Sable Magic is a form of sorcery which is suited to powering a magical based society and the technology therein - such as Sable or Terra Magica, its forerunner - and is capable of rather more than the normal ADRPG version of sorcery. The magic itself comes from the internal power of the mage himself, rather than reliance on an external force, with the variations in spells and specialities being related to how the internal magical energy is directed. Because of this, Sable mages often need a higher endurance than many other mortal practitioners of magic.
There are different levels of ability in this form of magic, but the basic theory is that for varying amounts of points spent over the basic 15, the mage's potential is greater. Magic becomes far more rapid (instead of 45 minutes to an hour, casting time drops to from 10 minutes to instantaeous to cast,), does not need lynch-pins, and spells can be racked mentally - with a maximum of 10-12 spells rackable at any given time.
The magic can be used in a variety of ways, including:
powering everyday technology (e.g. a spell to heat the water for the boiler for a steam engine, or a light spell which can be turned on and off like a switch)
transportation across and between Shadows (although a "checkspell" is needed to feel for the magic of Shadow the first time you use the magic in a new place)
the magic is genetically based and internalised, rather than powered by some external force, and therefore as long as a "checkspell" is used, Sable mages can use their magic anywhere, even where the magical field is rather weaker
long-distance communications
destruction (fireballs, lightning bolts, explosives, demolition, etc.)
defence (warding, personal shields)
scanning (similar to a Pattern lens, only restricted to the Shadow the mage is on)
investigation/forensics (although these spells take somewhat longer to cast)
healing and magical and mental surgery
The "Talent" is the name for the genetic mutation that gives Sable mages the means to cast their magic, and is therefore at the very heart of Sable society. Some form of the Talent is present in about one in a thousand people, with varying degrees of strength, although once in a family it often runs true in successive generations. On rare occasions, a person can learn spells if the Talent isn't present but they have a particularly strong will, but they will only ever manage to attain the lowest degree of magical education, or more likely become ritualists.
"Real" people have the potential for the Talent if they have some measure of Chaos heritage. Although they still need the genetic mutation to have full blown Talent, a Chaos heritage improves the chances of the mutation occurring.
Occasionally, someone will be found who is either exceedingly weakly Talented - ie their Talent isn't strong enough even to train as the most basic kind of mage - or perhaps has a flawed Talent, which is strong but for some reason cannot be trained by normal means, but who demonstrates some kind of unusual affinity or ability. This may be an ability they have from birth, or it may develop in later life due to specific stresses or experiences. These individuals are known as Sensitives, although what specifically makes someone a Sensitive, rather than leaving them with just a weak or broken Talent, is still a matter of great interest and investigation amongst the magical community.
Sensitive abilities can take a number of different forms: examples include the ability to feel magical or other arcane emanations, to unerringly spot black magic and its practitioners, being particularly empathic as far as feeling strong emotions in others, an affinity for the psychic without actually being able to cast spells, being able to seek for something or attune to something and know where it is thereafter, or have what is known in common parlance as Second Sight. There are even some mages who demonstrate the characteristics of Sensitives, which has led to further debate on the nature of this particular ability.
Since Henry VI of England, Terra Magica, decreed it to be acceptable to be a mage, and the Talented started to show themselves more publicly, the society has become far more oriented towards a magic-based way of life. Therefore, instead of technology as we know it on Earth developing, a magic-based technology is the norm on Sable, which has inherited its systems from Terra Magica. The tech level is currently approximately equivalent to the late-Victorian era, although as conjuration becomes more common, this is likely to rise (note recent innovations in magical broadcasting and central power generation).
The non-Talented on Sable have come to accept the mages as part of their everyday life. However, the instincts of humans to fear or distrust those who are different to them are still in the populous, and therefore the Talented make sure that they publicly police their own, to make sure that they do not antagonise the rather more numerous non-Talented. This is also part of the reason behind blocking wild Talent in children: so a child doesn't accidentally harm a non-Talented person, thus incurring the wrath of those people against the mages.
While at college, would-be mages are taught to behave in a responsible way in their magical dealings, and are left with no illusions about the strict penalties they will incur should they ignore their responsibilities, or flaunt the laws governing mages and magical workings. On graduation, they are expected to swear an oath to uphold their responsibilities, and to obey the rules mages should live by, as set by the Council.
Given that mages are uncommon, and at the same time key to the running of society, a system has been set in place such that all school children of 13-14 are tested for the Talent. Any children who are found to have it are encouraged to go to mage school to study, although it does remain optional. In addition, those who do not have the Talent per se, but have the strength of will to manage the simpler magics, are also encouraged to study and bring out their potential. Even the weakest mage has something to contribute to a magical society.
Tests are carried out by the Testing Board. Its representatives are trained to look within the mind of a subject to see if the genetic trigger that will allow the Talent to develop is present.
In addition, on rare occasions the Talent can manifest spontaneously in children from age about 12 upwards, if the child is particularly strongly Talented. Normally this will only occur if the child is under serious stress, or in a life-threatening situation. Should such a manifestation occur, the other function of the Testing Board comes into play: Testing Board officials are empowered to temporarily block the Talent so that neither the child nor anyone else gets hurt by wild spells. Such a block can easily be removed when the child is old enough to go to mage school. As a note, children who do manifest the Talent early often go on to be the strongest mages in Sable.
The Testing Board also is usually the first group to identify Sensitives who, once discovered, are immediately given a qualified mage or Sensitive mentor to educate them in the safe, beneficial usage of their ability.
The purpose of the Magical Oversight Council is as the governing body for all Sable and Commonwealth mages. The idea is that all mages should live and work by a set of specific guidelines, which protect both themselves and the non-Talented, thus maintaining the status quo between the two sections of society. To this end, the Council makes the laws by which the mages live - over and above the normal rule of law in the society; investigates breaches of those laws (such as using spells recklessly, or mentally interfering with another person, either Talented or non-Talented); and dispenses justice when necessary.
Penalties for breaking the laws range from a temporary or permanent blocking of the Talent (there are a handful of mages on Sable who are trained to be able to completely eradicate the Talent from one who has abused it, over and above the more common skill of blocking the Talent temporarily), to imprisonment and death for particularly heinous crimes such as ritual black magic, demonology and necromancy.
In addition, the Council is responsible for settling disputes between mages: either by normal rule of law or, if that is not going to work, by ordering a duel arcane. In by far the majority of cases, duel arcane is not to the death - although accidents can happen - and involves a combat between the two mages concerned, in a strictly controlled environment and using nothing more than the basic spells taught to everyone at mage college. Breaches of this protocol will be severely punished.
Visiting and newly-returned mages are expected to register with the Council within forty-eight hours of arriving in the Kingdom of Sable.
All mages have their own specific magical signature, which is a factor of the mage’s psyche and training/magical education. The Council keeps a record of all signatures of mages who have graduated within Sable and the Commonwealth Veils. To attempt to change one’s magical signature is very difficult and technically illegal. The best that can probably be done is change the element within it which relates to magical education. Any change in the psychic element would have a much more obvious effect on a magical signature.
As at January SY153, the membership of the SMOC was: King Robert, Queen Claire, General Prince Andrew, Archbishop Dennis Dessain, Chancellor Simon Ellis, Professor Martin Blake, Sir Marcus Court, Comte Francesco Ragoczy, Brigadier-General Richard Patterson, Sir Adam Sinclair KG (non-resident liaison with the equivalent body on Terra Magica).
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