sparkindarkness (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sparkindarkness) wrote2009-08-04 06:57 pm
sparkindarkness) wrote2009-08-04 06:57 pm
Entry tags:
Worldbuilding! Spark in Darkness Magic Guide - Prophets
This just goes to show how scatter shot my mind is at the moment. I can't stay on any project for any length of time and I am plagued by spin-offs and stupid little drabbles and endless world builders
At the minute my brain is being kicked by Seers. Well, seers, augurs, oracles and a big lot of "and there's a difference between these guys?" huh. Because I know there IS a difference but I have no clue what that is.
I'm also going to have to make a cast list and hammer down some familial relationships. I've had Caoimhe running around and she's Darren's mother and Ieuan who's Darren's father and Sian is Darren's half sister but I'm not sure if she's Caoimhe's daughter or Ieuan's (I think Caoimhe. It has a rather delicious irony). And I need to nail down what powers everyone actually HAS. I think Prisa has managed to be an Oracle, Seer, Visionary, Telekenetic AND a Telepath which officially makes her the Most Supreme Camaalis EVAH or it means I screwed up somewhere.
*pokes cast list* ah hell. This is going to be even more huge than the Huge Arse World Timeline
Prophets
Prophet is a term used by Clan Camaalis to refer to any Magician who has the power to see the future. Long ago, Camaalis didn’t recognise the different kinds of Prophet - much as it is now only just realising there are different kinds of Shamans. Any Magician who could see the future was assumed to have the same power. It was only after careful examination and research in other fields that lead to them seeing that while they can all see the future, the WAY they see the future is radically different and there are different advantages and disadvantages to each one (the breakthrough was caused by someone being born who was a Seer AND an Augur AND a Dreamer who clearly saw that they had different powers).
Formally “Prophet” is the word for all of these powers while Seer/Augur/Dreamer/Visionary/Oracle is a word for the specific power. Before Camaalis recognise the difference, these words were used pretty much interchangeably according to the preference of the Prophet and even now some Camaalis are a little lazy with their word use.
A Seer is a Cleric (magician of the second power). They see the future by looking into parallel realms of reality - reflections of our world that reflect every possibility that can be (Shamans leave them alone, they cause horrendous headaches). By looking on the outside the Seer can follow the realm and see what develops. On it’s own that isn’t very useful - there are zillions upon zillions of possibilities, as many as their are decisions and possible decisions in the world. This is why a shaman has no truck with them. A shaman - all the types of shamans - looks at one realm and one realm only. That’s no use in seeing the future - it only tells you what the future is going to be like in a PARALLEL realm - not the one you‘re in. They can only concentrate on one realm at a time and they can’t reach these extremely distant and strange realms of abstracts anyway. Seers can only access these parallel realms and they find it extremely hard time concentrating on just one realm. But they don’t want to - they look at huge clusters of realms and that’s how they see the future. If they look at a hundred billion realms that are on the same track as this one and see that in 99% of cases THIS is going to happen then you can guess that it’s most likely to happen in this realm as well. If they want to see what will happen if you do X then they isolate those realms where they do do X and see what happens.
Dreamer is a Cleric (Magician of the Second Power) who sees the future by communing with beings that know it. Basically they speak to spirits, gods and related entities that dwell in realms beyond time, that can manipulate time or are just so damn powerful that they twist time around for their own amusement. The Dreamer, like any kind of Shaman, must communicate with these entities to share their power and receive their wisdom (and learn the truth). The name arose because most of the weaker entities that Dreamers start with cannot easily cross the veil and communicate while the Dreamer sleeps.
The information - and power to effect events - that a Dreamer gets is almost unrivalled. But it is inevitably cryptic, has to be fact checked and the Dreamer, like any Shaman, has to cater to the chiminage whims of their informants. A Dreamer has some degree of passive precognition as companions, familiars and friends constantly feed information - and warnings - to the Dreamer even when they aren’t seeking it.
Oracle is a Wizard/Witch (Magician of the first power). The First Power is the Power of All, the power of everything linked together. An Oracle can tap into that power and follow it, either by watching or by astral projecting in the great interconnected power of all that is. Since time is also another aspect of the massive power of the all, an Oracle can also venture backwards and forwards in time. The amount of detail and information an Oracle can extract is immense, but they can be washed aside in the sheer massive amount of information they have (kind of like the internet but with a really bad search engine). Because the future isn’t written and they’re not looking at probability they can be vague and fuzzy the further away from the present they get. An oracle can use their own or other’s sensory powers with their own (so using a Telepath they can read someone’s mind in the future).
Visionary is a Mage (Magician of the Third Power). Like all Mages, a Visionary builds on the inherent ability that all humans have magnified several fold. In this case, the natural ability to guess, predict, have random hunches and even make detailed, educated hypothesis. Like many Mage abilities, it defies easy study but the soul of a Visionary ranges forwards far more than a normal, unmagical soul and feeds to Visionary information that is impossible to extrapolate through mundane means. On a basic level, it means Visionaries receive constant hunches and information in sudden flashes. People will ask them a question, or they will think of a question and the answer will come to them. They well get sudden urges and unshakeable certainties they cannot explain but instinctively know is true. They are masters of the lucky guess, the hunch, the “I just know!”
On a more advanced and developed level, a Visionary can meditate and deal more directly with the information that sifts through to them - this information is always very personal and limited to the Visionary, his immediate surroundings and matters that affect the Visionary directly. At its most advanced the Visionary can direct his precognition outwards if he has a suitable connection, extrapolating and developing his thoughts on possible outcomes and even on other objects or people.
(Visionaries don’t actually have Visions - Dreamers, Oracles and Seers have Visions. The name stems from the time they spend in thought suddenly emerging with insightful, shocking ideas like a brilliant philosopher or scientist).
A Visionary is the most instinctive of the Prophets and has a constant passive flow of knowledge that makes the invaluable as well as answers to questions most people wouldn’t ask or consider. They’re less effected by chance - unlike all others if they see it/know it then it WILL happen unless they act to change it. they have an utter certainty AND utter clarity of their prediction that is the envy of other Prophets. However it is personal in scope, hard to expand outwards and if there is too much doubt or maybe then they just get confusion - not an answer
An Augur is Symapethtic Magic (one used to enhance other magic or used exclusively by Channelers). As can be seen with Visionaries and Oracles, there is a natural inclination for humanity and the world in general to be able to look beyond the barriers of time. But these are so tiny tiny tiny as to be nearly nonexistant and for every psychic, accurate hunch someone gets that is due to innate precognitive ability there are a dozen based on subliminal reasoning, or just plain stupidity, assumptions and random guesses . However, there are sympathetic magics that enchance precognition - and most of them are well known (though not the way to do them properly). The tarot, numerology, astrology, haruspicy, I Ching, psychometry, hallucinogens etc.
Like all sympathetic magic, it is possible for mundane humanity to use them (if done properly) for minor magical effects (usually fairly negligible) or for a Magician to use them for a boost to their own powers (so, an Oracle trying to research something may lay out a tarot. A Visionary trying to see someone else’s future may use psychometry etc).
An Augur is a Channeler who has the specific ability to use one (or, more usually, many) forms of Sympathetic Magic for precognition purposes. While their magic is less flashy and instant than Power Magicians, the vast diversity of methods they can use and their almost scientific method of applying them makes Augurs extremely precise and idea to corroborate the cryptic, vague, rambling or irrelevant babblings of their Power Magician brethren
Camaalis and Prophets
Camaalis have huge respect for all Prophets. In their history there were many times when Magicians of certain powers could command other Camaalis (coming under the hierarchy category of “specialist knowledge/skills“) but only the Seer‘s Oath has actually survived. If a Prophet invokes his insight and claims it‘s important he is given the right to command any and all Camaalis (well, more suggest. But no Camaalis would think to refuse without an extremely huge reason) without explanation (though he may have to explain AFTERWARDS. Especially if things are fubared).
Even outside of actual orders Prophets are revered and honoured and much sought after. However, while most Camaalis are largely independent, Prophets are strongly discouraged from putting themselves in any kind of risk. Many complain of being babied and coddled and often being seconded to other Camaalis’ projects or Pillars. They’re always expected to be in the command centre or a distant consultant which is often frustrating to them. In fact, many young prophets take foolish chances and pursue ridiculous adventure as a way of exerting their independence.
Older Prophets are more sedate and keep an eye (real and mystical) on their younger fellows to make sure they don’t bite off more than they can chew.
At the minute my brain is being kicked by Seers. Well, seers, augurs, oracles and a big lot of "and there's a difference between these guys?" huh. Because I know there IS a difference but I have no clue what that is.
I'm also going to have to make a cast list and hammer down some familial relationships. I've had Caoimhe running around and she's Darren's mother and Ieuan who's Darren's father and Sian is Darren's half sister but I'm not sure if she's Caoimhe's daughter or Ieuan's (I think Caoimhe. It has a rather delicious irony). And I need to nail down what powers everyone actually HAS. I think Prisa has managed to be an Oracle, Seer, Visionary, Telekenetic AND a Telepath which officially makes her the Most Supreme Camaalis EVAH or it means I screwed up somewhere.
*pokes cast list* ah hell. This is going to be even more huge than the Huge Arse World Timeline
Prophets
Prophet is a term used by Clan Camaalis to refer to any Magician who has the power to see the future. Long ago, Camaalis didn’t recognise the different kinds of Prophet - much as it is now only just realising there are different kinds of Shamans. Any Magician who could see the future was assumed to have the same power. It was only after careful examination and research in other fields that lead to them seeing that while they can all see the future, the WAY they see the future is radically different and there are different advantages and disadvantages to each one (the breakthrough was caused by someone being born who was a Seer AND an Augur AND a Dreamer who clearly saw that they had different powers).
Formally “Prophet” is the word for all of these powers while Seer/Augur/Dreamer/Visionary/Oracle is a word for the specific power. Before Camaalis recognise the difference, these words were used pretty much interchangeably according to the preference of the Prophet and even now some Camaalis are a little lazy with their word use.
A Seer is a Cleric (magician of the second power). They see the future by looking into parallel realms of reality - reflections of our world that reflect every possibility that can be (Shamans leave them alone, they cause horrendous headaches). By looking on the outside the Seer can follow the realm and see what develops. On it’s own that isn’t very useful - there are zillions upon zillions of possibilities, as many as their are decisions and possible decisions in the world. This is why a shaman has no truck with them. A shaman - all the types of shamans - looks at one realm and one realm only. That’s no use in seeing the future - it only tells you what the future is going to be like in a PARALLEL realm - not the one you‘re in. They can only concentrate on one realm at a time and they can’t reach these extremely distant and strange realms of abstracts anyway. Seers can only access these parallel realms and they find it extremely hard time concentrating on just one realm. But they don’t want to - they look at huge clusters of realms and that’s how they see the future. If they look at a hundred billion realms that are on the same track as this one and see that in 99% of cases THIS is going to happen then you can guess that it’s most likely to happen in this realm as well. If they want to see what will happen if you do X then they isolate those realms where they do do X and see what happens.
Dreamer is a Cleric (Magician of the Second Power) who sees the future by communing with beings that know it. Basically they speak to spirits, gods and related entities that dwell in realms beyond time, that can manipulate time or are just so damn powerful that they twist time around for their own amusement. The Dreamer, like any kind of Shaman, must communicate with these entities to share their power and receive their wisdom (and learn the truth). The name arose because most of the weaker entities that Dreamers start with cannot easily cross the veil and communicate while the Dreamer sleeps.
The information - and power to effect events - that a Dreamer gets is almost unrivalled. But it is inevitably cryptic, has to be fact checked and the Dreamer, like any Shaman, has to cater to the chiminage whims of their informants. A Dreamer has some degree of passive precognition as companions, familiars and friends constantly feed information - and warnings - to the Dreamer even when they aren’t seeking it.
Oracle is a Wizard/Witch (Magician of the first power). The First Power is the Power of All, the power of everything linked together. An Oracle can tap into that power and follow it, either by watching or by astral projecting in the great interconnected power of all that is. Since time is also another aspect of the massive power of the all, an Oracle can also venture backwards and forwards in time. The amount of detail and information an Oracle can extract is immense, but they can be washed aside in the sheer massive amount of information they have (kind of like the internet but with a really bad search engine). Because the future isn’t written and they’re not looking at probability they can be vague and fuzzy the further away from the present they get. An oracle can use their own or other’s sensory powers with their own (so using a Telepath they can read someone’s mind in the future).
Visionary is a Mage (Magician of the Third Power). Like all Mages, a Visionary builds on the inherent ability that all humans have magnified several fold. In this case, the natural ability to guess, predict, have random hunches and even make detailed, educated hypothesis. Like many Mage abilities, it defies easy study but the soul of a Visionary ranges forwards far more than a normal, unmagical soul and feeds to Visionary information that is impossible to extrapolate through mundane means. On a basic level, it means Visionaries receive constant hunches and information in sudden flashes. People will ask them a question, or they will think of a question and the answer will come to them. They well get sudden urges and unshakeable certainties they cannot explain but instinctively know is true. They are masters of the lucky guess, the hunch, the “I just know!”
On a more advanced and developed level, a Visionary can meditate and deal more directly with the information that sifts through to them - this information is always very personal and limited to the Visionary, his immediate surroundings and matters that affect the Visionary directly. At its most advanced the Visionary can direct his precognition outwards if he has a suitable connection, extrapolating and developing his thoughts on possible outcomes and even on other objects or people.
(Visionaries don’t actually have Visions - Dreamers, Oracles and Seers have Visions. The name stems from the time they spend in thought suddenly emerging with insightful, shocking ideas like a brilliant philosopher or scientist).
A Visionary is the most instinctive of the Prophets and has a constant passive flow of knowledge that makes the invaluable as well as answers to questions most people wouldn’t ask or consider. They’re less effected by chance - unlike all others if they see it/know it then it WILL happen unless they act to change it. they have an utter certainty AND utter clarity of their prediction that is the envy of other Prophets. However it is personal in scope, hard to expand outwards and if there is too much doubt or maybe then they just get confusion - not an answer
An Augur is Symapethtic Magic (one used to enhance other magic or used exclusively by Channelers). As can be seen with Visionaries and Oracles, there is a natural inclination for humanity and the world in general to be able to look beyond the barriers of time. But these are so tiny tiny tiny as to be nearly nonexistant and for every psychic, accurate hunch someone gets that is due to innate precognitive ability there are a dozen based on subliminal reasoning, or just plain stupidity, assumptions and random guesses . However, there are sympathetic magics that enchance precognition - and most of them are well known (though not the way to do them properly). The tarot, numerology, astrology, haruspicy, I Ching, psychometry, hallucinogens etc.
Like all sympathetic magic, it is possible for mundane humanity to use them (if done properly) for minor magical effects (usually fairly negligible) or for a Magician to use them for a boost to their own powers (so, an Oracle trying to research something may lay out a tarot. A Visionary trying to see someone else’s future may use psychometry etc).
An Augur is a Channeler who has the specific ability to use one (or, more usually, many) forms of Sympathetic Magic for precognition purposes. While their magic is less flashy and instant than Power Magicians, the vast diversity of methods they can use and their almost scientific method of applying them makes Augurs extremely precise and idea to corroborate the cryptic, vague, rambling or irrelevant babblings of their Power Magician brethren
Camaalis and Prophets
Camaalis have huge respect for all Prophets. In their history there were many times when Magicians of certain powers could command other Camaalis (coming under the hierarchy category of “specialist knowledge/skills“) but only the Seer‘s Oath has actually survived. If a Prophet invokes his insight and claims it‘s important he is given the right to command any and all Camaalis (well, more suggest. But no Camaalis would think to refuse without an extremely huge reason) without explanation (though he may have to explain AFTERWARDS. Especially if things are fubared).
Even outside of actual orders Prophets are revered and honoured and much sought after. However, while most Camaalis are largely independent, Prophets are strongly discouraged from putting themselves in any kind of risk. Many complain of being babied and coddled and often being seconded to other Camaalis’ projects or Pillars. They’re always expected to be in the command centre or a distant consultant which is often frustrating to them. In fact, many young prophets take foolish chances and pursue ridiculous adventure as a way of exerting their independence.
Older Prophets are more sedate and keep an eye (real and mystical) on their younger fellows to make sure they don’t bite off more than they can chew.