The Gaze and the Mask
Gaze Magic
The Gaze, also known as projection, is a form of magic that operates through eye contact (or lack thereof). Roughly speaking, Gaze magic temporarily causes The Echo of whatever is looked at to change in order to match the expectations of the looker. They will slowly yet quite literally ‘become what one sees’. Transformations caused by Gaze magic usually only affect what someone or something looks like, but it can go much deeper than that. Gaze magic can be extremely dangerous when practiced with nefarious intentions or simple irresponsibility. In its most extreme form, Gaze magic can turn someone or something into a literal object. Elphin might simply turn to stone, or they might become the host of a parasitic entity that is the projections of others given flesh.
Gaze magic doesn’t always have to be used for nefarious purposes or render nefarious outcomes. Much like any source of magic, it can be used for good or ill. Gaze magic can be used as a strong affirmative tool if the looker takes the effort to attempt to see the ones around them as they really are.
The Mask
The Mask refers not only to the clothes one wears. In every situation, people take on a specific role befitting of the situation. Whatever that role might be, is culturally specific. Masks are forged by the laws, cultural norms and values and any form of cultural production. They change over time, merging, communicating or clashing with one another. The magic of the Mask ensures that, when someone takes on a role, their Echo temporarily changes to fit that role. When they turn back to themselves, their Echo turns back to what it was.
If one stays in a specific role for a prolonged period of time, Mask magic can cause the self to adapt to that role, if not entirely be taken over by that role. A trained practician of Mask magic is capable of not only taking over the status of the role they are playing, but also the powers, talents and even personality traits of that specific role. In theory, Mask magic could also be used to unlock certain shapeshifting abilities, but no-one has ever managed to do that in practice.
The danger of the Mask lies not only in the threat of deception or identity theft. Mask magic will have a negative effect if one is forced to take on a role in order to survive. Someone who gets turned into a metaphorical projection screen under de influence of Gaze magic, might take on the role of that projection.
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