Soul Magic

As detailed on Manipulation and Transformation, there are four principle mechanics for manipulating the soul, outside of division1; the various effects are much more widespread, however, and the methods of obtaining those results equally varied. In all cases, however, Soul magic involves the transference of life or death energies from one soul to another. The converse is untrue, as even within the above link are several methods which stray into other forms of magic, and so it is best to define Soul Magic as thus:

• Soul magic is the only form of magic wherein the practitioner does not always use their own energy as power;
• Soul magic is the only method of either expediting or halting death;
• and though methods follow general guides, Soul magic is always unique.

This means that while Wielder-Affecting Enchantments or Health Magic may help heal the body, only through Soul Magic may one's life truly be extended in length. In accordance with the Cycle of the Soul, the body should be maintained during one's life, but the lifespan is preset: Soul magic is the only form which may manipulate how long someone is alive. Furthermore, all forms of Soul magic do this on both sides. Where one life is extended, another is diminished; where one is diminished, another is extended. This is sometimes broken with demonic2 practitioners, but this is still largely true. The only blatant break from this occurs in Deals with Death, in accordance with how he gains energy3.
All this may seem contradictory with the concept that not all forms of soul magic require energy to be given by the practitioner. However, this is because in some Deals, soul magic is used to extract payment in return for a material service; in some, the magic involves the removal of energy from a willing participant in order to heal another; in yet others, energy is removed in order to transform an individual. In the final case, best known in Elemental Transformation, the energy's destination may be unclear.
Outside of all of this, soul magic falls into two general categories:

• quick, painless death;
• and longterm life extension.

Though the former is more often for those (near always soldiers) who have suffered the worst wounds of battle, it may also pertain to certain heads of state, having groomed their successors to their desire, as an easy way to pass the crown; similarly may be those who wish to join loved ones. Oddly enough, this is the more frequently practiced, although it is ironically less relied upon in Deals with Death. Of the latter, they are much more common between deals with either twin, but are much less common, generally reserved for such Deals (gone into detail there).

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1 "dividing the soul": the fifth method of manipulating the soul, separate from Lifespan magics, and while technically included under Soul Magic, in truth it lays in the gray area between this and Transformative Magic.
2 "demonic": referring to shadow or fire demons.
3 "in accordance with how he gains energy": in that Death's power comes fundamentally from the death of living things; while the initial Deal may involve a small loss of energy, by the time that it has been fulfilled, any energy given will be returned with the death of the dealmaker.