Thaumathea

Thaumathea details the magic of vision and vision augmentation. Casters skilled in Thaumathea have the ability to view the world in a variety of ways depending upon their present needs. They can also adjust the way they view these visuals, to enhance their sight for better mental interpretation.

Utility

Thaumathea is divided into two major subclasses, one to enhance what the mage can already see and the other to augment their standard sense of vision with new capabilities. Fully trained Thaumathea mages are able to combine visuals from both major subclasses.

Enhanced Spectroscopy

Enhanced Spectroscopy pertains to improving a creature or individual's standard vision, and its full impact varies depending upon the standard vision capabilities of that individual. Any enhancements from this subclass can also be applied to any Augmented Vision overlays. Those who are blinded, either temporarily or permanently, must first select a spectrum of Augmented Vision before using these skills.

Enhanced Macroscopy

Enhanced Macroscopy allows the caster to improve their own visuals based upon what they can see unaided, altering the visual focus and coloration of what they see. They can also adjust their vision based upon the available radiant flux, allowing a Thaumathea mage to see well in both dark and light conditions provided their environment contains at least some quantity of light from their visual spectrum.
Experts in Thaumathea are able to adjust their vision almost immediately based upon outside influences, preventing temporary or permanent vision loss due to events within their visual spectrum, but most mages will experience a slight delay.

Microscopy

Microscopy allows a mage to enhance their visuals to view items smaller than what they can see unaided. The caster's field of vision will decrease with magnification. These skills are particularly useful among craftsmen, researchers, and health professionals.

Telescopy

Telescopy allows a mage to enhance their visuals to better view things far away. As with Microscopy, the caster's field of vision will decrease as their magnification increases. These skills are particularly popular among researchers, Battle Mages, Game Wardens, scouts, and hunters.

Augmented Spectroscopy

Augmented Spectroscopy allows a Thaumathea mage to add an additional electromagnetic spectrum to their current vision, augmenting what they can already see. Mages cannot lose their sense of sight due to events experienced only through augmented vision, although if overloaded with wavelength input all Thaumathea spells will be interrupted and will need to be recast.
While some particularly skilled Thaumathea mages can use two Augmented spectrum overlays at once, most mages are limited to a single Augmentation. Visuals can be further improved with an Enhanced Spectroscopy spells. The available spectrums are listed below:

• Gamma
  Gamma vision reveals the powers of the stars. While not useful for most purposes it has become popular among those who study the night skies of Fillimet or the sky rocks which sometimes rain to the ground.
• X-Ray
  Permitting the caster to see through solid objects, X-Ray Vision is most often found among Healers or those working in security.
• Ultraviolet
  One of the less common uses of Augmented Spectroscopy, Ultraviolet vision allows the caster to view wavelengths slightly higher than the standard visual spectrum. It has found use in some covert organizations for passing messages due to the ways certain substances react under ultraviolet radiation. Many afflicted with vampirism have also learned to use ultraviolet vision to help avoid vitamin D toxicity while in daylight.
• Visual Spectrum
  The visual spectrum is defined as the electromagnetic wavelengths available to all sapient species. This Augmentation finds uses among those who are unable to view the visual spectrum due to genetics, blindness, or localized obstruction.
• Infrared
  The infrared spectrum allows the caster to view heat transfer, which has been found particularly useful in construction, firefighting, tracking, or night applications.

Parent Technologies

• Oramathea
• Thaumapista

Children Technologies

• Photography

Access & Availability

While the spellwork for Thaumathea only applies to the caster unless a Telepathy vision-sharing spell is also active, Rune Magic has made the standard applications of Thaumathea available to the general public. Microscopes and telescopes allow for improved research capabilities, telepathically-attuned macroscopes allow for improved standard vision, and Augscopes allow for the addition of Augmented vision options, while Photography allows for the storage of these visuals for later viewing.

Complexity

While the spells themselves are fairly straightforward a mage must learn how to properly interpret the visuals they are seeing. For this reason many students in training spend as much time viewing Photography of Augmented vision as they do casting the spells themselves.

Further Reading