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HORIZON IS OVER!

The webpage remains up as a permanent archive of game material, mainly for the benefit of nostalgic players - although if you'd like to run a Horizon-inspired game for your friends, that's wonderful too. Horizon will be succeeded by Legacyin Trinity term of 2006.

If you like you can look at the (sketchy, incomplete) GM notes as well.

Sorcery and the Arts It Steals From

Strange cults obey the whims of the malign Gods. Powerful shamen enact the will of the distant and inhuman Powers. And sorcerers usurp the rights of both for their own ends.

This page describes the three main means by which humans gain access to potent magic spells. You'll note a few things:

  • There's no spell list. Knowledge of precisely what spells are out there and how they are cast is immensely valuable. Sorcerers would kill to get that kind of information. Cultists and shamen would kill to keep it quiet. A public spell list on the website would give away an inappropriate amount of IC secret knowledge. On the other hand, choosing spells blind can be off-putting: we have therefore provided (below) descriptions of the general sort of thing you might expect to achieve with the magic of a particular God or Power.

  • The details are sketchy. There is much more rumour and hearsay about what magic actually does than genuine facts. The publication of the Delan Codex has provided a much-needed injection of truth into the public debate about magic, but it is merely a small pearl of wisdom in an ocean of superstition.

  • Magic is a suck-it-and-see thing. For the full skinny on how a particular approach works, you'll have to take the plunge and commit to playing that sort of character. Cultists and shamen do not advertise their activities, and sorcerers prefer not to flaunt their power lest those they stole it from take revenge.

The Delan Codex

In 4002 HR an intriguing little pamphlet about magic was published by an obscure publishing house. The document proved popular, and soon various presses were producing bootleg copies of it (the first edition having sold out swiftly). At first, sorcerers in the city scoffed at some of the more unusual ideas put forth in it (in particular, the theory of the Divine Self was met with much scepticism), but the critics' tongues were stilled by an attack on the original publishers by shamen of the Ocean. Upon interrogation by the Watchdogs, the shamen revealed that the attack was intended as revenge for the publishers revealing deep secrets of magic; when this news reached the general public, the Codex became the thing to have sitting on your coffee table, and experiments by sorcerers soon established the veracity of its wilder theories.

The book has come to be known as The Delan Codex thanks to the power of rumour; a persistent urban myth suggests that the pamphlet is a reprint of the notes of one Mia Delan, a beautiful and well-known sorceress who had been assassinated by Imperialists in 4000 HR. Whilst nobody doubts that Mia Delan was one of the most powerful wizards of her time - as witnessed by her elimination of that avatar of Lacrymosa known as the Mother - the idea that she wrote the Codex has been thoroughly discredited. For starters, the Codex on its own is insufficient as far as magician's notes go - whilst it explains the theory of magic in clear and concise language, it goes into very little detail on the actual practice; it does not provide enough information for the reader to start constructing magical rituals based on its contents. Second, confidantes of Mia Delan pointed out that she never spoke about the theory of the Divine Self put forth in the Codex, and examination of what little of her notes survived the Imperialist bombs finds no mention of it. The anonymous author of the Codex, on the other hand, is almost obsessed with the idea; it infuses and colours every topic discussed in the book, and it's inconceivable that the author's own magical workings (if the worker was even a qualified sorcerer) would not have incorporated the idea on a fundamental level.

Thanks to the publication of the Codex, the public understanding of magic is a little better than it was before; in each of the sections below, we'll note down what facts have been unveiled by the Codex, although we'll save its ramblings about the Divine Self for the end of this page.

Cults

Those who would worship the Gods tend to form small groups with powerful leaders. The leader of a cult is no mere figurehead: he or she is the conduit through which the commands, edicts, admonishments and declarations of the God are delivered to the faithful. However, it's said that revolts and coups within cults are common, and in some instances are encouraged by the God. The theme of the cult leader overthrown by a vicious maniac even more attuned to the God than has been popular in plays since the dawn of the Horizon theatre scene.

Cults pray to their gods communally, in ceremonies presided over by their leader, but silently; any cultist may say any prayer to the God they wish. The Gods bless their favoured followers with spells, that they may serve their masters better - although the more powerful spells may require complicated, involved, or dangerous processes to cast. The Delan Codex states that every cult is expected to pray communally to its God at least once a twomonth, and spells are granted to cultists by the Gods on the basis of two considerations: how much the cultist has advanced the cause of the God in the world in the past twomonth, and how much the cultist has aided the cult leader to become the living image of the God in the world. (OOC: System-wise, cultists may expect to learn one spell each turn, so long as they succeed in the missions and tasks given to them by their God or cult leader.)

Furthermore, the Delan Codex states plainly what varieties of magic the various Gods grant to their followers (and may therefore be stolen by sorcerers):

    The magic of the Soldier is associated with the military life, and with grit, determination, resolve, selflessness and duty. The Soldier's magic can give a man the power to protect another with his life, command people in a crisis, or become an unstoppable fighting machine.

    Lacrymosa is the Goddess of despair and loss. Don't be fooled, she doens't try to help those in need but revels in their misery and aims to prolong it. Magic wielded in her name tends to be used to prolong or induce despair and misery in others, even to the point of keeping people alive because it is better for Lacrymosa if they were alive and suffering rather than dead and at peace. The spells she grants can both inflict loss and suffering on people, and strengthen their will to survive and live with the pain, relying on hopelessness itself when all hope fails.

    The magic of Verachtlich centres around revenge; it enables unfortunates to improve themselves by worsening others. It is not magic for destroying one's enemies, it is magic for tearing them apart piece by piece until all that is left is a hollow shell.

    Cats in Horizon are famed for their stealth and instinct and as such spells of Illaria are believed to be intimately tied to theft and assasination. They allow you to sneak in unnoticed and aid you in not being caught.

    The dead gods grant no spells these days, but enterprising explorers and diligent researchers may come across artifacts and other remnants of their power. The spells of Thezir, God of Knowledge, are known to have been related to the acquisition and hoarding of hidden truths. The magic of the God of Oaths was bound up with keeping one's word, and punishing oathbreakers. The Deus Irae is said to have had magics of vengeance and wrath, devoted to the ruination of one's foes. Before she died the spells of Versinya were tied to embracing corruption, infecting others with sickness or enduring despite an illness or injury. It is said she could even grant immortality to the most powerful of her followers. It is widely believed that Versinya no longer grants any spells but the effects of those left behind may still linger. The now-dead Mutilated One was associated with the infliction of physical and mental deformities, and also, paradoxically, with protecting and nuturing the physically and mentally damaged. This was largely reflected in the spells it granted, although these are presumably lost for good. Before his disappearance, the Toolmaker had power over technology, and also over craftsmanship and invention. It is said that some spells once granted by Arikel still have power, by whatever means. These spells deal with understanding, influencing, breaking and mending tools, and also with accelerating or slowing the developement of new tools. Arikel is also strongly associated with pride, pettiness and monomania, and these can be seen in the working of the spells he grants.

The Church of the Intercessor takes a hard line on cults: they're selling us out to those who would do us ill, they must not be tolerated. Every government in the True Lands backs them up on this, and severely punishes those cultists they manage to catch; whatever the private beliefs of national leaders may be, public outrage would make any legalisation of god-worship untenable.

Shamen

The Powers do not believe in cults. If you wish to serve them no human intermediary is required - one simply communes directly with one of their daimons, and are granted spells by them. "Shamen" of the Powers are a varied and diverse lot; the stereotype of a fur-clad wildman chewing roots and spewing prophecies is inaccurate (although many shamen of the Land end up like that). That bureaucrat at the tax office who just won't take a bribe - could he just be honest, or is he working for the Stars? That agitator in the street who keeps calling for democratic change, and always seems to slip away just a minute before the Watchdogs arrive - does he just have a few friends on lookout for him, or is he a shaman of the Sky?

The Delan Codex has penetrated the mystery of the shaman somewhat: rather than working in large groups, with leaders who commune directly and speak the words of the Gods, shamen have a much more personal relationship with the Powers. Every twomonth shamen are expected to commune with daimonic helpers assigned to them by the Powers - as the shaman becomes more powerful these daimons become less and less human-like, more and more distant, more and more like the Power itself. Rather than being devoted to advancing a concrete agenda or exalting a Chosen One to heights, shamanism is about a personal transformation, the moulding of the shaman into a vessal for the Power - or into a reflection of the Power, the Codex is not clear. (OOC: A shaman may expect to gain one spell per turn if he or she has made suitable progress in this great Becoming under the guidance of his or her personal daimon.)

As with the Gods, the Delan Codex lists the Powers and what varieties of magic they can provide to their faithful (and that sorcerers can steal):

    The Sky is the Power of freedom, travel, broad horizons and a carefree life. Its spells can make a journey pass more safely, or more swiftly, or give the caster access to unusual means of travel and navigation. Its magics can also break the chains that bind one - sometimes literally - and aid rebellions and insurrections.

    The magic of the Land is the magic of the natural world. Land spells can bring fertility and life, or give their user control over plants or animals. Central to the magic is a close association with nature and one's primal self.

    Those wielding the mystic power of the Stars may put it to various ends; the imposition of justice, determining the truth, sensing concealed patterns, preserving things or people from decay, supression of emotion, calming chaos, and conjuring cold and ice.

    The magic of the Oceans is the magic of secrecy. Ocean spells enable secrets to be hidden from prying eyes and the secrets of others to be found out. Ocean spells may also be used to harness the Ocean to your bidding, as well as the mysterious creatures beneath its icy depths.

    The Fire is a force of creativity and chaos. This is not pure willfull destruction but the antithesis of order of both the world and the mind. The Fire can give inspiration beyond your wildest dreams or drive you into the depths of insanity - sometimes both. Magic wielded in its name tends to be of either the most destructive nature imaginable, or can be used to invoke strong emotions in others.

Whilst serving the Powers is regarded as equally threatening by the Church of the Intercessor, people tend not to get as worked up about it as they do worship of the Gods. (The Ghouls are even allowed to practice shamanism within their strange enclave, since the Intercessor's message seems firmly aimed at human beings, although the Church is not happy about this state of affairs.) Whilst the Gods are clearly powerful and active threats to mankind, many people just can't get all that excited about the Powers - especially if they are city-dwellers, prone to forget the superstitions of simpler folk. Few who are not shamen themselves can sense the vast and slow life that resides in Sky or Stars or Land. Nonetheless, the authorities take a dim view of human beings practicing shamanism.

Sorcery

Sorcerers serve only themselves. They tend to be vain and proud, and prefer to work alone. They can conduct various rituals to exorcise, interrogate, or otherwise cajole unquiet spirits, or to steal spells from the Gods and Powers for their own use. This they regard as a victory for humanity over the esoteric forces who would mould us in their image. Cultists and shamen would regard it as looking for trouble, and will gladly provide sorcerers with all the trouble they could ever hope for.

The attitude of the authorities to sorcery is ambiguous. The Church of the Intercessor regards it as a tool, and in general approves of sorcerers usurping the powers of cultists and shamen, although not if this magic is used for wicked ends. Not too long ago there was an ill-fated attempt to produce Sorcerer's Certificates, along similar lines to the licences issued to alchemists. This ultimately proved much more difficult to enforce; alchemy, by its very nature, leaves behind physical evidence, but sorcery is a very different process.

Whilst Sorcerers can use a far wider range of spells, the process of stealing and casting them is often more difficult. First the sorcerer must learn of the spell in the first place - through scouring old grimoires, trading for knowledge with other sorcerers (though what sorcerer would make himself redundant by giving another wizard his entire repertoire?), spying on cults and shamen, and so forth. Next, the sorcerer must obtain certain artifacts to use in stealing the spell. Lastly, after the spell has been stolen, the sorcerer may have to cast the spell in a somewhat different (and quite possibly more dangerous) manner, in keeping in the manner in which it has been stolen.

Or at least, that is what it was like in the old days. The Delan Codex has provided sorcerers with intriguing new opportunities. It has exposed the secret that the artifacts used by sorcerers in their rituals become potent Tokens of occult potency, and are vital to the casting of their spells; each spell has its own Token, and to deprive a sorcerer of a Token is to deprive him of that spell (though non-wizards can place themselves in terrible danger if they meddle with Tokens). It has revealed that through various rituals sorcerers can perceive the spirits and entities which invisibly haunt our world, and can bind them to their will; it has also been responsible for introducing two new practices to the sorcerers of the True Lands; a method of researching new spells, and an approach to magic based on the theory of the Divine Self.

Researching Spells from Scratch

Certain hints and allusions within the thirty-seventh footnote of the Delan Codex (an apparently meaningless parable about an old man harvesting wheat with his penknife, not obviously related to the main body of the text) have led sorcerers to uncover a means of deriving the means of stealing a spell from the Gods or Powers from scratch; all one has to do is come up with a vague intent as to what you want the spell to achieve (for example, "I want a spell which will protect my son from harm"), choose the most appropriate God or Power, and then play with certain arcane formulae until one gets the answer. It should be noted that often the answer is not quite what the sorcerer intended (for example, seeking an Ocean spell to protect your child might give you a spell which compels the Ocean to keep your child hidden and safe for a time - but involves tossing the sprog into the briny deep). It should also be noted that having worked out the parameters of a spell, a sorcerer still has to perform the rituals to steal the dratted thing, and researching a spell from scratch is, in general, much less efficient than going out and uncovering spells. It is, however, useful when you need a spell which will fulfill a particular function, but won't need it for two or three turns...

The Theory of Divine Self and the God Within

It is known to alchemists that all living things carry within them something of each of the five Powers, for we are descended from them and we live in a world immersed in their influence. The Delan Codex points out, however, that if this is the case then we must also carry within ourselves something of the nature of the Divine, and since the celestial or infernal or Oceanic or earthy or mercurial parts of us can be evoked and enhanced through alchemical techniques and through exhibiting behaviour associated with the relevant Powers, we must therefore be also able to cultivate the Godly part of ourselves. When one participates in a cult, one is moulding the Divine part of oneself in the image of one's God; but what happens if we do not follow the Gods, if we are not marked by them, if we behave as if we were Gods in our own right rather than mimicing the known Gods?

Having led us through this torturous logical path, the Delan Codex then presents us with a bold theory: that if we are true to ourselves and only ourselves, defy all attempts to place a yoke upon us, and jealously guard our independence to the point where accusations of narcissism, egotism or solipsism are risked, we can cultivate a "Divine Self", a part of ourselves which is a God Within our bodies and minds and yet is undeniably and quintessentially ourselves, and not a malign and misanthropic senile God from the dawn of time. Sorcery, the Codex asserts, is an excellent way to allow the God Within to grow, usurping the magics of the cosmos for our personal ends being an inherently hubristic act. The anonymous author of the Codex constantly hints that the Emperor had followed the path of the Divine Self almost to its very end, and at one point outright states that the God Within gave the Emperor both his immortality and his senility.

The theory of the Divine Self is easily the most controversial and disputed of the concepts put forth in the Delan Codex, but it has led to the discovery of a brand new form of magic: the spells of the Self.

The Spells of the Self

The idea is simple: why steal power from others when you can use your own? It is possible to research spells of the Self, just as it is possible to research spells of Gods or Powers; the spells of one's self are invariably related in some way to one's Price; a wizard whose Price is "protecting my family" is unlikely to be able to research a spell of the Self which will bring him gold or sexual virility, but he could make a spell which would, for so long as he chose to maintain it, alert him when his children were in danger, or hide his wife from his enemies.

Spells of the Self do not need to be stolen in complicated in rituals like spells of the Gods or Powers; sorcerers need not use Tokens of power when shaping the world using their pure, unrefined will. They do, however, really take it out of you; cantrips leave sorcerers breathless and shaking, enchantments require bed rest afterwards, and the sorcerer who casts Grand Rituals of the Self risks his very life: remember, by casting themselves you are - if the Delan Codex is to be believed - calling upon the God Within, a very real part of yourself which makes you who you are. It is believed that those who cultivate the Divine Self may have a more potent God Within, and thus are less exhausted and drained through casting the spells of the Self.

Sample Spells

We've decided not to have public spell lists for this game - we feel that such information should be scarce and valuable. On the other hand, it's only appropriate to let you know what sort of effects you can achieve to help you decide whether to play a magic-user of any sort. In general, the Gods grant spells that are related to their activities, goals, and obsessions, whereas the Powers grant spells that are tied in with their essential nature (and frequently involve physical manifestations of the relevant element).

The below spells are the sort of thing that the God of Knowledge might grant to his followers if he weren't dead. They are now defunct, so you will not be able to attain these specific effects through worshipping him; however, they should hopefully give you an idea of the scale we're working on.

Cantrips

A Cantrip is a minor magic. It requires little of the caster, and gives little in return, but since it is decidedly low-key Cantrips are often more useful than, say, Grand Rituals.

Example: Truth's Straight Path
This spell allows the caster to swiftly and easily find a particular scrap of information when he or she has mountains of material to sift through. Perhaps you want to find a particular book in a library, or perhaps you've broken into Colonel Zero's office and you need to find a particular secret document as swiftly as possible before the guards come. A cultist of Knowledge simply recites a short, two-line rubric that is given to them when they are granted the use of the spell, and they will then know precisely where to find the information if it is present in their location.

To gain and cast this spell, a sorcerer must steal a strip of cloth from the ritual garb of a Knowledge-cultists, or from the academic robes of an aged scholar. The strip must be embroidered with three runes during the ritual to steal the spell; to cast the spell, the sorcerer then wears the cloth as a blindfold - the first book or document he or she picks up when blindfolded will contain the information.

Enchantments

Enchantments are more major acts of magic. Their effects tend to be broader and more impressive then cantrips; often, they will ask more of the caster.

Example: Free the Truth
Interrogating a prisoner? Want to get the truth out of them quickly? This spell will liberate it, but your prisoner will be... damaged goods afterwards. A cultist of Knowledge simply shaves the head of the individual in question and tattoos the Mark of Thezir on their scalp. The mark will glow briefly, and the knowledge will shine through. Do not look in their eyes as this is happening; the presence of the God is within them. Once it leaves, their mind will be burned out - they will still be able to speak and look after themselves, but their memory will be gone. Perhaps now is the time to give them informative tracts about how Knowledge is the only route to salvation.

To gain and use this spell, sorcerers must construct a hammer and anoint it with the blood of a cultist of Knowledge during the ritual to steal the spell. They again draw the Mark of Thezir on the scalp of their prisoner - but they must then immediately smash the prisoner's skull open with the hammer. They must not hesitate; should they fail to kill the prisoner before the presence of Thezir turns up, there will be consequences.

Grand Rituals

Grand Rituals are world-shaking acts of magic. Their scope is still limited (there's no rituals which will destroy the world, or topple the Wall, or consume all Horizon in flame, for example) but they can still have a world-changing effect.

Example: Common Knowledge
This ritual will ensure that every individual within a town or city will become aware of a particular truth. The truth in question must actually be true, and peoples' interpretations of it may well differ wildly from the caster's; the spell merely ensures that they are presented with the facts and are able to make up their own minds.

Cultists must obtain a library's worth of books, and make a mobile bonfire on some sort of trolley or conveyance. They must burn the books on the bonfire, one by one, whilst pushing the fire all the way around the city walls (if the spell is cast on Horizon they needn't push the cart along the base of the Wall). The smoke must encircle the city, and runes must be traced in the ash left behind as the cart moves along. Once the spell is complete, the truth will be exposed to all within the city within a day; the proof will be incontrovertible and undeniable.

Sorcerers must inscribe the truth to be told in blood, on vellum made from the flayed skin of a great scholar, with a writing implement fashioned from the bones of an avatar of Knowledge (the implement must be used to inscribe the magic circle during the ritual to steal the spell). The truth must be burned before the books go into the fire.

Rumours

Once upon a time, all sorcerers were women and worked in harmony with the Great Ones, the Gods and Powers. Then the men came along, kicked put the wisewomen, and began take, take, taking from the Great Ones. That's why they seem so malevolent - the Great Ones hate us because we betrayed them, and they are changed by that hating, but if enough of us prove that we love them they will be soothed and become themselves again. Come with me and I'll show you how...

The Emperor started out as the first sorcerer. If you ever needed proof it was an unhealthy practice, there you have it...

If you break into a sorcerer's place, take everything that's not nailed down. Any object of theirs could be a disguised item of power. They can put magic in turnips or chairlegs if they wanted to.

"Magic" is the sixth Power that permeates everything. The other five Powers are mere reflections of it, and the Gods are ancient savants who have learned how to manipulate it the same way we manipulate steam or clockwork. If you could distil raw mana you would be the greatest alchemist who ever lived.

There are no such things as "Gods" or "Powers", and you're a primitive fool if you cling to such superstitions. The "Gods" are master sorcerers who have reached the peak of their art, the "Powers" are gestalts of those who have melded with one of the five primal elements.

"Magic" isn't anything you can put in a bucket, you simpleton. It's not something which is, it's something you do. Whenever one reaches out and uses powers reserved by the Gods and Powers for their faithful, you're performing an act of magic. Every freedom you enjoy today, you can thank sorcerers like me for: without us, humans wouldn't even have thought or speech...

You want to keep away from wonderworkers. Sorcerers, cultists, shamen... they all come to bad ends eventually. They go funny in the head, and then they grow ugly, and eventually they're not even human anymore.

I hear that to do the greatest acts of magic wizards must shut their eyes really tight, grit their teeth, strain as hard as they can and concentrate... really... hard...

You shouldn't count on magic. At the end of a day, it's much easier just to shoot your enemies than it is to curse them.