Power

This article is about magical power. For the type of Angel, see Angel#Power.

Power or power sources is a general term for supplies of magical "energy", uses of which includes, but is not limited powering Practices or feed Others. There are many types of power, each with it's own particular uses, it's own strengths and weaknesses; but they are to a certain extent interchangeable.<ref>“Does having Jabber let them brute force their way in, like having the furs might?”

"I don’t think he’s that strong?” Lucy asked.

“Power comes in flavors, right?” Avery asked.  “Realm-derived.  So abyssal power is better for powering violent and dark magic, fae magic for illusion…”

“Even inside the Fae court, stuff gets divided.  Don’t really want to use Maricica’s glamour to turn into a sunbeam,” Lucy said.

“Yeah,” Verona replied.  “Jabber is… alchemical power?  Emotional?” - Excerpt from Summer Break 13.8</ref>

Generalities

Most spells can be potentially fuelled by many different sources of power.<ref>We take some form of power, often something Others have to offer, or a bit of our Self, and we use our inviolable word to push that power into the ruts that the past has carved into existence. - 4.5 Bonus: Bedtime Reading</ref> However, some forms of power may be inapproriate for some spells, and some will influence or "taint" the resulting working.<ref>If you have a source of power, prepare it appropriately, connecting it to the diagram or tapping directly into the ritual.  Failing that, kneeling, slicing one’s hand and allowing eight drops of blood to drip down, and making a declaration of power will serve for most demonstrations, though this will exhaust and diminish the individual until they can recover. [...] The object should be examined thoroughly with the sight; typically, the item will change slightly in appearance, mirroring the type of power used (matching the user if their own personal power was tapped) - 4.5 Bonus: Bedtime Reading</ref>

Different types of power can be exchanged for one another using a Demesne,<ref name=":6">Whilst outside of her place of power, Fionna finds the connection to the location remains strong, wherever she is.  She can deposit power there and rest assured it is untouched.  She can also use the location to transmute power, turning personal power into karmic assets, draw from one kind of power to better influence a connection. As one can determine the rules within their realm, they can use the place as a form of esoteric moneychanger, changing one kind of power for another. - Excerpt from Demesnes Chapter Nine, quoted in Interlude 4 </ref> although Demesnes not prepared for this task may provide a poor "exchange rate".<ref>“The Demesne can be a place to store power, to invest in it, to translate, for example, power from the Faerie into something analogous, like Visceral power.  It wouldn’t be an efficient translation, but I could do it.  Others, with preparation, could do it efficiently.  [...] As big as it is in here, it’s only a large room in a building elsewhere. The scale and versatility of this building are a product of time and power invested.” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.7</ref>

A Familiar bond allows the Practitioner and their Familiar to transfer power between each other; although this tends to naturally settle back into an equilibrium over time. The familiar is also freed from its usual power needs, drawing power from their master instead.<ref>“With the more equal bond, the pairing can exchange power. Talia could give Effy a bit of her humanity as a boost, or personal power, to help her heal, or dig up that bit of extra strength. That flow can work the other way. Effy could give Talia some of her power as a doll, with that emphasis on blood, guts, and dollness. If Effy gave Talia a lot of her personal power, let’s say half… what happens over the next day, or week?”

Some people raised hands.

“Jarvis.”

“It balances out?”

“The power finds its balance. Talia would naturally give Effy some of her power over time, until they were even. Then they would recover together. Eating well, sleeping well, and taking care of needs as human or Other help that recovery. Can Effy become an animal?”

Talia shook her head.

“The partnership of master and familiar is often a reprieve for the Other. Temporary freedom from needs, demands, work, or anything else. If Effy required a regular supply of blood and oil, as some dolls do-”

“I don’t.”

“But if you did, Effy, then you wouldn’t require it while you’re a familiar. You get your sustenance from your master or partner. If you had a lifespan, it would be put on pause. Of course, needier others have a heavier drain on their master.” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.7</ref> Drawing too much power through the connection can be dangerous for the Practitioner, however.<ref>“Practitioners who want to extend their power and raise their status will often pick a Familiar. Some families will have their children take a familiar early, to establish a firm bond with one kind of Other. The Familiar grants power, awareness, and some extra innate ability, depending on what it is. Powerful or insidious familiars may overwhelm you through that connection that is formed, so be wary. Know your strength.” - Excerpt from Stolen Away 2.6</ref>

Power transference between practitioners is possible though with similar exchange rate issues.<ref>“Someone could transfer power,” Zed told her, as he flipped through records.  “But I think it’s a skewed system.  If it costs me five units of power to give you three, then in most cases it’s going to be better for you to walk me through whatever it is you want to practice, instead. [...] Most cases,” Zed confirmed.  “In cases like, say, Raymond doing some big technomancy, if he got gainsaid at a bad moment, maybe it’d be better for me to hand him some power and let him do the programming-dense part of the technomancy.” - Excerpt from False Moves 12.9</ref>

Large amounts of power have a palpable "charge" to them that can be felt by those around.<ref>“Right.  Yeah.  We’ve got to figure this one out.  I have a sense of what they were trying to do.  Targeting the property the house is on, but not the house itself.  Something time based, a vortex of some kind. Powerful, requiring nine or so practitioners to shape.  Drawing, I think, from some sort of store of energy that Laird’s zeitgeist familiar was managing.”

“I glanced through a reference book on Chronomancy.  It’s pretty standard practice to bank time,” Rose said.  “Give up an hour of your day, hold on to it, make use of that time elsewhere.”

“That sounds insanely powerful,” I said.

“The rate of return is pretty abysmal.  Give up an hour, gain a minute.  But I guess you can get better results if you have more hands on deck, a whole circle handling the working.”

“And a lot of power stored up?” I asked.  “I wonder if any of that power was spent… I mean, the circle was glowing and stuff was moving.  I could feel power.  Did that drain Laird’s reserves?  If we stop the ritual again, or a third time, will he or will they run out of stored power?” - Excerpt from Breach 3.5</ref> Channeling or even connecting to large amounts of power is generally dangerous, and risks warping or destroying the person or Other doing it if they're not strong enough. Some Divine Practitioners have techniques to mitigate this, however.

Conjuring a permanent magic item out of nothing but raw power is possible, but usually very difficult.<ref>Chapter Three will cover Others who create the material from nothing, sometimes with its own properties.  Greater powers such as gods may create something from nothing to bestow a gift on a chosen champion, some Animuses for whom giving powerful gifts is a common practice (swordbearers), some goblins I hesitate to attempt to label (the labels intentionally change), and those Others with access to a strong means of translating power between states.  Practical lessons that pull on similar concepts detail the creation of an item out of raw power, with lessons ranging from beginner (mundane items) to intermediate (items with power and traits).  There are also some notes on advanced rituals for those with a Demesne, who wish to create a focal point within their place of power to empower an item over time. - 4.5 Bonus: Bedtime Reading</ref>

Quantities of power will often become visible and somewhat measurable, either in the real world or to the Sight. If this doesn't happen, Practitioners will often deliberately create items to measure the amount and qualities of a power source. For example, many Practitioners might have something that tracks their Self, Diabolists and Law Mages will often have or create something to measure their Karma, while a Priest might have something to measure their god's pleasure with them.<ref> “The power we have may find ways to reveal itself to the world.  Lucy here makes a good example.  As we get stronger or weaker, we may be able to see that in the Sight.  Look at the color in her hair.  Like a blush-tinted ember, glowing from within.  From the roots, a bit darker.  I could interpret that she spent power recently.  Draining this power.  These gauges can be very useful, for judging where we stand, and if one does not naturally manifest, then they can be handmade and designated.  A practitioner of the practice of Law, concerning themselves with the rules of the universe and of karma, may wish to keep a barometer for that type of karma, or even count the different kinds and origins of karma.  Another may wish to track the state of their body, or even the magical trinkets they have in their possession.  They can be overt, for status, power, and that ever-so-important presentation, like Ms. Ellingson’s wonderful hair here, or they can be hidden, a painted picture of a bouquet in a locket.  How many flowers does it have?  What color?” - Excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.6</ref><ref>Torches burned throughout his demesne, their light suggesting how pleased Dionysus was with him.  They’d burned lower since her arrival, but they still burned. - Excerpt from Interlude 9</ref>

Examples

• The human soul or Self (accessable through Blood)<ref>Blood is power, basically the most distilled and direct form you can offer.  The caveat being that when you deal with some Others, you give an inch, they take a mile.  And you don’t want them taking a mile of your blood or personal power. [...] Remember that every second that you’re using your blood to keep it here, you’re making yourself just a bit weaker. - Excerpt from Damages 2.3</ref>
• Glamour
• Spirits
• Echoes<ref>There aren’t many places where you find intact ghosts, and they aren’t really sought after, because they’re unreliable to work with and they tend to burn out if you draw on them for power. [...] We need to do it a few more times, in a few different ways, and we’ll have a passable power base. - Excerpt from Damages 2.3</ref>
• Time - saved as a source of power by Chronomancers
• Visceral materials
  • Blood of humans and Others
  • Goblin materials
  • Abyssal materials
  • Alchemical materials
• Elemental power
  • Fire/heat
  • Electricity
  • Flowing water
• Karma
• Valuables - accepted as a source of power by some Scourge practices
• Many Others can use emotions as a source of power, such as fear or rage
• Making an impact on the world can be a kind of power
• Symbolic appropriateness can help empower Practices, although generally at least a little other power is needed
• Reputation, especially reputation among Others and the Spirits themselves
• Incarnate beings and Practices can draw power from examples their concept (e.g. creatures of War being empowered by wars and violence)
• Favour of Greater Powers<ref>He continued, “My challenge is to show I’m worthy.  In the heat of the moment, I don’t need to do anything special.  Outside of those moments, I have to curry favor.  There aren’t any gauges, no measurements I can take.  I have to watch for signs and trust him to show me his pleasure or displeasure.  If I overstep, asking too much for how little favor I have, he may punish me.  If I hold his favor but do not spend it, he might revoke it.”
  
  “Easy to get wrong,” I said.
  
  “I don’t shape how it manifests.  He does.  But when he works…” - Excerpt from Mala Fide 10.6</ref>

References

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