What is “Raw Magic”?

"Raw Magic" is my term for a miscellaneous collection of intuitive magical abilities available to the Nephilim that aren’t part of the occult sciences or arcane techniques. These include Elemental Effects, Metamorphosis Transformations, and Transmitting Ka. The occult sciences and other magical techniques derive from a more refined understanding of these basic processes.

Some background

“Elemental Effects” are an optional rule introduced in Liber Ka p88. Basically, it means that Nephilim have a very limited form of Avatar: The Last Airbender-style elemental bending. This was expanded upon in the Ex Oculis fanbook on the mailing list, which renamed the mechanic “Raw Magic” or HeKa. While I think ExO's rules were a bit too situational, I liked the name "Raw Magic" and decided to use it as an umbrella term for various magical effects created by Nephilim that don't fall under the occult sciences or other magical techniques. I like the idea of raw magic from a metaphysical perspective: it serves as the foundation of all magical ability. All other forms of magic derive from a more refined understanding of this basic process.

Under the Enlightened Magic rules POW (Ka) isn’t rolled to cast spells, so the Sacrifice Ritual becomes unnecessary (see Nephilim rulebook p140, Major Arcana p24). POW (Ka) is still spent to enchant magical tools and magic items, but there's no mention of bloodletting. If the GM rules so, then Nephilim are assumed to spend Ka through Raw Magic.

Examples of Raw Magic

The following are the known manifestations of Raw Magic. Other manifestations might exist, but nobody knows for sure…

Elemental Effects

These allow a Nephilim to briefly invoke a tiny effect related to their Dominant Ka with a Ka roll, limited to a range of Touch, no stronger than a 10% Threshold Lower Magic spell, costs 3 Ch'awe points per effect, and probably risks a Khaiba roll during an unfavorable Astrological Modifier. 

For example: a Pyrim could produce a lighter flame in their palm (a la Pyretic Palm), an Onirim could produce a lambent glow like a dim lightbulb (a la Lunar Crescent), an Eolim could produce a puff of breeze, a Hydrim could purify or produce a few ounces of water (a la Seething Aqua), and a Faerim could produce a small quantity of sand, soil, or even moss. 

Metamorphosis Transformations

Metamorphosis Traits of sufficiently high rating (typically 16+) provide practical effects. For example: the Djinn's Destructive Trait hardens his skin into armor, the Baen Shide's Manipulative Trait lets her convince a mortal to do something for her, the Angel's Honorable Trait allows her to fly, the Triton's Pragmatic Trait allows him to breath underwater, the Tecarian's Spiritual Trait allows him to prophesy the future. See Chronicle of the Awakenings.

Transmitting Ka

Ka is sacrificed via Raw Magic to enchant magic items (see Enlightened Magic p20-1, 32, 64-5, 69) and to calm elemental beasts (see Gamemaster’s Companion p48). Lacking both Ka-elements and Raw Magic, secret society mages cruelly and fatally bleed both innocent mortals (to awaken Orichalc) and Nephilim (for Sacrifices and Elixirs) to get at their Ka through their blood.

Nephilim may draw stored Ka-elements from their Stasis item via the Stasis Ritual (see Nephilim rulebook p140) to boost rolls. Nephilim may spend Ka-elements to charge their Stasis item through a reverse of the same (see my post on Stasis items), but these spent points regenerate at the rate of 1 point/week at sunrise on the day of the week corresponding to that element. This process of drawing and donating Ka-element points is Raw Magic!

Other kinds of Raw Magic?

Are there manifestations of Raw Magic for Solar-Ka? Black Lunar-Ka? Saturnian-Ka? 

Solar-Ka

Solar-Ka doesn’t seem to have Raw Magic effects like the Elemental Ka. 

However, the secret societies have developed rudimentary Solar-Ka transmutations. These include the Black Star’s spells to awaken Orichalc and to sacrifice Nephilim for Elixirs or enslave them as Homunculi (See Nephilim rulebook p190-2 and Secret Societies p37-9). 

By contrast, the Mithradites’ developed more pleasant Solar-Ka Techniques (see Secret Societies p73). 

The Ar-Kaïms might have developed Raw Magic using their hyper-awakened Solar-Ka, but nobody has yet observed what manifestation this might take.

Black Lunar-Ka

The Selenim Assuage Solar-Ka through the emotions of mortals, curse mortals via the evil eye, hear the dead via Tenebrae, their Simulacrum ceases to age, and transmit BLK to enchant or charge their doomed artefacts. While they lack a metamorphosis, they did develop the obscure science of Anamorphosis instead.

However, Selenim lack any obvious physical displays of Raw Magic. Are they capable of generating a visible Elemental Effect, or is this beyond the Black Moon?

Saturnian-Ka

So far only the Fraternitas Saturnii and a few other rare and secretive groups have developed Saturnian-Ka, and then only to a rudimentary degree, so nobody knows if this doomed element is capable of much Raw Magic. The Fraternitas is apparently capable of sacrificing Saturnian-Ka to power certain spells or enchant magical plumbs and Orichalc-smelting athanors. 

But Elemental Effects? Metamorphosis Transformations? Only those Orichalcians and Ar-Kaïms with Saturnian-Ka would know anything...

———

Hope you enjoyed!

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