Citrines are dangerous folk. Not many of them out there, and they’re almost all veterans with a lot of tricks up their sleeves. More importantly? When people hit Citrine, their attunement changes somehow. More than just getting an extra line and a brighter glow. Citrines start getting another type of mana — almost like they’ve got a whole new attunement. And that added flexibility makes them killer in a fight.
Emeralds are so rare that I can’t tell you what they’re capable of. Stories are all over the place, but the most common says that they can shape raw mana in the air. Not talking about reshaping spells that are already flying about like a Shaper can — they say Emeralds can weave magic out of nothing but ambient power.
Sounds like a bunch of nonsense if you ask me.
Sapphires? Hah! Good luck finding one of those, kid. You’re more likely to find a spell that turns lead into gold.
Appendix III — Mark Locations
An excerpt from a lecture on general magic theory by Professor Meltlake
Students these days have no appreciation for the little things.
And one of these little things, with far greater significance than they understand?
The place in which they were first marked by the goddess.
We understand little about why the goddess chooses to mark an individual in a certain location — even less than we understand her reasoning about which attunement to pick for one of the Judged.
We do, however, know how the location affects the abilities of the attuned who bears the mark.
The principal effect of the location is that it determines the primary method the attuned uses to direct spells. While all attuned can direct spells through multiple methods, spells that are directed using the attunement itself as a medium will be more potent.
Hand-Marked Attuned generally direct their spells through a gesture with the marked hand.
The classic example is an Elementalist hurling a blast of fire through their attuned hand — this would be stronger than doing the exact same spell through their other hand, since the attunement itself provides extra power when the caster channels mana directly through it.
Leg-Marked Attuned trigger spells by channeling their mana directly through touching a target. While kicking a target might be the most applicable method, a leg-marked attuned can also channel mana through their attunement into another part of the body and deliver it through a touch. This method is matched with hand-marked gestures for speed, and has the advantage of accuracy — spells delivered directly into a target are almost never wasted.
Since this method can only be used in melee range, however, it is often practiced in conjunction with other types of casting — unless the attunement itself favors close combat. This method is often favored by Guardians, even if their Attunement mark is elsewhere on their bodies.
Lung-Marked Attuned typically target and cast their spells through verbal incantations. By speaking, the caster channels mana through their lungs into the air around them, then releases the mana upon the conclusion of the incantation. This method is more time consuming than most spell casting methods, but the voice allows mana to be dispersed across a broad area, making this method superior for affecting multiple targets at once. For this reason, lung-marked are popular for warfare, where they can wreak havoc across a battlefield.
Heart-Marked Attuned channel mana through their entire body into their heart and then out both hands simultaneously. This method is the most dangerous and difficult to control, but it also produces the strongest single-target spells.
Mind-Marked Attuned are capable of casting spells inside their own bodies without any form of motion or verbal incantation. This skill makes mind-marked Menders incredibly resilient, since they’re capable of healing their wounds simply by shifting their mana to the injured location. Other mind-marked attuned often focus on casting spells that enhance their senses or physical attributes.
The location of an attunement is also quite important in that the attunement increases the rate of mana regeneration for that part of the body. Depending on the location of the mark, this will give the attuned more access to a particular type of mana.
This is often key in developing the user’s strength as a mage, since their most commonly used mana type will generally also be their strongest.
Appendix IV — Characters and Terms
From Corin’s class notes House Cadence:
Magnus Cadence — Head of House Cadence, father of Tristan and Corin Cadence
Laura Lyran — Head of House Lyran, mother of Tristan and Corin Cadence
Tristan Cadence — Elder son of Magnus Cadence and Laura Lyran. Disappeared into the Serpent Spire during his Judgment. Presumed deceased.
Corin Cadence — Younger son of Magnus Cadence and Laura Lyran. Presumptive heir to both houses after Tristan’s disappearance.
Sera Cadence — Previously known as Sera Shard, Sera Cadence was legitimized by Magnus Cadence after passing her attunement exam. She is presumed to be a bastard child of Magnus Cadence. After being legitimized, she is now a potential heir to the house. She is the same age as Corin.
University Staff:
Chancellor Wallace — In charge of all university activities.
Lieutenant Commander Jack Bennet — Vice Chancellor, former military commander.
Professors:
Professor Edlyn — Assisted with new student orientation. Teaches Mana Manipulation class.
Professor Ceridan — In charge of Tiger Division. Teaches Elementalists.
Professor Lyras Orden — In charge of Serpent Division. Has a mysterious connection with The Voice of the Tower.
Professor Vellum — Teaches classes on permanent enchantments.
Professor Conway — Teaches Attunements class.
Lord Jonathan Teft — In charge of Hydra Division. Teaches dueling.
Professor Meltlake — General Magic Theory class. Legendary Elementalist.
Professor Vanway — Teacher for an unknown class. Not one of Corin’s professors.
Students:
Patrick Wayland — Former friend from Corin’s childhood. Elementalist.
Jin Dalen — Mysterious student in Corin’s dorm.
Marissa Callahan — One of Corin’s classmates. Usually called “Mara” by her friends. Guardian.
Roland Royce — One of Sera’s friends, former friend of Tristan’s.