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Tilly Bomas
Tilly Bomas's picture

Because... they were drowned... it was the exception to the rule :P

Salamanca
Salamanca's picture
Different for some. Glamour was granted by the side and returned via a pretty odd geas on the Queen that put her in the "gates to eventually fail" zone. The shape shifting comes from Matushka's who is some sort of land spirit or last living otherworldly being depending on which source you check. ( maybe both) The runes were granted via their own living conduits. Porte, Sorte, Diego, and zerstorung came with a pact made with either aliens or demons depending on how you interpret the unspecified syrneth entities summoned and treated with. But description of the event was essentially the selling of souls.
True Iskander
True Iskander's picture

New question: In 1e, were Theans who were known to have sorcerous abilities celebrated, reviled or both?  Lots of fantasy RPGs with magically imbued characters treat such people as not a big deal, but I imagine in a setting like 7th Sea, folks with magical powers are 1) Much more rare, and 2) More commonly distrusted or feared by the general populace.

Bradley
Bradley's picture

Both. Depends on religious preference and what you knew about the underlining events of the world. Not going into spoilers, but those that followed the church were against magic as one of their core beliefs. Montanigne was open about using Porte magic and their users were celebrated to a certain extent. Many Vaccacians feared the Fate Witches with good reason. Avaloanian Glamour mages were generally accepted loved by their people.

So, it depends on a lot of things. Basically, it was over all neutral with a lean towards dislike, but with big enough areas of support that it was probably possible to have a campaign and not meet someone that disliked you for your magic. They disliked you for another reason.

Salamanca
Salamanca's picture
The church is out to exterminate you. So are a couple secret societies. Most if the population will fear you. The smart player plays his sorcery as close to the vest as possible. We have a player in the living campaign that has been active for 5 years and the other players have not caught on to his talents despite his use of them every session. (And he is not worried about them catching on).
True Iskander
True Iskander's picture
Am I correct in assuming that those with sorcerous abilities are quite rare, like 1% or less of the population?
Silver Rapier
Silver Rapier's picture

Sort of. In 1E sorcery was limited to people from noble bloodlines, so they are comparatively rare. It doesn't mean you have to play an aristocrat though. Illegitimate children are quite common, and they can inherit the gift.

Star West
Star West's picture

Yes, theoretically Sorcery was pretty rare. In fact, on one of the added bits of flavor I liked to sprinkle into my campaigns was that despite the fact that the Montaigne Court seemed absolutely filthy with Porte mages, the truth was that most of the nobility was simply dying their hands red because being a sorcerer was a sign of power and fashionable (after all, Leon is a Porte Sorcerer.) It left some players with quite the surprise when they got themselves stuck in a dead end and turned to the Montaigne NPC they were trying to save from the Inquisition and said "So isn't there anything you can do with that magic portal sorcery of yours?" to which he looked surprised and replied "What? I'm not a sorcerer; this is just red dye."

Joachim Deneuve...
Joachim Deneuve du Surlign's picture

Yes.  It functions like a genetically recessive trait amongst the nobility, generally.  If I was asked to put them in order of absolute population I'd probably say:

Porte > Pyeryem > Glamour > Laerdom > Sorte

However, that's still enough Porte sorcerors for the to put a Porte navigator on most, if not every, ship, have a strategic effect on military land communications and have two separate private businesses run by them operate out of Frieburg.

Salamanca
Salamanca's picture
Those guys get creative. Particularly when the heretic is a heretic because he is controlling fire. I imagine at some point in history the door to the Inquisition chapel popped open and some guy entered shouting, "Good news Esteban! You know that thing you have been wanting to try on the sinners, the Captain said go ahead since the burning at the stake thing won't light.".

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