Exquaestio Magic
Espiri and Rohain have been given
magical abilities by the gods. The specific magic of each branch is
different and distinct, and the gods grant other magical abilities as
well. Espiri magic
comes from the gods as a divine boon. There is an ongoing debate about rohain magic. Some
believe it to be a divine boon; others believe that the gods change
rohain to use a
special sort of essence.
One minor magical authority is granted to all believers, though
training is required to make the best use of it. All quaestae may sense
the existence of Exquaestio in people, items, or locations. With this boon quaestae may sense
whether a person is quaestae, anradan, espiri, or rohain; active, suspended, or
excommunicate; and their religious rank. Espiri are better with this ability than
others, but many anradan have it finely trained as well.
Unfortunately, this ability can be fooled (passing for quaestae is easy, but
passing for Bishop is quite difficult). This ability does not
permit a person to recognize apostates (unless formally suspended or
excommunicate) or members of hostile faiths.
Espiri call their
magic glimmering and different aspects
of what it can do gleams. They call their
patterns of casting rites (not spells). Rites
are affected by what espiri call devova; a divine
presence embodied in people, places, or (occasionally) items. Ecclesia and even
long-used Exquaestio schools can make rites easier with bright
devova. Areas santified or consecrated to non-Exquaestio deities
can make rites more difficult with dim devova.
Glimmering is limited in two main ways. First, diversity is a
matter of training. Like a complicated computer program, an espiri must learn how
to use each gleam to produce particular effects. Second, controlling
it is taxing, stressing both body and mind. The scope of its effects
are thus limited by the physical and mental abilities of the
participants. This factor is somewhat offset by the fact that espiri can cooperate,
and even call upon quaestae for assistance. When espiri and quaestae cooperate in a
rite, only one espiri need actually know the pattern
of gleams involved, though the more espiri who do, the more effective the
rite may be.
In terms of style, espiri use gestures and prayers
referring to events in the Book of Travels. They do not
"force" a particular effect. Instead, they "open a path" to
permit an effect.
13 of the complete list of 20 gleams are known and named. Those
marked with a * are available to Scouts:
- The Caelus gleam deals with
all kinds of gases. Known effects are limited to purification and
separation.
- The Diabus gleam deals with
liquids and solutions of all sorts. Known effects are limited to
purification and separation.
- The Diotus gleam deals with food
and nourishment.
- The Monus* gleam is concerned
with protection. Known effects include: detecting threats (enemies,
poison, etc.), warding off weapons, blocking detection magics, and
setting alarms. This gleam is given to scouts with strong protective
instincts.
- The Motus* gleam is concerned
with moving things. Known effects include: Moving things and people
through the air, making noises, extending the range of speech, and
getting living things to move faster. This gleam is given to scouts
with with wandering personalities.
- The Nuntus* gleam is concerned
with thoughts and emotions. Known effects include: sensing emotions
(including deception), and creating fear or liking. All affects are
strictly temporary. This gleam is given to scouts who are curious
about the ways people thinks.
- The Obscurus* gleam deals
with darkness, destruction, and the absence of things. It can be used to
create darkness, damage objects, and destroy prepared documents. It can
also be used to mark individuals and separate them from the benefits
Exquaestio provides. It cannot be used to remove rohain powers. This
gleam is given to those who enjoy destruction.
- The Portus gleam deals with
the direct manipulation of space, time, and dream. It's primary uses are
in teleportation and summoning. Portus cannot be used for time travel or
direct viewing of the future.
- The Salubrus* gleam is
concerned with healing and the physical body. Known effects include:
sensing and analyzing life and health, recovery from exhaustion and
wounds. This gleam is given to scouts who are strong caregivers.
- The Sanctus* gleam is
concerned with magic and glimmering itself. Known effects include:
detecting magic, disrupting certain magics, strengthening the divine
connection to areas and objects, improving control over all forms of
glimmering, attracting divine notice to certain courses of action, and
summoning divine aid from the dreaming. This gleam is given to scouts
with strong interests in religion for its own sake.
- The Scirus* gleam is concerned
with detections and knowledge. Known effects include: making and
analyzing measurements, calculating instantly, and percieving magic.
This gleam is given scouts whose main interests are in the physical
world.
- The Specius gleam deals with
changing senses. Known effects include visual illusions and pain
removal.
- The Tellurus gleam deals
with all sorts of solids.
- The Vehementus gleam deals
with light, fire, and other forms of energy. Known effects include:
starting fires and creating light.
The rohain call their style of magic genius, and it is very
different from glimmering. Genius begins quite diverse, but extremely
weak. Little training is required to learn new abilities, but a great
deal of effort is required to increase the power of those abilities. A
rohain's genius develops along highly idiosyncratic lines. Genius is
rarely taxing and is not cumulative. Genius is also not dependent on
Feroze. A rohain who manages to leave Exquaestio will not lose his
genius. Nor is Genius affected by the areas hostile to espiri magic.
Unfortunately, while learning the abilities that are already know is
relatively easy, developing abilities without training is not. Rohain
know that much more can be done with genius than they are currently
capable of, but have little time or talent for research.
The following abilities are known:
- Guardians:
- Spiritblade: a weapon formed of "energy" which is effective
against intangible and magical creatures. Stronger spiritblade may
affect normal creatures as well. Most Spiritblades are invisible.
- Spiritform: allows a rohain's conciousness to leave his body and
"walk" around in spiritual form, returning to his body immediately
whenever he wishes. A spiritform may walk through walls and hear
what people are saying. A powerful rohain may transform his entire
body. A rohain has no contact with his physical body using a
projected Spiritform, and is affected by magics which normally affect
spirits, like Wards.
- Spiritguard: protects from and allows a rohain to sense those
magics, including divination and locating magics, which affect the
rohain's mind or spirit without being directly damaging. A few
rohain can sense the type of magic being used against them.
- Spiritshield: forms a defense which protects a rohain from
damage. Weaker shields are only effective against insubstantial and
magical attacks. Stronger shields can affect anything. As with
Spiritblade, most spiritshields are invisible.
- Spiritsense: Guardians can instinctively recognize the presence of
an active spirit, including other rohain in spiritform, and are able
to communicate with such spirits. With training, rohain can see the
world's spiritual side.
- Signifers:
- Dreamsense: allows a rohain to sense magic. With greater powers
a rohain can tell more about the magic.
- Foresense: A Signifer automatically knows when danger is
approaching or when a particular course of action will lead to
physical harm. The more powerful the Foresense the further ahead
danger can be sensed. With more power a rohain can tell more about
what is going to occur. This power works by percieving the potentials
of current events and cannot sense anything which current events do
not lead to.
- Paladins: None known.
- Champions: None known.
The gods are, of course, not limited to the magical styles above.
Special boons of
many sorts are common. Much of the time, these boons will be added those of the espiri or rohain. If a person doesn't display such a clear
indicator, they will still be considered espiri or rohain based on their personality and
ability.