Yemaja

MAGICIANS

If you polled the entire population of Morro, most would say that Magicians aren’t real. “They’re hoaxes” some would say, “who are just trying to make a mass hysteria.” Others would call them witches urban legends.

Those who are Magicians would likely answer the same, out of a secrecy born of shame. And many who aren’t are in denial out of fear. The fact that magic can’t be explained consistently is a point of conflict.

Magicians are those who manipulate the real world and Otherworld using their power, usually fueled by their own emotions and psyche. Once exposed to the Otherworld, through its residents, through other Magicians, or wandering into the place itself, someone can change the world to their imagination. They are usually younger adults who turned to magic during rough eras of their life.

MANIFESTING POWER

The hallmark of becoming a magician is seeing the Residents who find themselves meandering around people in reality. This happens after slow exposure to the Otherworld. A magician's sibling may slowly start noticing the wisps their brother brings home. Someone near the activity of its residents may slowly begin to feel them weaving past. Most of its leaching is barely noticable, until the person makes the connection of what they are seeing to what they only heard of.

A power often nutures itself before and after this realization, where it has a sudden awakening.

Most Magicians have a power that personifies both their outward wants and more hidden desires. Barely contained anger can manifest as something unhealthily destructive, while slow and gnawing insecurity can lead to quiet invisibility. It often adapts itself to what feels familiar to the person. It's not that someone can only have one power: learning to control magic requires leaning uncomfortably out of one's comfort zone and sense of self.

WHAT MAGIC LOOKS LIKE

As people manifest individual versions of their power, it's difficult to place what a standardized version of magic looks like. Some use an object of great significance, sometimes called a psyche, as a focus. These can favorite things or objects associated with strong feelings such as heartbreak, even if the user isn't aware of it.

Lams and Josie's magic. Lams' is more free-flowing and overwhelming, while Josie's is more angular and sharp.

The act of magic itself often looks artistic, like something imaginary in reality. Brush strokes, fireworks, or brilliant waves are examples of how magic can be particular to a person. Even outside the Otherworld can it take on a very obvious quality if not concealed correctly.

A GAME OF SELF-PERCEPTION

Often- because of their nature- those who seek out magic are those who want to find community in a world where many don’t accept them. Almost all Magicians are younger-generation people who possess magical traits.

Because many magicians are those who turn to the Otherworld to deal with their issues in reality, their magic is anything but calm. Often, it's erratic, destructive, and far from helpful, making them great at subduing the Residents of reality's parallel.

However, a literal vent of their myriad, muddled day-to-day feelings makes them less equipped to deal with each other or the sentient Residents who subtly influence their goals. Magic isn't a force to control, it's a lens that amplifies people.

Fights berween magicians can become dramatic wordless arguments, with particularly intense bouts influencing their power to become wild and unreliable. Fights between magicians are uncommon, either because one can't rely on their feelings towards someone they wouldn't want to engage with, or because the potential destruction to either people would be too much to bear.

WITCHES

A “witch” is an uncommon outsider name for a magician who’s part of the community of Magicians at large. To call it a community would be generous, as most are completely unorganized and have very loose or informal communication. There is no hierarchy within Magician circles, and there is little justice. Most rely on code of honor and their own accountability- there would be community accountability, if witches even knew what was happening amongst their friends.

Magicians often find that cooperation is at least ideal. Usually, Magicians will take charge of a small area around their living space. As unimportant as they might seem, the fact they’re frequented by people makes them a target of malicious beings of the Otherworld. These beings may leech off of or influence the population negatively, and must be dispelled by persuasion or force. To many, this idea of action gives them a sense of purpose and importance in their lives.

While many witches complete this duty out of goodwill, there are other reasons that force them to do so: many Otherworldly residents will not tolerate someone borrowing their power with nothing in return when their realms are otherwise transactional. In addition, an erratic Otherworld often means equally erratic powers for the Magicians that depend on it.