The Magic of Ayrelon: Channeling

Channeling is the art of drawing power from a host entity or that entity’s plane of power. Spells of this type often take the form of prayers, rituals, curses or callings.

Channelers learn to pass a host’s power through their form to create magical effects, or cast spells. Through practice and study, they learn to enhance these abilities and withstand greater, and greater magical forces.

Channeling, by itself, does not offer access to any other source of power. One who learns and focuses on Channeling is powerless if they cannot access the powers provided by their host. Should a Channeler lose favor with, or depart from, their host they lose all powers afforded them by said host.

As a result, many who desire to leave the host that they Channel seek training in other forms of magic before doing so.

What types of Channeling Casters are there?

Clerics / Priests

Those who channel the divine are referred to as Clerics or Priests. Their prayers to a deity act as a form of spell, calling down the power of their god(s). Such casters need not be good, or holy. Any god may empower a Cleric or Priest.

Channelers of the divine rarely consider themselves to be Channelers. In fact, devout followers of a deity who attain such skills often find the title offensive.

Becoming a Cleric or Priest of a god is often a life-long commitment and requires years of servitude and study before any magic is learned. This acts as a steep barrier for entry, greatly limiting their number.

Common citizens often assume that all Clerics and Priests are healers. While the majority of them learn those abilities, that is not all they are. The kinds of spells this type of Channeler knows depends greatly on the religion they follow, and the sect that instructed them.

In fact, many spell-casters who are not Channelers learn to cast healing spells, as those abilities are not exclusive to the divine.

Pagan

Those who channel spiritual, or neutral, entities that are aligned with nature, or specifically seek balance in all things, are considered Pagan. Casters of this type are typically very spiritual, attuned to the world around them and seek reverence of all things natural, rather than power.

Channelers of this type are some of those most commonly found outside of organized religion. However, they are less likely to reach significant power. This is due to both their stereotypical lack of desire for power, and the general weakness of their hosts when compared to the divine or malevolent.

The unschooled often refer to Pagans as Witches or Warlocks; terms that greatly offend most Pagans. Meanwhile, those that know the true nature of a Pagan often come to depend on them greatly, valuing them above all others in their community.

There exists a small sub-set of Pagans that are also Priests, serving a god or goddess of nature, though they are often mistaken for Shaman. Such Pagans are able to channel power from multiple sources; from their god/goddess as well as other spiritual or neutral entities.

Witch / Warlock

Often used as a derogatory term by the unlearned, a Witch or Warlock is a Channeler that draws his or her power from malevolent, non-deity, other-worldly beings. Their power is often received at great cost through binding contracts, or pacts.

Such magic has an allure, because it is quicker and easier to learn. The malevolent dole out their gifts with great pleasure, seeking any chance to gain leverage over the mortal world. It is not uncommon for a Witch or Warlock to have been tricked into their contract.

Channeling such a malevolent host is seen as the fast track or easy road and is looked down upon by more studied casters.

Some practitioners of such magic brandish the title of Witch or Warlock with pride, and revel in the malevolence of their host.