Glamor
Empathy:
She smiled faintly, just then, doubtless aware of my gaze, an almost clairvoyant faculty the acceptance of which has never deprived of its ability to disconcert."
-Fiona, Sign of the Unicorn
Characters with this level of ability can sense, alter, or create strong emotions in others. This power can be used to attempt to control the emotions of another by flooding then with emotional energy, creating feelings of Sadness, Anger, Fear, etc. It an also be used to drain such energies.
This power can be worked into a Sorcery Spell, used while in Trump or other Mental Contact, or even applied through speech. Emotions and Psychic vibes can be felt by those with this power through touch or close proximity.
This power does not always require a Psyche advantage and even the strongest minded can be effected if enough time is taken. The time required is based on how strong current emotions are and the power levels of the Psyches involved. Someone with the proper experience has a chance to notice his emotions are being played with, if distracted or the power is used subtlety or over time (such as if secretly cast onto an item to be worn by the victim) this can be very difficult to detect.
Telepathy:
"Enter at your peril," I said loudly, and I raised the point of Grayswandir to indicate its breast.
It chuckled. It just stood there and chuckled and giggled at me. It tried to meet my eyes once more, but I would not let it. If it looked into my eyes for long, it would know me, as the hellcat had known me.
-Corwin, Guns of Avalon
This skill allows characters to Read, Send, and Probe thoughts with a mental connection. This can be used with just eye contact, but the Sorcerer can only form one simple question or word for each second that eye contact is held.
With a more powerful connection, such as through a Sorcery Spell or Trumps, the character can Probe, Send, or Receive thoughts for as long as the connection is open. Without major distractions or a Psyche advantage however this will quickly become noticed and the person being probed can then raise whatever defenses they may have. Deep Probes will almost always be noticed.
"Hendrake will have a representative at the funeral," he said. "If I were to introduce you, perhaps you could apply a little glamour to obtain an informal audience."
-Mandor, Prince of Chaos
With this skill a Sorcerer can influence the subjects thoughts, implanting suggestions or commands. The Sorcerer still needs a link, but even eye contact is enough to slip in simple compulsions. Characters can slip in one word of a command for every second they can maintain a link or hold eye contact. This normally requires a Psychic Contest. However, if done subtly, this can be avoided and may not even be detected if done carefully enough.
"Come. I will show you the way," he said, reaching forward.
His eyes were a pair of dark stars, drawing me to my feet, pulling me toward him.
"Take my hand."
I found myself raising my hand against my will, reaching toward the fingerlike curves, the swirls of the knuckles. He chuckled again. I could feel the force that drew me.
-Dworkin's Ghost Compelling Merlin, Knight of Shadows
Characters with a Psyche advantage over their subjects can force them to keep eye contact with them. The greater the Psyche Advantage, the longer the subject can be forced to keep eye contact. This allows the Sorcerer to implant more complex commands.
When I removed the shield in which I'd encased it, it commenced a steady litany, "Go to Mandor. Get crowned. See your brother. See your mother. Begin preparations."
Characters can also use this skill in spells to create more complex commands, sending many commands at once or even enchant an object to constantly to project the suggestions the caster desires.
"You're better than I'd thought."
"And I'm not even finished," I replied, breathing deeply. "It's time to do unto you as you'd have done unto me." I began to craft the working which would place them under my control. It was then that I noticed her small slow smile.
-Merlin and Dara, Prince of Chaos
Given enough time and energy, this skill can be used to place someone completely under your control. This is not an easy process however and requires great amounts of time or energy. There are many different forms of doing this which create anything from a loyal servant, to mindless zombies.
"Where was Frakir, anyway? Then I recalled leaving her behind in Brand's apartment. Why had I done that? I-my mind felt cloudy, the memory dreamlike."
"This was the first time since the event that I had examined that memory. Had I looked earlier I would have known sooner what it meant. It was the clouding effect of glamor."
Glamor rarely lasts forever, the exact duration of mental alteration depends greatly on the exact situation involved, the amount of change made, and the Psyche level of both caster and subject. When overcoming a glamor, it helps to remove the subject from the power source of the glamor. In the case of the subject falling under the glamor of an enchanted item, that item will usually need to be removed if the subject is to have any chance to recover.
Illusions:
"And don't try to tell me you're really a magical being, and then pull some sorcerous illusion. I can see right through that stuff."
-Scrof, Blood of Amber
With this skill the Sorcerer can control the information sent to another character's brain, changing the information or sending false input. Like all Glamor's, this skill first requires a character to make contact with the subject through Sorcery, etc. Once the spell is cast and has overcome the subject the spell then simply tells the subjects brain that what he sees is something else. Whether or not the subject believes what he sees will depend on the exact situation. However, as long as the subject is still under the spell, he will still see the illusion unless he can remove the glamor upon him.
Astral Form:
"It was the astral form of a practical joker-a sorcerer named Jolos from the fourth circle of Shadow."
"Oh," I responded. "And how am I to know you're not the projection of someone named Jalas from the fifth?"
-Merlin and Oberon's Ghost, Knight of Shadows
With this ability the Sorcerer may leave his body, and roam through Shadow in Astral Form. In this form, he is immune to most physical attacks. (The exception being attacks by some magical weapons, to which he is vulnerable.) He cannot use any physical skills while in Astral form, he can use magic or any other power as long as those power do not require interaction with the physical world. Powers that require gestures, incantations, or the like cannot be used.
In this state the character is effectively a ghost and an do little to manipulate the world around him. Conjurers get around this limitation by creating a simulacrum. A temporary body created from magic which allows them to effect the physical world, giving them a vessel to pronounce their incantations and make visible their gestures.
Other Abilities:
Many other Glamors are said to exist, although those who have mastered them are few and far between. Some powers rumored to exist are the power to possess another, create life like illusions, or even switch one mind with another.
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