Sorcery

Sorcery is the study of the architecture of reality and its power derives from the manipulation of its structure. Sorcerers believe that Creation was an act of Will and that a proper application of Will can change the architecture of Creation to the practitioner’s desire. Ritual, study and patterns are important to Sorcerers, but only inasmuch they serve to focus the Will appropriately in manipulating not only how the mundane world works, but creating bridges between the mundane world and other worlds beyond.

Gates are the primary places of Sorcerous power, whether they are created by a Sorcerer’s actions or “naturally” occurring in the fabric of the cosmos (though most Sorcerers believe that even these ‘naturally’ occurring Gates were created by some unknown Will). Unlike other places of power, Gates aren’t so much ‘regions’ of magical energy as they are defined openings through which a Sorceror can more easily exert his will.

Unlike other practitioners, Sorcerers can also access the power places of other Emanations. The theory is that places of power are, by their very existence, ripples in the fabric of existence through which a Sorcerer can more easily manipulate the cosmos as it is aligned in that area. Depending on how the place of power is manipulated, a Sorcerer could potentially taint or even destroy that place of power if he exerts his Will there in such a way that is anathema to the Emanation.

For example, a Sorcerer who has gained access to a Hallow can more easily construct a Gate and summon an otherworldly servitor of the deity the place is Hallowed to, binding that servitor to his Will. This sort of sacrilege would likely taint the Hallow, decreasing its power, and, if the servitor is powerful enough, may destroy the Hallow altogether.

Practicing Sorcery is generally prohibited in most cultures. Sorcerers tend to practice their art in secret and, when discovered, are generally hunted and destroyed by other sorts of practitioners. In some areas, even the study of Sorcery is considered dangerous. While not all Sorcerers are necessarily “evil,” the practice of Sorcery tends to be viewed as “Dark Magic” and its practitioners are often executed for no other crime than studying their Art.