The Geomancy System

All specific knowledge contained in this document is OC information by default. IC, this information is only known to people who have the “Geomancy I” skill or who have been told this information by a Geomancer. Otherwise, you must ‘stonewall’ it (act as though you do not know it in character).

Geomancy

Basic Concepts

• Geomancy is the manipulation of Ley Power.
• Geomancy can perform feats outside the realm of normal magic at much greater risk.
• Ley Power comes from Ley Lines that run through the world
• Geomancy must be performed on a ley nexus
• Geomancy is unstable

Geomancy is the art of shaping Ley power into a variety of effects. These effects can be many measures more powerful than regular magic, but Geomancers that attempt such arts do so with incredible risks.

The power used in Geomancy comes from Ley Lines. These are lines of magical power found throughout the world and are known to cross at various points known as Ley Nexi. It is in these places that it is possible to perform Geomancy, performing a ritual in other places has no effect. Because of its chaotic source of power Geomancy is unstable and unpredictable, it is widely known that the same ritual performed twice can lead to different outcomes.

Ley Nexi respond to RECOGNISE SPIRIT/MAGIC/DEMON with “Wibble”.
Ley Nexi respond to RECOGNISE SPIRIT/MAGIC/DEMON by giving the caster a headache, due to the large amount of kaleidoscopically shifting power present in the nexus.

Performing a Ritual

• Performing a ritual can be done by anyone, but it is more risky for those who have not studied the art.
• Rituals begin by calling forth the power of the Ley nexus and end by dismissing it.
• Geomancers use words to shape their rituals.
• Power words can be used to make a ritual more precise.

Rituals may be performed by anyone; there is no special skill required for the performing of Geomancy on a Ley nexus. However, those that have studied the art are more resistant against some of its negative effects and their advanced knowledge gives them the ability to approach Geomancy in a generally safer way.

When on a Ley nexus, in order to begin a ritual words similar to I call upon the power of this Ley Nexus must be used. Similarly some form of dismissal, e.g. I dismiss the power of this Ley Nexus, is used to finish a ritual.

Geomancers use words to shape and perform the effect of their rituals. Many styles of geomancy exist, but the power is also shaped by their will and intention, though it has been known for words to come back to bite the unwary geomancer, there is room for a varied style of approach and no one format is known to be superior.

Geomancers sometimes use Power Words to help shape their ritual. There are two such words in a ritual. The first word reflects how the world presently is in regards to the effect desired. This word is uttered before beginning the body of the ritual but after calling upon the power. The second word reflects how the world is to be shaped by the ritual and is to be uttered before dismissing the power of the Ley nexus.

Geomantic Stability

Geomancy is an unstable art, and without careful preparation, the instability of a powerful ritual is more likely to cause the ritual to fail and potentially kill the ritualist. For every 5 units of power a ritual is likely to use, the geomancer should first prepare geomantic stabilisations. The more experienced a geomancer is, the more stabilisations they are able to use: a beginning geomancer can only maintain one stabilisation, but the most experienced may use seven or eight effectively. Stabilisations may vary from ritualist to ritualist, and may include:

• The careful arrangement of symbols on the ley nexus.
• The drawing of geometric forms on the ley nexus (e.g. circles, triangles, spirals, etc.).
• The arrangement of themed items on the ley nexus.
• The motions of individuals standing on the ley nexus.
• The use of chanting immediately prior to the beginning of the ritual.
• Music being played on the ley nexus.
• The ritual being written in rhyme, song, etc.
• And many more…

In general, geomantic stabilisations should be obvious and consume some effort or time. If you are in doubt about whether something will be an effective stabilisation, ask the refs.

Even if an unstabilised ritual does not fail, it will definitely result in negative consequences to participants, targets, and anyone and anything near the ley nexus (or nexi) affected. A stabilised ritual will typically be safer, more likely to succeed, and result in fewer, though never no, side-effects.

Ley Power

• Ley Nexi provide finite power.
• The Moon seems to affect the amount of power
• Gods, Elemental Lords/Ladies and similarly powerful entities can be called upon to add power to a ritual
• Magical, spiritual and demonological items can be sacrificed as part of rituals in order to power them.
• In extreme cases, souls of the living are used to power rituals.
• Insufficient power is extremely dangerous.

Ley Nexi are not capable of providing infinite power in order to power rituals. There is a finite amount of power within any given Ley Nexi. This is effected by the moon. Geomancers use a standard unit to measure Ley Power. When there is a Full Moon the power is weakest; 2 units. When the Moon is at half this increases to 5 units. When the Moon is new this increases to 10 units.

Geomancers are known to call upon God’s, Elemental Lords/Ladies and other such entities in order to increase the power of their rituals. These entreaties can cause potential problems as they allow the entities to shape the ritual against the Geomancer’s whims, this may result in unintended side effects if the entity disagrees with the purpose of the ritual.

Similarly Magical, Spiritual and Demonological artifacts can be sacrificed in rituals. They provide power proportional to their own power; for example an item that is created within the 5th circle of fire magic will provide around five units of Ley power. Likewise Mana and Spirit can be offered as part of a ritual.

It also possible to move existing Ley power from one nexus to another. Some even claim it is possible to store such power, but doing so requires a ritual which is risky in and of itself.

In extreme cases the souls of the living have been used to power rituals. This often results in the damage to the soul or death of the person surrendering it. This most commonly occurs as a result of an insufficient power.

If a Geomancer attempts to shape an effect for which they do not have sufficient power, then it is unclear what may happen: it has been known for them to face considerable unintended consequences and yet the ritual still occur, the power of the ritual to merely be wasted or other unintended side-effects.

Flux

• Flux is caused by Geomancers channelling Ley power into their bodies
• A Geomancer can experience up to 10 units of Flux before they experience adverse effects.
• A Geomancer will die if their body contains 20 or more units of Flux.
• Flux dissipates over time: more experienced Geomancers are able to clear it more quickly.

Flux is a side-effect of Geomancy; for every unit of Ley Power they channel as part of their ritual, a unit of Flux is generated. There are other ways of generating Flux – additional Flux is generated in the following circumstances:

• Whenever multiple ritualists perform a ritual, the amount of total flux generated is increased by one per ritualist. The Flux is then spread evenly across each ritualist.
• An additional two units of Flux is generated whenever a ritual creates an effect which endures instead of immediately ceasing after the ritual has worked. Such Flux cannot be removed until the effect ceases.
• Whenever a Geomancer creates an effect is delayed such that it does not happen on completion of the ritual. An extra unit of Flux is generated if this effect is within a week. If this is within the season (Term) then an extra two units of flux are generated. If this effect is delayed to within a year, three units of flux are generated. Longer than this it is hard to tell. Such flux does not dissipate until the effect ends.

It is possible to perform a ritual to end effects of Geomancy early. While risky, this is often less power than the initial ritual and one of the few ways to end the effects of additional Flux without waiting for it to decay.

Sapient species are reasonably tolerant to the effects of flux and are able to have 10 units of Flux affecting them before feeling ill effect. Each unit they go over, the chaotic magic begins to afflict them. No known person has survived having twice that limit (i.e. twenty units) of flux and lived. The effects of Flux make themselves known over the course of a week, save death which occurs within minutes of the rituals completion; but is a slow and painful process (nonetheless it usually renders the Geomancer completely inert). Some examples of what may occur due to Flux are found below.

(However Flux is at the discretion of the Refs these serve as guidelines for both Players and Refs rather than a definitive list)

Decay Level in excess of 10.	Possible Effects
One	You take +1 Degree of damage from spirit OR cold iron (Not both). Odd roleplay effects.
Two	You take +1 degree of damage from a single elemental source (e.g. flaming) OR Silver (not both). Fear of something rare or unusual.
Three	Wither one limb. Lose one spirit. Can’t heal damage of a certain type.
Four	-1 hit per location. Fear of a particular person familiar to the person
Five	Unable to tell a lie. Fear of an everyday item/stimulus.
Six	Can’t be healed by one of alchemy or spiritual healing.
Seven	Harmed by one of Alchemy or Spiritual healing
Eight	Lose the ability to speak. Blindless.
Nine	Temporary Madness. Inability to communicate or act rationally.
Ten	DEATH

Flux dissipates over time. Every creature removes one Flux over the course of a week. Certain levels of the Geomancy skill permits the Geomancer to lose Flux more quickly.

The Power of Individual Rituals

• The power of each individual ritual is down to ref-discretion. As is the exact amount of power available to you.
• The following are designed as guidelines to assist both Players and Refs in their calculations of power.
• In general a Geomancer will rarely know the exact power of their ritual but by study can usually work it out within 1-2 units.

The Power of each ritual is down to ref discretion. In general if the ritual replicates the effect of an existing spell, miracle or skill then the ritual should be close in power to the level of the thing replicated. This is also a reasonable guideline for when Geomancy is used to do things outside of the normal power level which is accessible.

The following Guidelines are recommended to both Players and Refs for the calculation of ritual power. However Refs may modify them freely if they feel in the specific circumstance that greater or lesser power should be used.

The following things increase the power required:

• Duration:
  • Permanent: 12+
  • Year: 8
  • Seasonal (Term): 4
  • Week: 2
  • Day: 1
  • If your effect lasts a day or longer -1 from the above.
• Targets/Area
  • Each additional target: 1
  • A room size worth: 4
  • A City size: 7
  • Larger: 10+
• Range (making the ritual target something not on ley nexus)
  • Participating in the ritual: -1
  • Out of sight: 4
  • Out of city: 6
  • Out of country: 8
  • Out of plane: 10+

The following things help provide power:

• Moon Phase (Base power available)
  • Full: 2 Units
  • Half: 5 Units
  • New: 10 Units
• Sacrifices (Grant Power):
  • Objects: Worth the level of their effects.
  • Souls: Worth midpoint of their size, unless exact level is known.
  • Mana: Worth a number of units according to the level of Elemental Power required.
  • One spirit: Spiritual Favour rank of the character granting spirit – 1, additional spirit has a limited or no effect on the ritual after the first.
  • Gossamer in the amount required for the character granting it to cast a miracle using Gossamer: Druidic Talent rank of the character granting Gossamer – 1, additional Gossamer has a limited or no effect on the ritual.
• Gods and Elemental Lords/other entities of comparable power: up to 5 depending on attitude towards the ritualist.

Kostomancy

Originating amongst monster hunters in the wilds of Belarus, the art of kostomancy, or the transference of ley power in a safer and more stable state to a geomancer’s body for later use, has begun to spread across the world. Utilising the blood or other body matter of the kostomancer, it is more limited and less powerful than geomancy, but also typically far safer, and can be conducted anywhere in the world.

Kostomantic Rites, as these circumscribed quasi-geomantic rituals are called, can only be carried out by a trained geomancer, and then only one who has already made certain specialist preparations upon a ley nexus beforehand. A kostomancer carries a pack of esoteric paraphernalia with them as a matter of course: these are items of personal significance to the kostomancer, and serve to focus and direct the powers they intend to later wield. In investing the power of the nexus into themselves and these items, they also, unavoidably, acquire a certain amount of residual chaotic ley power (commonly known as flux) until the Rites are performed, rendering further geomancy significantly more dangerous: a kostomancer, therefore, prepares themself to carry out Rites only when they leave their home, and diligently and carefully nullifies those preparations upon returning.

The basic focal point of a Rite is the ritual circle. Inscribed in the fresh blood, hair, or other body matter of the ritualist, it acts to channel and focus the powers the ritualist is about to unleash. The amount of body matter required for a Rite is quite high, and cannot be gained without some harm to the ritualist; this is, however, usually considered worth the price. Once the ritual circle is constructed, the ritualist arranges the other participants, items the Rite will be affecting, and their focusing paraphernalia, around it according to the Rite they are about to perform. Since only things within the ritual circle can be affected by a kostomantic Rite unless the circle is broken during it, it is – by geomantic standards – relatively safe to observe one from outside, although prudent watchers will still keep their distance unless they are actively needed to participate, or to defend the ritual circle from attack.

To perform a Rite, the ritualist must enact the following steps:

1. Inscribe the Ritual Circle. This requires the body matter (often, but not exclusively, blood) of the ritualist/s leading the Rite. Some Rites also call for the use of the body matter of the participants to reinforce the circle. A circle reinforced in this way is widely considered to be more stable. Once the circle is drawn, nothing should be permitted to enter or leave it until the Rite is complete.
2. Place the target of the Rite, if it is an item, or direct them should they be a person. Some Rites have multiple targets; others can only accept one.
3. Place any items used as part of the Rite (if the Rite calls for specific items, e.g. “the dust of a zombie”).
4. Place any items used to provide power to the Rite, and instruct any participants who will be providing power to the Rite (e.g. a priest may provide a miracle spirit, or a mage offer some of their mana, just as in a geomantic ritual).
5. Arrange the other participants. Having multiple people present as part of a Rite is usually a stabilising influence, and complex Rites often see the ritualist call on most or all of their companions to aid them. The Belarusian geomancers amongst whom this art originated often swear by having their participants chant, sing, dance, or adopt symbolic poses, as actions taken with the direct intent of enhancing the Rite are thought to improve a Rite’s stability. Participants may hold any items the ritualist deems appropriate.
6. Arrange the ritual paraphernalia in a pattern the ritualist/s feel is appropriate to the Rite. Some ritualists also inscribe sigils or patterns within their circle, whether in body matter (their own or others’) or with more prosaic tools.
7. Begin the Rite, with the ritualists and all participants performing as the ritualist/s instructed. This is the most dangerous time. Even simple Rites invariably take several minutes to complete, and if the ritual circle is broken, or items relevant to the Rite are damaged, or worse, destroyed during it, the Rite will most likely fail, and all sorts of unfortunate events may happen.

Provided that the Rite was successful, the effects the ritualist sought will occur with remarkable reliability. The inherent instability of geomancy cannot be fully negated, however, and a Rite performed without certain safeguards is likely to cause significant backlash to all within its circle. In general, Rites of a higher level of power are more likely to have dangerous effects, as are Rites for which power is provided at a significantly different level (greater or lesser) than the Circle of the Rite. Things that have been said to improve the stability of Rites include:

• The arrangement of ritual paraphernalia within the ritual circle.
• Chanting, singing, humming, or speaking by participants.
• Dancing, posing, or other ritualised motions carried out by participants, e.g. proffering items at appropriate moments of the Rite.
• Body matter of participants used to reinforce the ritual circle, within the ritual circle as ritual paraphernalia for stabilisation, or both.

It has also been reported that certain items may have special properties that may help to stabilise a Rite – although, equally, some items may have properties that would destabilise it.

Other things known, or widely expected, to destabilise a Rite include:

• The power provided to the Rite being significantly different to the Circle of the Rite. A Rite classed loosely as “of the Fourth Circle” will be quite unstable if given enough power for a Seventh Circle Rite – or if given barely sufficient power for a First Circle Rite!
• The ritual circle being crossed during the Rite.
• Participants doing other than as instructed – even in dire emergency, deviating from the ritualist’s intent may cause significant disruption.
• The ritualist being distracted is potentially the greatest danger of all, as if the ritualist lets their concentration on the powers they are wielding slip for more than an instant, they may escape the ritualist’s grasp, causing the Rite to fail and wreaking unpredictable havoc on anyone within the ritual circle.

It is also said, though rarely tested, that two kostomancers working together to perform the same Rite may successfully conduct Rites of a higher circle than either could alone. In this case, the kostomancers must both supply their body matter to the ritual circle, and both actively participate in the Rite. It is generally held that in these cases, the kostomancer who devised the Rite should take the lead in instructing their co-ritualist.