Aether and Pyromancy: Sight, Cup and Curse

When I was younger, would use an actual candle to cast the spell.  The other priests would show me later how to imagine the candle in my mind.  Fire is the Summer Rose, and I learned how to use this spell in her name.  I imagined the candle, then I breathed in the imaginary flame.

The flame wasn't hot.  Even when I used a real candle, the fire would tickle.  It wouldn't extinguish.  I pushed it into my heart.  

Then I opened my eyes.  I saw the young boy in the pew.  I let out the spell.  The heartblaze took form.  

Not a visible form.  But a burning feeling that can't be extinguished.  A feeling that boy needed.  That starving, poor boy looked haggard.  Sad.  Impossible to bring joy to.

That sad face burned away.  It burned away as the heartblaze filled him with joy.  A bright smile.  I could tell he felt better, that he forgot about his empty belly.  Forgot about whatever had left him bruised.  

That little fire would help.  Maybe help enough for him to tell me who gave him those bruises...

Here's some more specific spells for Sorcery I've been working on for Crux.  The description of what each of the seven magic schools in Crux can be found here.

Sight of Pyromancy

Sobriquets: Crucible, Aurasight
Cost: 1 Aether
Duration: One Scene

Fire purifies.  It boils out the impurities.  The Sight of Pyromancy is an invocation that lets one see the inner fire of others.  It burns away the illusion that coats the bones of the world.  Called the Crucible, this spell causes the caster to see subjects around them in auras.  These reveal the inner natures of everything around them.  Auras take on symbolic vestiges.  The caster can interpret for clues to the true nature of things they observe.

There are two dangers to using this spell.  First, it opens one's mind to raw symbolism.  This is akin to the heat one feels from an open flame.  Candles and campfires don't burn out one's eyes.  But the hot light of the sun or indescribable fires will.  The Crucible will show inner fires, sometimes they are too bright.  They can burn into one who looks into too hot a fire.

The other danger is losing perspective.  The symbols and clues that the Crucible reveal the inner truths of many things around the caster.  This is like mistaking the forest for the trees.

One loses track of who or what they are looking at.  They become lost in symbols and hidden meanings without an idea what they are for.  A crucible luckily only burns for a short time, so eventually one can come back to their senses.  But there is always a risk to be lost in hidden truths and forget where or when or what one is looking at.

Cup of Pyromancy

Sobriquet: Spelltorch, Firerose
Cost: 1 aether
Duration: Concentration

Firecallers first learn how to evoke a torch of fire, a fistful of blaze.  A spelltorch doesn't create raw fire.  It takes the energy from a nearby source, enough to create a fistful of fire.  Or enough heat to warm a body.  It chills the source of the energy being taken.  A spelltorch is a variable thing, able to chill an area or heat it.  But it can never create heat out of nothing.  Spelltorches last as long as the firecaller who created it is conscious.

A firecaller can create multiple spelltorches.  But each new one takes up emotional space in the firecaller's mind.  There are six emotions (anger, sadness, joy, disgust, fear and surprise) that new spelltorches past the first take up.  The risk of losing access to an emotion is that it impairs the caster's mind.  It limits the ability to comprehend some things or situations.  A firecaller without fear can't comprehend dangers.  A firecaller without anger can't be aggressive.

Stacking spelltorches can cause entire buildings to remain cool in hot summer heat.  Or they can light long stretches of road at night.  Spelltorchers are firecallers paid for these services by those who can afford them. Of course, fire-based artifice can provide a more permanent solution for those can pay for it.

Curse of Pyromancy

Sobriquets: Rage, Inspire, Heartblaze
Cost: 1 aether
Duration: A Scene

A heartblaze alters emotions.  Firecallers can trigger and sway the fires of the heart.  A subtle spell, heartblazes trigger hot emotions, such joy or anger or disgust.  Some are never aware of the influence and ride the emotions stoked by the spell.  It can help "push" someone subtly, if directed the right way.

Heartblazes cannot affect cooler emotions, especially any that might trigger thinking.  A heartblaze can't trigger Fear or Sadness.  Emotions that override thinking tend to be best affected by this spell.  This can be courage or happiness.  Or rage.

There is a minor side effect of the spell.  One used for other than just manipulating emotions.  Heartblazes also warm internal organs.  As a survival tool against extreme cold.  The Curse of Fire counters hypothermia and some other mental spells.  It "burns away" other manipulating influences.