Illusion
"NO! You don't get it, that wizard bastard he did something to my mind! You don't understand, what I saw it weren't my baby girl, I'd never hurt my sweet Hollie! What I'd seen it... it was a mass of tentacles and eyes, the tendrils wrapped around my neck, I couldn't breathe I-I thought I was defending myself from some monster! You have to believe me! I DIDN'T WANT THIS!" -Testimony of James Bulmer, Hollie Bulmer Muder Trial, 101 CA.
Veilcraft and Cognitive Binding:
Illusion operates on a different principle than most other schools of magick. Where Evocation exerts force and Abjuration resists it, Illusion exploits the mind’s relationship with the Arcane. The caster does not shape the world, they shape the expectation of the world. Illusionists are trained not only in spellwork but in psychology, culture, sensory trickery, and theatricality. A poorly placed glamour may fail outright if it does not match the target’s worldview. An illusion of a demonic beast might terrify a farmer but bore a seasoned paladin. Advanced Illusion involves what is known as cognitive binding, embedding the illusion so deeply into the target’s sensory processing that it becomes indistinguishable from memory. However, this demands intense focus and an understanding of the target’s fears, desires, and vulnerabilities. Such intimacy comes with a cost. The more the caster understands their prey, the more like them they become. Applications and Manifestations:
A foundational technique taught in advanced Illusion studies, the Thousandfold Shimmer involves layering overlapping illusions, each triggering under different conditions. This is commonly used to protect casters or artifacts, causing an illusion to shift form depending on who observes it, from what angle, and at what distance. The spell reacts to perception, like a living lie that adapts in real-time. Those who master the Shimmer are often feared, for no one can ever be certain if they are speaking to the true mage, or one of a dozen lies hovering just beneath the veil. Historical Legacy:
Illusion has always walked in the shadows of Everwealth’s history. During the Schism, spies and assassins employed by noble families used glamours to impersonate kings, forge declarations, or even seduce warlords into turning on their allies. The city of Stargaze once fell to a single Illusionist, who cast a persistent image of a collapsing wall during a siege. The defenders evacuated it, only to find themselves bottlenecked and slaughtered. In the years following The Fall, the Scholar’s Guild declared Illusion an "unreliable art," leading to a short-lived ban on its instruction. That ban was lifted after the massacre of Softfoot Hollow, where a low-level Illusionist created convincing spectral guards and warded her village from raiders for five years before dying of exhaustion. Her illusory walls fell with her heart, and so too did her home. Restrictions and Infamy:
Few schools are watched more closely than Illusion. The Arcane Coalition requires all Illusionists to be registered and often performs random cognitive audits on those in urban centers. Repeat offenders of unauthorized memory alteration are subject to Null-Rite branding, effectively severing their magickal connection forever. In major cities, casting glamour or mirage spells within courtrooms or banks is a capital offense, as is impersonating a noble or Coalition officer. Black Illusion, a forbidden branch of the school, manipulates not just perception but identity. These casters create illusions so potent they rewrite the victim’s self-image, convincing them they are someone, or something, else entirely. The Coalition denies its existence. The Scholar's Guild historical records say otherwise. Cultural Presence:
Despite its danger, Illusion is beloved among artists, bards, and performers. Traveling troupes incorporate glamour into their plays, while festival pyromancers often blend light illusions into their displays. Certain religious sects use controlled illusions to create spiritual experiences, visions of their gods, long-dead ancestors, or holy landscapes. In city markets, illusion-charms are sold to change one’s eye color or voice for a day. Children play with minor illusions as party tricks. Yet, suspicion always lingers. An Illusionist never quite speaks in full. Their truths come in half-steps, and their presence always carries the risk that something is not quite what it seems. Signature Effect – The Hollow Lantern Effect:
Veteran Illusionists may, over time, develop the Hollow Lantern Effect. This phenomenon causes the caster to become partially reflective of their own glamours, flickering between appearances, or showing fragments of illusions they’ve cast before. Their face may change subtly depending on who looks at them. Their voice might echo with accents they never learned. Some call it a blessing of the Arcane, others a curse. Those who suffer the worst cases no longer cast illusions, they are illusions, their own bodies now half-real echoes of the lies they once told. Whether they can still bleed or die remains a question few have dared to test.
Illusion is the art of perception, the oldest lie given shape, and perhaps the most insidious form of magick in all of Everwealth. Its mastery allows a caster to shape what others believe to be true, to sculpt light and shadow, bend sound, weave false textures, or even manufacture entire scenarios to confuse, distract, or dominate. Unlike Evocation or Necromancy, Illusion does not alter reality itself. It alters the observer. This distinction makes Illusion uniquely powerful and uniquely dangerous, for what the eye sees, the body obeys. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, a mere shimmer in the air can become an army, a whisper can turn allies against each other, and a single glimmer of false fire can send men leaping from cliffs to escape imaginary flame. Yet, for all its brilliance, Illusion is unstable. The truth always waits beneath the surface, and the more elaborate the falsehood, the more fragile it becomes.
Veilcraft and Cognitive Binding:
Illusion operates on a different principle than most other schools of magick. Where Evocation exerts force and Abjuration resists it, Illusion exploits the mind’s relationship with the Arcane. The caster does not shape the world, they shape the expectation of the world. Illusionists are trained not only in spellwork but in psychology, culture, sensory trickery, and theatricality. A poorly placed glamour may fail outright if it does not match the target’s worldview. An illusion of a demonic beast might terrify a farmer but bore a seasoned paladin. Advanced Illusion involves what is known as cognitive binding, embedding the illusion so deeply into the target’s sensory processing that it becomes indistinguishable from memory. However, this demands intense focus and an understanding of the target’s fears, desires, and vulnerabilities. Such intimacy comes with a cost. The more the caster understands their prey, the more like them they become. Applications and Manifestations:
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Illusory Constructs – Light-and-sound phantoms often used to misdirect or distract. These range from flickering torch flames to fully realized false people. Constructs dissipate upon physical interaction, though some masters use paired illusions and telekinesis to fake solidity. - Invisibility – Rather than vanishing, the caster bends light around themselves, creating a visual blind spot. The effect breaks under scrutiny or contact, making it best used for quick escapes or hidden observation
- Auditory Glamours – Crafted sound illusions, from whispered threats to battlefield confusion. These are particularly common in military sabotage, where a false command can ruin formations or send cavalry into ambush.
- False Environment – One of the most advanced techniques, this alters an entire area’s appearance to the observer. It may make a pit appear as solid ground or turn a forest into a glade of dancing lights. Dangerous and mentally taxing.
- Memory Blur – A restricted spell form, used to obscure or replace recent memories. Heavily monitored by the Arcane Coalition. When done improperly, it can cause fragmentation or delusion.
A foundational technique taught in advanced Illusion studies, the Thousandfold Shimmer involves layering overlapping illusions, each triggering under different conditions. This is commonly used to protect casters or artifacts, causing an illusion to shift form depending on who observes it, from what angle, and at what distance. The spell reacts to perception, like a living lie that adapts in real-time. Those who master the Shimmer are often feared, for no one can ever be certain if they are speaking to the true mage, or one of a dozen lies hovering just beneath the veil. Historical Legacy:
Illusion has always walked in the shadows of Everwealth’s history. During the Schism, spies and assassins employed by noble families used glamours to impersonate kings, forge declarations, or even seduce warlords into turning on their allies. The city of Stargaze once fell to a single Illusionist, who cast a persistent image of a collapsing wall during a siege. The defenders evacuated it, only to find themselves bottlenecked and slaughtered. In the years following The Fall, the Scholar’s Guild declared Illusion an "unreliable art," leading to a short-lived ban on its instruction. That ban was lifted after the massacre of Softfoot Hollow, where a low-level Illusionist created convincing spectral guards and warded her village from raiders for five years before dying of exhaustion. Her illusory walls fell with her heart, and so too did her home. Restrictions and Infamy:
Few schools are watched more closely than Illusion. The Arcane Coalition requires all Illusionists to be registered and often performs random cognitive audits on those in urban centers. Repeat offenders of unauthorized memory alteration are subject to Null-Rite branding, effectively severing their magickal connection forever. In major cities, casting glamour or mirage spells within courtrooms or banks is a capital offense, as is impersonating a noble or Coalition officer. Black Illusion, a forbidden branch of the school, manipulates not just perception but identity. These casters create illusions so potent they rewrite the victim’s self-image, convincing them they are someone, or something, else entirely. The Coalition denies its existence. The Scholar's Guild historical records say otherwise. Cultural Presence:
Despite its danger, Illusion is beloved among artists, bards, and performers. Traveling troupes incorporate glamour into their plays, while festival pyromancers often blend light illusions into their displays. Certain religious sects use controlled illusions to create spiritual experiences, visions of their gods, long-dead ancestors, or holy landscapes. In city markets, illusion-charms are sold to change one’s eye color or voice for a day. Children play with minor illusions as party tricks. Yet, suspicion always lingers. An Illusionist never quite speaks in full. Their truths come in half-steps, and their presence always carries the risk that something is not quite what it seems. Signature Effect – The Hollow Lantern Effect:
Veteran Illusionists may, over time, develop the Hollow Lantern Effect. This phenomenon causes the caster to become partially reflective of their own glamours, flickering between appearances, or showing fragments of illusions they’ve cast before. Their face may change subtly depending on who looks at them. Their voice might echo with accents they never learned. Some call it a blessing of the Arcane, others a curse. Those who suffer the worst cases no longer cast illusions, they are illusions, their own bodies now half-real echoes of the lies they once told. Whether they can still bleed or die remains a question few have dared to test.
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