Practical Magic: Devices, Costs & Applications

The Soul as Fuel

Soul Capacity & Depletion

Every person possesses a Soul Capacity, measured in Urvan Units (UU). Using magic drains your soul temporarily—like stamina, it regenerates with rest and meditation.

Soul Quality Matters

Not all souls produce the same quality of Aether-Vapours:

• Pure Spenta Souls: Saints, true believers, those driven by love/duty produce golden vapours that burn clean. Devices last 30% longer and operate more efficiently.
• Pure Angra Souls: Nihilists, those consumed by hate or despair produce corrosive black vapours. 20% more power output but damages devices over time.
• Most People: Mixed alignment (70/30, 60/40, etc.). Vapours fluctuate based on emotional state—a good person having a bad day produces slightly Angra-tinted vapour.

Common Devices by Tier

Tier 1 - Artisan Level (Everyday Items)

The Vapour-Lantern

• Cost: 50 silver coins
• Function: Provides light for 8 hours per activation
• Soul Cost: 2 UU per hour (sustainable for most)
• Special: Brightness adjusts to ambient light automatically

The Chai-Kettle (Self-Heating Samovar)

• Cost: 75 silver coins
• Function: Heats water to precise temperature for tea
• Soul Cost: 5 UU to heat 2 liters
• Cultural Note: Every home has one; refusing tea is a serious insult

The Whisper-Box (Communication Device)

• Cost: 200 silver coins (paired set)
• Function: Voice transmission up to 5 km
• Soul Cost: 1 UU per minute
• Limitation: Requires line of sight once to bond pairs

Vapour-Lock (Security Device)

• Cost: 300 silver coins
• Function: Opens only for authorized soul signatures
• Soul Cost: 0.5 UU to unlock (if authorized)
• Security: Can imprint up to 5 signatures

Tier 2 - Engineer Level (Complex Devices)

The Far-Seeer (Telescopic Scope)

• Cost: 1,500 silver coins
• Function: Enhanced vision up to 10km, detects spiritual signatures
• Soul Cost: 3 UU per hour
• Side Effect: User's eyes glow faintly gold during use

The Huma Bird (Messenger Automaton)

• Cost: 2,000 silver coins
• Function: Delivers messages autonomously
• Soul Cost: 20 UU to program route
• Lifespan: 100 trips before Core degrades

Engine-Ark (Mechanical Horse)

The iconic transport of Némand, built in modular components:

• Core Frame: 5,000 silver coins
• Locomotion System: 3,000 silver coins
• Intelligence Matrix: 2,000 silver coins
• Armor Plating: 1,500 silver coins (optional)
• Operating Cost: 10 UU per hour of active riding
• Idle Maintenance: 1 UU per day to keep Core warm

Why a Horse? The archetype of "loyal mount" makes it bond with its owner. Engine-Arks can sense rider's emotions, return home if the rider is incapacitated, and some develop personality quirks over time.

Tier 3 - Architect Level (Semi-Sentient)

The Guardian-Karvad (Cylopian Hound)

• Cost: 15,000 silver coins (rarely for sale)
• Function: Autonomous security automaton
• Soul Cost: 100 UU initial imprint, then self-sustaining
• Personality: Develops loyalty, can disobey orders that would harm owner
• Controversy: Self-sustaining by absorbing ambient spiritual energy—some claim it feeds on nearby souls

Chromaturgy - The Woven Magic

The Art of Soul-Weaving

Chromaturgy is the practice of weaving magic into fabric using Soul-Dyed threads. Each color resonates with specific intentions:

• Gold Thread: Protection, durability
• Silver Thread: Luck, fortune
• Crimson Thread: Passion, courage
• Azure Thread: Clarity, wisdom
• Emerald Thread: Health, vitality
• Obsidian Thread: Concealment, secrecy

The Weaving Process

1. Thread Preparation: Soak silk in solution of powdered Azhur's Ore and dye
2. Soul Infusion: Weaver channels intent while dyeing (10 UU per spool)
3. Pattern Selection: Specific geometric patterns amplify effects
4. Weaving Meditation: Maintain focus—emotional state affects result
5. Final Binding: Last thread tied with a drop of weaver's blood (permanent seal)

Common Woven Items

Luck Shawl

• Cost: 800 silver coins
• Effect: Increases probability of favorable outcomes by ~15%
• Duration: 1 year before potency fades
• Note: Not true luck—enhances intuition and timing

Shadow Cloak

• Cost: 3,000 silver coins
• Effect: User becomes harder to notice (not invisible, just forgettable)
• Duration: 3 years
• Limitation: Doesn't work during violence or loud actions

Battle Mantle

• Cost: 5,000+ silver coins
• Effect: Absorbs kinetic impacts (equivalent to light armor)
• Duration: 500 impacts or 2 years
• Military Secret: Army of Mazda officers wear these under uniforms

Hearth Carpet

• Cost: 1,500 silver coins
• Effect: Radiates warmth, creates sense of safety and comfort
• Duration: 5 years
• Cultural Significance: Traditional wedding gift

Combat Applications

Vapour-Lance (Infantry Weapon)

• Cost: 1,000 silver coins
• Function: Projects concentrated Aether-Vapour as weapon
• Soul Cost: 5 UU per shot
• Range: 50 meters
• Spenta Version: Stuns/incapacitates
• Angra Version: Burns/dissolves (illegal in most jurisdictions)

The Simurgh's Talon (Officer's Blade)

• Cost: 3,500 silver coins
• Function: Sword with soul-channeled edge
• Soul Cost: 1 UU per hour to keep active
• Effect: Cuts through mundane materials and automata easily
• Status Symbol: Only Army of Mazda officers may carry

The Dark Side: Angra Mechanics

Why Use Angra?

• 20-30% more raw power
• Easier to channel (negative emotions are simpler)
• Cheaper devices (less precise engineering needed)
• Addictive—the power feels intoxicating

The Cost

• Physical: Devices decay faster, need constant maintenance
• Mental: User becomes irritable, paranoid, emotionally volatile
• Spiritual: Soul becomes corrupted—harder to produce Spenta vapour
• Social: Using Angra marks you—dark circles under eyes, pale skin

Parasitic Garments (Shadow Court)

The Shadow Court creates Parasitic Garments using enslaved weavers and black Angra thread:

• Wearer gains significant power boost
• Garment slowly drains wearer's soul over time
• Creates addiction—wearer feels weak without it
• Eventually, wearer becomes a husk; garment is "recharged" with new victim

Limitations & Phenomena

Magic Cannot:

• Raise the dead (souls are gone)
• Create matter from nothing (transmutation only)
• Read minds (can sense emotions/intent, not thoughts)
• Time travel
• Grant true immortality

Soul Harmonics

Two people deeply bonded (love, lifelong friendship) can share soul capacity, allowing them to operate devices together more efficiently. However, if the bond breaks, both suffer severe soul trauma.

The Soul Echo

When someone dies violently, their final intent can imprint on nearby Cores, creating "haunted" devices that malfunction unpredictably. Some claim to hear whispers from Soul Echoes.

Némand Surge

When the Ninth Planet is closest:

• All magic is 50% more powerful
• But also 50% less stable—devices backfire more often
• Tier 1 users can briefly perform Tier 2 feats
• Many die from Soul Fractures during this period

Core Addiction

Prolonged use of high-tier devices can make users dependent. Without daily use, they feel incomplete and weak. Rehabilitation requires months of soul-cleansing meditation.

Training & Mastery

Resonance Training

Users must train their Mainyu (intent/will):

• Tier 1 Training: 6 months to learn consistent activation
• Focus Meditation: Daily practice strengthens soul-device connection
• Breath Control: Synchronized breathing regulates vapour flow
• Emotional Discipline: Maintain Spenta alignment under stress

"The soul is both fuel and forge. To master the Art is not to dominate one's devices, but to understand oneself completely—for in the end, all magic is self-knowledge made manifest."
— Kaveh the Blacksmith