Wake
An Aesthetic sham
ABOUT SOCIETY:
In this world, there are two distinct sides to society: the portion that uses magic and the portion that does not. Generally, these sides are segregated with the idea that magic is genetic to keep the lines solid. The consequence for letting the secret slip would be punishment for the witch as well as for the memory of the one who witnessed it. However, this isn't to say that non-magic society doesn't benefit from it, far from that. A witch can perform in front of a non-user as long as they don't witness how the spell is cast and selling magical objects to non-users is a completely valid. Often times, witches spend their lives traveling to non-magic towns to present their services to common people. Within society, most of the upper-class people are magic users.
For one to become a witch, there are generally two ways: for someone to be born into it or for someone to be adopted into it from a young age. The old-blood families, naturally, are the wealthier as they've had many years to establish their style of magic and business.
ABOUT MAGIC:
As apposed to the myth, magic is a completely acquired skill. With the correct materials and training, anyone can do it. To do spells, one must draw runes with ink made from special materials. Inks made with different materials. There are different sorts of runes, each one corresponding to a different element or purpose. Using a combination of several of them in different sizes and configurations in creative ways to accomplish some goal.
Typical spells generally have 2 parts, the Runes and the Matrix. The runes control what the spell does and and the Matrix that goes around the outside to activate the spell. As many are difficult to draw, a common technique is to draw the spell but not quite complete the rune for quick use.
Any object can be a magical object if the right runes are carved onto it, however as with drawing spells as usual, if it's an object that doesn't require perpetual magic, it needs a mode of activation and deactivation.
ABOUT ENFORCEMENT:
As they have laws, there must be a body to enforce them. To serve this purpose, an organization called Sigil was established. Under their jurisdiction is bookkeeping, keeping records of all the witches and their crimes, presiding over trials of witches and determining punishments, along with conducting regular inspections of covens. Furthermore, only members of Sigil are able to use forbidden magic.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND FORBIDDEN MAGIC:
A few centuries ago, before the establishment of Sigil and the centralization of magic society, it was a free-for-all. Because of this, spells with disastrous effects were created, spells that could deform entire landscapes and skew ecosystems, but worse, they could horribly maim or disfigure people in, at times, creatively despicable ways. After these hundreds of years of on-and-off warfare, the human population lowered drastically. In an effort to preserve the planet, as well as to keep such a thing from happening again, the most powerful wizards got together and decided to almost completely outlaw certain magic and establish Sigil to keep the peace.
Spells that have the capability to destroy, build or change large swaths of matter are outlawed, as well as spells that can shift the body or mind of anything living. This includes growing plants with magic, creating chimeras, transfiguring one's own body, using magic to control animals etc., but such rules come with the trade-off of completely removing the field of medical magic. Also, for economic security, laws against creating wealth with magic are in place.
The only people that can legally use forbidden magic is Sigil, who under special circumstances use such spells to rectify emergency situations. Sigil also has the exclusive right to use spells to wipe memories in special cases.
There are also fringe groups of people who intentionally peruse forbidden knowledge at great risk. Some of these groups study it for the sake of the learning itself, however others have more nefarious purposes, wishing to use said knowledge for destructive purposes. There's little differentiation between the two sorts in the eyes of Sigil, both of them typically being treated with equal harshness. There's a special group of people who are tasked with seeking out members of those fringe groups.
Feel free to ask questions!! I'll add a small amount of information on the coven this should take place in if/when anyone shows interest.
In this world, there are two distinct sides to society: the portion that uses magic and the portion that does not. Generally, these sides are segregated with the idea that magic is genetic to keep the lines solid. The consequence for letting the secret slip would be punishment for the witch as well as for the memory of the one who witnessed it. However, this isn't to say that non-magic society doesn't benefit from it, far from that. A witch can perform in front of a non-user as long as they don't witness how the spell is cast and selling magical objects to non-users is a completely valid. Often times, witches spend their lives traveling to non-magic towns to present their services to common people. Within society, most of the upper-class people are magic users.
For one to become a witch, there are generally two ways: for someone to be born into it or for someone to be adopted into it from a young age. The old-blood families, naturally, are the wealthier as they've had many years to establish their style of magic and business.
ABOUT MAGIC:
As apposed to the myth, magic is a completely acquired skill. With the correct materials and training, anyone can do it. To do spells, one must draw runes with ink made from special materials. Inks made with different materials. There are different sorts of runes, each one corresponding to a different element or purpose. Using a combination of several of them in different sizes and configurations in creative ways to accomplish some goal.
Typical spells generally have 2 parts, the Runes and the Matrix. The runes control what the spell does and and the Matrix that goes around the outside to activate the spell. As many are difficult to draw, a common technique is to draw the spell but not quite complete the rune for quick use.
Any object can be a magical object if the right runes are carved onto it, however as with drawing spells as usual, if it's an object that doesn't require perpetual magic, it needs a mode of activation and deactivation.
ABOUT ENFORCEMENT:
As they have laws, there must be a body to enforce them. To serve this purpose, an organization called Sigil was established. Under their jurisdiction is bookkeeping, keeping records of all the witches and their crimes, presiding over trials of witches and determining punishments, along with conducting regular inspections of covens. Furthermore, only members of Sigil are able to use forbidden magic.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND FORBIDDEN MAGIC:
A few centuries ago, before the establishment of Sigil and the centralization of magic society, it was a free-for-all. Because of this, spells with disastrous effects were created, spells that could deform entire landscapes and skew ecosystems, but worse, they could horribly maim or disfigure people in, at times, creatively despicable ways. After these hundreds of years of on-and-off warfare, the human population lowered drastically. In an effort to preserve the planet, as well as to keep such a thing from happening again, the most powerful wizards got together and decided to almost completely outlaw certain magic and establish Sigil to keep the peace.
Spells that have the capability to destroy, build or change large swaths of matter are outlawed, as well as spells that can shift the body or mind of anything living. This includes growing plants with magic, creating chimeras, transfiguring one's own body, using magic to control animals etc., but such rules come with the trade-off of completely removing the field of medical magic. Also, for economic security, laws against creating wealth with magic are in place.
The only people that can legally use forbidden magic is Sigil, who under special circumstances use such spells to rectify emergency situations. Sigil also has the exclusive right to use spells to wipe memories in special cases.
There are also fringe groups of people who intentionally peruse forbidden knowledge at great risk. Some of these groups study it for the sake of the learning itself, however others have more nefarious purposes, wishing to use said knowledge for destructive purposes. There's little differentiation between the two sorts in the eyes of Sigil, both of them typically being treated with equal harshness. There's a special group of people who are tasked with seeking out members of those fringe groups.
Feel free to ask questions!! I'll add a small amount of information on the coven this should take place in if/when anyone shows interest.
