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Ritual theory
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Imperial magicians who have studied the [[Magical_skills#Ritual_Magic|lore]] of the [[realms]] can use [[Game_items#Mana_Crystals|mana crystals]] to manipulate a realm to create magic effects. The most effective way to do this is to master one or more of the formulaic rituals that are part of [[Formulaic_ritual#Imperial_Lore_and_the_Ritual_List|Imperial lore]], but the outcome of these rituals is fixed. If a magician wishes to achieve an entirely new effect, something not contained in Imperial lore, then they will need to prepare an [[Spontaneous_magic#Arcane_Projection|arcane projection]] to create the spontaneous ritual effect.
Imperial magicians who have studied the [[Magical_skills#Ritual_Magic|lore]] of the [[realms]] can use [[Game_items#Mana_Crystals|mana crystals]] to manipulate a realm to create magic effects. The most effective way to do this is to master one or more of the formulaic rituals that are part of [[Formulaic_ritual#Imperial_Lore_and_the_Ritual_List|Imperial lore]], but the outcome of these rituals is fixed. If a magician wishes to achieve an entirely new effect, something not contained in Imperial lore, then they will need to prepare an [[Spontaneous_magic#Arcane_Projection|arcane projection]] to create the spontaneous ritual effect.


A good understanding of the theory of ritual magic is essential for creating effective spontaneous magic. There are the known laws of magic that govern the rules by which it operates, as well as its limits and the role of eternals in magic. This page summarises common Imperial knowledge about the power of the realms.
A good understanding of the theory of ritual magic is essential for creating effective spontaneous magic. There are the known [[laws of magic]] that govern the rules by which it operates, as well as restrictions that put [[limits of magic|hard limits on what magic can achieve]]. Eternals can have a big impact on rituals, and there are some rituals that can only be created or cast with the help or agreement of a specific eternal. Having a good working knowledge of the laws and limits of magic is crucial when creating or discussing magic in Empire.


==Resonance and Dissonance==
==Resonance and Dissonance==
* '''Every realm of magic is different - each has its own merits and flaws representing what it can do well and what it cannot do at all'''
* '''A realm is especially good at the things it is resonant with'''
* '''A realm cannot achieve game effects that it is dissonant with'''
Ritual magic is not limitless in scope and there are a number of fundamental [[#laws|laws]] that are common to all the realms, and certain [[#limits|limits]] that it cannot easily overcome. In addition to this, each of the six realms ([[Spring magic|Spring]], [[Summer magic|Summer]], [[Autumn magic|Autumn]], [[Winter magic|Winter]], [[Day magic|Day]] and [[Night magic|Night]]) have strengths and weaknesses, referred to as ''resonance'' and ''dissonance''. Where a realm is resonant with a theme, rituals that produce that outcome are easier to cast using that realm than any other. For example, the Spring Realm is resonant with healing magic, so rituals that heal the wounded are easier to perform using the Spring realm than any other realm.
Ritual magic is not limitless in scope and there are a number of fundamental [[#laws|laws]] that are common to all the realms, and certain [[#limits|limits]] that it cannot easily overcome. In addition to this, each of the six realms ([[Spring magic|Spring]], [[Summer magic|Summer]], [[Autumn magic|Autumn]], [[Winter magic|Winter]], [[Day magic|Day]] and [[Night magic|Night]]) have strengths and weaknesses, referred to as ''resonance'' and ''dissonance''. Where a realm is resonant with a theme, rituals that produce that outcome are easier to cast using that realm than any other. For example, the Spring Realm is resonant with healing magic, so rituals that heal the wounded are easier to perform using the Spring realm than any other realm.


Where a realm is dissonant with a theme, then it is much harder to create a ritual effect that produces that outcome, if it is even possible. For example, the Autumn realm is dissonant with healing magic, it can repair broken items and damaged buildings, but it has almost no ability at all to heal the wounded.
Where a realm is dissonant with a theme, then it is much harder to create a ritual effect that produces that outcome, if it is even possible. For example, the Autumn realm is dissonant with healing magic, it can repair broken items and damaged buildings, but it has almost no ability at all to heal the wounded.


==Laws==
It is common for magicians to try to bypass the dissonances of a realm - usually because they want to use the one realm they have mastered. This is almost invariably a mistake - each realm is unique and there are many things that each realm cannot achieve. It is better to find a magician who has mastered the appropriate realm for a ritual, than to attempt to create an arcane projection with a dissonant realm.
===The Law of Intent===
Sometimes called the first law of magic, the Law of Intent stipulates that a formulaic ritual can achieve only what the ritual was designed to do. Many magicians claim it is called formulaic magic for this very reason. The ability of [[Rivers of Gold]] to enhance the production of a business by 180 rings is the fundamental intent of the ritual. It is not possible to perform the ritual on a mine or a farm, nor to cast it with more mana crystals to get more money. The ritual can only be performed exactly as it was originally intended when it was formulated.


At first glance, spontaneous magic appears to offer a more flexible alternative, but the truth is that it is no more flexible than formulaic magic and often less so. Some variations can be part of a formulaic ritual, if the ritual is designed and constructed that way. When a magician creates a ritual projection to create a spontaneous effect, they must specify the intent of the ritual as exactly as possible. This can be much more demanding than an equivalent formulaic ritual - for example an arcane projection to divine the properties of a magical item would be useful only for that magical item.
Resonance and dissonance is not simply about the form that the ritual takes - it is ''the outcome that is crucial''. A sly magician might attempt to create a Night ritual that employs obfuscation to cause two armies to clash with each other in the hope that this will wreak widespread destruction. This attempt will usually fail, because while obfuscation is a resonance of Night magic - the outcome is very different. It is the ''result'' that matters most, and since this ritual would cause destruction and Night magic is dissonant with that theme, then the ritual will fail.


===The Law of Presence===
==Laws==
The magic of the realms is most effective on things that are present, and creating effects at range is much more difficult. Common spells such as [[weakness]], or [[heal]] require the caster to be close enough to touch the target or else use an implement to deliver the spell. Ritual magic can overcome this limitation but only by drawing on other laws of magic to supplant the Law of Presence.
* '''The laws of magic are axioms that help a magician to understand magic and how it works'''
 
Magic is governed by a number of principles that help to determine what will happen, most commonly referred to as the [[laws of magic]]. These important axioms are a consequence of the way magic works in the world of Empire - they reflect the underlying nature of the world itself. Like the limits of magic, a rough  knowledge of the various [[laws of magic|laws]] is useful to any character who wishes to emphasize their knowledge and grasp of magic.  
===The Law of Dominion===
The Law of Dominion is an important way to overcome the limitations of the Law of Presence when performing ritual magic. Authority over somebody or something creates a magical link that flows from the being with power to the subject of their authority. A general with command of an army, or any Imperial citizen who owns their own personal [[resource]] are both effective examples of the Law of Dominion.
 
A common use for this law allows rituals that are designed to enhance the production of a resource can be cast at Anvil provided the owner of the resource is present. Likewise a general can be used as to provide an arcane connection to the army they command, regardless of the distance. The [[Regio#The_Imperial_Regio|Imperial regio]] is the most powerful expression of this law, providing as it does an arcane connection to every territory in the world that falls under the dominion of the Empire.
 
===The Law of Bonds===
The [[create bond]] spell commonly creates a magical link between an individual and their items. Such links are essential in most cases if the owner is to make use of the item, but they also come with a known risk. Magicians have created formulaic rituals that use the Law of Bonds, the link between the item and its bonded owner to affect the target (usually with a curse) even when they are not present.
 
Similar bonds are created between an individual and a [[bands|band]] to which they belong. These bonds can also be used in formulaic rituals that try to employ the Law of Synergy to affect more than one target. Where a ritual has the right intent, it is possible to use the Law of Bonds to affect multiple band members present with a single casting.
 
===The Law of Scale===
Magical rituals operate on a natural scale, a size at which they are most effective. Although it is possible to reduce the magnitude of these rituals by making them less potent, doing so provides rapidly diminishing returns. Often there is a minimum threshold beneath which the magic simply stops working altogether.
 
For example, the 150 magnitude ritual [[Quickening Cold Meat]] calls a thousand spirits from the Winter realm to inhabit nearby corpses. An identical formulaic ritual to call forth only five hundred spirits might only be magnitude 140.
 
The natural scale for a ritual is usually set by the nature of the intended target. Rituals that target individuals or groups are much lower magnitude than rituals that target an army. The Law of Scale makes it increasingly difficult to create a ritual that affects an Imperial army that is lower than magnitude 70.
 
Magicians are usually more interested in creating more powerful versions of existing rituals, making them more potent or longer lasting. While this is always possible, similar penalties apply when attempting to exceed the natural scale of a ritual. A ritual that grants someone two ranks of endurance is always more than twice the magnitude of a ritual that grants a single rank.
 
===The Law of Transience===
The natural duration of most enchantments is a season. It is possible to create enchantments that last for longer than this time, but the difficulty and magnitude of the ritual rises exponentially as the duration increases. One of the few exceptions to this are the rituals developed by Marcher [[landskeeper|landskeepers]] to improve the productivity of farms. A year is the natural cycle of any farm, which is what allows the rituals to span this duration without becoming infeasible.
 
Enchantments with shorter duration are eminently possible, and are usually easier to create than an equivalent ritual that would
last a season. However the difference is much less than might otherwise be expected, an enchantment that lasts only a day can be easily two thirds the cost of one that lasts three months. There are two common exceptions to this rule - both curses and effects that conceal (primarily found in the Night realm) regularly have a year duration. While it is possible to create enchantments that last for a year, they are significantly more expensive than those which last for only a season.
 
Only the inclusion of [[ilium]] in a ritual allows it to exceed this natural limitation of magic.
 
===The Law of Synergy===
The best way to make formulaic rituals more effective is to perform them on multiple targets at the same time. Rituals designed to take advantage of the Law of Synergy allow the ritualists to perform a single ritual that will affect more than one target for less than the cost to perform each individual ritual. The limits of the power that can be achieved using the Law of Synergy are thus set by the skill of the magicians attempting the ritual, rather than the inherent magnitude of the ritual.
 
The Law of Synergy often needs to be combined with the Law of Bonds to work effectively. Many formulaic rituals are designed so that they can be cast on members of the same banner, sect, or coven.
 
It is not possible to use the Law of Synergy with spontaneous magic. It is possible to create a spontaneous effect that covers a fixed number of targets, but you can cannot make an arcane projection for an effect whose magnitude changes the more targets you add in. Only a formulaic ritual is sufficiently complete to allow the flexibility to affect a variable number of targets and take advantage of the Law of Synergy in this way.


===The Law of Boundaries===
The laws of magic are distinct from the [[limits of magic]] - the latter are hard and fast rules that can never be broken. The laws of magic are principles that are a useful guide to understand why some things work the way they do, and how things might work. Not every ritual appears to perfectly obey all the laws of magic, unlike the limits of magic, it is possible to emphasise to use raw power to get round the laws of magic to a very limited extent. In practice most rituals are designed to incorporate the laws of magic where they are appropriate.
Non-magicians are sometimes surprised that the boundaries drawn on maps can have an effect on magic. In practice is it more the case that the things that affect where territory and region boundaries are drawn, the course of a river, the eaves of a forest, or a range of mountains also affect magic.


Powerful formulaic rituals that target a wide area are often limited in their extent to a single region or territory. The power of the magic is constrained by these natural boundaries limiting its extent. The Law of Boundaries can also be important when combined with the Law of Synergy. The resources owned by Imperial citizens have an intrinsic connection with the territory they are situated in and it is often possible to use this link to create formulaic rituals that target one or more resources in a territory.
==Limits==
* '''The limits of magic are fundamental rules of the Empire game that cannot be broken'''
* '''Any arcane projection that attempts to break a limit of magic will fail'''
There are fundamental limits on what magic can achieve that are well known and understood. These are commonly referred to as the [[limits of magic]]. Magicians across the Empire have spent centuries searching for ways to surpass these limits and never found a reliable way to overcome them. Having a good working knowledge of these limitations is a good way to demonstrate your character's skill with ritual magic.


===The Law of Essence===
In the game, the [[limits of magic]] are absolute rules for the game. While anyone can play a character that is striving to overcome one or more of these limitations, that is not a character goal that will ever be fulfilled. These limits are reflections of the game rules, so any arcane projection that is submitted that tries to break one of these rules will fail. For that reason, it is always better to check any arcane projection against these limits before you submit it.
Everything that exists in the realms or in the mortal world has an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essence essence], a set of essential qualities that make it what it is. Magic can relatively easily change the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accident_(philosophy) accidental properties] of a thing, but the more fundamental the qualities of something are, the harder they are to change. For example, Spring magic can be used to heal an individual preternaturally quickly, provided that their wounds have been tended and they would have recovered anyway. It cannot heal a traumatic wound, because it is not in the nature of such wounds to naturally recover in time.
 
The Law of Essence is particularly important for some Night magic rituals that create a glamour to change the accidental properties of something but not the essence, but it is also important in other realms. Powerful magicians can influence chance, make things stronger or weaker, but they cannot make something do something completely outside its nature. They cannot make water burn, or stone float in the air, they cannot make a person fly or create a rain of fire. The Law of Essence is relevant in spellcasting as well - the [[operate portal]] cantrip targets a structure whose essential nature is that of a portal or gate. It won't affect any structure or object that doesn't have these essential qualities.


==Divinations==
==Divinations==
Normal divination rituals use the power of the realms to glean useful information. The Day realm with its emphasis on predictability, facts, and figures, provides measurements and known quantities. Divinations in other realms are usually similar, providing specific information of interest to that realm, such as the Autumn ritual [[Ties that Bind]] which lets a magician discover details about a bonded item they have an intimate connection with.
* '''Divination is a specialised branch of magic with its own rules'''
 
Divinations of the Night realm are unusual because the disordered chaotic nature of this realm means that divinations that draw upon it tend to provide unpredictable answers. Responses are often in the form of riddles and symbolic visions, as in the [[Signs and Portents]] ritual. These rituals tend to provide secrets and mysteries, or at least omens of them, as they have been detected by the Night realm. The realm itself makes no attempt to understand or prioritise these secrets, it only perpetuates them.
 
In neither case is it possible to create a ritual that asks a question of the realm itself. The realms are not sentient and they cannot analyse information to provide conclusions, opinions, or judgements. The only way to create such a ritual is by involving an eternal of that realm. There are only a small number of such rituals currently in Imperial lore, the most notable being [[Swim Leviathan's Depth]] which asks Leviathan to answer a specific question. Leviathan will answer the question, but can only do so based on the knowledge it has. Involving a sentient agent in this way makes it possible to achieve something that would not normally be possible, but at the risk of Leviathan not knowing the answer or even simply being wrong.
 
Arcane projections for spontaneous divination effects must specify very precisely the information that is wanted and the subject of the divination. Such projections cannot be used to glean other information or even be cast on a different subject. Only formulaic magic possesses this degree of flexibility. For example, it is easy to make an arcane projection that determines information about the history of a specific item; it is not possible to create an arcane projection that lets the ritualist perform that spontaneous effect on any item.


Divinations that deal with esoteric information are likely to only ever exist as spontaneous magic that targets a specific named item - one where we can be confident the desired information exists. Likewise it is only ever possible to use divination magic to gain information the referees have reliable access to.
[[Divination]] is a specialised branch of ritual magic that provides information to the caster or casters. It can be incredibly useful, but it has strict limits on what it can achieve that are unique to this kind of magic. Most divinations (though not all) are of the Day realm and provide facts and figures, precise measurements and known quantities.


===Lost Items===
The Night realm is different, because the disordered chaotic nature of this realm means that divinations that draw upon it tend to provide unpredictable answers. Responses are often in the form of riddles and symbolic visions, and they might reveal portentous omens or subtle clues that can be used to infer something.
Items that are lost or missing cannot be found using magic. There are eternals that may know where an item is, most notably [[Kimus]], but it is not possible to use an arcane projection or ritual to find a specific item that is missing. In general, if a plot requires you to find a lost item, then magic categorically won't solve that problem for you - to find a lost item you need to speak to whatever character or being knows where the item is and persuade them to give you guidance.


===Current Events===
In all cases, [[divination]] is a special branch of magic with its own rules that are well worth reading if your character is attempting to create a new ritual that might divine information about something.
Divinations are only effective when looking at events and objects that are recent. This need not be current - you can divine things that happened in the last few days, the last few seasons, potentially even the last few years if their effects are still resonating. But you can't use ritual divination to obtain information about the past without a specific focus to the events of the past.


A spell like [[Hand of the Maker]] works because it is cast on the item in question. That item is the link to its own past, and so it is possible to use the item which currently exists and is in your hand to find out about how it was made. Or you can use [[Skein of Years]] to find the dramatic and important events from the item's history. Without the item in question, neither ritual would be remotely possible.
==Eternals==
* '''It is only possible to create rituals that involve eternals with their prior agreement'''
* '''Some rituals can only be created or cast with the aid of an eternal'''


Rituals like [[Swim Leviathan's Depth]] work because they allow you to ask an eternal creature what it knows of the past. The ritual does not divine that information for you - it puts you in contact with an eternal that might know the answer.
The [[Eternal|eternals]] are the most powerful inhabitants of the six realms. Each eternal has unique abilities and powers due to their command of the magic of their realm. Because of this, eternals can help mortal magicians to create and cast rituals that use or draw on some of the most powerful aspects of a realm. Many ritual effects can only be created with the power of an eternal - something that must be agreed with the eternal in question before it can be cast.


This limitation of divinations exist to preserve the mystery and intrigue of the setting. The wiki in particular includes hundreds of descriptions of notable places that are associated with legends or mysteries. There is no current plot for most of these locations - they exist to inspire us to write plot with them in the future. The moment we do so, you will be able to use divination magic to investigate that mystery. That will work because the very fact that we are doing plot with it means that there will be contemporary events which can be the subject of divination. But if there is no plot to find out more information about - if there are not current events to divine - then there is no more information to give out than is already on the wiki, and the divination will fail.
Imperial magicians have studied [[eternals and rituals]] looking to codify the many ways in which these beings can help with rituals. Understanding the benefits and restrictions of using eternals in rituals can be crucial - especially when trying to create a new [[arcane projection]].


===Maps===
==War Magic==
Maps are a powerful hearth magic, symbolic representations of a location that allow a magician to perform magic that will divine information about the place in question. All scrying rituals that operate at the territory level require a suitable map before they can be performed. Any attempts to create a ritual that scries an area without using a map will fail.
* '''Each realm can only be used to create one kind of army enchantment unless you have the assistance of an eternal'''
* '''Each realm can be used to enchant fleets and military units, but only for certain types of voyage or venture'''


It is not possible to do the opposite - to use divination to create a map of an unknown territory. If such a thing were possible it would instantly circumvent the restrictions on scrying in general - magicians would simply need to create the map first, then use it for the following divination. This isn't possible - you can never create a map with magic.
[[War magic]], like divinations, is a particular application of magic, often on a huge scale, that has limitations of its own. The resonances and dissonances of a realm affect the kinds of enchantment it is possible to create on armies, military units and fleets. In most cases, a realm can only be used to create a single kind of army enchantment, unless the magician is able to procure the help of an eternal in the creation of the ritual. Autumn is something of an exception to this rule, as the realm's emphasis on logistics makes it more flexible than other realms, but even it has major limitations on what it can achieve.


Similar rules apply to enchantments that benefit military units and fleets. There are different kinds of voyages and ventures and each realm excels at one or two types of action that a military unit or fleet can take. Most realms can be used for other types of action, they're just less effective at it, but each realm has one or more types of action that it cannot be used for at all.


{{Magic Links}}
{{Magic Links}}

Latest revision as of 18:31, 14 July 2025

Overview

Imperial magicians who have studied the lore of the realms can use mana crystals to manipulate a realm to create magic effects. The most effective way to do this is to master one or more of the formulaic rituals that are part of Imperial lore, but the outcome of these rituals is fixed. If a magician wishes to achieve an entirely new effect, something not contained in Imperial lore, then they will need to prepare an arcane projection to create the spontaneous ritual effect.

A good understanding of the theory of ritual magic is essential for creating effective spontaneous magic. There are the known laws of magic that govern the rules by which it operates, as well as restrictions that put hard limits on what magic can achieve. Eternals can have a big impact on rituals, and there are some rituals that can only be created or cast with the help or agreement of a specific eternal. Having a good working knowledge of the laws and limits of magic is crucial when creating or discussing magic in Empire.

Resonance and Dissonance

  • Every realm of magic is different - each has its own merits and flaws representing what it can do well and what it cannot do at all
  • A realm is especially good at the things it is resonant with
  • A realm cannot achieve game effects that it is dissonant with

Ritual magic is not limitless in scope and there are a number of fundamental laws that are common to all the realms, and certain limits that it cannot easily overcome. In addition to this, each of the six realms (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Day and Night) have strengths and weaknesses, referred to as resonance and dissonance. Where a realm is resonant with a theme, rituals that produce that outcome are easier to cast using that realm than any other. For example, the Spring Realm is resonant with healing magic, so rituals that heal the wounded are easier to perform using the Spring realm than any other realm.

Where a realm is dissonant with a theme, then it is much harder to create a ritual effect that produces that outcome, if it is even possible. For example, the Autumn realm is dissonant with healing magic, it can repair broken items and damaged buildings, but it has almost no ability at all to heal the wounded.

It is common for magicians to try to bypass the dissonances of a realm - usually because they want to use the one realm they have mastered. This is almost invariably a mistake - each realm is unique and there are many things that each realm cannot achieve. It is better to find a magician who has mastered the appropriate realm for a ritual, than to attempt to create an arcane projection with a dissonant realm.

Resonance and dissonance is not simply about the form that the ritual takes - it is the outcome that is crucial. A sly magician might attempt to create a Night ritual that employs obfuscation to cause two armies to clash with each other in the hope that this will wreak widespread destruction. This attempt will usually fail, because while obfuscation is a resonance of Night magic - the outcome is very different. It is the result that matters most, and since this ritual would cause destruction and Night magic is dissonant with that theme, then the ritual will fail.

Laws

  • The laws of magic are axioms that help a magician to understand magic and how it works

Magic is governed by a number of principles that help to determine what will happen, most commonly referred to as the laws of magic. These important axioms are a consequence of the way magic works in the world of Empire - they reflect the underlying nature of the world itself. Like the limits of magic, a rough knowledge of the various laws is useful to any character who wishes to emphasize their knowledge and grasp of magic.

The laws of magic are distinct from the limits of magic - the latter are hard and fast rules that can never be broken. The laws of magic are principles that are a useful guide to understand why some things work the way they do, and how things might work. Not every ritual appears to perfectly obey all the laws of magic, unlike the limits of magic, it is possible to emphasise to use raw power to get round the laws of magic to a very limited extent. In practice most rituals are designed to incorporate the laws of magic where they are appropriate.

Limits

  • The limits of magic are fundamental rules of the Empire game that cannot be broken
  • Any arcane projection that attempts to break a limit of magic will fail

There are fundamental limits on what magic can achieve that are well known and understood. These are commonly referred to as the limits of magic. Magicians across the Empire have spent centuries searching for ways to surpass these limits and never found a reliable way to overcome them. Having a good working knowledge of these limitations is a good way to demonstrate your character's skill with ritual magic.

In the game, the limits of magic are absolute rules for the game. While anyone can play a character that is striving to overcome one or more of these limitations, that is not a character goal that will ever be fulfilled. These limits are reflections of the game rules, so any arcane projection that is submitted that tries to break one of these rules will fail. For that reason, it is always better to check any arcane projection against these limits before you submit it.

Divinations

  • Divination is a specialised branch of magic with its own rules

Divination is a specialised branch of ritual magic that provides information to the caster or casters. It can be incredibly useful, but it has strict limits on what it can achieve that are unique to this kind of magic. Most divinations (though not all) are of the Day realm and provide facts and figures, precise measurements and known quantities.

The Night realm is different, because the disordered chaotic nature of this realm means that divinations that draw upon it tend to provide unpredictable answers. Responses are often in the form of riddles and symbolic visions, and they might reveal portentous omens or subtle clues that can be used to infer something.

In all cases, divination is a special branch of magic with its own rules that are well worth reading if your character is attempting to create a new ritual that might divine information about something.

Eternals

  • It is only possible to create rituals that involve eternals with their prior agreement
  • Some rituals can only be created or cast with the aid of an eternal

The eternals are the most powerful inhabitants of the six realms. Each eternal has unique abilities and powers due to their command of the magic of their realm. Because of this, eternals can help mortal magicians to create and cast rituals that use or draw on some of the most powerful aspects of a realm. Many ritual effects can only be created with the power of an eternal - something that must be agreed with the eternal in question before it can be cast.

Imperial magicians have studied eternals and rituals looking to codify the many ways in which these beings can help with rituals. Understanding the benefits and restrictions of using eternals in rituals can be crucial - especially when trying to create a new arcane projection.

War Magic

  • Each realm can only be used to create one kind of army enchantment unless you have the assistance of an eternal
  • Each realm can be used to enchant fleets and military units, but only for certain types of voyage or venture

War magic, like divinations, is a particular application of magic, often on a huge scale, that has limitations of its own. The resonances and dissonances of a realm affect the kinds of enchantment it is possible to create on armies, military units and fleets. In most cases, a realm can only be used to create a single kind of army enchantment, unless the magician is able to procure the help of an eternal in the creation of the ritual. Autumn is something of an exception to this rule, as the realm's emphasis on logistics makes it more flexible than other realms, but even it has major limitations on what it can achieve.

Similar rules apply to enchantments that benefit military units and fleets. There are different kinds of voyages and ventures and each realm excels at one or two types of action that a military unit or fleet can take. Most realms can be used for other types of action, they're just less effective at it, but each realm has one or more types of action that it cannot be used for at all.

Further Reading

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