Theurgy Point Buy

Theurgy is the art of summoning Spirits from certain dimensions to fulfill certain functions. Spirits can be summoned, infested (intentionally or unintentionally) or bound to a host either as servant, symbiote, or trespasser and affect the world around them through a host. Theurgy can best be described as Demonmancy, however that term is reserved for Void Demons only. Theurgy is common among the Suvial and Kathar, who both have different names for it: Karamatology and Tharracology respectively.

Spirits

There exist four categories of Spirits: Void, Exist, Primal and Ordial, each of the four dimensions known to the Alorians. Void, Exist and Ordial are from foreign dimensions, while Primal is Aloria’s own dimension, but regardless of dimension the host always becomes an Occult as soon as they have any amount of Spirits attached to them. Not all dimensions create Spirits equally, and each dimension has a different name for them. Within each dimension, there are also different types of Spirits, outlined below.

Spirit Types

Bidden Spirit: A Bidden Spirit is a smaller Spirit, one that is unable to manifest their own presence without the help of a summoner and does not have a personality and cannot speak, nor is it ever powerful enough to pose a risk to the host. Bidden Spirits are always obviously Spirits when they are used and summoned by a Theurgist.
Hosted Spirit: A Hosted Spirit is a larger Spirit, one that is unable to manifest their own presence but does have a personality and can speak. They only ever inhabit the host who summoned them and never appear separately from them. Hosted Spirits are not obvious in their Host, but are obvious when they begin to speak and manifest.
Invaded Spirit: An Invaded Spirit is the same as a Hosted Spirit, but unlike a Hosted Spirit, an Invaded Spirit was not invited in, but forced their way into the host who was simply at the wrong place and time. Invaded Spirits can be hostile to the host, or symbiotic, but never appear separately from them. Invaded Spirits are not obvious in their Host, but are obvious when they begin to speak and manifest.
Vested Spirit: A Vested Spirit is the same as a Hosted Spirit, but it is anchored to a special item like a weapon or an object instead. Binding a Spirit to a weapon reduces the risk to the host, but also the potential power of the Spirit as it is bound. Vested Spirits are always obvious in an Object, as they clearly mutate the object.
Anchored Spirit: An Anchored Spirit is one that is powerful enough to manifest a body outside of the summoner or host. They can inhabit a host, but usually reside outside of them with their own personality and wants and needs. The summoner has very little control over when and where an Anchored Spirit arrives, and what it does. Anchored Spirits are usually created through a contract with a Demon, which is usually a faustian bargain in itself. Anchored Spirits are always obviously Spirits.
Greater Spirit: A Greater Spirit (only of the Void and Exist) are Spirits that are so overwhelmingly powerful that they cannot be tamed by any mortal and are Princes of Demons and Apparitions in their own right. There are very few Greater Spirits, and they are always extremely hostile to mortals, with the current known Greater Spirits fighting an unending war with the Sihndar. Greater Spirits cannot be interacted with.

Spirit Dimensions

Void Demons

Void Demons are the most common type of Spirit found on Aloria due to the repeated Void Invasions and the heavy presence of Void Magic on the world. Void Demons can be made by Void Gods, Void Arken, or Greater Void Demons. Void Demons usually inherit their themes from their creator, for example the Pride Arken produces Pride Demons and the Greater Demon of Fire produces Fire Demons. Void Demons are considered the most independent minded of all Spirits, as they usually just see their host as a way to break into the mortal world. Void Demons are arbitrary, selfish, wicked, spiteful, sadistic and crass.

Void Demons can be: Bidden, Hosted, Invaded, Vested, and Anchored Spirits.

Exist Apparitions

Exist Apparitions are particularly common in ex-Allorn lands, but less so across the wider world. Exist Apparitions can be made by Estellon Gods, Exist Arken, or Greater Exist Apparitions. Exist Apparitions usually inherit their themes from their creator, for example the Justice Arken produces Justice Apparitions and the Greater Apparition of Ice produces Ice Apparitions. Exist Apparitions are considered the most manipulative of Apparitions, as they do not show outward aggression to their host, instead subtly and slowly warping their mind to think more like them. Exist Apparitions are self-righteous, calculated, manipulative, domineering and eloquent.

Exist Apparitions can be: Bidden, Hosted, Invaded, Vested, and Anchored Spirits.

Primal Revenants

Primal Revenants are second in rarity only to Ordial Shades, and can only be found in very specific locations. No known force creates Primal Revenants, rather, they are naturally formed when a large event in a specific location caused many people to feel a specific way, causing some of their souls to fracture and leave behind an imprint of that emotion after death. A good example is a battlefield where many soldiers have died. For some of the deceased soldiers, in the struggle and stress of the battle and the violence, some of their souls might have fractured on death, leaving behind a remnant of bitterness, heroism and bravery that relives the final moments of their lives over and over in ghost form. Shipwrecks, natural disaster, mass-murder, fires, and any other type of calamitous non-natural cause of death is likely to create at least a few Revenants. Revenants are usually not harmful to mortals they come across, as they are unaware of the mortal world while they relive their deaths over and over, but some of them can break free from this cycle and become self aware, and some even can attack mortals in a blind confusion. When a Spirit like this has become self aware, it is called a Primal Revenant, and needs to usually be dealt with, something all the major Ailor religions have found ways to deal with. Primal Revenants are known as the most likely to overpower their host, as being Primal entities in the Primal realm of existence, they have the strongest connection to their mortal host. Primal Revenants are vengeful, stubborn, and easy to dismiss their host as foolish or naive and take over by force.

Primal Revenants can be: Hosted or Invaded Spirits only, though Gods and Dragons can turn them into Anchored (in Roleplay only).

Ordial Shades

Ordial Shades are the rarest Spirits found on Aloria, due to both their scarcity in numbers and the fact it’s quite difficult for them to even get to Aloria in the first place. They are able to manifest in Aloria through use of Ordial Magic by the hand of a mage or by being dispatched into it by one of Bintaar’s entities like the Malefica. Ordial Shades are a byproduct of the parasitic attachment that their home-realm of Bintaar has with Binral (Aloria), being created by the plane’s ambient ability to spawn mimicries of dying souls in Aloria. This only happens to those whose souls do not already belong to some other god or entity, resulting in a Spirit that is an echo of a once-living person. This replica is very much imperfect, though, being composed only of the dead person’s memories and none of the emotion or consciousness and nuance they had when they were alive. Some Shades have dwelled in Bintaar so long that they accumulate more strength, ambition and distinction among the others and even try to communicate with people in Aloria to negotiate summonings and bindings. Their behavior varies depending on the purpose of their existence: the ones that necromancers pull into being are often weak-willed and simple while those brought to Aloria by an Ordial Entity or through bargaining can be extremely autonomous, fulfilling a particular task or mission for the purposes of the being that sent them there. They are all united, however, by an active resentment for the Living and things Primal. Ordial Shades can speak (if they are a Spirit type that can speak) and understand Deathspeech, but this is not conferred onto their Host and Theurgist.

Ordial Shades can be: Bidden, Hosted, Invaded, and Anchored Spirits.

Spirit Appearance

Not all Spirits have an appearance, and sometimes spirits look like whatever their host wants them to be. Bidden Spirits for example cannot manifest their own body, but this does not exactly mean they don’t have an appearance. They are able to use the life force or imagination of the host to generate an appearance similar to a small imp or some demonic critter making squealing noises. Hosted and Invaded Spirits are generally more advanced, and have a ghost-like appearance that can either be humanoid or have more animalistic or alien appearances. Vested Spirits never have an appearance at all, but what is generally seen as Mutations can be applied to objects they inhabit thematically resonating with whatever dimension they are from. Anchored Spirits are the most powerful, and have an appearance entirely independent of the imagination of the host or contract holder. They can sometimes appear humanoid to try and fit in, but are always distinguishably demonic in appearance and can never be mistaken (or disguised) as a normal person with a few mutations.

Primal Revenants are an exception: They always appear as a ghostly or rotten or desiccated see-through appearance of themselves from the moment of their death.
Ordial Shades are an exception: Bidden Ordial Shades can appear as Corpsefolk or Hollow Undead or as apparitions akin to Undead Wraiths. Hosted and Invaded Ordial Shades can only take the appearance of who they were in life, though not necessarily when they died and instead the most ‘complete’ memory of them. Anchored Ordial Shades can make personal adjustments to whatever body or form they have been anchored to, though cannot stray unrecognizably away from it.

Theurgy in Regalia

Theurgy is, generally speaking, extremely illegal in Regalia. Theurgy falls under Occult Law, and is strictly forbidden in any and all circumstances unless someone is a Suvial (more on this later). Furthermore, while falling under Occult Law, being a Theurgist or spreading Theurgy knowledge, or even just being Spirit possessed (even against one’s will) is considered a High Law Crime. In the past, Theurgists or even people just infested with a Spirit were put to death on sight because of the high risk of Spirits taking control of their host and going on an insanity fueled murder rampage. Magic skill and particularly the act of safely binding and Sumoning Spirits has increased since those days, but the practice is still very far from safe, and it likely never will be. As such, those playing Theurgists, can expect to be hiding from the authorities, and trying to keep their Spirits a secret so far as they can (or brazenly use them in the underworld where the State cannot find them). The State Metropolitan (the Guard) nowadays tries to solve rather than execute a possession of a Spirit, but the process is still far from pleasant, and the criminal loses their civilian rights while that whole process is undergone. Those who are possessed and known by the state, are certainly more dehumanized and vilified than Vampires and Cahal are. Suvial are the only exception to all of this, because they have a proven and ironclad Racial protection against becoming a mindless host to their Spirit(s). The Regalian Law makes an exception for Suvial, allowing them to both own and possess Spirits of any type, and even catch more of them. This has caused the creation of so-called Spirit Catchers in Regalia, who go around tracking down Spirits who have broken free and binding them. Even if Summoners do not Summon Spirits, they still break into the mortal world through passive Magic (mis)usage or because of Arken shenanigans. It is up to the Suvial usually to safely dispatch these rogue Spirits.

Spirit Summoning

In this section, Spirit Summoning will be explained, though this only applies broadly to summoning practices from different dimensions (as Primal Revenants are never summoned but found out in the world) and some exceptions may apply to Ordial Spirits. The most common form of summoning a Spirit for a mortal, is to use a summoning circle as frequently found in (highly illegal!) summoning tomes and books, where the summoner has to take safety precautions to prevent a Spirit from immediately escaping and wreaking havoc. This is the first stage that can go wrong, an incorrectly applied summoning circle may not hold a Spirit long enough for the Summoner to bind them, causing them to escape into the world and start attacking the living. The second stage is to bind them with Summoning Magic, or to pacify them so they may be conversed with to strike a bargain. This can also go wrong, if the wrong words are said, or the Summoner loses focus, causing the Spirit to break free and cause havoc. The final stage is actually absorbing the Spirit into an object, the self, or manifesting the contract, which is usually a fairly safe procedure. Summoners can teach other Summoners the ropes, and this is a great Roleplay learning or teaching experience for occult characters, as the Summoning Packs are free. Keep in mind, transferring this knowledge is considered highly illegal.

Spirit Exorcism

Exorcism is the act of removing a Spirit from a host entity. Exorcism technically refers also to Curses, however to many Ailor a Curse and Spirit Infestation are one and the same thing. There are several recorded ways of removing a Spirit, though the applications may differ per Dimension and per type of Spirit. No matter the type of Spirit, when exorcized (or killed), a Spirit never leaves behind a body, or any lingering materials/residue. Any damage they may have done to the world around them will stay, but ‘body parts’ removed from a Spirit will always vanish into nothing. Note, not all Spirits can be destroyed or removed (or bound by Suvial), and some Spirits don’t follow the logic or rules of this page. Spirits found during Server Events or Progressions may follow different rules and turn out more powerful and resilient to subjugation than originally anticipated.

Exorcism without Vessel: This is the form of Exorcism applied to Bidden Spirits only, which are so weak they can simply be removed. Any Ability or Special with an Exorcism Mechanic can achieve this result.
Exorcism with Vessel: This is the form of Exorcism applied to Hosted Spirits only, which are stronger and cannot be outright destroyed without imprisoning them elsewhere. During the usage of any Ability or Special with an Exorcism Mechanic, the Exorcist must use a small Exorcism Totem to imprison the Spirit. This object must then be carried by a person or stored in the Aelrrigan Magivault where it can be taken back. Exorcism Vessels are not considered dangerous and may be owned by private individuals so long as they take safety precautions to prevent them from breaking free. They are common museum pieces bought by Nobles.
The Legal Solution: Some Spirits, like Invaded or Anchored Spirits, cannot be destroyed or Exorcised outright. The Legal Solution involves a series of steps to determine how much of a risk a person is to society and if they should be permanently imprisoned. The first step is to establish if the Spirit can be convinced or tricked out of the host into leaving voluntarily. If this cannot be done, the second step is to establish if the Spirit can be neutered or bound in some way to no longer risk them controlling the host. If this cannot be done, the last step is to establish if the host poses a risk of being controlled or causing damage to others. If the answer is yes, a Character is permanently imprisoned to minimize harm against society.
Object Based Spirits: Object Based Spirits cannot be Exorcized or destroyed. Standard procedure to get rid of these Spirits is to confiscate the object(s) housing the Spirits, and send them off to the Aelrrigan Magivault.
Contract Termination: Anchored Spirits are too powerful to be Exorcized or destroyed. The most common solution to removing them is attempting to out-smart their contract, signing a new and better contract with them, tricking them into voluntarily ending the contract, or simply debating them to agree to terminating the contract and leaving of their own free will.
Primal Revenant Exception: Primal Revenants cannot ever be cleansed or removed by mortals. In some rare instances, Dragons or Unionist Gods/Old Gods have been known to put them to rest. In other instances, a Primal Revenant was put to rest when their unfinished business was resolved, but there is no guarantee of this happening. More information on this can be found on the Archon page.
Archon Cleansing Exception: For Hosted or Invaded Spirits, it is possible to Cleanse them without Exorcizing them by converting the host to an Archon (if they are able to, of any type). This process automatically converts the Hosted or Invaded Spirit into a Primal Revenant, retaining their personality and memories, but becoming more Primal/Dragon aligned.
Ordial Shade Exception: Hosted and Invaded Ordial Shades can both be expunged from their hosts through a vessel transferral ritual. This ritual requires 3 Mages of Ordial Alignment to restrain the body that the Shade currently inhabits and procure a new body for it to be bound to. Hosted Shades are weak enough that they can easily be removed, but Invaded Shades are much more difficult and deeply embedded. ((Invaded Shades require OOC consent to be removed this way, but can then become player-character Undead.))

Free Theurgy Packs

The following Theurgy Point Buy packs are free. That is to say, the Packs in this section do not cost any Point buy or Proficiency Investment. They must still be recorded on Character Applications as presented, so the information can be clearly communicated to other players. At least one Free Theurgy Pack must be chosen before Paid Theurgy Packs can be taken.

Spirit Form Pack

The Spirit Form Pack does nothing by itself, but can be used in combination with a Hosted, Invaded, or Anchored Spirit, insofar those Spirits have a specific appearance. Spirit Form Pack allows the user to either assume the appearance of their Spirit, or merge their appearance with that of the Spirit (for example by combining parts of both). When activating this so called Spirit Form, the user becomes immediately recognizable as a Theurgist and as possessed by a Spirit. The user is not Disguised while in this form. This Transformation is optional and not required for any Paid Pack Abilities, but can also be used to combine aesthetics of other Magic-inspired Abilities, like Spell Point Buy.

Bidden Summoning Pack

The Bidden Summoning Pack grants the user the ability to summon and bind Bidden Spirits, with there being no limit to how many can be bound by the summoner. Bidden Spirits do not reside inside the host, rather, they are summoned remotely from whatever plane they come from, though the host is still Occult due to their connection with that plane. It is only ever possible to summon and maintain Bidden Spirits from one realm, such as exclusively Void Demons. Bidden Spirits can be removed with any Ability with an Exorcism Mechanic in it removing all of them at once, though this does not stop the host from simply re-summoning new ones at a later point in time. When summoning and using Bidden Spirits, the user becomes immediately recognizable as a Theurgist and as possessed by a Spirit.

Hosted Summoning Pack

The Hosted Summoning Pack grants the user the ability to Summon a Hosted Spirit and bind them into their body, where there can only ever be one. Hosted Spirits are fully under the control of the host, though there is still a minor risk that they will take over the body in certain scenarios, and the host is also always Occult. Hosted Spirits can be removed with any Ability with an Exorcism Mechanic in it, though the Spirit cannot be killed or destroyed permanently, it has to be bound in an Exorcism Totem. The host can either summon a new Hosted Spirit later, or try to recapture the Exorcism Totem to take the Spirit back. When manifesting or allowing a Hosted Spirit to talk, the user becomes immediately recognizable as a Theurgist and as possessed by a Spirit.

Invaded Spirit Pack

The Invaded Spirit Pack does not grant any Specials, rather it is simply confirmation that a Character had their body invaded by a Spirit against their will in their backstory, and that it remains there now, and the host is also automatically Occult. Invaded Spirits cannot be removed with any conventional Exorcism Mechanic, they are too strong and entrenched for that. Refer to the “Legal Solution” under Spirit Exorcism in the section above. When manifesting or when an Invaded Spirit talks the user becomes immediately recognizable as a Theurgist and as possessed by a Spirit.

Vested Summoning Pack

The Vested Summoning Pack grants the user the ability to Summon a Vested Spirit and bind it into an object. Only one Spirit can exist in any object, but the summoner can summon up to seven such Spirits and put them into objects they own. It is only ever possible to summon and maintain Vested Spirits from one realm, such as exclusively Void Demons. Vested Spirits can be removed by simply taking the object housing the Spirit from the Summoner. As soon as the item is taken, it is rendered inert as the Spirit cannot manifest properly without the Summoner nearby, and it no longer counts towards their maximum, until they take it back. When using an object infested by a Vested Spirit they have made, the user becomes immediately recognizable as a Theurgist.

Anchored Summoning Pack

The Anchored Summoning Pack grants the user the ability to Summon an Anchored Spirit and make a contract with them, though they can only ever have one Anchored Spirit. It is required to record the Anchored Spirit contract on the Character application, though it doesn’t have to be overly specific, it can just be broad strokes like “experiencing life in exchange for Magic for the host”. Anchored Spirits must always be played by other players, and are able to independently move around away from the Summoner. The Summoner can summon them to their side and dismiss them, but the Spirit has a will of their own, and can also independently choose to shadow the Summoner, or leave their side. When summoning an Anchored Spirit, the user becomes immediately recognizable as a Theurgist and as possessed by a Spirit, because Anchored Spirits are obviously Spirits. Anchored Spirits cannot be removed with any conventional Exorcism Mechanic, they are too strong and entrenched for that. Refer to the “Legal Solution” under Spirit Exorcism in the section above. Anchored Spirits have additional rules that must be observed by the Player taking this Pack:

Anchored Spirits must always be played by a player. It is preferred that this is always another Player, but can also be the Summoner. An Anchored Spirit can never be in the same scene where another one of the Player’s Characters is already present.
Anchored Spirits need Character Applications. They do not have a Race (no Racial Abilities or Specials), always speak Common and one other language their host can speak, and can only spend 12 Proficiency Points of their choosing instead of the standard 14.
Anchored Spirits are inherently shapeshifters but none of their shapeshifting ever counts as a Disguise, for fairness sake, even if they suddenly look radically different. They also don’t have an age, instead being as old as their summoning, but always summoned mentally and physically as adults.
Anchored Spirits can merge into their summoner to hide, which allows them to speak through their summoner’s mouth, but they cannot control the summoner’s body (unless they let them) and cannot use any Abilities or Specials.
Anchored Spirits only ever have 5 Hitpoints, meaning after 5 unique mundane attacks, or Abilities or Mundane Techniques with specific harm applied, they are rendered inert, and phase out of reality. They return to reality after 30 minutes, with full Hitpoints, but always next to their Summoner.
Anchored Spirits always have hatred for their opposing dimension, meaning Void hates Exist and Ordial hates Primal and vice versa. This hatred does not require outright violence, but does require high levels of vocal and physical intolerance.
Spirit names are usually in Latin or Hindi, referring to early Ailor culture references, or the commonality of Spirits in Suvial culture. These are never their real names however, for a Spirit’s true name has power, and they know not to share it to avoid giving anyone power over them.
Anchored Spirits require a lot of OOC communication between Spirit player and Summoner Player. You are recommended to sample playability in your own friends group before reaching out to strangers, though you can ask in OOC notices for availability.

Paid Theurgy Packs

The following Theurgy Point Buy packs cost Proficiency Points. Additionally, at least one Free Theurgy Point Buy Pack must have been chosen, as the Paid Packs are only Abilities, while the Free Packs are the conduits through which these Abilities are granted to the host. For example, if the Free Pack Bidden Theurgy was chosen, all Theurgy Spells are performed by Bidden Spirits. Some Paid Packs can only be used with specific Free Packs. If this is the case, it will be mentioned in the description of the Paid Pack. Utilizing these Abilities will always obviously reveal the Theurgist as a Spirit user.

Spirit Hexlord Pack

This Pack grants two Link Powers of which the host can only use one at a time.

Ability Name	Ability Type	Ability Range	Ability Description	Modifiers
Sapper Hex	Link Power	Emote Range	Grants the user Sapper Hex	N/A
Tiring Hex	Link Power	Emote Range	Grants the user Tiring Hex	N/A

Spirit Weapon Pack

The user has bound a Vested Spirit to a weapon, and gains unique benefits when using that weapon. This Spirit can speak through the weapon, or through them while wielding the weapon, and may have been submitted into a contract to only act when permitted, or feel bold enough to try and control the host whenever the host is wielding the weapon.

The user has a singular Vested Spirit Weapon, that has an always defined shape, but can have minor alterations depending on how much 'control' it has. This can include more pronounced features, glowing lights, smoke, etc.
The Vested Spirit Weapon can be a single weapon of any type. This weapon can have any number of unique features determined by the player, such as color, shape, extra spikes, lights, eyes, mouths, etc, but is always obviously known as Spirit infested.
When the user is wielding the demonic weapon, they can choose to have aesthetic 'corruption' effects radiating out from where they hold the weapon, even covering most of their body while the weapon has taken control of them.
If the user is defeated, they can have their Vested Spirit Weapon taken from them (even if they de-summoned it), where it follows the “Object Based Spirits” rule, becomes a normal Vested Spirit object, and can no longer be summoned/un-summoned. The user can then make a new Vested Spirit Weapon to use with this pack instead.
The user gains the following Ability:

Ability Name	Ability Type	Ability Range	Ability Description	Modifiers
Weapon Summon	Summon Power	Self	Grants the user Weapon Summon	Theurgy Modifier