"Love or fear?"
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"What?"
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"Which do you want to inspire in others more? Love or fear?"
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"What kind of question is that?"
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"What kind of answer is that? I need to decide on a form eventually, you know."
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"Frankly, I don't much care, darling. But you best be quick about it if you want to become physical before I'm murdered."
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"Aw, don't be like that. You don't know--"
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"I know what I saw."
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"..."
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"..."
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"I was kind of thinking something fuzzy, like a cat? Or a bat? You seem like the type who'd like bats."
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"And I'm thinking you might be surprised... Hold on, was one of those supposed to be fear-inspiring?"
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"Bats are scary!"
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"... You're not terribly creative, are you?"
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"Alright, fine. Fine! Let's hear some of your ideas, then -- but only after you answer my question."
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"You should have been able to figure it out yourself...
[break]I've already been loved more than I ever wanted."
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Grendel's physical form is nothing short of monstrous. Although its shape is that of a tarantula, its size is certainly not. His venomous fangs are the length of a human forearm, and his horizontal length is easily 9 meters. His fur is a muted rustlike hue, and seems to be slick with an eternal dampness, as if he'd just crawled out of a swamp. (Materializing with this dampness seems to be optional, however, as there are a select few individuals to whom Grendel has consistently appeared undoubtably soft and dry.) His exoskeleton, much unlike his base species, is transparent and provides a clear window to the pulsing, writhing organs within. Skulls of assorted animals drape about his limbs like tinsel, though, upon closer inspection, it may be more fitting to compare them to chains. When he first materialized, there was only a single skull; not long after they fled from the scene of the murder of Des' father, there were two. Nowadays, the collection is long and clattering (though this sound also seems to be a feature which the arachnid can turn off at will).
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Underneath the eerie exterior, Grendel is much more normal (compared to society's standards) and meek than his bonded human. Unfortunately, the two have few common interests and motivations, meaning they don't get along terribly well in most situations. Especially after Lan Ya, Desmond's wife, passed away, the two often went for years without any sort of communication. Grendel usually only materializes when Des needs his help, and is bound by a tight leash of true-name commands by the witch.

(a goddamn disaster of a familiar)

Whenever this character causes physical harm to another human, the damage and pain inflicted is replicated on their own body as well. Wounds which are reflected in this way include any wound caused directly by the cursed individual's (or their familiar's) body, any wound caused by a weapon wielded by the cursed individual, and any magic cast by the cursed individual. (This acts as a permanent bought from the shop, and can be removed the same way)

Enables your character to be a natural-born seer, a one-in-ten thousand chance. Natural born seers have access to all scrolls and prophecies as well. Divination can still take shape as their second or first affinity on a case by case basis.

Enables your character to use necromancy, regardless of whether it was learned or their natural-born affinity. Note that necromancy is very much illegal in all major cities of Salem, and using it openly in these locations will result in consequences. This can fill any affinity spot.

Grants your character the ability to learn and use a second element. This can be achieved though their pre-existing familiar having control of two elements, or gaining a 2nd familiar. Note that only one familiar may be materialized at any given time. This may only be given to characters of novice rank and higher.

This skill allows water techniques to be applied to blood. Though occasionally useful for its opaque appearance, it is best known for its ability to distract or redirect wild beasts. Blood running through a living creature's body may not be manipulated unless the technique explicitly allows it. Also, be warned that this branch of magic has a negative stigma, and is considered a crime in certain areas.

The witch can now spread crystal-clear and sparkling water over wounds to aid healing. It helps relieve pain and remove bruises, but deep cuts or open wounds can be otherwise troublesome to deal with.

This technique creates a sticky web of water which traps a user's opponents and limits their movements. The range, size, and effectiveness of this technique is dependent on the skill and experience of the user.

A dragon is created from water and subsequently launched at a target at high speeds. The size of the dragon and the speed at which it travels is determined by a user's experience and rank. Skilled practitioners will be able to control the movement of the dragon even after it has been launched. This technique is much less effective where water is scarce, but when used in the presence of an abundant water source it can be devastating in size and power.

The witch creates octopus like tendrils of water which they can control to act like liquid arms. The amount of arms the witch can control depends on their magical strength, with fledgelings only being able to manipulate one or two at a time.

The witch solidifies darkness with their mana, creating black chain bindings which can be adjusted in length by the witch. They’re often attached to the legs or feet of the enemy like shackles and used to yank them off their feet, tie them down to the ground, or pull them close.

Affinity skills can be earned all the same ways that an elemental technique can be earned, but there aren't many of them, so it's quite rare to have one!

A very simple scroll that almost every witch possesses the knowledge of. It allows the witch and the familiar to switch places at any time or distance from each other. However, sudden switches can leave an inexperienced witch feeling dizzy or disoriented.

The witch can move around objects at their leisure- it’s not intended for offensive use as it’s difficult to make the objects go at high speeds. It’s also mentally exhausting for beginner witches as it requires quite a bit of focus to maintain. It’s generally used to lift objects off the ground or subtly in sleight of hand.

The user must close their eyes to activate this, and it requires a full five seconds of concentration before all magical presences in the area are revealed. The more powerful the presence, the easier it is to sense. It also enables the witch to sense nearby monsters and magical objects. May not work on witches using a CLOAKING SCROLL.

For all those unlucky witches without aquatic familiars or access to similar potions, this scroll enables a witch to breathe underwater.

Water is both calm and ferocious at once. It likes to focus on places and events as opposed to emotion. When used to scry for insight towards passion and desire, it turns violent and difficult to control. Despite this, water does not like to be used for insight into current events and tends to prefer the future or the past.

Earth is steady and always reliable. However, it tends to lack the “imagination” of other elements, and thus is best used to scry for present events. Scrying with this element almost never ends in failure, but the vastness of earth shows in the fact that it is difficult to focus on any particular event. You tend to be luckier if you scry around a place instead of a person or event.

Darkness is generally non-responsive to future-scrying (though some claim they have managed to succeed in it), and prefers the past or the present. Scrying with darkness almost always gives results, but the content of the vision is often out of the seer’s control and can be so elaborate and devoid of context that interpretation becomes nearly impossible.

By meditating, a seer is capable of separating their spirit from their body. This spirit, a fusion of witch and familiar, is located on a nonphysical strata overlapping the world's physical inner strata and is thus imperceptible, even to most spells. In this way, they are able to observe their surroundings undetected and undeterred by physical limitations. The seer cannot control their physical body while astral projecting.

When concentrating, some seers can see colored paths. It is not always clear where they lead, but even an experienced seer can tell a very bad path apart from a very good path, making this skill quite useful when lost.

The seer is now able to see both physical and non-physical paths, enabling them to choose when given options or weighty decisions. However, the representation of this path will not likely be literal, and beginner seers will find it difficult to interpret their “feelings” regarding the path.

This scroll series trains a seer’s eye-- it is not uncommon for a seer’s pupils to alter or lose colours entirely when using these scrolls. The first volume allows the seer to see astral projections or other kinds of spirits and energy such as ghosts. Advanced seers will also be able to see non-summoned familiars if they concentrate on the witch for long enough.

This scroll enables the seer to see the original form of a transfigured object or person. It is not passive, however, and must be consciously performed (ie. the seer would need to activate this sight).

This scroll enables the seer to understand any language. However, the comprehension of meaning may be incomplete as the seer lacks the linguistic context of the words or sounds they are hearing. Their comprehension becomes better with experience.

A dream or nightmare concocted in the mind of a seer can be forced onto sleeping targets. This can be used in conjunction with the dreamwalking skill for the seer to both observe and control a dream. Typically, the effects of this scroll need to be administered by touch. Depending on the target’s frame of mind, the dream may alter its original course. This is especially the case with novices that are unable to create “thoroughly mapped” dreams.

A re-written scroll from the original Urusla's "The Dreamwalker" - this one pertains to entering the dreams of a person. It requires a few items from the person and, of course, requires them to be sleeping. When used, it enables dream communication and appearances. The user cannot alter the dream but can approach and play a role in it.

Connecting to a spirit from another strata, the seer is able to allow the spirit to speak through them. Advanced seers are able to summon the memories of deceased persons. Note that the spirit must be willing.

By examining the organs of a fresh corpse -- usually an animal sacrifice -- the seer can answer certain questions they may have. This type of scrying is most effective when the subject of the question has a genetic or emotional bond to the dead creature.

By forming a mental link with another, the seer and another can communicate wordlessly, and even exchange ideas and memories. The distance between the two individuals which can be reached while maintaining the mental link increases with the experience of the seer.

The seer is able see a second or two into the future for an extended period of time. This allows them to dodge unexpected dangers right before they happen. This sight may actually hinder inexperienced seers, since the overlapping visions are difficult to differentiate between.

This enables the seer to be universally understood regardless of language barriers, without actually enabling the seer to speak different languages.

By touching and examining another person's palm, a seer can see certain fates linked to that person. Less known, however, is that by rubbing an inscription into their palm, the seer is also able to alter these fates (albeit slightly) by giving the person good or bad luck.

Natural seers, by pouring some of their mana into some sort of hallucinogenic substance, can use this to induce visions in themselves or others who consume the substance. The visions are usually not as meaningful as those which occur naturally, but may provide insight in subjects which the seer wouldn't normally think to investigate. It is debated whether the visions induced in non-seers are actually meaningful, since they can be as confusing and seemingly nonsensical as the visions of a fledgeling seer. It tends to be more effective if a seer is present to guide the individual through.

The seer is able to see the general nature and current disposition of a person. Auras of witches are often shaped like their familiar, and can be easily misinterpreted by fledgling seers.

The diviner is able to better control their own aura, allowing them to give other witches false readings from spells which observe their nonphysical/emotional state (such as Aura Reading, Colour Psychology Scroll, lie detection scrolls, etc.). This also allows them to better defend against spells which would assault their spirit or their mana pool.

This spell allows the necromancer to speak with ghosts. Though they cannot see the full forms of the ghosts, they can target and call specific ghosts using a memento or person that the ghost had a strong bond with in life. Ghosts cannot make new memories after death, and often lose their grasp on reality, so conversations with them are rarely straightforward.

Casting this spell on a bone causes it to splinter into sharp shards and shoot towards a target. More experienced necromancers can maintain their control over the bones for a longer period of time, and more quickly and deftly control the bones' path, allowing them to make sharp turns and sudden reversals of direction.

Your official, government approved permit that allows you to practice magic under a coven. Be careful not to get it lost or stolen.

A magically enchanted, never-ending hourglass that fits in your palm. This object was given upon being accepted into Silvertongue. Though it seems like a simple keepsake, this item will serve as your character’s lifeline in the face of imminent peril. When the bearer’s mana reaches critical levels, all items made similarly will begin to glow as a mass signal is sent to witches of your coven, allowing them to come to your aid should anything happen. May be used once to escape death.

A trap-like mechanical device that activates when stepped on. a cage of bones is created around the victim, and they become unable to move while inside the cage. magical blasts from the outside, however, can easily tamper with the enchantment and allow the victim to escape. abuse of this item may result in usage being revoked.

The Staff of the Eternal Depths is an ancient object which has been passed down in the Ling family for generations. Although not strictly sentient, it has a will of its own and possesses a fickle nature. It binds itself to one person at a time and can be neither borrowed nor sold — if someone attempts to do so (or attempts to do anything the staff dislikes, for that matter), it will vanish into its current owner’s shadow and will not rematerialize, even at its owner’s demand. Along a similar vein, it also appears to its owner without prompting, granting them heightened magical ability and immunity from drowning… but only when materialized. Although this artifact is always staff-like in its shape and size, finer details of its structure are defined by the nature of its owner. For Lan Ya, it was a large paintbrush — for her father, a dragon-decorated scepter — for Desmond, a scythe. It also, in some form or another, is decorated by blue variscite, reflective of the ocean and the elements which it most strongly empowers: water and darkness.

This full-length, midnight-black cloak with silver trim is a sleek and fashionable accessory, and has an added magical property thanks to the late fashion icon and weaver Gloria Silverleaf. At the will of the wearer, the cloak can change its cut, color and style, effectively allowing it to become any kind of fabric-based outfit with minor metal components. Close friends of the icon said she wanted to help budding designers experiment with their ideas. However, there's nothing stopping people from using this cloak to copy official uniforms or make a quick outfit change for undercover work.

This sturdy circlet decorated by a geometric web of string is able to ward off most types of magical mental intrusion. They are most often hung at the headboard of a bed to protect the sleeper against dream invasions, but can also be secured to a bag or other item to protect the wearer. Especially powerful spells may still be able to force their way through.

a basic broomstick that is slow but easy to control. it is modest but decently built and somewhat durable. it doesn't have a name and can honestly be found in any shop. required to partake in air duels and others.

This silver ring with a milky-blue centerpiece creates a magical barrier around its wearer when they are in physical danger. The wearer's entire body is protected from physical blows and magical spells alike, though it only lasts for a few seconds. When the ring's effect wears off, it will immediately begin recharging, and can activate again after a few hours. (Protects your character from harm for 1 post. Can only be used once per thread. Will not work against all types of damage, such as from poisons.)

A well-made box, no larger than a lunchbox. When completely sealed, this box will keep its contents in the exact same state that they were in when it was closed. Hot foods will say hot, cold foods will say cold, and even small creatures placed inside will not age or notice any passage of time between when they were placed in there and when they were let out. Familiars which are small enough to fit in the box will be banished back to their native strata when the lid is closed as if they'd willingly de-materialized.

Allows the witch to recover from physical injuries, or given to other witches, allows them to do the same. Minor wounds are completely healed, and progress is shown on moderate wounds. Major wounds or limb loss, however, can not be treated. This recipe seems to have existed since the dawn of time and alchemy.

Enclosed in the envelope are 4 runic talismans, high quality gems with thousands of tiny runes and concentric circles etched on the surface. They seem to almost hum under your fingers, and are warm against your skin. They're strung on braided cord, ready to be worn.

This card can give its current owner a burst of insight about dangers which are close at hand. It isn't always clear, nor specific, but it can steer someone away from the path of severe harm if used at the right time.

A steamy, flavorful drink that never seems to get cold no matter how much ice you drop in it. When consumed, it will keep the person who drank it nice and warm for the next few hours, even against arctic conditions.

Allows for changes to your character’s application, including traits, history, and even familiar species. This can be used on any of your characters, regardless of whose inventory it's in.

This charm was created with metal from earth which has been purified for centuries. It has an odd, calm sort of energy to it.

Quests are important for progressing your character and leveling them up!