Dark Magic is the destabilising aspect of mana—a force of change, dissolution, and transformation. It alters what exists by breaking down the stable, reshaping form and essence alike. While its physical manifestations include manipulating shadow, its true domain lies in the psyche and the mutable nature of being.
At its highest level, Dark Magic manifests as Curses—enduring enchantments that alter, corrupt, or bind. These workings require precision and willpower, as their power lies in controlled decay and transformation. A single misstep can cause them to unravel disastrously.
Dark Magic is not inherently malevolent. When guided with discipline, it can soothe unrest, rewrite the body, or strip away what harms. Yet its very strength—the power to change—makes it perilous. Left unchecked, it consumes balance, erodes form, and leaves only chaos in its wake.
Darkness
Summary
Curses
Element: None
Recommended Level: Arcanist
Invisibility
Element: None
Recommended Level: Arcanist
Dark-affinity invisibility conceals a creature or object by directly influencing the perception of observers. The spell interferes with the mind’s ability to register, prioritize, or acknowledge the target, causing it to be subconsciously ignored or mentally excluded from awareness.
The target remains physically present and can interact with the surroundings normally, but affected observers fail to consciously perceive or retain awareness of them. However, the caster retains full perception of their own body and equipment while the spell is active.
Each observer must be individually encompassed by the glamour, making the spell efficient in sparsely populated areas but increasingly taxing in crowds. Newly arriving observers are unaffected unless the spell is actively extended.
Strong willpower, heightened awareness, or magical sensitivity can weaken the effect, often causing unease or momentary recognition. Direct interaction may further disrupt the spell.
Dark invisibility may be cast directly or imbued into a conduit as an enchantment. Like all enchantments, it is temporary and ends once its stored mana is depleted.
Common uses: infiltration, social evasion, targeted concealment
Notable drawbacks:
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Each observer must be individually affected, making the spell inefficient in crowds.
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New arrivals are not automatically concealed from.
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Strong minds or magical senses may partially resist or detect the effect.
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Mental strain increases rapidly with range and number of targets.
Light Counterpart: Invisibility
Siren Voice
Element: Air
Recommended Level: Student
The spell is the art of weaving dark-aspected mana into spoken sound so that the caster’s voice carries compulsive influence. Sound lies within the jurisdiction of air and thus serves as the medium through which this woven mana travels.
When heard, the listener’s resistance weakens, suggestibility rises, and critical judgment dulls. With sufficient exposure, suggestions may take root and commands may be accepted that would otherwise be refused. The spell does not impose instant domination, and commands that directly violate survival instinct or core identity remain difficult to enforce.
To the affected listener, the caster’s voice acquires a heightened allure. It may be perceived as unusually beautiful, soothing, or compelling, regardless of its natural quality. This alteration purely perceptual, arising from the spell’s manipulation of emotional response and attention.
Effectiveness is influenced by several factors:
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Sustained exposure deepens the influence.
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Melodic phrasing strengthens stability.
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Rhythm, repetition, and sustained tone provide a more reliable vessel for dark mana, which is why the practice is traditionally associated with song.
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Emotional receptivity further lowers resistance.
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Attraction, admiration, trust, or fascination toward the caster make the spell more potent, with romantic or physical attraction producing particularly strong susceptibility.
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The spell does not create attraction where none exists, and strong aversion or indifference may greatly reduce or nullify its effect.
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Distance, obstructed hearing, or disrupted airflow may destabilize the woven mana before influence is fully established.
Limitations:
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Requires clear auditory contact
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Effect weakens with distance, noise, or obstructed airflow
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Strong-willed or magically shielded targets may resist
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Influence builds gradually and requires sustained exposure
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Influence is significantly reduced if the target feels no emotional receptivity toward the caster
Sleep
Element: None
Recommended Level: Student
The spell induces sleep by guiding dark-aspected mana to calm the mind and reduce mental activity. The caster focuses this energy on the target’s aura, promoting relaxation and lowering resistance to rest. As the mind quiets, the body naturally follows into a state of sleep.
Effectiveness depends on the caster’s skill and the target’s receptivity. Subtle control of the mana’s flow is required to avoid agitation or overstimulation. The spell can be applied to individuals or small groups, provided attention is maintained to each recipient’s response.
Common uses:
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Helping restless or anxious individuals to sleep
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Creating temporary periods of calm in living or work environments
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Reducing mental stress for short-term relief
Notable drawbacks:
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Overuse may leave the target drowsy or mentally sluggish
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Resistant or strong-willed subjects may require repeated application or higher skill
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The spell works on the mind and cannot correct physical exhaustion or underlying medical issues
Light Counterpart: Sleep
Transformation
Element: None
Recommended Level: Student
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Common uses:
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Notable drawbacks:
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Umbral Wings
the spell’s void nature interferes with nearby light sources, reducing visibility even for the caster. Extended use can induce sensory fatigue or mild disorientation, as the surrounding air grows unnaturally still and light is partially absorbed. Maintaining coherent shadow structures also demands continuous balance between darkness and air energies.
Element: Air
Recommended Level: Arcanist
A flight spell that fuses darkness and air magic to generate lift and directional control similar to that of physical wings. The term “umbral” refers to the spell’s shadow-forged nature—the wings are formed from condensed shadow and void currents rather than solid matter.
When manifested, the wings appear as shifting silhouettes, their edges blurred like smoke against dim light. They absorb surrounding illumination, leaving faint distortions in the air where light seems to bend inward. The wings’ form is fluid and subjective, shaped by the caster’s will.
The wings operate by manipulating pressure and airflow through shadowed space, producing lift and motion identical to their light-based counterpart. Despite their composition, they offer stable flight and full manoeuvrability, though their presence tends to dull sound and dim nearby light.
Common uses:
Notable drawbacks:
Light Counterpart: Astral Wings
sustained flight, evasive manoeuvres, rapid elevation, and short-range gliding over terrain.
Voice Projection
Element: Air
Recommended Level: Student
The spell allows the caster’s voice to bypass physical barriers by using dark-aspected mana as a temporary conduit. While sound normally travels through air, dense obstructions prevent its natural propagation. By weaving dark mana into the voice, the caster encodes the sound as a psychic-mana signal that moves independently of the air, carrying the tonal and linguistic information across the obstruction. Once the signal reaches open air, it materializes as audible sound, allowing listeners to hear the voice as if it had traveled normally.
Unlike suggestive spells, this technique does not influence emotions, perception, or judgment. Its purpose is strictly to transmit speech or signals where normal sound cannot reach.
This spell is especially useful in emergencies, warning allies, or summoning aid through inaccessible terrain. The caster must still rely on air alignment to allow the voice to propagate naturally once the dark-mana bridge reaches open space.
Limitations:
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Requires continuous focus; if the caster falters, the signal collapses.
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Mana cost rises with distance and the density or thickness of obstacles.
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Extremely dense or magically reinforced barriers may block the signal entirely.
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The voice can only emerge in open air; it cannot be projected directly into a listener’s mind.