Reimancy

From Mizahar Lore

Out of character note: This skill can not be taken at creation without Help Desk Ticket Permission. It must be learned in game unless special permission is granted. Preference will be given to veteran players and great storylines.

Reimancy

Personal magic
Full name	Reimancy
Availability	Throughout Mizahar
Learned from	Users, books
Key concept	Producing and manipulating a fluid called Res than can transform into elemental substances
Uses	Manipulating reality, combat
Risks	Loss of control, bodily alterations and aberrations

Reimancy is a discipline of personal magic. It allows the user to expel their Djed out of the body as a peculiar fluid called Res, 'the thing'. Appearing in various forms from a thin gas to a thick gel, Res can be turned into a different elemental substance (fire, water, air, earth) at the user's whim, or attract this substance from the environment. While beginners can only grasp one element, the greatest wizards can master all four. Reimancers can accomplish a range of effects, from vomiting a short burst of flames to crafting spears of rock, but every time they use this power they are basically throwing out a part of themselves.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Res 3 Initiation 4 Risks 5 Overgiving 6 Sample casting 6.1 Firebolt 6.2 Lightning storm 6.3 Water vortex 6.4 Spike forest 7 Progression 8 Reimancy-related Threads

Overview

Reimancy is about concentrating the user's Djed into a physical form, which is then emitted through the body, for example from the palms of one's hands or with one's breath. The resulting fluid, called Res, is an extension of the Reimancer's will and can quickly be transmuted into elemental substances, provided Res has not decayed. Res also has a second mode of operation, in which, instead of becoming another substance, it attracts that substance from the environment. This is more cost-effective and gives the Reimancer an important edge in the right environment - for example, a fire-based wizard in the middle of a blazing inferno.

Reimancers may transmute the four natural elements: fire, water, air, earth. Since Res can be turned into any combination of the substances that the user can utilize, it is possible to craft para-elements such as lava (fire+earth), ice (water+air) and lightning (fire+air).

Depending on the intended use, the wizard will manipulate the Res with their hands, willpower or other disciplines of magic before transmuting it, or simply transmute it as it is generated. The wizard will choose the best form of the Res - solid, liquid or gas, thin or thick - depending on the task to be performed.

The hazards of Reimancy are two-fold. On the one hand, once Res has been transmuted, the wizard is not immune to its effects. Many Reimancers have died from getting involved in backfires from their own spells. On the other hand, generating too much Res without rest leads to overgiving as with the rest of personal magic. Parting with one's Djed can unbalance the body to the point where it undertakes gruesome transformations, among other things.

Res

Res is a manifestation of the wizard's Djed, and its appearance and color depend on the individual mage. Generally, though, it tends to be translucent and ethereal-looking. It can be as thick as a gel or as thin as a gas. It is emitted from the wizard's body, generally but not necessarily from the hands.

The wizard can transform Res from one form to another with an effort of will, for example from solid to gas. He can also control its flow and motion to a varying degree that depends on skill and distance. If the Res is very close by, his control is near total: for example, he can make a ball of fluid Res hover above or in front of his hand, then ignite it. Control decreases sharply with distance, meaning that projectiles cannot always be pinpointed to their target, and mid-air turns are for very skilled mages only. If Res exits the wizard's area of control, he cannot turn it into another substance, either. On the other hand, when he transforms Res into a substance, he loses the ability to control it after a few seconds. Many wizards do not transform all the Res at once; instead, they transform the outer layers only, but maintain the inner ones as Res in order to be able to aim and manipulate the spell, only completing the transformation at the very last moment.

Res can also attract the elements, in addition to transforming into them. The wizard has to will this effect into existence, as it is a separate power that does not manifest by default. It allows the user to manipulate larger amounts of the elements than he would be able to conjure on his own, but the process is not entirely predictable and may render the environment unstable and very dangerous. The Res acts like a magnet for desired element: flames will fly towards it, sand and rocks will concentrate around the Res, and so on. From this moment on, the spell works very much like the previous case.

Res that has been transformed into an element can never revert back to its former state. Transformed elements (though not those attracted from the environment) are considered magical, even when they look just like normal water or fire. Advanced Reimancers can create custom versions of the elements by combining this discipline with other forms of magic, including Gnosis, possibly even using Glyphing to merge the disciplines. They might give birth to laughing flames that spread terror as they consume everything, or generate holy water that damages some creature types.

Wizards can only manipulate their own Res.

Initiation

Initiation into Reimancy can be somewhat traumatic. For a wizard to become capable of manipulating Res, they usually have to be invaded by it. The student will be given ritualized wounds, typically on the palms of the hands, and kneel before the teacher, who will begin generating Res as a gas. The substance is then driven into the student's body through most of its openings: the wounds as well as mouth and nose. The experience can be dangerous, and might prove deadly if the teacher transmutes Res while in this state. The subject will likely feel as if something alien had entered the body; convulsions and pain are common.

After several minutes of this, the teacher will retract his Res, and if initiation was performed correctly, the student will now be able to study Reimancy. Slowly, they will learn how to concentrate and emit the precious fluid for casting.

Risks

The elements are a deadly force that, once unleashed, may backfire on the wizard. Fire is infamous for spreading faster than its master had anticipated, burning him to death. Lightning is just as dangerous if handled carelessly, especially when one has just used water-based spells. Earth is much more unstable than it looks, and trying to build complex structures with Reimancy alone is ill-advised; standing near them, even more so.

Overgiving

Reimancers are quite prone to going into overgiving because this discipline is very taxing on one's Djed. It is all too easy to create too much Res in the heat of the moment, but the wizard needs to remember that Res is just a piece of themselves that they are throwing out. As usual, it is all about the power; the greater the power, the steeper the price. Simple spells do not pose much of a problem, but flashy castings (compared with the wizard's skill) will quickly drain the user, especially in quick succession. Feeling tired after heavy usage is normal and not a symptom of overgiving. True symptoms escalate with further spells and include the following.

• Mild overgiving
  • Unexplainable euphoria and desire to cast more
  • Hallucinations, including Sweet Whispers
  • Metallic taste in the mouth
  • Tremors, quickened pulse
  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Difficulty controlling spells
  • Antisocial behavior
• Medium overgiving
  • Bleeding, both internal and external - wounds open for no apparent reason
  • Altered mental states, delirium, dream-like experiences
  • Convulsions, epilepsy
  • Moderate to intense pain
  • High likelyhood of spells getting out of control
• Severe overgiving
  • Res disruption - spontanenous movement and random transmutation
  • Transmutations inside user's own body
  • Body mutations as elements accumulate inside
  • Heavy bleeding
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Possibly death

The worst thing about overgiving in Reimancy is that it makes the user careless and prone to making deadly mistakes, or hitting his own allies. Mutations tend to be obviously elemental in nature, ranging from earth appendages to having one's hair perpetually on fire.

Sample casting

Firebolt

• The Reimancer focuses on his inner Djed and concentrates it near the palm of his hand, expelling it as ethereal, glowing green Res.
• He creates a ball with his willpower, and has it hover above his hand.
• He ignites the outer layer of the ball, setting it on fire.
• He aims at the target and propels the bolt towards the enemy in a straight line or an arc, igniting the projectile's core before it exits his zone of control.
• He watches the bolt hit the target.

Lightning storm

(for Competent wizards)

• The Reimancer, who knows Fire and Air, emits Res from his whole body as a thin gas and concentrates it in a cloud near the ceiling. This may take a minute or just seconds depending on skill and scope of the spell.
• He drives the Res down as thin spikes that he turns into lightning bolts on their way to the targets.

Note that a skilled Reimancer could also directly engulf the whole room in the lightning cloud, but then he would likely be hit, as well. Once Res is transmuted, it behaves like the natural elements, and becomes incontrollable.

Water vortex

(for Expert wizards)

• The Reimancer casts liquid Res onto a relatively calm water surface in a rough circular pattern.
• He begins attracting water to his Res.
• At the same time, he begins swirling the Res, thus generating a strong circular current.

While not a huge maelstrom, this spell can swallow a small ship if timed and executed properly. The wizard must maintain absolute concentration all along.

Spike forest

(for Master wizards)

• The Reimancer spreads his Res as a fluid an inch under the floor.
• He then drives it upwards here and there and transforms it, perhaps even combining it with earth attraction for greater effect. Sharp spikes litter the designated area. The mage can raise them to greater heights on a whim, and can be searing hot with Fire or freezing cold with Ice, among other things.

Progression

Novice (1-25)
	The Reimancer can only use one element. Res production is rather slow, and control is limited; Res can only be controlled within a couple arm's lengths of the caster, though the elements can be thrown farther than this.
Competent (26-50)
	The Reimancer is confident with two elements and their combination. They have become more proficient at generating and manipulating Res. Zone of control is now several meters; speed and accuracy have increased, but are still far from perfect.
Expert (51-75)
	The Reimancer uses three elements. Their spells are now able to affect the entirety of a large room or small building, with more control than they had before.
Master (76-100)
	The Reimancer has mastered the four elements. Res control is almost effortless and they can produce larger amounts. Zone of control is basically limited to what they can see, and the speed at which their Res can get there.

Reimancy-related Threads

Initiation
	Lessons Learned	Seyp is initiated by Asheera.
	Power, not Knowledge	Hadrian's initiation thread.
	This Hallow Ground	Kavala is initiated by Sama'el.
	Touch That Which Is Within You	Vanator is initiated by Kavala.
	A Gift Of Elements	Xira is initiated by Kavala.
	Setting The Board	Caelum is initiated by Kavala.
	The Song Of The Wind III	Kelski's Initiation.
	Becoming More Immersed I-IV	The Midnight Gem's Induction (An Architectrix).
	Sticks and Stones	Dessarian is Inducted by Kelski.

Reimancy Use
	Slaves to the Wind	Kamalia Timandre unleashes her magical wrath upon slavers using Air, Water and Ice, to help Jaeden Kincade.