Current contacts for this school
are Adept Avim and Archmage Lorana.
Sigil: Runic Conjurors Square.
Artifice
does not have the reputation for glamorous effects that Elemental or Illusion
holds, or the suggestion of raw power that the Primalist possesses. However, it
would be a serious mistake to underestimate a master of Artifice. Artificing
takes time, preparation, and appropriate materials, and thus is not often
practical in a sorcerous duel; however, once the sorcerer has brought the magic
into play, the results can be quite formidable. The artificer combines magic
with substance to create a physical object of usually exceptional ability, and
through sorcery, grants it powers and capabilities far beyond those you would
expect. Artificers can create armies of magical troops, enchant items with
magical properties, fashion golems of metal or stone, brew potions that offer
near-mythical abilities to those who drink them, and even design magical
devices that are indistinguishable from technology. Many, both within and
without the Society, prize their knowledge and skills, and are often employed
by those building defenses for their Ways.
Alchemy
is the art of brewing potions, unguents, salves, powders and tinctures,
combining mundane ingredients with magical ones to create a substance which,
when eaten, imbibed, or perhaps applied to the skin, will confer some magical
effect to the user. Poisons, potions of flight or imperviousness, invisibility
powders, salves that raise boils or otherwise alter appearance detrimentally,
and many things more are all possible. Rumor has it that a Philosopher's Stone
exists, which grants immortality, turns other substances into gold, but for
now, these are merely legends.
Animation is the magical science of
granting the seeming of life to inanimate objects. A statue of a griffin can
spring into motion, the faces in portraits can be seen to react, and knives and
forks can be made to dance. For practical, security or merely entertainment
purposes, these sorcerers can give a semblance of living to those things that
would normally remain lifeless. They are often employed to aid in the design of
security systems for the noble Houses.
Construction
involves the creation of living, thinking creatures, fashioned of wood, marble,
stone, or even flesh - in other words, golems or homunculi. Done properly, the
awakening of a golem can take years, in order that it should master all of the
facets of living, interacting with others. Other homunculi, designed for a
single, specific purpose, may come into being much more quickly. These
artificial creatures are known for their loyalty to their casters, as well as
their dedication to their purpose. Construction is also what one would use to
combine greater powers into Constructs. Spikards, for instance, are believed to
be the ultimate achievement of a construction specialist.
Enchantment is the process of imbuing
ordinary items with magical properties. Although most enchanters can Conjure
their source materials, others take pride in their craft, and prefer to fashion
their items from scratch. Here we will find the master swordsmiths with their
runic blades, the clothiers that sew a bit of charm into their garments, and
the architects who bind wards into the very walls of their buildings. Many,
both within and without the Society, prize this talent, for an imaginative
sorcerer can imbed potent spells into the most innocuous of items.
Not a combat art in one sense, the
craft of Summoning can call forth tireless soldiers, obedient minions to enter
onto the Field of battle for their owners. It is said that Houses have
withstood the assault of thousands of infantry with only a few hundred summoned
troops to offer in opposition. Dragons, demons, griffins, trolls, giants and
other fantastical creatures have all been summoned for defense; this Art has
countless other applications as well. It is rumored that there is a branch
within the Chaosian military devoted to creating entirely new creatures for
martial purposes.