SORCERY

Sorcery covers the rest of the magic inherent in Amber.  Generally speaking, it takes a while to do, but can have effects lasting for days.  It largely consists of sympathetic magic - a ritual affecting someone might require a lock of their hair or an important personal belonging; a ritual to create a powerful poison might require a live asp.  Sorcerers can perform rituals with effects limited to a few conceptual Domains (such as Death, Construction, or the Nile) and a few functions (such as Divinations and Preservations).  The efficacy of a ritual is limited by components on hand; the selection of ritual is limited by the sorcerer's powers.  There are few restrictions on what Sorcery can accomplish - but in the hands of anyone but a master sorcerer with potent components, it won't make up for more than a one or two point difference in Attributes.  Even with a strength ritual, most people in the pantheon wouldn't want to wrestle Horus (a.k.a. Gerard).

The magic of Amber flows most strongly through its royal family.  As gods on earth, each member has a small number of Realms they hold symbolic sway over (generally 1-3 Realms each).  These Realms usually follow the abilities and interests of the family member, and are of great importance to their mortal followers.  Only those with powers of Sorcery can make true use of their Realms, however.

A distinction must be made between Realms and Domains.  Realms are the concepts which are associated with an Amberite by their cult and by their actions.  All Amberites have Realms, even those who are not sorcerers.  Domains are specifically the concepts affected by a sorcerous ritual.  Thus while Sokar may be associated with the Realm of Death, his Sorcery abilities do not let him perform rituals concerning Death, but rather those in the Domain of Flesh.  Realms and Domains draw from the same basic vocabulary; thus a sorcerer with a Domain of Water would be interested in components associated with Tawaret, whose Realms include Water (see below for more information about components).

Sorcerers devise rituals based on several criteria.  The first is the Domain affected; usually it is a Realm associated with the sorcerer by their followers, but there are sorcerers whose abilities do not directly align with the beliefs of their cult.  The second is the general function of the ritual - Preservation, Divination, Creation, or Destruction (apologies to Nobilis).  The third and most important part of the ritual is the material component(s) used, which determines the magical energy available for the ritual.  Components must be relevant to the ritual's effects, and are destroyed as their magic is released.  Components generally fall into four categories of increasing power: common and portable; uncommon or large; rare; and semi-unique.  Common components include sand, plants, or foodstuffs.  Uncommon or large components include live animals, heavy sarcophagi, or human sacrifices.  Rare components include dust from a specific tomb, water from the source of the Nile, or a flame which has burned continuously for a year.  Semi-unique components are generally related to members of the family - Horus' blood, Wadjet's venom, or Set's tongue would all hold great power over their relevant fields.  A renewable resource (like blood) is likely to have lesser effects than something requiring the disfigurement or death of a family member.  Hearts hold more power than any other organ (see the Setting pages).  A component must have some relevance to the ritual; generally a connection to the caster, the recipient, or the Domain affected.  The most powerful rituals use components that connect all three.  A vial of Isis's blood, for example, could be used as a component for any ritual Isis performed herself, for any ritual targeting Isis, for any ritual concerning blood, or for any ritual concerning Healing, Disguise, or Magic (Isis's Realms). 

Rituals generally take 1-8 hours depending on the scope.  Powerful components can be used for lesser effect to reduce the time needed.

Sorcery powers don't follow a tree; every power is available to anyone without prerequisites.

Domain
Cost: 10 for the first Domain; 7 for subsequent Domains
You must have expertise in at least one Domain associated with what you want to influence with a ritual.  Domains (and Realms) are specific and limited - see the Pantheon page for examples.

Preservations
Cost: 8 points
Allows the performance of rituals related to protection and preservation.  A simple Preservation of Life might keep a soldier safe from stray arrows for the duration of a battle; a Preservation of Stealth cast with the pads from Bast's feet could make an assassin completely silent for years at a time.

Divinations
Cost: 10 points
Allows the performance of rituals related to information gathering.  A simple Divination of Water could find a nearby oasis in the desert; a Divination of the Nile with Min's blood could be used to pinpoint his location relative to the nearest branch of the Nile, even crossing Shadow.

Creations
Cost: 15 points
Allows (or aids in) the conjuration or creation of effects or items with properties related to the Domain used.  A simple Creation of Death could strike down a nearby mortal; a Creation of Earth with a brick from Geb's tomb could create a wall that would likely last centuries.

Destructions
Cost: 15 points
Allows the destruction of effects or objects related to the Domain used.  A simple Destruction of Lies could force a mortal to speak nothing but the truth for an hour or two; a Destruction of Fragility cast with the blood of Horus could help forge a sword which would be indestructible.

Blessings and Curses
Cost: 2 pts
Allows the ability to grant Blessings and Curses on behalf of one's mortal followers.  These effects must be associated with one's Realms, but no other Sorcery abilities are required - not even a Domain.  The power of a Blessing or Curse is minor on the scale of Amberite powers - not more than half a point of an Attribute, and usually much less.  Still, its effects are significant when compared to other mortals - a Strength blessing could make a worshipper one of the better wrestlers in his village, and a Death curse could make a worshipper's enemy sicken and die before their time (though not keel over on the spot).  Blessings and Curses take only a minute or two to perform, and are usually accompanied by some kind of ritual sacrifice by the worshipper.