# MAGIC SYSTEMS OVERVIEW: COMPLETE LORE DOCUMENT
## I. MAGIC IN TEMERANT: FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
Magic in Temerant is not supernatural—it is natural philosophy applied with precision and will. There are no "spell slots," no arbitrary limitations, only the laws of physics and the capacity of the individual mind. A skilled practitioner understands the true nature of things and can reshape reality through that understanding. An unskilled one dies, goes mad, or fails spectacularly.
Core Truth: Magic costs. Always. The cost may be knowledge, sanity, energy, time, or simply a piece of your humanity. The most powerful mages are often the most damaged.
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## II. SYMPATHY (ARCANUM CORE)
Sympathy is energy transfer through linked intention. It is the most teachable magic and the most studied.
### A. Fundamental Principles
Three Laws (Immutable):
1. Doctrine of Correspondence
The more two things resemble each other, the stronger the sympathetic link between them.
Example: Linking your coin to another identical coin (strong link)
Linking your coin to a different coin (weaker link)
Linking your coin to a stone (very weak link)
2. Principle of Consanguinity
A part of something can represent the whole; sympathetic connection flows through the connection.
Example: Hair = person (strongest non-identity link)
Example: Clothing = person (moderate link)
Example: Place visited = person (weak link)
3. Law of Conservation
Energy cannot be created; only redirected, transformed, or moved.
Example: Heat from a fire → transferred through sympathy to a distant location
Example: Your body heat → used to create a flame (costs you body temperature)
Example: Mechanical energy → converted to kinetic force through a binding
### B. The Alar (The Will)
The alar is your mental focus—your ability to assert intention through the link.
Function:
- Creates and maintains sympathetic bindings through force of will
- Stronger alar = stronger binding, more sustained power, better control
- Weaker alar = easily broken links, slippage, energy waste
Training:
- Meditation and mental discipline develop alar strength
- E'lir practice basic focus exercises (holding attention on simple bindings)
- Advanced practioners can maintain dozens of simultaneous bindings
Breaking the Alar:
- Skilled opponent can "shatter" your focus through counter-pressure
- Sudden shock (pain, fear, surprise) breaks concentration
- Excessive strain leads to unconsciousness or permanent damage
### C. Practical Sympathy: The Binding Process
Step 1: Identify Correspondent
### B. The Alar (The Will)
The alar is your mental focus—your ability to assert intention through the link.
Function:
- Creates and maintains sympathetic bindings through force of will
- Stronger alar = stronger binding, more sustained power, better control
- Weaker alar = easily broken links, slippage, energy waste
Training:
- Meditation and mental discipline develop alar strength
- E'lir practice basic focus exercises (holding attention on simple bindings)
- Advanced practioners can maintain dozens of simultaneous bindings
Breaking the Alar:
- Skilled opponent can "shatter" your focus through counter-pressure
- Sudden shock (pain, fear, surprise) breaks concentration
- Excessive strain leads to unconsciousness or permanent damage
### C. Practical Sympathy: The Binding Process
Step 1: Identify Correspondent
Choose your source (heat source, kinetic energy, emotional state)
Choose your target (object, person, location)
Assess correspondence: how similar/connected are they?
Step 2: Form the Link
Visualize the connection between source and target
Assert your will (alar) into the link
Feel the energy path forming
Step 3: Route Energy
Channel energy from source into link
Direct flow toward target
Maintain constant pressure with alar
Step 4: Sustain or Release
Active binding: maintain until manually broken
Passive binding: energy flows once then dissipates
### D. Energy Cost
Every sympathetic working has a cost:
Body Heat (Primary Cost):
- Sympathist's body provides energy (unless drawing from external source)
- Excessive use causes hypothermia, unconsciousness, death
- Visible sign: sympathist shivering, breath visible, skin paling
Energy Debt:
- Using more energy than available creates debt
- Body begins consuming itself (muscle, fat, organ tissue)
- Extended overuse leads to permanent physical damage
Alar Strain:
- Maintaining complex bindings exhausts mental focus
- Headaches, dizziness, confusion, temporary insanity
- Permanent damage to alar from extreme overreach (rare but possible)
### E. Slippage & Failure
Slippage Occurs When:
Link is imperfect (source/target not correspondent enough)
Alar focus wavers (interrupted concentration)
Energy path is corrupted (interference)
Results of Slippage:
Energy hits unintended target
Energy reflects back at caster
Binding partially fails; energy dissipates dangerously
Combat Example:
A sympathist tries to burn an opponent via fire link. Opponent's alar is stronger; binding breaks. Fire energy reflects toward sympathist, burning their own arm.
### F. Types of Sympathetic Workings
Single-Link (Basic):
One source → one target
Examples: coin-to-coin, heat transfer, simple kinetic push
E’lir level
Multi-Link (Advanced):
One source → multiple targets OR multiple sources → one target
Examples: Fishery mechanism (one binding moving multiple wheels)
El’the level; dangerous if source depletes
Resonant Binding (Rare):
Link reinforces itself through feedback
Example: Tuning fork frequency (sound reinforces sound)
Creates self-sustaining effect; very difficult to break
Arcanist level
Alar Lock (Combat):
Two sympathists’ alars clash directly
Stronger alar wins; weaker is “shattered”
Result: unconsciousness, temporary insanity, or death
Master level
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## III. SYGALDRY (RUNE MAGIC)
Sygaldry is sympathy encoded into permanent form through inscribed symbols. A sygaldric working stores energy and intention in physical runes; the working activates when triggered (by breaking a seal, approaching a threshold, etc.).
### A. Foundational Concepts
What Are Runes?
Symbols that encode sympathetic working in physical form. A rune is a compressed binding written in a language reality understands.
Key Advantage:
- Works without active caster (passive magic)
- Energy pre-stored; doesn't drain active sympathist
- Permanent or long-lasting; survives years/decades
- Can be triggered automatically (trap, alarm, lock)
Key Disadvantage:
- Must be perfectly inscribed (errors create dangerous malfunction)
- Energy stored at inscription must be paid upfront
- Breaking a sygaldric working often causes violent energy release
### B. Gram (Single Rune)
A gram is a single rune encoding simple, self-contained magic.
Common Grams:
Gram of Brightness: produces steady light (never dims)
Gram of Warmth: produces heat indefinitely
Gram of Alarm: activates sound when threshold crossed
Gram of Locking: prevents door opening without specific password
Gram of Binding: holds object in place
Inscription Process:
1. Understand the working completely (what it should do)
2. Draw rune precisely (shape, proportion, alignment matter)
3. Channel energy into rune (sympathetic link to power source)
4. Seal rune (prevent accidental activation or energy leak)
Power Source:
Internal: Sympathist’s own energy (painful; limits duration)
External: Heat source, kinetic energy, natural phenomenon
Stored: Pre-charged by another sympathist; activated later
### C. Grammarie (Rune Sequence)
A grammarie is a sequence of connected runes creating complex effects.
Structure:
Primary rune: Main effect
Secondary runes: Modifiers, triggers, conditions
Connecting lines: Energy flow pathways
Seal: Prevents tampering or unintended activation
Complex Example:
FISHERY MECHANISM GRAMMARIE
├── Primary: Kinetic relay (moves massive wheels)
├── Secondary: Force multiplier (strength amplification)
├── Trigger: Initiation rune (begins on command)
├── Safety: Energy limiter (prevents overload)
└── Seal: Master override (allows shutdown)
Difficulty Scaling:
Simple grammarie (2-3 runes): E’lir inscriber
Moderate (4-7 runes): Re’lar inscriber
Complex (8-15 runes): El’the inscriber
Masterwork (20+ runes): Arcanist/Master artificer
### D. Materials & Durability
Inscription Surfaces:
Paper/vellum: Fragile; works for temporary grams
Wood: Common; moderate durability
Metal (brass, bronze): Excellent; durable decades
Iron: Superior; resists corruption/tampering
Silver: Rare; holds power longer, more effective
Failure Modes:
Fading: Energy depletes over time (years/decades)
Corruption: Weather, wear, magical interference damages runes
Overload: Excessive energy demand causes rune to shatter/explode
Tampering: Intentional damage or wrongly-decoded rune sequence
### E. Anti-Sygaldry
Countering Rune Magic:
- Iron filings scatter sygaldric energy
- Disrupting a single rune breaks entire grammarie
- Sympathist can "overwrite" passive working with active binding
- Sygaldric works are vulnerable before sealing
## IV. NAMING (FORBIDDEN & POWERFUL)
Naming is the highest and most dangerous magic. It is understanding something so completely that you can command it absolutely.
### A. What Is a True Name?
A true name is the essence of a thing expressed as a syllable or word. Knowing a true name means:
- Perfect understanding of the thing's nature
- Ability to command it absolutely
- Power over its fundamental properties
Examples:
The Name of Wind: Allows command over air, motion, breath
The Name of Fire: Allows command over flame, heat, combustion
The Name of a Person: Allows absolute control over that person
Key Limitation:
You cannot know a name unless you truly understand the thing. Partial understanding = partial name = dangerous backfire.
### B. The Danger of Naming
Incomplete Naming Costs:
Partial Fire Name: Burns out your mouth, lungs, throat
Partial Wind Name: Creates uncontrolled storm (kills caster)
Partial Person Name: Binds you to them permanently (slave/master)
Partial Object Name: Object becomes unpredictably sentient