Magic courses through the veins of a witch, though for the most part, it is dormant, waiting for the right circumstances to be brought to the forefront. Each witch is born with one particular sort of gift that is strongest within them than all the others. This gift will define them and their abilities, whether or not they are happy to have it be a talent. It will always be their strongest power, though those with more talent, control and dedication can learn a second gift to a lesser degree. These gifts are called “Circles” as each encompasses a sphere of abilities.

In addition to these, most witches can perform small, harmless, feats of magic (such as lighting a candle with a breath or other parlor tricks that do not involve interaction with another person) colloquially referred to as “sparks.” System wise, these are listed as “Level 0” magics. Every witch can perform level 0 magic from any Circle without much power expenditure nor any reagents. The only exception is when they are very drained of energy or otherwise bound from performing magic. Magic using shifters and mer can only do magic in their primary and secondary circles. There are some magics that are exclusive to Mer. For those, refer to the Mer pages!

There are some magics that can be performed automatically provided the user has the ability to concentrate on the task, but many—especially those spells that have a grand effect—cannot generally be performed right off the cuff by the average practitioner. Spells require preparation, reagents, channeling of power and generally some sort of ritual. In this setting, witches generally do not simply throw off magic in battle, but they use it to prepare themselves and others for such things. In many ways, their magic is more practical and support based than actually aggressive. Another reason for this is that the presence of magical energies within the body puts a great strain on one's physicality, making very few witches capable of also becoming warriors. (see witch weaknesses)

There are seven Circles of magic, and while all witches can do a little minor magic from every Circle, they focus on one primary and one secondary. The only exception to this are witches far beyond what will be played in the Crimson Regime, who focus on three rather than two. There is always room to grow as a witch through RP, so if you decide to begin at a lower level, don't worry! 

Included is a chart of abilities of a witch who has a Circle at a particular level. To know what level your character would have access to, refer to the description of their rank. Furthermore, your character will have access to all levels of your particular magic below their highest access level. For instance, if your witch has access to level 3 magic, they can also do level 0 – 2 magic of that Circle as well.
 

This list is not comprehensive, but primarily examples of what sorts of things one would be able to do at that power level. Be creative, but keep the strength of your abilities comparable to what is listed. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask!
 

The higher the level of magic, the bigger the drain upon one's metaphysical energy, which means the greater one's chosen weakness will affect them. Please remember to RP this fairly, consequences are part of drama—the good kind—and make play far more interesting than being able to do everything perfectly. Set a good example for those around you!
 

There are some magical rites that require reagents and rituals IC, and generally a number of witches necessary to perform them. Examples of this include resurrections, breaking a vampire-witch bond and creating permanent effects such as telepathic bonds and regenerating wards, as well as large scale effects. Large scale effects (especially those that affect the sim as whole) require admin permission BEFORE work begins upon them. For all of these, one must discover what is necessary for the ritual IC. These rituals are all highly draining, hence the need for multiple people. Witches attempting such things, particularly bred witches, would know that preparing for vulnerability during such times is an absolute necessity. One should not expect to be able to commit to a multiple witch ritual above one's level more than twice a month.

If a magic is marked as “innate” it means that the witch who possesses that magic can utilize the ability without an active spell. For instance, telepathic communication with a willing partner. These abilities can be activated in one post. 

Many other magics should take multiple posts, depending on what it is. If it is something minor, two should be sufficient. One to state intent and begin the spell, giving people a chance to help or hinder it, and one to finish casting. If there is a ritual involved and multiple people, make a scene of it. Most importantly, play fairly and have fun.

 

Notes about Spell Casting and Rituals
 

Witchcraft is a varied thing, and as there are a variety of schools and ways to learn, there are a varied amount of ways to get the same result. For the most part, the rituals written are guidelines, and you are free to make up your own spells, provided they are a similar level to the others you can cast. Some may be refused due to being too powerful, being covered by a different circle of magic, or being thematically inappropriate. If you're unsure if something is going to be OK, just ask! But definitely be creative.

 

Try and save transcripts of when you cast magic, if not for admin reasons, then for examples that you might potentially show other people. As innate magic does not require this, this is really only requested if it is a larger spell.
 

Unless it is specifically mentioned in the explanation for the spell (such as the use of mer hair for breathing underwater) reagents do not necessarily have to be something specific OOC. Try and think of something appropriate, and if it is for a particularly difficult spell, go with multiple reagents or one that would be difficult to acquire, such as something harvested from a supernatural source.

Reagents from supernatural sources, particularly those harvested from the body, must be acquired in RP within a week of when the ritual is done. The closer to their use date they are harvested, the more potent and effective they will be. It is best to get these from another player character, which will add to everyone's story and, seeing as most are not big on giving away their bits due to the pain and the fact that they could be used against them, conflict as well.

 

A lot of spells say they require multiple witches and/or a ritual, perhaps a song or chanting. In these cases, you are free to improvise and write your spells however you like. Do you take a more formal approach with candlelight and neatly organized offerings? Are you more shamanistic and prefer to go deep into the woods, get naked and cover yourself in mud? There are a lot of possibilities and things to draw upon from many sources. It might be prudent for your character to inform the others coming to their ritual as to what to expect though. We all want to dress appropriately! But of course, that is up to your character.

 

If it says that there needs to be words spoken, a chant or a song, this is up to the person running the ritual to make up. If someone else has done a similar ritual before, feel free to ask if you can use their words, but for the most part, make it your own. It will always be more fun to read something new than a block of text that has been copied from somewhere else. Tailor it to your situation.

Blood and sacrifice are a big theme in magic in the world of the Crimson Regime. Well trained and experienced witches know this, and bred witches in particular may have a skewed sense of morality in terms of using mer or animal derived reagents. Younger witches will be more likely to be uncomfortable with it, but as one goes on the journey to acquire more power, they become less concerned about it.

 

A little RP advice:

 

 Make using magic an event. This doesn't mean you have to send out a notice and invite the whole sim to come along, but involve other people. Since most rituals are not done on the fly, your character will have to prepare. Ask advice from other witches (or other magic using races) IC or if you know a younger, less trained witch, invite them along for the learning experience. Play out the consequences with your weaknesses, and don't be afraid to have things fail every once in a while.

Magic should not be a fix all. Witches and magic users tend to have a lot of knowledge on the topic, particularly at higher levels, and so some may come to you for help. But the knowledge they possess is generally in the one or two categories they focus in. Which is why networking between the witches is very encouraged both IC and OOC. One the same note, nobody likes it when a character always has a quick fix solution. Sometimes, these are fine. But sometimes, people want the journey of the RP. Try and keep this in mind, and don't be afraid to ask someone what they are looking for OOC.

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