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Greetings, fellow Name-Givers. Allow me, if you will, a moment for introduction. My name is Sarabrennos, and it has been my privilege to walk many paths in my search for wisdom; what began as a dabbling in the way of the wizard has led me to studies in all the formal spellcasting disciplines of our beloved Barsaive (one could hardly consider those bushwatching, self-styled "shamans" as formal practitioners, now could one?). It is now my honor, at the request of my dear friend Merrox and the Library of Throal, to share a bit of the arcane lore that I have spent so very long accumulating. The learned reader will find in these writings a sampling of the spells that I have devised, learned, discovered, and . . . . otherwise acquired. My fervent hope is that my work will serve to educate and enlighten my fellow name-givers to the same rich extent it has my own humble self.

Though his attitude may offend some readers, and understandably so, Sarabrennos' abilities in his chosen disciplines are well-known and widely respected. Please take from these pages more the value of this information than its accompanying ostentation.

-- Merrox, Master, Hall of Records

This spell conjures into existence a blade-like construct of pure magical energy. The caster initially makes a spellcasting test against a 9 to bring the "blade" into being. For the duration of the spell the caster may attack with the construct anyone who is within melee range. To attack, the caster makes a spellcasting test against the target's spell defense; if successful the magician may then roll the effect dice for damage. Only mystic armor applies against the damage. The spell has a somatic component during its casting -- the magician must swing his closed fist around as if mimicking a display of swordsmanship. Adepts should note that there is a possible drawback to this spell. As it uses pure (i.e., unfiltered) magical energy for its effect, casting this spell using raw magic adds +5 steps to both the damage and horror mark tests involved in that procedure.

This spell simultaneously cloaks the caster from being detected by sight, sound, or smell, while also making it far more difficult to detect him via magical means. If the caster makes a successful spellcasting test he may then add the result of a Willforce roll to the perception difficulty of anyone attempting to locate him with normal senses, or to his spell defense (solely) for the purpose of opposing magical divination.

The Dancing Dragon spell enables the caster to create the complex and semi-autonomous illusionary construct of a ferocious two-headed dragon , approximately 30 ft long and 20 ft tall (though size can be modified to either 50% larger or 50% smaller than this base), which appears to be composed entirely of inky shadows. Once the spell is cast, the caster no longer has to remain in the vicinity for the spell to function, as the spell harnesses the rudimentary intelligence of a spirit (summoned into the construct during the casting) as a sort of "control system." Note that the 25 yards under the range category refers to how far away from himself that the caster can have the beastie initially appear.

This illusionary beast will attack with its claws and fangs. It can attack however many people the caster designates as targets, up to a number equal to the caster's spellcasting rank, and will continue to do so for the duration of the spell. The "creature" has attack and damage steps both equal to the caster's Willforce, and a number of attacks per round equal to his spellcasting rank.

The construct may be attacked by its targets as if it possessed a physical defense rating of 10 and will, if "injured," adjust its own illusory make-up to reflect an appropriate amount of damage inflicted; however, it should be noted that no amount of physical damage will destroy the Dancing Dragon -- this would require either a successful Dispel Magic or successful disbelief rolls by every one of the Dragon's targets . A successful disbelief roll by a single target will cause the Dancing Dragon to cease to exist for that person only -- but watching their compatriot walk around unscathed while blathering about the absence of the Dragon gives characters a +5 step bonus to their perception checks for their own rolls to disbelieve.

Eldritch Blast is essentially an area effect version of the spell Mind Dagger. The caster whips his arm forward as if throwing a heavy projectile. The caster then makes a spellcasting test versus the highest spell defense of any of the targets within the area of effect (a thirty foot diameter hemisphere), with one point added to the difficulty number for every additional target beyond the first. If successful the caster then rolls the effect dice for damage. As this is purely mystical damage, only mystic armor protects from it. Physical armor provides no protection.

This spell makes the caster immaterial, though the clever use of a levitation effect keeps the caster from sinking through floors and such involuntarily. For the duration of the spell, the caster can pass, either partially or completely, through any physical material except those containing True Elements (such as Orichalcum). Further, no normal physical attack can touch and therefore harm the caster during this time; however, spells, spirits, Horrors, and thread weapons (i.e., things with an astrally active presence) do not fall under this restriction and do their full, unmodified damage to the caster.

Ironskin melds the target's physical body with a form of elemental metal, strengthening it considerably. If the spellcasting test is successful, the caster rolls the effect dice. The result of the effect dice becomes the target's natural armor rating. In addition, the caster's Willforce rank is added to the target's wound threshold. The target reflects the effects of the spell in his physical appearance, which takes on a dark, metallic look. Also, the target's weight effectively doubles and he loses all buoyancy (as the spell in no way bolsters the target's respiratory processes, casting this on an ally while afloat could be a remarkably bad idea).

The Jester's Mask enables the caster to control the emotions of a large group. The caster makes a spellcasting test against the highest spell defense from among the target group, with one point added to the difficulty for every five targets in the group. If successful, he then rolls the effect dice and compares the result to a social defense rating modified as per spell defense above. On an average or good success the caster can make minor alterations to the group's emotions, such as changing mild depression to indifference. An excellent success enables the caster to make major changes in the group's emotional state, such as changing indifference to severe depression. An extraordinary success allows the caster to alter the group's emotional state by any degree he desires, such as changing utter joy to mindless rage. When the caster successfully completes the spellcasting test, the illusion of a colorful actor's mask appears in the air, high enough and large enough to be seen by the entire target group. The mask displays whatever emotion the caster wants to impress on the group and can shift between emotions at the casters whim and at any time during the spell's duration.

A spell for the petty sadist in us all, Mistaken Identity makes anyone encountered by the target believe that the target is someone other than who the target really is. The caster must make a successful spellcasting test against the target's spell defense. The result of that test, if successful, is applied against the spell defense of anyone the target encounters. If the result equals an average or good success, the target's appearance will change only slightly. Anyone who actually knows the target may notice a resemblance; however, the changes in the target's features are significant enough that the person encountering the target will believe that they are meeting someone who only resembles the target, not the target himself. An excellent success or better will produce an appearance grossly disparate to the target's actual features. This includes race, color, size, body odor, etc.

There are spells less difficult to cast if one merely wants to alter one's own appearance. The true value of this spell becomes apparent when it is cast on an unwilling subject. If this spell's standing result can beat another person's spell defense, no amount of argument can convince that person of the target's true identity. In fact, one function of the spell is that the more the target argues for his true identity, the more confident the other person becomes in their misperception of the target's identity. Each person who successfully disbelieves this illusion and attempts to argue on behalf of the target's true identity only serves to increase this effect. The GM can reflect this function best by making those encountered by the target less likely to attempt (if an NPC) or even feel the need to attempt (if a player character) a disbelief roll; however, this effect in no way penalizes the disbelief roll itself. Combining the illusion's effects with its lengthy duration, this spell has the capacity to completely ruin someone's life