Long ago, when Magickal energies first spilled into the Thracian world, it was understood by the Magick users at the time that thought and intention changed the essence of Magick, and this is how sells were cast. To help focus and bind these energies Magickal scripts were created. These had specific sounds and intentions attached to them, and through the ages scripts have come and gone in an effort to have ‘better’ foci. Magickal scripts have the unique ability of being able to stabilise Fae in their immediate area - thus, weapons and armour with runes covering them are not unknown…
Read Magick
Read Magick in Thracia allows for a variety of possibilities, and the possibilities depend upon which form of Read Magick the player buys, and these can have complex effects. What you can achieve with Read Magick will depend on the script you choose and to which use you actually put it. Though it's better to utilise Read Magick through other skills you do not need Literacy or Cryptography to be able to actually use is. Read Magick does not require Literacy to understand - or in order to read or write it, as this is already assumed to be understood by using Read Magick. However, Read Magick is not Literacy - a Human with Read Charter cannot Read Common or any other language they know. Only one type of Read Magick is bought at any time. Further types of Read Magick might well exist in the system.
A character with Read Magick but not Crafting cannot add runes to weapons or other Crafted items - it requires the Crafting skill. On the other hand, you can Inscribe the Arcana with temporary sigils of paint, ink or even chalk.
If you do not have a Read Magick leaflet for the Read Magick you own, you must go to Control to get a Read Magick sheet.
THE CHARTER - Light Only
When Humans first started to develop their potential for Magick, it was in a weak and paltry form, manipulating the Fae flow through faith alone. During the 'Barter of Alchemists' only 200 years before the Guild War (itself 2,000 years ago) Humans began to develop Alchemy. This knowledge was later combined with the knowledge of the Dwarrow and even taught to Trolls. During the Guild War the Charter Sigils were partially developed as a means of 'safe' Alchemy. As the development continued long after the Guild War, Charter become the standard to be taught at the College of Magickal Studies - allowing even 'Mundanes' to perform simple feats of Magicks.
Charter Marks can be used for: Write Magick, Literacy and Meditation.
CREATION GLYPHS - Dark Only
Commonly found scrawled amongst the rocks of the Grieflands, the Glyphs are often used by Ogres. They are typically writtne in blood, hence the description of 'Blood Magick'. However, this is a misnomer - Glyphs can be marked with simple chalk or paint. The Ogres use this script in a similar way to the Church of Six using Ancient Illyrian - the Glyphs are sacred to the Ogres, for they believe these scripts were made in the very forging of the world by the Star Gods. Thus, the Glyphs hold within them the veyr power of Creation itself.
Charter Marks can be used for: Sing Magick, Insription and Meditation.
GEOMANTIC
A complex series of marks that resemble something like a pattern, Geomantic is the ritualistic script associated with the forms of the earth. It is thought that lines of Geomantic can 'shore' Fae in a similar way to Ley-lines and it is certainly a capable conductor of Fae. The history of Geomantic is shrouded on musings but the script seems common to the Dwarrow - and some whisper from before even them. It is commonly found wrought on ancient statues, and is also commonly used by Alchemists. Today it is used by Alchemists to focus the Fae, stabilising before they use their Alchemy.
Geomantic Figures can be used for: Inscription, Ritual and Divination
KHANDISH - Light Only
The language from the eastern island-continent of Dacia, Khandish is a flowing script that was once used for the tombs of the dead kings as messages to the afterlife. Believed by the Khandish to be the only writing system the dead can read and understand Khandish is used by the Dacians and the priests of S’Kor for their priestly incantations. It is a song-script and Khandish is sung, not read aloud. Indeed the resonances of Khandish are said to be able to break the Magicks of other scripts and to destabilise the Fae, allowing the singer to control spiritual presences....
Khandish Chants can be used for: Sing Magick, Ritual and Meditation
RUNES OF MAESIA
The language the Maesian brought from the far north, Tarth, sometimes called ‘Norsh’, is only known to them today by means of the Runes. There are 24 runes, as each has its ideological and symbolic meaning. This means that the runes can technically be translated in an endless stream - each rune with its own infinite number of meanings. Used as both an Alphabet and as a complex meaning tool, the runes can also be combined to add new depth. It is thought by the Northmen that all things have 'souls' and that the application of the Runes can 'awaken' the soul within a thing, making it tougher, stronger and the like. A character using Runes can read and Write with them.
Runes can be used for: Inscription, Literacy and Divination
SCRAWL - Dark Only
Used by Goblins, Deep Scrawl is a series of markings indentifying the different forces in the world. Despite being a Write Magick, Scrawl has the same kind of influence on the Fae as Khandish. The script is not exactly sacred, but the beliefs about it is, for Goblins believe that the Scrawl is the very essence of the Fae given written form. They believe that each marking of the Scrawl is actually alive, and for this reason only a few Goblins are taught to read and write - and words are never erased in Goblin society - for you never know which spirit you might anger...
Khandish Chants can be used for: Write Magick, Ritual and Meditation
A DESCRIPTION OF THE SKILL USE
You may have noticed that each of the Read Magick Arcana above can be used in three distinct ways. These are the ways the Read Magick is most active. This also means that one can use Read Magick to gain Magick effects without being a spell-caster of any type. Here's how they are used:
Inscription: Allows the user to make either temporary marks of Arcana onto an item with chalk or paint or to combine the Arcana with Crafting to make them more permanent. In the case of permanent Arcana these must be marked into the object you are using as a physical representation - they cannot be simply painted on.
Write/Sing Magick: Allows the use to cast Magickal effects simply by using the Arcana in the designated way. This follows a similar set of rules to Alchemy and allows the character to perform feats and tricks of Magick without resulting to card rips.
Literacy: The character can effectively use this Arcana to read and write. Understanding this Arcana is essential to both read and write it, but it does mean that the character effectively has Literacy with this skill even if they don't actually have the Literacy skill.
Divination: The character can effectively use this skill to cast a Lesser Divination or Greater Divination (see the Heavens Art) for 1 minutes study or 2 minutes study respectively of a random throw of the Arcana.
Ritual: The Arcana can be used to boost the power of rituals by using it to focus the power of the ritual - Geomantic will need to be Inscribed and Khandish sung. It effectively adds power into the ritual circle.
Meditation: The Arcana can be used as a focus for meditation, and though it does not reduce the time for meditation it does mean that the character gains the meditation skill so long as they use the Arcana as a focus. This will require the Arcana to be used correctly - though it also means the Arcana cannot be used in other ways without a meditation as a focus beforehand. The meditation type depends on the Arcana - Khandish Meditation provides something similar to the Seer skill and Charter provides something more like a spell-like ability.
