OVERALL DESCRIPTION
Animal Scrying is a magic system mostly used by Shifts. People obtain it when a magical beast chooses them to bind to and creates a connection between them. Animal is usually the one who picks a human, but there are cases in which the opposite takes place.
This system is symbiotic in nature and both parties benefit from it. Upon binding, animal’s soul capacity increases by the human’s soul capacity and the animal can use it as its own. This perk is one-side, meaning that human’s soul capacity stays the same. In turn, an animal can recharge human’s soul, which allows them to get their soul capacity refilled without resting in between.
Human can tap into animal’s senses and feel whatever their animal feels at the moment, no matter how different those senses can be from human’s or the distance between them. This allows them to see the world through animal’s sharper and sometimes unique senses. Animal can do this to their human as well. Other perks of Animal Scrying include secret messaging and affinity to animals, as well as getting an animal companion and a friend.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Etymology
3. Usage 3.1 Positive use 3.2 Negative use 4. Abilities 4.1 Magical abilities 4.2 Subtypes 4.3 Weapons and tools 5. Weaknesses
Contents
1. ETYMOLOGY
In U.P. language, the word “scrying” means “the ability to see visions”. This refers to Animal Scryers’ ability to see the world from their animal’s point of view. Shifts have no standard language of their own since they were always scattered around the globe, so nowadays they predominantly use U.P. language since it’s widespread.
Each subtype has its specific name. The first is called Chosen (among themselves) or Marked (in the army). They are named after Ladvoljan and UDUU army titles. The second is derogatorily called Hounds because it’s a negative term for aggressive or mean people. The third is called Tamed because they are unwillingly influenced by their animal and the last one is called Severed because they lost their bond to the animal.
2. RACES AND NATIONS
The vast majority of Animal Scryers are Shifts since they’re better adjusted to the environment and more prone to its influence, making them easier to bind. However, a person of any race and nation can be chosen by a beast and bound to it.
In Ladvolja, they use Animal Scryers in the army and view them as shamans of sorts, they enjoy great respect since animals are respected and adored in the Ladvoljan culture.
In U.P., users can easily cover up their magic and go unnoticed. This allows them to live freely in the nation that forbids magic.
In Öffgast, they see Animal Scrying as natural Oathing forced by animals and respect users of it.
In UDUU, they use Animal Scryers to train their animal companions since they have the natural affinity for animal handling.
3. USAGE
3.1. POSITIVE USE
Most Animal Scryers have the affinity for animal handling, allowing them to understand, train and tame animals more easily. As such, most of them are very friendly with their animal and build their bond outside the magical connecting, making them close friends and companions.
Important use is animals recharging their humans’ soul capacity, making them tireless.
Another practical use is sending secret messages among Animal Scryers. It’s done by giving your animal a message which is carried to another animal which then carries it to their human. No one can understand the content of the message besides humans involved which makes this messaging network both secure and fast.
One use unique to Shifts is faster adjustment to the environments your animal resides in, which allows you to adapt even before arriving to the new environment.
3.2. NEGATIVE USE
Animal Scrying doesn’t have many negative uses. The main negative use is animal exploitation which can happen in a few different ways. You can force the animal to bind to you, train it to attack others and become aggressive by feeding off your negative energy or send it to the unknown environment for exploration or faster adaptation.
4. ABILITIES
4.1. MAGICAL ABILITIES
The main magical ability you gain from Animal Scrying is sensing through your animal and feeling the world from their point of view. In general, animals have stronger senses than humans, so by connecting to their state of being you can improve your senses or even gain a completely new sense humans don’t have, like sensing soul. This ability has many practical uses, mainly exploration or spying.
Another ability is recharging your soul capacity from the animal’s soul. Animals usually have extra soul they can give to their human when they need it, which allows them to practice magic for longer periods of time without getting tired.
4.2. SUBTYPES
There are four subtypes of Animal Scryers:
1.) Chosen/Marked
Chosen or Marked are the most common type. They are chosen by the animal and bound to it, they have no say in this and can’t refuse. Animals usually go for stronger individuals since they increase their soul capacity more.
2.) Hounds
Hounds are the opposite of Chosen, which means they choose their animal. They are usually people of great power and soul capacity, powerful enough to force animals to accept their offer. However, the animal still has the last word in this deal and a human can’t seal it unless the animal agrees.
It is usually done by hunting the animal and bribing it with gifts and food to prove your worth to it. Once the animal accepts, there is a special ritual that binds you together.
3.) Tamed
Tamed type is unique to Shifts. If the Shift Animal Scryer is weak or if they spend too much time using the animal’s senses, their body can adjust to the animal’s environment instead or their own. This poses no issue if they’re in relative proximity or in a similar temperature but can become a problem if their environments are vastly different. For example, if a person living in cold temperature gets desert adjustments.
4.) Severed
Severed are those whose magical bond has been broken. This usually occurs when the animal dies, but can also mean the animal unbound you, but that is rarely the case. Severed lose the connection and miss their animal, often becoming depressed and lonely, especially if they had a good relationship with the animal outside of the magical bond. If they bind to someone again, the new animal can tell the person was bound to someone before.
4.3. WEAPONS AND TOOLS
Some Animal Scryers have a specific item to communicate to their animal such as whistle, flute or bell.
5. WEAKNESSES
Once your magical bond breaks and you become Severed, your power diminishes greatly, as well as your mental and emotional state. It is the only magic system that can be taken away from you, usually by someone killing your animal. It also lacks variety of everyday uses and usually has to be combined with another system to make you powerful enough.
6. TRIVIA
our iteration of Wargs
the last magical system created
Written & edited by: Worldbuilding by: Cadence Nocthonax