Of Aether and Sorcery (Crux Rules... Thing)

Ok, random musing on some spell rules.  Haven't run Crux for awhile, but still have some ideas kicking around in the back of my mind on it.  Sorcery, mainly.  This is part of an outline on a magick system for Crux, based on a few idea of mine.  Probably will have more pieces for it later, but this covers the basic generalities I've been thinking of.

The Aether.

All magic comes out of a single source.  A plane of crackling energy.  A place of eternal energies.  Energy that sorcerous can mold into possibility.

Sorcery is the art of extracting Aetheric energies and using them on the material plane.  How that energy is applied, varies from Sorcery to Sorcery.  Most often Aetheric energies can be collected via leylines.   Some spellcasters have their own personal reserves.  Aetheric energy doesn't replenish quickly.  Within living spellcasters, aetheric reserves require time and meditation to recharge.

Aether Track.  

All sorcerous stunts give a character access to an Aether Track.  It has only three boxes.  It can't be expanded with more boxes.  But most often magic items or locations can have aether taken from them to power spells.  Some rites and techniques across the world also can manufacture aether.

Spells cost 1 Aether to cast.  Devices can be powered from it as well.  Life seems to produce ambient aetheric energy, even artificial life like Androids.

Schools of Magick

Spells are organized by Magick school, or kind of effect.  Seven schools categorize the realities created by Aether.  Each of these schools have defining effects and limitations.  Each acts as extensions of the Wizard Path and its descendant lines.  But these outline all expressions of magick that Aether manifests.

Necromancy

Other Names: Death Magick, Black Magick, Dark Arts
Practitioners: Necromancers, Witches, Alchemists
Sigil: Skull

Necromancy is the art of death.  Known as the First Wizardry.  Necromancy is associated with zombies and the undead.  But it is more than that.  Necromancy touches how Aetheric energies interact with the Soul.  It can foresee the trials of the spirit, bind spirits, and entities from beyond the material.  It can also be used as a bullet against the living, splitting soul from flesh and killing them in the process.

Necromancy Spells: Ghostsight (Sight), Ghostsword (Sword), Ghostward (Cloak), etc.

Pyromancy

Other Names: Fire Magick, Sun Arts, Heart Magick
Practitioners: Pyromancers, Magi, Alchemists, Firecallers
Sigil: Triangle

Pyromancy aligns aetheric energies from the sun and the bright heat of the world.  Its simplest use is to ignite flame.  But Fire Magick can light metaphoric fires as well as physical ones.  Pyromancy can ignite fires in the heart.  It can cleanse places of spiritual corruption.  It can burn the sky.  It can help revive the dying- it cannot reignite the soul that is gone, but it can blow embers back to the fire they were.  And yes, you can burn people with it.

Pyromancy Spells: Crucible (Sight), Heartblaze (Curse), Spelltorch (Cup)

Geomancy

Other Names: Earth Magick, The Gem Arts, Stonecrafting
Practitioners: Geomancers, Witches, Druids
Sigil: Square

Geomancy concerns itself with the rawness of earth itself.  The raw use of geomancy is hard in that stone, dirt and earth are heavy to move.  The intersection of aether and the ground underneath carries to all things in the dirt.  Fertility and lust are Earth Magick too.  It can grant a caster incredible strength.  Or even greater speed while moving upon earth and stone.  Earth tends to fail if a geomancer loses their grasp on the ground.  This can be metaphorical or literal.

Geomancy Spells: Echosight (Sight), Fertility (Curse), Earthglide (Throne)

Psychomancy

Other Names: Mind Magick, Psionics, Charms
Practitioners: Witches, Psychics, Enchanters
Sigil: The Letter Psi

Psychomancy focuses on minds, thoughts and the connections between them.  Raw psychomancy often leads to altering the thoughts of those around them.  Psychomancy is a scalpel, able to alter other lifeforms' minds in many, even subtle ways.  But mind magick lacks the power to perform gross acts of magick.  Its manifestations are precise, but not quite the same as lifting a boulder or burning down a house.  But even then, psychics can use their subtle tricks in conjunction to great effect.

Psychomancy Spells: Thoughtsense (Sight), Mindscythe (Sword), Awaken (Storm)

Aeromancy

Other Names: Air Magick, Illusions, Wind Magick
Practitioners: Illusionists, Bards, Magi
Sigil: Spiral

Aeromancy is a part of the wind and storm.  It lies above in the clouds, not down on the ground.  Basic aeromancy is to alter wind currents- but more cunning uses can turn air into lens to enhance perception or bend light.  The most stunning use of Aeromancy is to fly, something most associate with wizards.  But aeromancy's spells tend to be easier to counter compared to their cousins.  A strong enough storm can make any form of flight impossible; a strong enough fire can cancel out any illusion.  Although fragile, air magick has such a diverse collection of spells, it often can find ways to work around their fragility.

Aeromancy Spells: Farsight (Sight), Invisibility (Cloak), Flight (Throne)

Aquamancy

Other Names: Water Magick, The Ocean Art, Seacraft
Practitioners: Healers, Witches, Aquamancers
Sigil: Circle

To encircle another is to join their ocean to yours.  Water magick recognizes the common bond in most life, water.  Aquamancy often can heal others, as well as detect their emotions.  Skilled Seacrafters fear few diseases and often can control weather with ease.  Unlike fire, it cannot bring the near-death back to life.  But water magick can counter most Fire magick.  Aquamancy's requirement for steady amounts of water limit it.  In coastal regions, it's practitioners oft never fear that.

Aquamancy Spells: Heartsight (Sight), Water Breathing(Cup), Control Weather (Storm)

Lignamancy

Other Names: Transmutation, Flesh Magick, Druidism
Practitioners: Druids, Transmuters, Alchemists
Sigil: Tree

Water can restore pieces of the body.  Fire can reignite the dying.  And Necromancy can bring some back to a semblance of life.  But to Lignamancy, flesh is mutable.  The body is its concern, not healing it, but improving upon it.  Flesh magick can do impossible things to a body, changing mass or shape at a Lignamncer's whim.  Druids oft learn this magick as a manner of course, as it allows the best way to slip into and out of animal forms.  Lignamancy cannot heal, but it can alter a body.

NATURE OF SPELL EFFECTS

Each school has specific effects it can do.  Spells can be defined by their school, but also by their function.

• Sight (a way to sense elements of that school's magick).
• Curse (an effect that curses, punishes the target within the school's element).
• Cup (a minor buff spell).
• Sword (a quick effect that often serves as a weapon).
• Cloak (a way to hide or cover up something pertaining to that element).
• Throne (a larger effect that enables travel via that school's element).
• Storm (a big, dangerous effect, for some schools a literal storm).