Summoning
Contents
Introduction
Summoning is an art that has persisted as long as mortals have, first as a form of devotion to the Elven Gods and weapon of war, and then - through the Bleeding - expanded upon through the creation of Bel, a closely connected sister-plane. Summoning is an exchange of ether to conjure and shackle a spiritual entity, leasing a fractional amount of power from greater beings in exchange for the commodity of arcane ichor. A symbiotic relationship forms between the two, Archetypes acting as tributes in a negotiating pool, pulled to do the bidding of an ambitious and often warmongering mage. The deeper concepts of the magic will be written below.
The Twelve Patrons
The Patrons are twelve beings, scattered through both Atharen and the Bel, that have acquired providence over lesser creatures in their time; they have gained the ability to compel and sculpt weaker Adac and Dregs to their visage, crafting lifeforms of their own making, similar to the greater Gods that far outrank them. The thing that separates the Patrons from other powerful Adac and Dregs is this ability, and while all of them have always possessed it to some extent, it has been greatly emboldened since the Bleeding.
'Patron' is the only title that can generally be applied to all twelve of these entities without dispute. While some may lord over their flock as Kings, or Queens, Mothers, Fathers or even Gods, all of them are Patrons to their unusual kin. They act as the thread that connects individuals within each Archetype, also providing Summoners the tools necessary to summon them, so long as they gain in exchange. The Patrons are divided into two major associations, with the first comprising of Adac and the latter, Dregs. They all appear to have been born in proximity with one another, and have remained adjacent to one another for as long as any can remember. This proximity has aligned them into two distinctive factions, with one even gaining worship among the Elves.
The Elven Gods
The Elven Gods were originally six, like the Choir, though one of them has since died. It is estimated that they were created by Y'shendra to guide the Hyr'norai, Atharen's first race. Like most stories concerning pre-history, evidence of this assertion is limited, but regardless their actions made their affinity to the Elves very clear. These Adac, powerful and wise, forged great domains across Mornoth and allowed the Elves to inhabit them, alongside many powerful beings shaped by their talons of bark and clay. These beings, who the Hyr'norai once freely interacted with, are now known to be the first 'summons' with which mortals mingled.
Unfortunately, since then a number of the Elven Gods have been displaced, with at least one dying, and another being rebuked by her own kind for her conspiracies with a foreign God. While the Elven Gods are a powerful force, still shaping life around them, they are waning and appear to be lashing out in final desperation. Many theorize the reason they allow Summoners to contract with them to be mere preservation; Summoners offer them the opportunity to expand their purview, sending out their progeny to both gain power and insight into the world as it is.
The Choir of Fog
NOTE: The Choir of Fog is currently unavailable for play or Summoning contracts.
The Choir of Fog is a far more pernicious element. Dregs, they largely dwell within the Mantle of Arun in Bel, having only been integrated into Summoning within the last few hundred years. All six remain alive from their inception, supposedly crafted by one of the Corrupted Gods to serve as henchmen in the Endless War. They dwell in a realm within Arun's corner known as the Ebony Nightmare, where each of them play at being Gods in their own provinces, surrounded by grim opulence. Seemingly detached even from their creator, they appear interested in Atharen as a method of playing at being Kings or Queens on the surface, sending their minions outward to fulfill duties; playing a game at the idea of 'invasions', and extending their providence, acting as warring sovereigns. They also halfheartedly compete with one another, and by extension the Elven Gods, who they view as a barricade to their colonial enterprise.
The corruption of Bel likely made them this way, instilling in them the same war-like aspirations and megalomania as the other inhabitants of the mantles within. Whatever the case, they wield great power, and lease it to mortals for the thrill of partaking in their war games, and 'expeditions'.
Archetypes
The twelve Patrons each have an archetypal family, or a sort of 'species' that acts as their kin, with individuals within that family known as 'Archetypes'. The creatures of these families are the entities able to be summoned, and the purpose of this section is to generally define how they look and act, in order to assist the summoner in defining them in the world.
Important to state and even reiterate is that Archetypes must be approved in order to be used, and so most will be submitted as custom creations. Summoning is a magic of creativity, and the onus is on the player themselves to develop and define how it interacts with their character in the world. The twelve Archetypes listed below are general guidelines of how the entities may look, act and perform.
Elven Gods
To begin with are the creatures of the Elven Gods. Unlike the eldritch horrors of the Choir of Fog, they tend to be more Druidic beings, formed by nature and more in line with the worldly splendor of the Eldashan.
Viddashan: The spawn of Lotheric, the Viddashan tend to follow one of two overarching characteristics, depending on when they were constructed. The eldest of Viddashan, before the Bleeding and Lotheric's plunge into deranged madness, tend to appear far more spirit-like and benign. They are generally ethereal-looking beings crafted in shades of blue, emanating light from their forms as they swim and float through the air. They tend to be smaller and more delicate in appearance, but possess inherent magical abilities that allow them to generate and manipulate water. Often, they are friendly and helpful, though soft-spoken and somewhat removed from mortal contention.
The latter Viddashan, most often created to war with the Daravinic Empire, are a mixture of sea creatures and blighted humanoid beings. Often, they carry large mutated limbs lined with vile tumors and strange anomalies. They are generally hideous, bloated abominations, but can move deceivingly quickly and exert tremendous physical force. These Archetypes are purely built for direct physical confrontation, their durable forms making them difficult to contend with. They are easily capable of battering through enemy lines and inspiring terror in men, their grotesque features often wielded as weapons. An example is a shark's head as a shoulder, capable of lashing out and gruesomely gnawing through the flesh of an enemy with its teeth. Viddashan are often themselves amalgamations, a reflection of the morbid intricacies of Lotheric's mind. These later Viddashan are characteristically grim and brutal, engaging in the dubious actions of mortals; torture, mutilation, even poorly replicated sexual violence.
Irothar: Followers of Tyrnac, the Irothar are a strange and reclusive group. They tend to wander the Mirrorlands of Sil-Elaine, and are unmistakable by their radiance. Some of them appear to be pearl-colored glass, or even built from golden mosaics, with multiple intricate parts making up their bodies. These parts float seamlessly, disconnected from one another, yet appearing to bind their forms together. Other Irothar take on the fire-like aspect of Tyrnac, immolated with charred stones making up their forms, brimming with heat and flame. Generally, glass-shaped Irothar tend to act as supportive or defense-focused Archetypes, while the fiery Irothar focus on offense. Due to the nature of fire in shaping their forms, fire-Irothar have some of the most variable appearances of all Archetypes. The Irothar tend to carry a prestigious air about them, as if they are the aristocrats of Archetypes. They speak in meticulous ways and never err in their words. They also like to complain.
Mirdun: The emissaries of Ridhain, the Mirdun are unsurprisingly vile monsters of mold. They appear similar to numerous living species across Atharen, but covered in an impenetrable layer of mold and wielding several active maws across their body. Teeth are their choice of weapon and can protrude from nearly anywhere on them, raking into a foe or gnawing on them. Mirdun emit an offensive smell at all times while present, and create noxious pools of mold where they step, effective in limiting an enemy's mobility. In terms of personality they tend to act comparably to the Archetypes of the Choir of Fog; they are expressionless and dry, offering nothing to the Summoner in conversation and speaking only when absolutely commanded to.
Cordreyn: Spread by Lachrann, the Cordreyn are most often avian predators with malleable forms, melting into fungal pools before reshaping themselves into newer and adapted bodies. Cordreyn focus on creating deep wounds before seeping into them, entering the body of the enemy from within before gaining control of their nervous system. For this reason many Summoners conjure them when an enemy has already been greatly harmed, bringing them forth in larger numbers as a ceaseless threat. When they are fully formed they often appear disturbingly far from lifelike, their forms appearing wax-like with strange and sudden undulations and fluidity that defies the normally jerky movements of birds. Cordreyn are reserved and calculating beings, always seeking after weakness both physically and intellectually. They can be profoundly irritating as a form of company, as they tend to endlessly ridicule and demean things around them, unreservedly vicious to their surrounding world. Rather than humorous, their comments tend to be genuinely mean-spirited.
Tar'haen: Though Veratelle has passed on, the Tar'haen (pronounced Tar-ay-enn) have subsisted by feeding upon the nourishing corpse of their fallen Patron. Unlike most other Archetypes they tend to physically reside in a static location, namely the interior of Veratelle's form, the great Vainwood tree overlooking much of Sil-Elaine. The Tar'haen are sharp, long-limbed creatures, with bladed branches and roots with a length of sharp ridges. They tend to appear alien and predatorial, lurking in the dark. These changes are a result of their Patron's death, leaving them shriveled and wary of open conflict. They remain powerful, however, and are skilled assassins and thieves. They tend to be larger and lengthier than most other archetypal families, but they are narrow and even brittle by comparison. Tar'haen are known for their poisons and paralyzing sap, which they can often launch from long distances.
Those who contract with the Tar'haen often state that they feel the presence of the dead God as they channel her kin. There have even been Apostles of hers since the Bleeding, who warmly proclaim that they carry the last vestiges of her living essence, though none have ever believed themselves able to return her to life. Instead they focus on shepherding the Tar'haen, who are shy and demure to those they meet, though they can often form close friendships to their Summoners and those who frequently accompany them.
Vesj'vakar: Creatures of the unknown, the Vesj'vakar are the subjects of Veravend, and are the rarest of all Archetypes. They follow after the example of their Queen, dwelling in the deep of the ocean and bearing many uncanny features. They are aquatic and generally dark in color, ranging from gradient azure shades to midnight blues, and even opaque black. They bear fearsome glowing eyes, gold or amber in color, wielding rake-like clutches and a number of tentacled appendages that may lash out with destructive force. The Vesj’vakar draw power from the depths of the unknown. They are seen in Summoner legends as bearers of darkness and the void, often accompanied by doorways connecting to unfathomable chaos. The core of this Archetype’s power is their ability to draw on portals - appearing as a spiraling black void with an amber eye at their core - to pull on Veravend’s power from within the Outlands. While they are few and difficult to bargain with, the Vesj’vakar are terrifyingly strong.
Choir of Fog
Following after the Elven Gods' creations come the spawn of the Choir of Fog, imitating the orderly will of their masters. Unlike the naturalistic, organic and dirty entities of the Eldashan, the Dregs Archetypes are cut perfectly, as if forged by a shaper of glass. They are strange and alien, but flawless, and undeniably austere. These Archetypes tend to have virtually no personality, and so serve the will of the exploitative Summoner without question, at least until they are betrayed.
Izjatal: These Archetypes belong to Scanuloth and tend to prefer being unseen by an outsider's watchful gaze. They are creatures of flawlessly empty features, monsters crafted with utter formlessness in mind. Constantly surrounded by thick vapor, their individual features are rarely seen, but they tend to look like white-leather mannequins with no comparison to any living animal or monster. Their shape and size is highly variable and they tend to serve different purposes, using vapor to obscure and subdue, or to confuse. Some have even been known to cast audible or visual illusions, and their versatility is what makes them a staple among many of those willing to contract with the Choir of Fog.
Vosh'ztul: The Vosh'ztul are the wardens of Nydreth, the Orator of Doubt. Unlike any other Archetype they focus greatly on the generation of fear, and through their ability to invoke terror in a foe they are able to degenerate both their body and mental cohesion. Vosh'ztul are creatures of nightmare; they are a cunning entity that will either rely on the knowledge given to them by the Summoner, or their own investigations. They tend to carry the longest contracts of any Archetype as they act as true assassins: they observe their prey for days at a time, accompanying them in sleep, offering them flickers of imagery and gauging their reactions. Their form amends itself to be whatever they understand to be most terrifying to their enemy, and the most powerful of them can gauge fear without needing to stalk or examine. They are ominous and speak with several voices, and most arcanists doubt that they are even one individual entity when conjured, but rather a collection of consciousnesses keenly aware of every detail in every expression, and the hesitation of each breath.
Lorkhir: The Lorkhir worship Nyreen, the Orator of Want and supposed sister of Nydreth. They serve a purpose far removed from the Vosh'ztul, seeking after the desires of a chosen individual, whether amorous or otherwise. Unsurprisingly the Lorkhir are often Integrated, their chosen appearances acting as an overlay for a Summoner who may wish to seduce or beguile another. Nyreen is the chosen Patron for those wishing to utilize Summoning in order to secure the favor of those around them, and they appear to have a keen ability in learning how to dominate the minds of others. Like the Vosh'ztul, they are changeable, and their malleability often replicates in their limitless openness to all manner of perversion and greed.
Nid'vshtal: The Nidvosh as they are generally called by mortals are the skittering, depraved slaves of Kel’khuun, Orator of Filth. They are uniquely horrific Archetypes in that they can only be conjured into the corpse of a host, holding no independent physical form. Once they acquire a vessel they will master understanding of it on a cellular level, altering its biology to produce pathogens that can contaminate across species lines. They will reshape the form they hold to be powerful and enduring, able to endure grievous mutilation without flinching, the body spouting worm-like droves of parasites from its orifices and wounds. Due to poor morale among the Nid’vshtal, they are not considered optimal for combat and instead are focused on spreading disease and bypassing the precautions of quarantine. In terms of personality they tend to be pathetic and without pride, groveling to others, but with a spiteful and treacherous streak.
Kar’zhjun: As one would expect from the many kin of Il'garond, Orator of Night, the Kar’zhjun are comprised of nocturnal predators, though perhaps to their detriment they glow with the silvery radiance of moonlight. They are often white in color with pale, luminescent eyes, holding many various shapes described by their spectral beauty. Most Kar’zhjun appear ghostly or at least otherworldly, and they are known for their lethally effective methods of isolating their foes. They are capable of dimming the vision and hearing of their enemies through haunting melodies, yet in the quiet and darkness their moonlight form and grim songs will be ever more predominant. They effectively force individuals to contend only with them, bringing them into a shadowy world separate from the rest. This is actually literal - so long as the enemy remains in the Kar’zhjun’s nighttime hunting ground, even the Summoner cannot interact with them; for this reason they are known to be incredible predators and single duelists, capable of unleashing powerful beams of supposedly lunar energy, colored in the same empty white as their forms. The Kar’zhjun have no personality, singularly built to be effective killers. Their forms range from monster-like to even ones comparable to earthly beings, shaped by their Patron’s imagination.
Mir’ashzaj: The Mir’ashzaj are shade-like beings, always slightly or greatly transparent, with long charcoal colored limbs and ornate masks covering their complexions. These masks are opulent - often gold colored and designed with truly inspired patterns, crafted by their Patron... Volteshk, Orator of Hunger. Like the Vesj’vakar the Mir’ashzaj are rare and believed to be creatures of myth by non-Summoners, shrouded by frightening tales of glamour and greed. They are the most demanding of all Archetypes in the ether they seek for their services, but as agile, graceful masters of their long arcane weaponry they are truly monsters to behold. They are known for their ability to shift portions of their body to become intangible, appearing as a shifting gradient of transparency across their form. When one area of their body is invulnerable, an enemy must focus on another - but their composition can easily change. For this reason it requires precision and agility to contend with them, and few have ever lost to a mundane warrior.
The Vestige
Deeply inlaid within every Mark of Summoning is a Vestige, a physical meld of the ether and spiritual essence of the Mark and the Summoner. In some ways, the Vestige is an Archetype crafted with the Summoner themselves as the model, though they are unlikely to physically resemble the Summoner in any way save for perhaps some vague resemblance in the form of anatomical shape. The Vestige has no personality; it does not speak, it has no desires. Physically, the Summoner feels no connection to the Vestige as it begins to form, nor do they have the ability to call upon it to begin with. It is not until later in their progression through the magic that a Summoner will even begin to feel a Vestige's shape forming from within their Mark, as -- bare of a significant source -- it exists only as a latent specter.
Connections to Patrons feed the development of the Vestige. Somewhere near the end of being an Apprentice, the Mark being fostered by two Patrons will speed the development of the Vestige, and they will likely bloom before a Summoner becomes a Journeyman in the art. The Vestige is an Archetype, but it is one that belongs only to the Summoner. In some way, it is a being they hold their own direct form of patronage over, reshaping it based on their connection to other powerful Adac or Dregs. The appearance and abilities of the Vestige are truly unique, though always they feed off of the powers of the Patrons connected to the Summoner, and acquire much of the rest of their identity from the mutations inherent to a Summoner's Mark.
Once acquired, the Vestige must be submitted and approved like any other Archetype, and as one progresses in tiers it will need to be resubmitted. It meets the apex of its power as the Summoner becomes an Intermediary, linked to six Patrons. As a rule, the Vestige does not vastly surpass a Tyrid in strength even for an Intermediary, but it has many perks of its own. It cannot permanently die, and can be recalled to life albeit for a sizable amount of ether, making this action best left done outside of the bounds of combat. It is not limited in duration by a contract; in fact, the Vestige does not expend more ether than a mage recovers over time in most cases, so many Summoners choose for their Vestige to accompany them permanently, though at the expense of somewhat prolonged Overstepping and an impact to their ethereal recovery. Of course, there are exceptions to this. Vestiges can generally fluctuate between their forms, with those assuming their Expert or Master form to be slightly draining beyond what the mage naturally recovers. Because of this, maintaining these higher echelon forms permanently is impossible.
The Vestige of an Intermediary is known as an Eidolon, a powerful being that will often transition between six different paradigms in order to serve the Summoner's will, though each time they do so it consumes a minor amount of ether from the mage. All Vestiges and Eidolons may be easily called upon from the Mark, near-instantly forming to fight at their Summoner's side. This action expends very little ether, so most call upon them as they are needed. Eidolon drain a small amount of ether over time, more than a Master but only by a menial amount. Much of the extra expenditure from an Eidolon comes from the slight amount of ether the Summoner must expend in order for them to move through paradigms.
Rituals
Rather than new abilities, Summoners gain access to numerous rituals by achieving higher tiers of mastery. Rituals are methods of binding spiritual power, forging differing connections to an array of Archetypes and other elements of a Patron’s domain. While the primary focus of Summoning is on the Archetypes, the relationship to each Patron is not limited by this singular concept, and the rituals below will further elaborate on that.
A ritual is a simple task to perform. Rather than elaborate circles with physical elements attached, these ominous performances are generally done with the hands and with an unsubtle degree of visual and audible accompaniment. Low, horrific sounds of voices from seeming beyond growl in ambience, as words are spoken in alien tongues from beneath the Summoner’s possessed breath. The Patron’s name is spoken, and their power is breathed into the very air around the Summoner as the intended power of Archetype is channeled into being, as if crafted in the moment.
In order for the Summoner and Archetype to communicate, the Archetype speaks their name immediately upon being called, and learns to mirror the language of their benefactor. The appearance of each ritual generally varies based on the theme of the Patron: Tyrnac’s Archetypes may arrive by shattering through spontaneously imagined glass, the Vesj’vakar often arrive through an abysmal void, and so on. Feel free to be aesthetically creative so long as it fits.
Ritual of Binding: This is the foundation on which Summoning is built, obtained at Novice and improving through mastery. It is the thing that allows the conjuring of Archetypes, as well as binding them to the Summoner’s will. This ritual’s duration can vary from seconds to hours, based on the experience of the Summoner and the power of the Archetype. It is generally performed with two hands, positioned based on the Patron’s traditional form and followed through with chanting and whispers to Summons from beyond the seen realm. During this time the Summoner can hear and feel them, mired in their overbearing presence, and can feel them attempting to bargain for more power. The Summoner chooses the amount of ether to expend in the ritual, and from that they connect with Archetype suitors of sorts willing to follow upon their offer. If a Summoner has never encountered the Archetype they are about to commit to, they are given the chance to feel them, to view their contours and hear their voice more clearly.
This is an integral moment in the Ritual, and it is why veteran Summoners advise their students to study and learn of their craft. Sometimes a far more powerful spirit will integrate themselves into these voracious groups, pining for ether, only to manifest and drain the Summoner to near death. As most Archetypes have other spirits identical to them, however, Summoners can learn of the signifiers of these creatures and ignore them as they make their false offers.
Once a spirit is bound, they will remain with the Summoner for as long as they agreed to, based on the ether offered. This is determined in the Archetype’s write-up itself. Once that duration of time ends they will recede, unless they are renewed. To do so requires offering exactly as much ether as before, and agreeing to the same duration. Anything less and they will not remain.
The Archetype will follow commands if given, though more powerful ones tend to interpret these commands based on their own judgment. They will not betray the Summoner so long as they are sustained, unless the Summoner comes into direct conflict with an Apotheotic of their Patron, or the Patron themselves.
Ritual of Unification: The Ritual of Unification is perhaps one of the most inexpensive arcane abilities of any magical tree, requiring almost no expenditure but one nonetheless. It is a ritual cast with a single, meager hand gesture, one that offers all Archetypes bound to the Summoner a demand that cannot be refused. This is typically a method of increasing tactical efficiency within a Summoner's retinue, ordering all Archetypes to get into formation or ordering them to attack specific targets, or perform certain tasks. Due to the speed in which the Archetypes will react to the command, it is often preferable to verbal requests, particularly as the command is interpreted exactly as the Summoner wills it to be interpreted. This does expend slightly more ether with higher numbers of bound Archetypes, as well as stronger Archetypes. This ritual is unlocked at Apprentice.
Ritual of Reminiscence: The ritual of Reminiscence, able to be learned at Apprentice, carries little differentiation from Binding in its visible results. It binds an Archetype to the Summoner, calling them from the Patron's ranks. However, Reminiscence is extremely rapid, cutting down the often lengthy Binding ritual to less than seconds. It requires intimate familiarity with the Archetype in question, and a reasonably accurate visualization of them within the Summoner's mind. To perform the ritual of Reminiscence, one must expend a considerable amount more in ether than with Binding, the penalty for the ritual's immediacy and the lack of preparation.
Ritual of Intercession: This ability is unique in that it directly channels the power of a Patron, opening a spiritual rift through which one of their physical limbs will manifest to perform a task. Most commonly they will attack, lashing out with their fists, legs, tendrils or some other weapon. Other times they may attempt to grab a foe or block for the Summoner, though the greater their deed the more arcane fatigue they will cause upon their channeler. This ritual can be performed very quickly with single hand gestures. For those who have performed Apotheosis it is instantaneous for their chosen Patron, more cost effective in terms of ether expenditure, and the powers may be broadened by the deepened relationship. Intercession is obtained at Journeyman.
Ritual of Amalgamation: The ritual of Amalgamation is potent in that it allows the converging of two Archetypes into one body, creating a considerably more powerful entity as a result. The true wonder of Amalgamation is that one may blend only what they desire to blend, and while weaknesses from both forms will persist they will be lessened. One may take a hulking, brutish entity and provide them a means of accelerating rapidly. One can do the opposite and give an assassin-like Archetype potent strength. Their bodies will blend and reform to create a new entity, likely covered in lethal methods of dispatching foes. While this does cost ether to perform, more for more dramatic Amalgamations, it is also a chance to renew the duration of an Archetype's visit, as one cannot leave until the other's time has also been expended. Unfortunately, unless the Summoner achieves Intermediary status at Master, two Archetypes from different families cannot be incorporated into one form.
Ritual of Siphoning: The ritual of Siphoning, learned by a master Summoner, allows for the Summoner to drain the vitality and ether from a present Archetype by directly tethering to it via a link formed within their palms. Closing said palm will rapidly drain the remaining ether of the Archetype, which will form into the hand of the Summoner and can be used as an offering to call upon a different Archetype. The longer an Archetype has battled and the more abilities it has used, as well as the more damage it has taken, will reduce the ether drawn by Siphoning. If there is a gap remaining (such as to summon an Archetype of the same class), the Summoner will coalesce the siphoned ether with their own before calling upon the new Archetype.
Ritual of Apotheosis: The ritual of Apotheosis can only be performed by a master Summoner, by one with true understanding of the magic. At least 75 Summoning lores are required to learn and perform Apotheosis. It allows the Summoner to become a liaison between all Patrons of a respective faction, either the Choir of Fog or the Eldashan. The Summoner becomes known as an Intermediary between the six, and gains the obvious benefit of expanding their amount of Patrons to six. Aside from this, Ritual of Amalgamation is enhanced, offering more versatile outcomes by allowing Archetypes from different Patrons to meld. The versatility of an Intermediary is truly great, and their Amalgamations are often horrifically lethal. This ritual is performed by negotiating with the raw spiritual essence of all six Patrons of their chosen side, a wildly intense meeting teeming with destructive arcane force.
When the Ritual is complete, they will be marked with the Abyssal Ring, something of a living conduit for Archetypes to commune with. It appears as an indigo-black circle scarred on their body, blazing with ether as they conjure allies to their side.
Archetypal Classifications
There are five ranks that Archetypes belong to, effectively determining their relative levels of power and the mastery required to conjure them.
Nahl: Nahl are fledgling spirits, generally with poorly defined forms that carry one or two characteristics of any note, the rest of their bodies often comprised of bland material blends. They are often small and unremarkable, though many regard them as being somewhat 'cute' and often, Summoners keep them present as travel companions. Some Novice summoners do attempt to employ them for greater tasks, but they tend to be ineffective and largely serve more minute purposes such as fetching things and acting as couriers. A Nahl's appearance, traits and personality are determined by their archetypal family and their approved article, as applies to all the rest of these classifications. Nahl cost very little ether to conjure relative to other Summons, and tend to have longer contractual periods.
Vrannik: The Vrannik are the base-line of Summoning, in truth, and they are the common conjured foot soldiers or emissaries employed by the majority of Summoners in Atharen. They are fairly average among their archetypal kin and generally act with relative competence, with a few more features accompanying them in order to make them lethal or capable in other scenarios. Vrannik are generally similar to humans in size and often have humanoid appearances, if their family is not too bizarrely constructed. Vrannik cost a modest sum of ether; for an Apprentice Summoner, conjuring several of them will almost certainly lead to overstepping. As one progresses, they become easier and less expensive to call forth.
Tyrid: Tyrids are more powerful Archetypes. They are reserved for the learned of Summoners and there is a large gulf between them and Vrannik, who they often command in place of the Summoner's direct word. Tyrids carry multiple or even several traits from their archetypal family, or one or two more powerful ones. They are more precise and elite, and tend to maintain either great endurance, strength or speed, or a mixture of the three. Tyrids can be lean or bulky, tall or more reserved in size. Whatever the case, they are expensive to call on, and can drain all but the most skilled of Experts quickly, though Masters can conjure them with some iterant consistency.
Qe'zhod: Qe'zhod are the greatest of conjurable entities and do not allow themselves to be called by anyone less than a Master, holding greater affinity for Intermediaries than others. They are the most refined and elite, with few measurable weaknesses or flaws and immaculately constructed forms built solely for the most effective killing. Their biology is a weapon. They carry extremely dangerous abilities almost inherently, and are famously difficult to kill, often due to durability or some other quality. Qe'zhod are truly artistic creatures and there are no replica of them; they are individuals, often reserving their service to one Summoner at a time. Given how distinctive they are, they cannot easily be generalized, though their demands in terms of ether are steep: even an Intermediary can summon no more than one without likely overstepping.
Vidic: The Vidic-class of Archetypes almost solely applies to the Patrons themselves. Some Patrons consider their Intermediaries to be akin to their very own Vidic, their greatest gems, but with obvious faults in this logic. No one has ever summoned a Vidic-class Archetype and many arcane scholars debate the necessity of the classification in written documentation, as Patrons are supposedly not able to be conjured.
Initiation
Unsurprisingly, initiation into Summoning requires the imbuing of the Mark of Control of Summoning into the aspiring conjurer’s flesh. This Mark - an intricate arcane tapestry depicting the twelve Patrons as ornate shapes - awakens one to the depth of the spiritual realm within their own, as well as welcoming them to the looming unease of Bel and their tangible presence. A Summoner is awoken to both Adac and Dregs in ways many others aren’t, and this affinity for them allows the mage to form a symbiotic link to one of the Twelve Patrons. This is done instinctively without decisioning or rationale, threading impulsivity with the calculations of the Patron into a choice not agreed to by the Summoner. Once they have felt the breath of their first Patron upon their grafted, symbol-carved flesh, the initiation is complete and a Summoner is born.
Overstepping
Summoning has unique Overstepping in that it makes the Summoner vulnerable to an obscure concept known as 'spectral waste', an ambient degeneration caused by spiritual energy the mage has whittled their protection against. The Archetypes around them as well as other spirits will begin to leak harmful effects into their body, causing for a widely variable number of dangerous overstepping effects that can lead to permanent illness and death. Many of these spectral illnesses are mistaken for mutations, but are almost always negative and can be difficult to grapple with. Not all are permanent, and the permanent side effects tend to be the result of severely surpassing one's threshold.
Mutations
The mutations of Summoning often relate directly to the Archetypes themselves, drawing from the most central summoning family utilized by the mage. They will often directly affect the relationship of the Summoner and their most core archetypal families, as well as shifting the appearance of the mage in unnatural ways. These changes can be rather extensive, in some cases even making the mage appear very similar to the Archetypes they are Summoning, taking on traits inherent to their companions. Or, they can be rather muted and mundane.
Mutations will often make the Summoner begin to think like or hold some philosophy from an archetypal family, such as gaining the opulent perfectionism of Tyrnac's Irothar, or the withdrawn aloofness of Scanuloth's ilk. The mutations of Summoning can be broadly applied or filtered through particular themes, and the only true limitation is that they must involve Summoning in some direct way.
Novice
At Novice summoning, the Summoner contracts with a single Patron, though they do so distantly with little more than a feeling. They are, in-character, not given a choice as to who this Patron will be, as they are selected by the entity themselves. Out of character, the writer has the ability to choose whomever they wish. At this stage, all they can do beneath the umbrella of Summoning is learn and attempt to perform the Ritual of Binding, which can take several hours to complete, or even days if one foolishly attempts to conjure beyond their means. Summoning is expensive and yields pitiful results; a Nahl-class Archetype at best, fledgling spirits made of rudimentary and non-complicated forms. Summoning is often dangerous and unreliable, and any attempt to conjure on the fly will generally result in being exploited by a powerful being, drained of ether and left for dead.
Apprentice
An Apprentice Summoner is able to learn the Rituals of Unification and Reminiscence, allowing them to issue mental commands to their conjured allies as well as calling them forth at a moment's notice. The Apprentice can call upon Vrannik after acquiring 40 XP in this magic, making Summoning far more effective. Their efficiency in Summoning creatures begins to improve and they can commune with more than one Patron, the second now a choice, though - as a note - they will never be able to tether to a Patron outside of their initial faction. As a result of their expanded patronage, the Summoner may now call upon a Vestige, a permanent fixture in the way they perform the Mark of Summoning, and a lifelong companion.
Journeyman
A Journeyman Summoner can call upon Vrannik-class Archetypes with much greater ease, and they learn the essential ritual of Intercession, this milestone effectively acting as the point in which Summoning begins to change the Summoner's relationship with their Archetypes, forming a more native, and less alien bond with their 'families'. The bond with the Summoner and their Patrons, who now may number three, grows stronger and they begin to hear whispers and feel the remnants of desires upon them. They begin to gain a sense for their Patron's presence in the world, and following these sensations tends to lead them towards new Archetypes to call and name.
Expert
An Expert of Summoning gains access to the Ritual of Amalgamation, as well as Tyrid-class Archetypes. Summoning is done with greater efficiency and ease, as tends to follow progression, and with access to a large pool of Archetypes and ways to merge them, an Expert Summoner now wields a large and diverse array of options to manage any situation with.
Master
A Master Summoner is a mage of almost divine rule over their Archetypes. They are given access to Qe'zhod-class Archetypes, beings so peerless that the weight of ether required to conjure them can only be seen as necessary. Upon gaining this level of mastery, a fourth Patron can be bonded with, but a master may eventually bridge all six Patrons of their faction together, becoming an Intermediary. Master Summoners blur the lines between a Patron's power and their own, commanding Archetypes with a voice nearly as compelling as their maker's. A Master Summoner's Vestige can evolve into an Eidolon, which they may adjust over time to their will.
Ascension: The Patron
The pinnacle of Summoning, their Ascendant form is the Patron. More than an Intermediary, nor any other mage of the craft, a Patron designs, creates and commands their Archetypes with near perfect control, capable of forging pacts with Summoners and using their ether to expand their spiritual colony. A Patron is among the few beings other than Living Gods and Imprisoned capable of dominating other Adac or Dregs, and crafting them almost freely.
In order for a Summoner to become a Patron, they must first be an Intermediary, and they must hijack the Archetypal Family of a current Patron, whether living or dead. The Summoner must do so to one of their own Families, betraying their Elven God or Orator of Fog, or assuming their mantle upon their death. According to theory, this must be done by killing a prior Patron and integrating their essence into the Summoner’s Soul.
The process of performing this feat is unknown, and there has only been one Summoner to ever near becoming a Patron, attempting to replace Nydreth during a recession in his power. While the Summoner was ultimately killed, Summoners of that Archetype noted that for days at a time, he managed to hijack control from Nydreth and design new Archetypes, even drawing the Patron’s tethered Summoners to his own soul.
Thus it is known that the transformation into a Patron can be done. In order for a PC to perform this feat, they must inquire in the Support Forum after being a master Summoner for a significant length of time. A moderator must guide them through a lengthy and dangerous plot-line to take the mantle of a living Patron. This includes Veratelle, as her essence appears to be gripped by a powerful force.
Obviously, a Patron is incredibly powerful. By hijacking the domain of a Patron, the PC gains much of the power of the old Elven God or Orator, becoming something akin to a force of nature. Upon becoming a Patron, the PC can design their new form and abilities and submit them to the Help Desk for approval. Their true form will forever carry a resemblance to that of the Patron they dismantled, their biology changing on a fundamental level.
While the abilities of a Patron generally vary between them, all Patrons are able to enhance their Vestige well beyond even the powers of a Qe'zhod. Their Vestige becomes the first Archetype of their new family, and serves as a powerful proxy to the Patron themselves. The Vestige cannot permanently die, as it can be reforged with ether, meaning this 'guard' of theirs can be tremendously difficult to dispatch.
Notes
- If an Archetype is not already listed in an approved Archetype list, or has not been approved by a moderator in the public forum, it is not usable. A Summoner cannot utilize improvised Archetypes; all of them must be approved in order to be used.
- Even as an Intermediary, you cannot freely play a Patron. You can freely communicate with them, but cannot paint over their narrative by assigning them goals they would otherwise not have, or anything of the like. You cannot directly summon them to you or have them offer you special aide in any situation.
- You cannot change Patrons' relations with one another without Architect approval, even as an Intermediary.
- Archetypes cost a significant amount of ether to conjure, especially powerful ones. Be mindful of this and note that you may be assigned severe Overstepping for ignoring your limitations.
- Each Archetype speaks their own, nameless language, which the Summoner begins to understand in order to communicate with them as they progress towards Mastery. This also allows for better communication with the Patrons themselves.
- You can change your affiliated faction (Elven Gods or Choir of Fog) with Support Forum approval, but please do so sparingly and with good plot reason.
