✩ Magic. Any force that can sway matter, both living and non-, nature, or the environment beyond the bounds of physical possibility. All humans (and most fey) have the capacity to learn and gain the use of magic, but, outside the circles of magick societies, most people have foregone the learning and usage of magicks in favor of modern technology. (magic- noun, magick- adjective, magicks- plural noun)
Around the time of the Industrial Revolution, many cultures across the world began to split into different societies: those who favored the use of technology, and those who favored the use of magic. Although there has been no record of serious conflict between the two, the rise of magick society in America has led to an air of secrecy, mystery, and general distrust from the populace surrounding it; its members almost never speak of their ways to outsiders, and the concentration of their practices into such a tightly-knit group has led to the formation of an entire culture unique to magic-users.
Magick society is highly matriarchal (at least among English-speaking societies), to the point where any husband marrying into an established line is expected to take his wife’s name. Family is considered to be of utmost importance, although this isn’t always restricted to one’s family by blood; given how only one descendant from a family can own that family’s grimoire at a time, it’s highly common for families to band together into covens, headed by a powerful witch with the title of matron. The position of matron is considered to be most powerful among magick society, and her word is absolute law to members of her coven.
Although it is entirely possible to use magic without the aid of a grimoire, it is considered very difficult and impractical. As such, magic-users outside the tight-knit societies of covens are extremely rare. It’s also possible for one to create his or her own grimoire, whether by plundering part of another or carving it entirely anew, but this is also extremely rare; to an extent, doing so is even discouraged by magick society, so as to preserve the power of existing covens.
✩ Methods of magic include short incantations (often with hand gestures), long incantations (often without gestures), hand gestures with or without incantations, and runes, sigils, and other symbols that can passively draw power into the object on which it been inscribed, or actively aid in the release of power from that object.
Short incantations are commonly referred to as “spells,” and most generally affect only a small area, single person/object, or small group of people/objects. Their power varies depending on the specific incantation used, or the hand gesture that accompanies it. Because of its relative ease and flexibility, usage of spells tends to be most common among members of magick society.
As a general rule, the shorter the incantation, the more complex the hand gesture that accompanies it; the most complex hand gestures tend to be those without any accompanying incantation. Gestures may not always be complex, but they must be precise, and the same holds true of incantations. The complexity and precision required to efficiently use such magicks has led to the perception of human memory being far too fallible, and this is why the use of grimoires is considered a requirement; with knowledge of the incantation or gesture required for a certain spell carved into one’s grimoire, all one needs to do is call on the spell with her mind, and the grimoire will allow her body to execute the rest.
Long incantations are sometimes called “songs,” and their practice is referred to as “singing to the [whatever is affected; earth, air, etc.]”; this can vary among different cultures, such as that of Aðalgeir, who calls them galdrs. Whatever name they might go by, however, their effect is much the same—they target areas on a wide scale, rarely a single person or object, and most commonly affect the weather or environment. (When a song is used to affect a single target, the effect is notably far more pronounced than what a shorter spell could produce.) In addition to their strength, songs are also highly malleable, and verses and lines can be added and interwoven to produce a variety of effects, or even strengthen those already present. However, songs are considerably more difficult to use than spells, even with the aid of a grimoire; although one may have a song carved into her grimoire, the incantation is still long and complex, and anything (such as motion) that could jar one’s voice will weaken or otherwise adversely affect its power.
The usage of runes and sigils does not necessarily require the use of a grimoire, nor does knowledge of them need to be carved in one for them to be used efficiently (although this is not uncommon, either). As such, their use is incredibly widespread throughout all levels of society, even though they usually amount to little more than charms of fortune to those outside magick society.
✩ Grimoire. A crest borne on a magic-user’s physical body, which contains all the magick knowledge and powers passed down from person to person.
Inheritance, carving, and plundering. Due to the prominence of witches (rather than warlocks, or other male magic-users) in society, as well as the matriarchal nature of magick culture, grimoires are typically passed down in a matrilineal fashion; although it’s possible to pass on a grimoire to a male heir, this is not only extremely rare, but also unheard of to the point of taboo. Passing on the grimoire is done through a transference ritual, and is considered to be a rite of passage for the receiver.
Transference can also be done with individual spells or other small amounts of knowledge; this is common practice, and is not given the same consideration or reverence as a full ritual. However, as with entire grimoires, whatever knowledge is transferred is completely lost from the giver’s grimoire, until it is either transferred back or re-learned.
It is also possible for one to add new magick knowledge or spells to the grimoire—or “carve” them into the grimoire, as the terminology goes—through more manual means, by studying and/or practicing the spell to be carved. Through this method, entirely new magicks can be developed and learned, whether wholly anew or woven together from pre-existing spells.
Usually a grimoire can only be passed on to one person, and one person only. While it is possible to pass one on to more than one person at the same time, the process is so difficult and easy to botch that it isn’t considered practical. It is also theoretically possible for one to simply give part of a grimoire’s knowledge to one person and the rest to another, but this is almost never done, as it is believed that dividing up a family’s grimoire in such a manner would dilute its power throughout each generation rather than strengthen it. As a result of this, it is very common to see inter-family feuds break out over which descendant is most deserving of inheriting the grimoire.
The only exception to the above is among twins, triplets, etc.; the bond between siblings carried in unison is strong enough to ease the splitting of a grimoire, and it is considered perfectly natural to do so. However, if either/any of the siblings wish to transfer the grimoire to their own descendant, both/all must be present for the ritual.
Apart from simply being passed down, grimoires can also be gained through plundering; a witch who seeks to add power to her own grimoire can easily steal it from another, whether she seeks only a certain spell/ability or the entire grimoire. This can be achieved through prolonged physical contact with another’s grimoire, whether still attached to the original owner or—in more gruesome cases—separated from her by force. Plundering entire grimoires is akin to murder, and highly illegal in magick society.
Partially due to the above, it is cultural tradition for one to keep her grimoire closely guarded. Allowing another to see one’s own grimoire is an expression of deep trust, often of the kind only shared between family members and lovers, and allowing another to touch it is even more so.
Placement and design. The grimoire is typically placed in the center of one’s back, and although it may appear to have a chaotic, fractal design, it is perfectly symmetrical. It grows with each new spell/ability learned, or “carved”; as such, the oldest grimoires with the widest bases of knowledge are highly intricate, and are considered to be most beautiful. The exception to this is among twins, or other cases in which a grimoire has been successfully split; in such a case, the grimoire will be focused off-center, and the halves (or thirds, or fourths, as the case may be) will appear to mirror each other. If this is done at a young age, or if either bearer of the grimoire gains a vast amount of magick knowledge afterwards, the halves will grow and develop differently in such a way that they would not be perfectly symmetrical; however, should the halves ever be rejoined through another transference ritual, they will reintegrate in such a way as to amend this.
It is possible to carve a grimoire into other objects, such as books, scrolls, or even stone tablets. If a witch is trained well enough with the use of grimoires, she can easily use any such “external” grimoire and the power it stores as though it was her own, usually by making physical contact with it. It is possible to plunder/transfer such grimoires into a person’s own grimoire, but the process is notorious for its extreme difficulty and danger.
In addition to the above, grimoires can also be carved on animals, fey, and other living creatures. Similarly, a witch can either make use of the grimoire through physical contact, or in some cases might even be able to train the animal/fey to use its power on its own. This gave rise to the practice of keeping “familiars,” but it has recently come under fire due to concern for the animals’ welfare.
Negative side effects. If a transference ritual is botched, or somehow goes wrong, the damage sustained to one’s grimoire cannot be easily repaired. In some cases, the damaged grimoire may start to adversely affect its owner’s health, both mental and physical.
Due to the nature of its existence, the grimoire is intrinsically tied to its bearer’s mental well-being. While anyone in possession of a large and powerful grimoire may be able to tap its strength to wield incredible magicks, without the proper training, skill, and mental control, the grimoire may easily overload or even completely overwhelm its bearer. This can be physically taxing, but the effect is most pronounced on the bearer’s mental health; these ill effects can range from nightmares to waking hallucinations to varying degrees of psychosis.
In exceptionally rare cases, if the grimoire’s strength and severity of mental stress are great enough, the bearer may unwittingly create a tulpa, a purely thoughtform-based fey, from their nightmarish or hallucinated visions. While all tulpas are extremely dangerous to deal with, being powered and sustained solely by thought and belief, this variety is considered especially so.
While the grimoire is almost always borne on its bearer’s back, it is possible for it to grow so large that it spreads to other parts of the body. As the size of the grimoire directly relates to its power and breadth of knowledge and ability, this is universally considered highly dangerous; the greater the size of a grimoire, the greater its power, and so the more easily its bearer may be overwhelmed or entirely consumed by that power.
In some cultures, this is taken a step further by superstitious belief: should a grimoire reach certain areas of the body, such as the hands, feet, face, or even one’s mouth or eyes, the grimoire has completely possessed the bearer, or even cast her soul from her body. (This may not be entirely untrue.) In such cases, the only remedy is to put the bearer to death, lest the overgrown magicks bring misfortune upon anyone nearby.
✩ Fey. Any manner of creature, whether animal, humanoid, or otherwise, that can use magic naturally without incantations, gestures, or sigils. The term is very broad, applying to entities of all shapes and sizes, related to or having evolved from all manner of non-magick creatures, and having intelligence varying from far lesser than or superior to that of humans; in other words, if a living entity is recognized as being able to use magic, or has an unusual intellect or other traits not commonly found in similar creatures, and is also not human, it’s considered a fey.
Many systems of classifying fey currently exist, though most attempts outside of crude bestiary tomes and individual encyclopedic entries are complex and not always compatible. The great variety of fey means that it can be difficult or sometimes impossible to differentiate a species or strain from another, or even from non-magick animals. (This is particularly true in the case of switchtails and quad-/trihorns—respectively, animals with extra appendages or horns, considered fey by this physical characteristic and their significantly higher intelligence.) Additionally, the fact that some fey have successfully blended and integrated with human society leads some to argue that any system of classification similar to that of animals is not only moot but even insulting.
There is one system, however, that is still commonly used among scholars, caretakers, and hunters of fey alike, due to its universal simplicity and ease of explanation. This system uses two tiers of classes.
First, a number from 1 to 4 indicates the fey’s level of strength, power, or relative danger to humans overall:
Class 1 fey are considered relatively harmless to humans. However, this class may still apply to fey that are capable of causing property damage, indirect harm to humans, or direct harm to humans when gathered en masse. Commonly classified under class 1 are vermin fey and other pests.
Class 2 fey are capable of moderate direct harm, though not at too great a level for non-magic users to safely deal with. Switchtails and quad-/trihorns most commonly fall under this class, due to their heightened intelligence but usual lack of other significant magick talent.
Class 3 fey are considered dangerous, enough so that it is recommended that only skilled magic-users deal with them. This level of danger may stem from their lone physical strength and/or magick talent, or through some other factor that causes them to directly harm humans.
Class 4 fey are extremely dangerous, and those not highly skilled with magic or specifically trained in dealing with the fey in question are strongly advised against attempting to engage or provoke them in any manner. Although many fey under this class are typically highly aggressive towards humans, most fey capable of integration with human society (including vampires, succubi, etc.) or even simply adopting a humanoid form (werebeasts, spirit foxes, dragons, etc.) are also considered class 4 for this reason.
Second, a letter A, B, or C indicates the fey’s typical level of aggression towards humans:
Class A fey are considered docile, and require a significant amount of provocation before they can be driven to cause direct harm (if they do so at all). However, this does not always correlate to the number class, particularly if the fey is protecting its young, hungry or feeding, or under some other stress. An example of this sort of fey is the North American ley python, class 1A, which is perfectly docile and harmless under most circumstances, even those that would normally provoke other fey of its kind into attacking, but most certainly can and will attack and eat a human if it is hungry enough and if one is nearby.
Class B fey will display aggression if provoked, and will sustain that aggression until the perceived threat or aggressor has been eliminated. Given that this behavior is typical of most animals, most fey fall under this class, even class 4 humanoids and other fey that have a human or superior-to-human intellect.
Class C fey are highly aggressive towards humans, and will more likely than not attack on sight. The reasons for this may vary, whether the fey is particularly territorial, commonly preys on humans, or otherwise, but the behavior is invariably more typical than the occasional aggression displayed by class B. Fey of this class are relatively rare, fortunately, due to their preference to live in areas not commonly populated by humans.
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