Sorcery Specialisms

Most sorcerers in the Fenian Galaxy derive their powers from crystal bonds, whether they be natural or artificial.  A natural crystal bond develops during the conception and gestation process, whereby minute fragments of crystal become fused with the genetic material of the foetus.  Natural crystal bonding is not necessarily hereditary.  It is possible for a crystal-bonded child to be conceived by parents who have no crystal bonds.  Conversely, even if both parents have crystal bonds, it does not guarantee that their offspring will inherit them.  Some sorcerers have stronger bonds than others.  The stronger the bond, the greater the powers of sorcery.

Artificial crystal implantation is considered blasphemous by most Virians and Varagans.  It is usually performed on infants and young children, although it can be done on adolescents.  The older the person is at the time of implantation, the greater the risk that the implants will fail.  The process has been refined over millennia by the most skilled Vyrdigaan Masters.  It has a high success rate.  Sometimes a sorcerer with a natural crystal bond may be implanted, especially if they only have a weak bond.  Aureants may also be implanted to increase their range of sorcery abilities.

Those without sorcery skills of any type are often referred to as non-adepts, or in a more derogatory sense, mundanes or non-skilled.

These are the main areas of specialism for sorcerers:

Agrimage

Sorcerer who has a deep affinity with rocks, soil and plants.  Agrimages have the ability to bring about changes in the conditions of soil and even manipulate the climate to a certain extent.  They can shape rocks to suit various purposes, including raising or lowering hills and mountains and creating caves and tunnels.  They can increase the growth rate of plants.  The most powerful Agrimages can construct artificial planets such as the Vyrdsphere and the worlds in the Mafalia system.

Aureant

Some sorcerers are born with Aureant powers.  The nature of Aureants remains a mystery, despite millennia of research on the subject.  Aureants generally have lesser powers than a crystal-bonded sorcerer and may not be able to translocate or shapeshift.

Blood Mage

Blood mages can connect with and control blood in most mammals.  Some can connect with birds, fish and reptiles too.  Blood sorcery is usually taught, but there are cases of sorcerers who develop a natural ability to manipulate blood.  They can cleanse blood and perform transfusions.  They can also extract blood without the need to touch or pierce the skin.  The danger is that blood mages can become addicted to drinking blood.  Blood sorcery can also be used to enhance a crystal bond or endow temporary powers of sorcery upon a non-adept.

Chronomage

Chronomages have the ability to manipulate time by connecting with the controlling equations.  They can travel back and forth in time but it is not a natural ability.  It takes decades to learn even the most basic techniques.  Chronomages can make themselves appear any age they choose, whether older or younger than their natural age.  Those most skilled at time manipulation can live for millennia.

The first Chronomage was created by accident.  An unstable variant of Vyagite crystal was used by mistake in an artificial bonding procedure.  It caused the recipient to become caught up in time-currents and drift aimlessly.  The Vyrdigaan mages responsible for the erroneous implantation tried many times to rescue their unfortunate victim.  Only by implanting themselves with the same unstable crystal could they learn how to access the time matrix and reset the equations to bring their victim home.  Being able to manipulate time proved to be a significant advantage.  More experiments were conducted and they honed their skills.  Due to the dangerous nature of their arts, they only imparted their knowledge to a few trustworthy sorcerers.  Thus the Sacred Circle of Chronomages was founded.

Fire Mage

As the name implies, fire mages have an affinity with fire.  They don’t get burned by flames and they can manipulate fire.  While most sorcerers have the ability to conjure mage-fire, specialised fire mages can exert a far greater degree of control.  They can direct it further and with more accuracy.  They can also extinguish flames.  As with blood sorcery, the ability to control fire is usually acquired by extensive study.  A few individuals develop the ability naturally.

Hastamage

Chosen by the deserts of Sartoria, Hastamages are tasked with the care of the sacred Hasta trees, the religious totems of the desert dwellers.  Though they are chosen, they have to learn their role.  They usually have an affinity with plants and soil, similar to that of an Agrimage, only more limited in scope.  Hastamages spend a great deal of time communicating with their Hasta trees.  They also conduct various rituals for their tribes and often act as healers.  Each tribe only has one Hastamage and one apprentice at any given time.

Healer

As the name suggests, a sorcerer who specialises in the healing arts.  They train in a combination of sorcery healing and mundane methods.  They amass a great knowledge of herb-lore, surgical techniques, massage and bone manipulation.  Healing tends to be a personal choice but in times of great need, sorcerers of other specialisations, particularly blood mages, can be pressed into service.  Healers differ from non-adept doctors, surgeons and medics, but there can be cross-consultation and referrals in certain cases.

Necromage

A branch of sorcery dealing with manipulating the afterlife.  Some necromages can re-animate corpses and control them.  Such re-animated beings are not alive in the true sense, only endowed with power emanating from the controlling necromage.  Necromancy is not a widely taught art and its practitioners tend to be shunned and feared.

Vyagei/Imari

Also known as prophets, Vyageii have the ability to see fragments of the future via the gift of their Vyagite crystal bonds.  It is considered both a gift and a curse, for the prophetic visions cause great pain and are often accompanied by agonising seizures.  In the midst of a prophetic vision, a Vyagei will often thrash about wildly and may even injure themselves.  For no apparent reason, Vyageii tend to be female.  Very few male Vyageii are born with natural bonds and even implanted males tend to have lesser powers than females.  Imari is the Varathusian equivalent of Vyagei.  Both terms can be used interchangeably.