So, in the first part of this, I talked about how magic works in Karatera through the lens of spiritbinding. But what if I told you that there are other ways to use the spirits aside from binding them?

Well, I am. I’m telling you that. And I’m gonna tell you what they are, too.

Spiritcalling. Spiritcalling operates very similar to spiritbinding, but with one key difference – you don’t bind the spirits that you use. Instead, a spiritcaller simply “calls” one or more spirits to briefly possess them, taking that spirit’s power and melding it with their own, in a process so rapid that it creates a burst of energy. That energy is then shaped into a spell of the caller’s choice, right as the spirit(s) leave them and dissipate. Conceptually, spiritcalling exists to justify sorcerers, bards and other spellcasters in D&D who don’t have to prepare their spells ahead of time.

Since they don’t need to bind their spirits, spiritcallers are not restricted by the need to predict what types of spirits they need for each day – they simply call the spirits they need whenever they need them. A spiritcaller is also unhampered by limitations on how many spirits they can call each day; so long as they have the stamina for it, they can call as many spirits as they want. Anyone can be a spiritcaller, in the same way that anyone can be a spiritbinder, but the process of drawing out your calling prowess is both simpler and less time-consuming than learning to be a binder, so you learn how to use spells much earlier than you would otherwise.

On the surface, spiritcalling seems like the superior option to spiritbinding. However, the act of calling a spirit into your body and soul is physically and mentally taxing. And over time, it takes a severe toll on the caller. Experienced spiritcallers are known to be beset by illness, fragility and madness. The long-term effects of spiritbinding are often enough to turn off those who might turn to it as a path … but not everyone.

Spirit Channelling. Spirit channelling is the art of passively “conducting” spirits to pass through you to create subtle magical effects. This process generally involves consistent meditation and, in some cases, special teas or herbs that must be ingested, though you can’t really begin to learn the art without already knowing how to bind or call spirits. The effects created by spirit channelling are generally quite minor, and nowhere near as impressive as casting a proper spell, but since a magician can basically use these effects unconsciously, one would be wise to learn at least one trick using spirit channelling.

The effort required to channel spirits as opposed to binding or casting them is next to negligible, and so a caster can channel spirits more or less at will.

Enchantment. Karatera wouldn’t be a fantasy world without magic swords and mysterious artefacts, and spiritbinding allows one to do just that. Binding spirits to physical objects, sometimes known as “enchantment”, allows one to bestow magical properties to that object, such as increased durability, the ability to invoke spell-like effects, or, in the case of weapons, enhanced sharpness, hardness and balance. There’s a whole art dedicated to the creation of spiritbound items, and it’s something that anyone with spiritbinding knowledge can try their hand at.

However, as I mentioned last time, spirits do not enjoy being bound, and they become more insistent on freeing themselves the longer they remain bound. Binding them to objects is no different, and magical items tend to be unstable and fragile. The fragility of such an item depends on both how long the spirit has been bound to the item and the power of the enchantment bestowed on them. A simple hardening enchantment on a suit of armour, for instance, is a lot more stable than an enchantment that makes the armour harder, lighter, and invulnerable to fire.

When an enchanted item breaks, the spirit within gets released in a violent burst of power, which often harms the user of that item in some way. Sometimes it’s a straightforward explosion, but other times this burst may take the form of a curse or a temporary physical detriment. The nature of the eruption often depends on the nature of the original enchantment, such boots that make you faster and more reactive making you slower once they break and release the spirit within.

Runesmithing. Runesmithing is an ancient art famously utilised by the mountainfolk of the Red Sands. Said to have been passed down to them by the giants of prehistory, the mountainfolk runes were able to bind a spirit to an object, most typically weapons and suits of armour. Unlike other methods, a spirit bound to a rune is bound permanently, without becoming fragile or unstable. These runes allowed the mountainfolk to craft magical items of astounding quality and power, and items that bear these runes are priceless artifacts in modern Karatera. Sadly, the art of runesmithing is lost, and the few who do know how to etch the old runes cannot begin to approach the level that the mountainfolk were carving runes at.

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That’s about what I’ve got so far for the magic system of Karatera. Let me know what you guys think in the comments below, whether you think it’s the cleverest magic system you’ve seen in your life or the dumbest and most convoluted. I’ll see you all next week with another update!