The Gift

HOW MAGIC WORKS
IN THE SGILI RP

In this RP universe, it is called the Gift. Certain humans are born with an excess reserve of aura energy, which enables them to perform/use magic. Potency for the Gift is only passed genetically to offspring, but it is a recessive trait in most families.

(Moderator's Note: It is highly uncommon for all character siblings to have the active Gift gene. There are limitations!)

The Gift is highly-individualistic. It is unique to a person's personality and their parentage-- by its strength and its physical representation. Each Gifted human has a generalized color of their aura, which is the same color of their Gift (unless they are performing Elemental Affinity magic.) When a Gifted human uses any kind of magic, a visual representation of one's Gift is visible to others as threads of aura color. Gift colors are often in a similar color-range between family members.

BIOLOGY CONCEPTS

As the Gift is directly linked to a character's aura, performing magic will drain (either temporarily or longer, depending on the type of magic used) its user of physical strength and mental energy. This lost energy will replenish naturally over time; however, rest, relaxation and mediation can speed up the process.

A Gift must be trained, even for basic actions, in order to be useful to its user. Most spells are worked through hand gestures or spoken words. If a Gift is left untrained after CHILDHOOD, the active trait becomes dormant in individual and requires extensive training to reawaken it. The process can become more painful as the individual ages before it is near-impossible to reawaken after reaching ADULTHOOD. Parents with untrained Gifts still pass on the gene to their children. Young TODDLERS with

exceptionally strong Gifts may accidentally use it subconsciously at a basic level without training.

A person's hands are vital to perform magic, as the Gift manifests out of the palms and fingers. Besides death, the greatest punishment sentenced to a Gifted person is the encasing of hands into concrete (or cutting them off entirely.)

THE INSTITUTIONS AND THE NAMELESS GUILD

OVERVIEW
There are six Institutions that act as academic temples over a specialty field, where Gifted individuals learn greater magic than the basic skill-set. They are seated in Yloren (Healing), Meave (Higher Sight), Bytha (Elemental Magic), Ul'Tair (Image Magic), and Gaddis (Shape-Shifting.)

The Nameless Guild is the authoritative power of Gifted affairs by a judicial system of representatives sent by the Institutions. Its formation predates the Sgili Empire far into the ancestral years as it is known all Institutions were mothered out of the Guild over the course of history. The Nameless Guild does not claim any region as its liege, but has recognized and supported the superior political power of the Imperial Council and Royal Family.

(Moderator's Note: Ministers, Arch-Ministers, the Grand Minister and Acolytes are required to forfeit familial ties (even if they previously had a spouse and children) and ingest infertility wine year-to-year until they retire from their role. This is done for the simple fact that their profession demands highest priority of their lives, and family is too much of a liability.)

RANKS AND ROLES IN A GIFTED CAREER
Ranks at an Institution
- Apprentice: Are also known as pupils, are Gifted individuals that travel to an Institution to learn its specialty. (Individuals taught by volunteer-tutor as Mentors are generally only seen as 'pupils' not Apprentices, as the title distinguishes commitment to an Institution.) Admission seasons into an Institution are hosted every fall and spring, and are usually an assessment of basic skills and personality by a panel of seven Mentors. If an individual is not accepted, they are allowed to try again the next admission season. A potential pupil that had been denied previously is given four attempts before they are denied admittance indefinitely. There is no age requirement to enter an Institution, though most are adolescences and young adults. Most individuals study roughly 2-4 years for a graduate/intermediate level of skill as a formal Apprentice, but spend an additional 2-3 years to accomplish a greater sense of expertise/mastery through experience and practical application outside of the Institution.
- Mentor: Are the teachers housed at an Institution or could be traveling throughout the realm on commission pay by their Institution. (Informal Mentors exist as 'volunteer tutors' and are commonly village shamans or family members.) Most Apprentices chose to become Mentors themselves, as the lifestyle offers a freedom from the traditional class-system. There is no distinction between a Mentor born of high-class or a Mentor born of low-class: they are all simply Mentors. (Regardless, of course, political titles of feudal high-Lords, royalty, and higher ranks in Gifted careers are always viewed with importance and respect.)
- Minister: Is the leading figure of an Institution, typically a former Mentor of the same Institution, that is charged with maintaining peace and order of the Institution, supervising Mentor conduct both traveling abroad or housed at the Institution, offering judgement to Apprentice disputes, and relaying any information of importance to the Nameless Guild. Election season-- Three candidates for Minister are elected out of a primary vote by formal Institution Mentors, then the Nameless Guild Council votes one of these candidates into Minister position. Ministers hold their position over an Institution for four years and can be re-elected to an unlimited number of terms.
Ranks at the Nameless Guild
- Acolyte: A small, selective order of Mentors (or extraordinary Apprentices) charged to protect/acquire information about scythe-stones (or attain misused stones for relocation) under the authority of the Nameless Guild, specifically by the Grand Minister and Institution Ministers. Acolytes are combative, trained for elusive stratagem, and essentially handle the manual work regarding the Guild's oversight of the scythe-stones. An Acolyte is viewed somewhere between the ranks of Mentor and Minister. Acolytes are nominated at the suggestion of Ministers and chosen by the Grand Minister; they may serve unlimited amount of years in the profession until they resign or are deemed unable to continue by the Grand Minister. (Limited to seven characters, NPCs included)
- Arch-Minister: Are elected representatives of the Institutions (formal Mentor or not) whose duties are convene and discuss over administrative or judicial issues of Gifted affairs in the realm. As a whole, they are called the Guild Council and have 35 seated members. Each Institution nominates 12 individuals for Arch-Minister titles, but the Minister of that Institution elects only 7 individuals to represent their voice on the Guild Council. Arch-Ministers serve two-year terms and may be reelected an unlimited number of terms.
- Grand Minister: Is the leader and speaker of the Nameless Guild in a checks-and-balances system with the Guild Council, namely as a voter in a deadlock decision. The Grand Minister also distributes mission and responsibilities of Acolytes at the discretion of the Guild Council or Institution Ministers. In recent years, the Grand Minister has a seat on the Imperial Council for governmental affairs of the realm as a neutral, political voice. Candidates for this position are first nominated by Institution, narrowed down to 2-3 candidates per Institution by its Minister, and a single person solidified into position by vote of Guild Council-- those whom have served a minimum of three consecutive terms as an Arch-Minister are eligible for nomination by Minister. The Grand Minister holds the position for seven years and can be re-elected to an unlimited number of terms.
Other roles available at an Institution or Nameless Guild
- Housing Master/Mistress: Supervises the living quarters of Apprentices to maintain peace and order among Institution pupils. (NPCs mostly)
- Librarian: Charged with basic upkeep over collections of scrolls and books, excludes access to artifacts and sacred collections.
- Guardsman: Self-explanatory, some even charged as personal guards to a Minister, Arch-Minister, or Grand Minister. (NPCs mostly)
- Historian: Are scribes and typically lack the personality to be a Mentor. Similar to librarian, but has access to artifacts and certain privileges to sacred collections mandated by a Minister or Grand Minister.
SCYTHE STONES

The Scythe Stones are an old magic, going all the way back to the Age before Tsi Sgili waged war to gain political power. They were said to be mined by the people of old, who discovered their magic, and made stones over into talismans. According to the teachings of the Nameless Guild, the frequent use of the stones, which were plenty then, eventually led to the absorption of the power of the talismans, which then manifested into 'Gifts' of the generations that were borne after most of the stones were lost.

Sycthe Stones were generally formed and shaped in sets of three: one stone for the heart, one for the mind, and one for the body. Their power was therefore dependent on the individual who wielded them, a reflection of that person's combined strengths of heart, mind, and body. The mix of minerals and magic made each set unique, and it took years to make a single set. A entire set must be obtained in order to use its magic.

BLUE SCYTHE STONES

Also known as the Seeking Stones, these allow the user to find any person, place, or thing he or she desires.

CRIMSON SCYTHE STONES

Also known as the Draining Stones, these act as a high-powered, life-draining fiery weapon, capable of incinerating an enemy within moments. This comes at a cost to the user's life force. Since their rediscovery, these scythe stones have only ever been used in concert with the Gift.

EMERALD SCYTHE STONES

Also known as Earth Stones, these allow the user to manipulate the earth around them. Like the Crimson Scythe Stones, this comes at a cost to the user's life force. It is said that these stones also help in giving life to plants and vegetation and is rumored to have been the cause of success of the farms in Orenskia.

SAFFRON SCYTHE STONES

Also known as Delusory Stones, these allow the user to disguise anything or anyone they choose, willing or unwilling. The power comes at the cost to the user's life force and is only effective if user and the target are at a specific range, any further and the target's real appearance will be revealed.

WHITE SCYTHE STONES

Is a talisman that greatly amplifies the Gift of the wielder.

BLACK SCYTHE STONES

A powerful magic that nothing can stand against, for it has the power to consume and negate all other magics. However, there is a price to be paid, as any magic that is negated is then transferred into the wielder of the stone, often with detrimental consequences.

(Moderator's Note: Scythe Stones are rare talismans used to make the story more interesting and to drive the plot forward. They are not available for everybody to have so do NOT assume that your character can have one or will have one at whim. On that note, any changes and/or addition to their purpose can be made any time in the future. Any questions about scythe stones should be directed to TheGreatMouse)
TRAINING OF THE GIFT

BASIC TRAINING OF THE GIFT
Gift training initially begins with an apprenticeship with a Mentor (either classically-trained from the Institution or an informal volunteer-tutor.)

These Mentors aid the pupil to learn and gain a basic skill-set for the Gift's practical uses, as well as techniques for rest and recovery. For common folk, learning a few basic magic skills is usually the ending point of their apprenticeship; and few commoners go beyond basic skill-set training. However, some Gift users may chose to continue greater training and will likely have to travel to find a new Mentor (especially if the original Mentor has nothing else to teach the pupil.)

GREATER TRAINING OF THE GIFT
As with any skill, a character must first accomplish a solid foundation of the appropriate basics before moving onto greater skills.

(Moderator's Note: Meaning a character needs the appropriate pre-reqs to learn greater skills.)

Stronger Gift skills are broadly categorized into two areas: combative magic and specialty magic.

Combative magic can be taught by a someone whom already knows the techniques (for example, retired soldiers or rogues)-- BUT most feudal regions have their own training programs ("boot camps") to develop a Gifted person's combative magic to a selective style of fighting. It is known that the best training for combative magic is learned as a soldier in their region's army, and feudal high-Lords tend to favor appointing officers out of their Gifted ranks. The first Emperor, Tsi Sgili, is said to have possessed some of the greatest combative Gift techniques ever seen.

Specialty magic is a traditional route of Gift academia, and is primarily taught at one of the five Institutions. These Institutions are university-like temples overseen by the Nameless Guild. Each Institution is dedicated to a single type of specialty magic. It is known that an individual's personality will instinctively guide them into a specialty field, rather than it being a choice of willpower. People who attempt to use their Gift to perform magic not appropriate to their innate skill-set or temperament have a nasty habit of dying in ugly, ironic ways or can cause greater harm to those around them. (Refer to the Auralis plague created by Emperor Saang's meddling.)

(Moderator's Note: It is recommended to talk with a moderator to approve specialty training routes for your character.)
BUILDING A GIFTED CHARACTER
& BREAKDOWN OF SKILLS
- Understand limitations for a Gifted character: Limitations are important to avoid OP characters. In effort to keep OP-ness to a minimum, every Gifted character will have a maximum amount of 'points' that cannot be exceeded to create their magic skill-set. It is not required to use all the points in the long-run.
- Understand the correlation of skills-to-age: Every Gift skill-tier has their own 'time-clock' that needs to be followed by every writer. Basic Skills are typically learned in CHILDHOOD varying between 2-5 years before levels of Graduate/Intermediate are reached. Combative Skills vary 1-3 years based on their Mentor and amount of continuous training. Apprentices for Specialty Skills spend 2-4 years at an Institution for Graduate/Intermediate levels; but spend an additional 2-3 years building up their specialty to Expert/Mastery levels through experience and practical application outside the Institution. Great Skills take longer to reach Intermediate level over a span of another 7 years. | Therefore, a teenage/early-mid 20s character cannot have expert/mastery of multiple skills because of the required time to accomplish those levels. It doesn't match up with their youthfulness.
- Understand where to start your character's training: Some writers may be given opportunity to start their Gifted character IC already trained in some skills. However, most are encouraged to enjoy their character's journey as a pupil under a Mentor to develop their skills as the story progresses naturally. Despite anything, do not start your Gifted character already fully-trained to the 7th point! That's ludicrous. Stop that. The current IC Grand Minister of the Guild is at her 7th point, but she's dedicated 13 years of her life to the Guild and is nearing late-40s in age. Put that into perspective when spending a Gifted character's points. AND if you're making a Gifted character, you should be discussing details with a moderator. Period.
- Grading a Gift skill: We use a ranking system to differentiate a character's ability at a certain skill. The rank system is as follows, from least to most: Novice, Graduate, Intermediate, Expert, and Master. A break-down of these ranks can be found on the Official Biography Template on the ProBoards site.
- Remember: The Gift is individualistic. If your character's ancestor was in a certain specialty doesn't mean your character is limited or stuck to that same specialty. The potency of the Gift is genetically passed on, not the skill set or talents of a character's parentage.
Every Gifted character is allotted a maximum of 7 points to use in the appropriate fashion.
(GREEN SHADING) BASIC SKILL-SET
There is no limit to how many basic Gift skills a character can have (a character can certainly have all of them.) Therefore, though it is not mandatory to train all basic abilities, a Gifted character is required to select a minimum of two.

Aura Orb: (1 point) (Akin to Lumos of Harry Potter universe) Small sphere of harmless, luminous light emitted out of the palms.
Gravitational Push/Pull: (1 point) (Works like a force-push in Star Wars universe) Is a basic outward push of one's Gift that sends a burst of harmless aura-energy in an intended direction.
Sight: (1 point) Can recognize if someone else is Gifted; can also read if someone is ill or ill or pregnant.
Shield: (1 point) Manifested as a flat-surfaced barrier (24 sq. inch size; maximum duration of 5 seconds) and colored to match the caster's Gift; can be used to physically block objects or natural elements; does not absorb Gift energy, but diminishes its strength.
Empathy: (1 point) A meditative focus and tactile ability that allows one to feel emotional imprints left on environment or inanimate objects.
(ORANGE SHADING) COMBATIVE TRAINING
A character may have one or more combative techniques, so long as they've accomplished the prerequisites for that skill.

Countering / High Shield: (2 points, only available after completing Shield and Gravitational Push/Pull) Training of a stronger (60 sq. inch size,maximum duration of 30 seconds) shield which can now be projected instead of remaining close to caster; shield can now be used like a mirror to counter the momentum of physical objects and natural elements by re-projecting it in another direction with 1/4 less strength of the original forces.
Magical Foci: (2 points, only available after completing Aura Orb) Training which enhances inanimate items, primarily weaponry, with one's Gift to empower attacks or strengthen defensive characteristics against other magic uses/users.
Augmentation: (2 points, only available after completing Aura Orb and Gravitational Push/Pull) Training which enhances the individual's physical attributes for greater speed, agility, power, stamina, etc.

(RED SHADING) SPECIALTY TRAINING
It is not mandatory to have a specialty field. But if a writer chooses this route, each individual character is limited to a single (1) specialty field which may be trained after they've accomplished the prerequisites for that specialty.

Elemental Affinity: (2 points, only available after completing Aura Orb and Empathy) Manipulation of the four natural elements (water, earth, air, or fire); cannot create or conjure the elemental itself.
High Sight: (2 points, only available after completing Sight) Can visually discern the tiniest of details, even at a distance of 60 yards; can see remnants of magic left on inanimate objects or see the presence of lingering magic in surrounding areas following 5 hours; and has some measure of night-vision at a distance of 40 yards.
Shape-Shifting: (2 points, only available after completing Empathy) Ability to transform one's body at will between the base-human form and a single animal-form of choice. Allowed animal forms are limited to the following categories: bear species, large cat species, wolf/dog species, fox species, and bird species. Natural human eye color is usually reflected in the animal appearance. Shifted animal forms also tend to be slightly larger than their normal counterparts.
Image Magic: (2 points, only available after completing Aura Orb and Shield) Can project mental illusions onto environment or onto the caster's own body; and temporarily disfigure an item's physical appearance for a determined span of time.
Healing: (2 points, only available after completing Sight and Empathy) Are techniques used to heal another oneself or another individual by draining your own aura-energy to speed up the natural-biological healing process. As one can imagine, the correlation of healing against amount of aura-energy used can be dangerous to the healer.
(PURPLE SHADING) GREAT SKILLS

Great skills require a minimum 7 years of study, training, and experience to accomplish an Intermediate level. It is uncommon for multiple people in a single generation to have great skills.

Great Shield: (3 points, upgraded ability only available after completing Countering/High Shield) While in deep meditation, this projected dome-like shield can effectively last one full hour and cover 16 sq. meters (roughly half of a basketball court) and can only be broken with certain Gift energies amplified by blue or black scythe stones. As powerful as the Great Shield may be, the caster suffers various risks if maintained past the first hour: the amount of Gift energy to maintain the Great Shield could potentially disable the person for an extended period of time (several hours of recovery) or place the caster into a vegetative state if pushed too far (days of recovery). The Great Shield can abruptly diminish if the caster is disturbed out of concentration during their mediation.

Great Sight: (3 points, upgraded ability only available after completing High Sight) This advanced form of High Sight allows the individual to experience hallucinogenic visions (with 'film time' of 20 seconds once every three days) by scrying off the wind or seawater. These visions may be glimpses of events happening in faraway places or inferred prophetic scenes yet to occur. Like the Great Shield, Great Sight can be dangerous to its caster: using Great Sight before the third day of recovery will cause seizures that leaves the caster incoherent for several hours, and three occurrences of seizures in a week's time will push the individual to insanity.