Hard Magic: Book I of the Grimnoir Chronicles-ARC
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Mover—The scientific term is telekinetic, which means moving
things with your mind. They are very rare, and very few are
capable of moving more than a small number of small
objects at a time. As a Mover’s Power increases they are
able to lift more weight, lift more individual items at once,
move them to higher velocities, and most difficult of all,
exercise a finer degree of control over the controlled objects.
Mouth—The most hated or most loved Actives, depending on if
they are in charge or not. Mouths are able to influence
anyone listening to their voice. Passive Mouths can alter
moods and emotions, while a powerful Active can directly
control your thoughts and feelings. The smarter you are,
the harder it is for a Mouth to steer you. Mouths tend to
gravitate toward politics.
N
Nixie—Unknown type of Active, cataloged by Dr. Spengler and
referenced by Dr. Einstein’s work relating to particle
physics. There is no official documentation on this type of
Active, and it is possible that this name is referring to some
other known Active type.
Normals—Term used mostly by Actives to describe people without
any magic. Depending on who is using it, it can be a
derogatory term.
O
Opener—(see Lazarus) short for Grave Opener.
P
Pale Horse—The opposite of the Healer, the touch of the Pale
Horse causes disease and sickness. No Active is more hated
than these. Luckily for us, most Normals think that they
are a story used to scare children.
Passive—A Magical who does not have active control over their
Power. They usually have one small trick that they can do,
but are unable for whatever reason to grow their ability.
For example, Passive Heavies are instinctively able to pick
up heavy things. Passive Healers can accelerate the natural
healing process just by their presence but cannot target
specific areas or wounds. Passive Readers can pick up
snatches of other people’s thoughts but often go insane
from being unable to control the input.
Pipes—Unknown type of Active. Intelligence reports during the
Great War showed that the Germans held one of these in
reserve, but it is uncertain if we ever encountered him.
Power—1. The energy that all Magicals possess. As the energy is
used, our reserves are depleted. The rate that it recharges
and the total amount that can be stored depend on the
individual’s natural gifts and practice. It is currently
unknown if a Magical is born connected to the Power, or if
the connection forms at some point during their early life.
Power—2.The living being that all magical energy originates from.
Its origin is a mystery. I believe it to be a symbiotic parasite.
It grants magical abilities to some humans, and as we
develop those abilities, the magical energy that we carry
grows. When we die, the Power ‘digests’ this energy and
feeds. The process is then repeated. The growth of the being
explains the increase in our numbers over time.
R
Reader—Someone possessing the magical ability to read another’s
mind, sometimes called telepathy. Weak Readers can get
general feelings from their target, while a strong Reader can
crack your head open and watch your memories like a
motion picture. Readers can also broadcast thoughts and
memories. The stronger their target’s will or intelligence,
the more difficult they are to Read, and the more likely
they are to sense the intrusion.
Ringer—An extremely rare type of Active who can change their
appearance and voice to perfectly mimic another. It is
unknown if they actually physically change, or if they just
create the illusion in other people’s minds. I met one once
in Rockville but he escaped within 24 hours of arrival.
Rune Arcanium—A book of spells collected by the
Grimnoir Society.
S
Scales—(see Justice)
Slinger (see Lucky)
Shadow Walker—(see Fade)
Shard—A rare type of Active that can modify their bone structure
at will. I had one start a fight with me in Rockville.
They still squish just like everyone else.
Shifter—(see Ringer) It is believed in some circles that there is a
type of Active that can actually change their physical form,
but my personal belief is that these are just talented Ringers.
Spells—Through creating a representation of one of the coordinate
sections of the Power, specific magical energies can be
channeled into, and connected to, those markings.
Grimnoir-designed spells tend to look like old European
style writing, while Imperium Kanji are more artistic.
Summoned—A being brought into our reality by a Summoner.
The strength of the creature is dependant upon the
Summoner’s skill. Summoned only communicate at a
rudimentary level, though they do have some language.
It is unknown where they originate from and they will
never communicate on that subject except in the vaguest
terms. Summoned remain in this world until destroyed
or dismissed.
Summoner—An Active that can bring in creatures from another
world to serve their bidding. It is unknown where these
beings come from. The personal beliefs of the Summoner
seem to affect what the Summoned looks like. Extremely
powerful Summoners can bring in drastically strong
creatures. The more forceful the creature, the more Power
and attention it takes to keep it under control.
T
Teleporter (see Traveler)—A scientific term that has recently
come into common usage.
Torch—The single most common type of magical ability, Torches
control fire. Passives are usually limited to very small
flames, while a powerful Active can put out a flaming
hydrogen dirigible. Unlike the Icebox who can’t be harmed
by cold, Torches can still be burned just like any other
human.
Trap—(see Mouth) Usually used with a dual meaning, as in
“That politician is a Trap.”
Traveler—One of the only Actives that can be spotted by a
physical trait. All known Travelers have grey eyes. They are
one of the rarest types, but not by birth, but rather because
so few of them live long enough to control their ability.
Travelers are able to move instantly between two places.
The stronger the Traveler, the further they can go, and the
more they can carry.
U
Undead—A being created by a Lazarus. Physical death has
occurred but the body remains animated. Consciousness
and intelligence remains but so does the pain of whatever
killed them. Undead possess no natural healing abilities and
only continue to deteriorate. They cannot be magically
Mended. Very few undead remain sane for any length of
time and they tend to grow increasingly violent and erratic.<
br />
They do not truly die until their body is utterly destroyed.
There is a special place in hell for anyone who would curse
someone to being undead.
W
Weatherman—A Magical with the ability to influence the weather.
Strong Actives can actually stop or start storms and change
wind patterns, sometimes even up to hurricane force.
Too harsh use of this skill can cause severe side effects,
such as the Great Dust Bowl of 1927.
Words (see Mouth)
Z
Zombies—(see Undead) The first known Lazarus originated in Haiti. It is believed that is where the term zombie originated from.
Diagram of the Power
Drawing by Jake Sullivan
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Glossary of Magical Terms