Faith/Faith/Ways/Spellworking

{{FaithMagicFaith |text= ==Spellworking==

Spellworking is the practice of bringing about an alteration in reality using more than just will; its practitioners are called spellworkers. Spellworkers are spellers who cannot spellwill and hence must resort to other means; this makes them inferior to spellwillers. While spellworking may have certain advantages over spellwilling, any spellwiller can also learn the ways of spellworking.

There are a great many different types of spellworking, called ways. The highest level classification is the following:

Somatic (vs Non-Somatic): A somatic way is one that involves bodily movement. This is a sliding scale, ranging from very light movement (such as raising an eyebrow) to elaborate dances. Compared to non-somatic ways, somatic ways are more likely to be successful, making them more useful for weaker spellers or grander spells; however, their need for bodily movement may slow down the spelling process and introduce potential for error, and requires that a person have sufficient freedom of movement, which means somatic ways may not be usable for those who are bound.

Vocal (vs Non-Vocal): A vocal way is one that involves using the voice. Compared to non-vocal ways, vocal ways are more likely to be successful, making them more useful for weaker spellers or grander spells; however, their need for vocalization may slow down the spelling process and introduce potential for error. If a way is vocal, it is necessarily lightly somatic; someone who is gagged or whose mouth, tongue or vocal cords are paralyzed will be unable to work this way.

Situational (vs Non-Situational): A situational way is one that can only be used when certain situations are met. This is a sliding scale, ranging from very light requirements (such as holding a staff) to very specific (such as post meditation while atop a waterfall). Compared to non-situational ways, situational ways are more likely to be successful, making them more useful for weaker spellers or grander spells; however, their need for certain conditions may be a hindrance, and can completely stop a speller from working that way, if they can’t meet their conditions - for example, if their staff is taken away from them - and may introduce potential for error. Situational ways are likely to not work for people who are captive.

Material (vs Non-Material): A material way is one that consumes or transforms a material. This is a sliding scale, ranging from readily available materials (such as water) to very rare ones (such as certain gemstones). Compared to non-material ways, material ways are more likely to be successful, making them more useful for weaker spellers or grander spells; but as they need certain materials, those materials must first be obtained; and since they consume the material, repeat or larger castings require additional resources. Also it may introduce potential for error. And if they lose their materials - such as if they are taken captive - they will be unable to work with material ways.

The different ways have different requirements drawing upon these four requirement categories; some of them combine different types of requirements. Spellwilling is basically a way that is non-somatic, non-verbal, non-situational, and non-material.

List of common Ways

 * ‘Spellwiller’ - ‘Spellwilling’ - working spells by merely willing it
 * ‘Spellsinger’ - ‘Spellsinging’ - working spells by singing particular melodies
 * ‘Spellrhymer’ - ‘Spellrhyming’ - working spells by reciting particular rhyming lyrics
 * ‘Spellsayer’ - ‘Spellsaying’ - working spells by saying particular words or particular sentences
 * ‘Spellbidder’ - ‘Spellbidding’ - working spells by speaking commands that they or their audience knows
 * ‘Spellcaller’ - ‘Spellcalling’ - working spells by calling out the particular name of a deity or elemental spirit
 * ‘Spellnamer’ - ‘Spellnamer’ - working spells by speaking the particular name of what one’s affecting
 * ‘Spellpointer’ - ‘Spellpointer’ - working spells by pointing at the target
 * ‘Spellforcer’ - ‘Spellforcing’ - working spells by lashing out in a particular way (may not have to hit a particular target)
 * ‘Spellstriker’ - ‘Spellstriking’ - working spells by striking the target in a particular way
 * ‘Spelldancer’ - ‘Spelldancing’ - working spells by dancing in particular ways
 * ‘Spelltracer’ - ‘Spelltracing’ - working spells by tracing out particular runes, symbols or glyphs
 * ‘Spellcrafter’ - ‘Spellcrafting’ - working spells by crafting (building on) particular objects
 * ‘Spellsculptor’ - ‘Spellsculpting’ - working spells by carving away at particular objects
 * ‘Spellwriter’ - ‘Spellwriting’ - working spells by writing down particular words or particular sentences
 * ‘Spelldrawer’ - ‘Spelldrawing’ - working spells by drawing particular pictures on a surface
 * ‘Spellbleeder’ - ‘Spellbleeding’ - working spells by bleeding themselves or another person
 * ‘Spellthrower’ - ‘Spellthrowing’ - working spells by throwing particular objects (may or may not have to hit their target)
 * ‘Spellshooter’ - ‘Spellshooting’ - working spells by shooting the target with arrows
 * ‘Spellbinder’ - ‘Spellbinding’ - working spells by affecting effigies (voodoo dolls) or other objects associated with target
 * ‘Spelleater’ - ‘Spelleating’ - working spells by eating or drinking particular foodstuffs
 * ‘Spellslayer’ - ‘Spellslaying’ - working spells by slaying particular living beings
 * ‘Spellburner’ - ‘Spellburning’ - working spells by burning particular combustible objects
 * ‘Spellmixer’ - ‘Spellmixing’ - working spells by mixing particular alchemical ingredients
 * ‘Spellplayer’ - ‘Spellplaying’ - working spells by playing a particular musical instrument in a particular way
 * ‘Spellprayer’ - ‘Spellpraying’ - working spells by praying for the divine intervention of a deity
 * ‘Spellriter’ - ‘Spellriting’ - working spells by performing a particular ritual
 * ‘Spelldrinker’ - ‘Spelldrinking’ - working spells by drinking certain substances (ie wine, drugs)
 * ‘Spellwisher’ - ‘Spellwishing’ - working spells by making a wish, though not to any particular deity

Note that these terms, while they concisely describe a speller’s way, are used only by a small subset of the peoples of the world of Faith; every society and sect has their own titles and classes - usually lofty ones meant to set them apart and above others - for describing themselves; and other terms for spellers belonging to other sects (such as ‘heretic’).

Each of these ways (and others not listed) can in turn be subdivided still further into various styles based on more specific characteristics. So for example a spelldancer who uses waltz is a member of a different style from a spelldancer who uses a different type of dance.

=Domains==

Some spellers may only be able to work with certain aspect/element of reality, or a person may only be interested in their ability to work with that particular aspect/element. This is their domain - the range of what they can do with their magic. It could be that they have focused on training / learning for working with spells pertaining to that aspect/element, and become specialized. Or it could be that of the many aspects/elements, they are only successful with one or a few of them. The domains are defined differently in different factions, according to their paradigms; ie one faction may group all elements/effects into a single domain, whereas another may have one domain for fire, another for cold, etc.

For those with limited (or a single) domain, the ‘spell’ in ‘spell~er’ gets replaced with the name of the aspect/element, ie ‘waterdancer’, ‘firestriker’, ‘healthsinger’, etc. As with the ways and styles, people with different domains within a sect will have various titles depending on their sect, their style and their domain.

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