v. ABILITIES

[attr="class","basich"]MAGIC

[attr="class","basicp"]


Of witches themselves, the histories hold less knowledge than even regarding monsters. Part of this is the work of the imperial salt witches who wield great influence in the Sharan empire: knowledge itself is power. Those who do not know them, cannot work against them. The latter part of it is the nature of witches themselves. Magical aptitude tends to run in bloodlines, with traditions and spells handed down through the generations. Families develop their own practices and are loath to share them with others. The ruling house of Belet is composed of witches, and are perhaps the most famous collection of witches in the empire outside of the legendary salt witches themselves: yet their workings are entirely unknown to any other practitioner.

While it is true that those unfortunate witches who are orphaned or born into non-magical families have places of learning in which to master their talents, these schools impart no more than the basics. Creating one's own style, in lack of an inherited style, is an intensely private and taxing practice that cannot be taught.

The aforementioned basics of magic can be broken down into three categories: black magic, white magic, and primal magic. Each category is only a rough overview, and spells or workings can seem to overlap. The most accepted, general definitions though are that white magic is the magic of healing and empowerment, black magic is the magic of curses and arcane destruction and primal magic grants control over the four elements of air, water, earth and fire. Most witches choose to specialize in only one school of magic, with some primal witches narrowing their focus to only one element. While it is not uncommon for a talented or hardworking witch to be proficient in two schools, it is a rare witch who can master all three.