distracting (minor penalty, Concentration total: 5) to call the full might of his magic down (R2+). Instead he relies on his quick wit to fell a tree to provide much needed cover and a distraction.

Warping

Magic is potent. Far too potent for the mortals who wield it. Still this does not stop the ambitious and mad from using powers beyond their limits. Notable among these powers are those that change the body and mind in an unnatural fashion but any magic of considerable power will leave its mark on the caster and its target. These effects lead to pronounced changes known as Warping. Warping differs between mages and the effects that caused the warping initially.

Lydia the Fair has the resonance of heat and in pursuit of immortality performs a powerful ritual on herself to grant her body preternatural regeneration. In exchange her once hazel hair has become a brilliant crimson red and she exudes a passive aura of warmth that grows to an uncomfortable heat (-2 Concentration) anytime she must regenerate harm.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:54, Mon 07 Feb 2022.

Magic Resistance

All mages have an innate resistance to magic which must be overcome before a spell may take hold of them. This resistance is equal to half the value of their Ascending combination, rounded up. However this resistance does not apply to make to magic of their descending combination.

Margret squares off against Morgan, the senior apprentice of their master. Morgan is a skilled conjurer (Ascending InMa) with a ascending total of 12. This gives her a respectable magic resist of 6. When Margret casts a bolt of flame (InEp total 5) against Morgan the spell harmlessly breaks against her skin. Instead she switches tactics and targets her descending combination, Ruina Ephemera, with a silencing spell. Now Morgan can only use spells which use gestures.

Note: Spell totals for the purpose of magic resistance ignore reductions due to Rank or spell qualities.

Defense Against Magic

Spells can be defended against using mundane defenses. Spells that assault the personal physically or with conjured energies can be blocked with shields and armor. Spells that directly assault the body and mind can be resisted using Will + Resolve.

Greenly blocks a hail of stones (OrMa) from an enraged stone golem using his kite shield. Unfortunately he is powerless when that same golem turns the ground to quicksand.

For defensive magic the defensive spells total must be higher or equal to the offensive spell to succeed. If it is lower than the defensive spell fails and the effect takes hold. However both magical and mundane defenses can be overwhelmed through continuous assault. Each successful attack weakens the defense. The amount of weakening is equal to the weapons equipment bonus or half the spells total, round down. The exception to this are those weapons or spells whose bonus or rank is l or more less than the rank of a defensive spell.

Justin is hunted by a mercenary group lead by the warmage Claire. Forced into a corner Justin erects a dome of burning light to protect himself (InEp 2, 8 total). The mercenaries fire on him with their shortbows (+1) but they prove ineffectual against the spell. Claire on the other hand uses her multicast focus to lob three bolts of acid (InMa 2, 6 total) at the shield. The first bolt weakens the shield, the second shatters it, and the third is only narrowly avoided by Justin throwing himself into a rolling dodge. He'll have to think of something else now.

Counterspells

Counterspells destroy, disrupt, or otherwise alter the magic of another spellcaster. Any magical effect can be targeted by a counterspell although rituals and enchanted items are simply suspended rather than destroyed outright unless some other effects allows for this.

To cast a counterspell the mage must be aware of the magic they are targeting and what Form the magic is comprised of. The mage may then cast a Ruina or Modus spell of the matching Form and compare totals. If the counterspells total is higher or equal then the spell ceases to exist or function as dictated by its nature. Otherwise the effect is unaffected. Additionally counterspells can be used to target magic which was cast in the proceeding round.

Marrick corners their young rival Erwin in an abandoned barn. Marrick looses a bolt of sulfurous fire (InEp 1, 6 total) which ripped across the barn, intent on killing Erwin. Erwin knows that his defensive magic is not up to par with Marrick's attack magic and decides to counterspell (RuEp 1, 7 total). The two spells coliide in the middle and Erwin's magic overwhelms his opponents. Erwin rushes out of the barn as Marrick howls in defiant rage.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:07, Wed 09 Feb 2022.

Basic Mechanic

Magic totals are based on the combined scores of a particular Method and Form. Unlike Attributes and Skills these scores have no upper limit. If a spell or effect requires multiple Methods and/or Forms then the total is generated using the lowest combination of Method and Form. If the total is greater than 0 after any reductions and penalties than the spell is successfully cast or the effect can be made.

Spell Types

There are two types of spells: spontaneous and rote. A spontaneous spell is created on the fly in response to a sudden situation. These spells cannot benefit from spell qualities, meta-magic effects granted by foci, and gain only half, round down (min. 1) of any casting bonus provided by a foci. A rote spell is gained through dedicated practice and mastery, either earned during Downtime or through roleplaying. These spells have none of the limits of spontaneous magic and gain a minor bonus (+2) to concentration when casting.

Spell Rank

A spells Rank, abbreviated 'R#', determines the scope of the effects it can produce.Below are details concerning each rank.

Ranks in Brief

• Rank 0: instantaneous duration, limited to single target attacks and personal defense.
• Rank 1: short duration, single targets, small areas, short ranges, low complexity, small quantities, simple changes
• Rank 2: moderate duration, complexity, quantities, and changes; medium areas, multiple targets, medium range,
• Rank 3: long duration, high complexity, large quantities, large scale changes, sensory ranges, large area effects
• Rank 4: extreme duration, very-high complexity, extreme range, massive quantities, massive scale.

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:05, Wed 09 Feb 2022.

Note: Extended duration (<1 hr.) spells half their total, round down, for continuous damage or continuous healing effects.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:06, Wed 09 Feb 2022.