Curse
A curse is a persistent, harmful magical effect, usually produced by a ritual.
A target may be under any number of different curses at once.
Delivering a Curse
Curses might be delivered in a number of ways, but the most common is through a pronouncement of doom.
Pronouncement of Doom
This method is used primarily with ritual curses such as Gnawing, Endless Hunger. One of the ritualists who contributed to the ritual is chosen to deliver its effect. That character has fifteen minutes to do so.
To unleash the power of this ritual:
- The character delivering the curse must be close enough to touch the target and tell them that they are cursed.
- There must be no doubt as to the target, who must be able to hear the pronouncement of doom clearly.
- A referee must be present.
In the event that the character delivering the curse has not done so within fifteen minutes of the completion of the ritual, they are instead targeted by the power of the curse themselves. A referee may indicate when the deadline is getting close. This backlash is one reason that curses are not lightly invoked; some ritualists would rather curse an innocent person rather than suffer their own curse, even though they are at serious risk of being branded sorcerers if they do..
Curse Duration and Removing Curses
The majority of curses last for a year or until they are removed.
Removing a curse is a significant indicating; rituals to remove a curse effect will almost always be many magnitudes higher than the magnitude of the ritual that created the curse. In most cases, a specific ritual or a minimum magnitude will be named. Each curse is unique, and the method of removing it also tends to be unique - there is no generic remove curse ritual in Empire,
Many curses can also be removed by the intervention of a powerful creature or item. As with ritual remedies, specific creatures or items have the ability to remove specific curses. For example, the ability of the Eternal Yaw'nagrah to restore fertility may allow her to remove a curse of infertility, but is likely to be of little use against a Curse of Decrepitude. Powerful creatures almost invariably require quests or favours in return for removing a curse, and gaining their assistance or access to a powerful item are likely to involve difficult quests.
It is also possible to make a curse permanent through the use of ilium; further details can be found here.
Identifying Curses
The detect magic incantation will detect the magnitude and realm of an effect and indicate if it is a curse. Rituals such as Bright Lantern of Ophis or Wisdom of the Balanced Blade can gain more details. Information about well-known or legendary curses may also be possessed by bards and scholars.
Curses and the Law
The use of a curse to steal from or kill someone is clearly a crime, and it's use will be punished by the Imperial Magistrates.
A curse that does not directly rob or murder someone, however ,falls under the purview of the Imperial Conclave. It is up to the Conclave to decide if a magician has overstepped the bounds and used magic in a way that threatens the Empire. If they decide this is the case, then those involved will often be declared sorcerers.