Art of Xirakè

PLEASE READ Xirakè (Religion) BEFORE READING THIS.

About the Power
Xirakè is an old magic born from an even older religion. There are very few who ever master it and the practice of it is limited to those who learn from a young age and do not leave their covenant for decades. It is a very powerful magic like many of the old magics in Thedas.

Before applying for a character who knows Xirakè you must;
 * Contact an admin on the forum
 * Remember Xirakè is the only specialisation your character can have.
 * Be aware that Xirakè is harder to learn than Blood Magic and Spirit Healing and this must be reflected in the application.

About "Sympathy"
The core power of Xirakè magic is something called "Sympathy". A mage taught this craft has the basic power to utilize the principles of sympathetic magic. It is from learning this, which they are taught as children and is a core belief in their religion too, that these mages can go on to learn as least TWO other branches of Sympathy.

This craft is believed to come from the L'wha (spirits/demons) and so is similar in many ways to blood magic. However, Sympathy has two aspects - Law of Similarity and Law of Contact/Contagion.

Law of Similarity or "like affects like"
Take a model or miniature of a real-world object and whatever you do to it affects the real-life counterpart when it is changed. For example, a miniature kossith, if you remove the arm of the miniature the kossith it is "tied" to will be missing and arm. Or, if you poked at a model ship and put a hole in its hull then the ship it represents will sink. Obviously these mages cannot perform feats like that of the ship alone but an entire coven of mages... could; because of their connection to the objects they made they are also able to scry the object in question, because what happens to it happens also to the replica.

Law of Contact/Contagion
Things which have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other at a distance after the physical contact has been severed. This makes someone who knows how to do it right truly dangerous because they can ignore any distance to hurt someone with only a bit of something they have used, for example clothing, personal possessions, or (even better) part of them; for example blood, hair and nail-clippings.

Limitations of Sympathy

 * If the target knows about the Sympathetic Principle they may be able to reverse the attack against them and cause damage to the model used to harm them by doing something that would normally harm them.
 * Often a weak connection can cause the spell to backfire and damage the mage instead.
 * It takes many years to create a miniature.

Animal Sacrifice
A variety of animals might be killed during a Xirakè ritual, depending upon the l'wha being addressed. It provides spiritual sustenance for the spirit, while the flesh of the animal is then cooked and eaten by participants. The reason for this sacrifice is to focus the mages and to aid them in their Xirakè spells. The practical effect of it is an increase in mana.

Symbolic Sympathies
Rituals commonly involve the drawing of certain symbols known as "veves" with cornmeal or other powder. Each spirit has its own symbol, and some have multiple symbols associated with them.

= Branches of Sympathy =

Animation (Adept)
The animation branch is the magic that most practitioners learn first. The basics are the creation and manipulation of objects and substances, but to master Animation one must learn to control that which has been summoned and infused with life.
 * Basic Animation: Gives life to inanimate objects/substances, animating the objects to act/move on their own accord; work in tandem with their animator.
 * Advanced Animation: This is only available to masters of this craft, those who have decades of experience. This type of animation is where a practitioner can summon a wisp from the Fade and give it a physical shell for a limited period of time. These shell can be a doll, a clay creation, anything made to look remotely humanoid or animalistic.
 * Clay Animation: Create figures out of clay and bring them to life.
 * Object Animation: Bring any sort of object to life, such as statues, rugs, bottles, etc.

Limitations

 * How long object stays animated depends on experience of mage.
 * Most mages are limited to animating objects without controlling them.
 * Some users are limited to what they can create.
 * Summoning a wisp is no easy feat and few mages can do it and then channel it into a "shell". Those that do it wrong can sometimes have the wisp turn against them.

Shadow Manipulation (Advanced)
With this branch a mage can create, shape and manipulate darkness and shadows. This power is believed to be associated with the Void and a practitioners path in the craft. It is very dangerous, very unstable and like the Void... indomitable. This is considered an advanced branch.
 * Shadow Camouflage/Cloaking
 * Night Vision
 * Animating shadow - Tentacles/tendrils, chains and/or ropes to attack or bind.
 * Sever self from own shadow - the shadows takes on a life of its own.

Limitations

 * Cannot create darkness/shadow, being limited to manipulating only from already existing sources.
 * Will become tainted/corrupted through extended exposure - touching the Void is not advised.
 * Weak to magic used by the Sisters of Light - however the Sisters are vulnerable to Xirakè shadow manipulation as well.
 * Untying oneself from one's own shadow can make a mage vulnerable to magical mental intrusions and other manipulations. The more active the shadow is the more life energy is drawn from the mage unless the shadow is reattached.

Smoke Generation/Vapour Manipulation (Basic)
Considered a basic branch because all practitioners must master it quickly; it is used in Xirakè rituals. Smoke - its colours and density - is an important part of the religion and those priestesses with magic have a slight advantage by being able to naturally manipulate smoke. Other priestesses must use potions and other natural alchemic substances.
 * Cloud and steam creation - this is vapour manipulation and is limited only by experience and mana extents.

Limitations

 * Creation of vapour and smoke is a high level spell
 * Manipulation of existing smoke is easier than manipulating vapour
 * Initially only colour change is possible for smoke, later density changes can be achieved.

Xirakè Doll Creation and Manipulation (Master)
The mage can create dolls of other beings to utilize in whatever the mage or their coven deems necessary. In order to create the dolls, the mage must have some sort of physical essence that can be used to create the doll of their opponent. Once made, the doll can be used by the maker to inflict damage on the opponent or those around the opponent. The doll can be deactivated, but it is up to the mage's will whether they still want a doll to be effective or not to free a victim from their power.

Some effects that can be generated through the doll are: * Death Inducement
 * Empathic Masochism
 * Mutilation
 * Pain Inducement
 * Torment Inducement

Limitations

 * If the mage is killed or incapacitated, the dolls are rendered useless.
 * If the doll is missing an object or material from the victim to make it effective, it is rendered useless.
 * A poorly made or rushed doll can channel the effects back into the maker.

Possession (Limited/Restricted)
Admin Approval Needed

This branch of Xirakè magic is so limited only high priestesses ever master it and even then only 3 out of 10 do. There may be one every other generation in a coven who are able to master this magic and learn it directly from the Oracle. From a young age the women with the talent for possession are marked and then taken to be taught.
 * They have the ability to possess the mind of another.
 * Puppetry - control a persons actions using the mind. A Xirakè mage ties their soul to the victims and this enables them to take control of them from a distance. Not complete possession.