Magic is as varied as the lands Portavians visit, with some darker historical acts part of the Nations mythos. Water & Air are used heavily for travel, Fire and Forge for glass making, Magical items (both current and historical), Divination for Navigation. Fable is enjoyed by many, and most other Spheres are dabbled in, with Athria being the only real exception, still there are some who break this mold.
The Mirrored Obelisks of Port Ravesso
These are rumored to be ancient and magical but so far no one has been able to prove this one way or the other. The stories told in bars across Haven tell of great treasures buried in the marshes below Ravesso and guarded by these obelisks, but sailors talk about all sorts of things when they drink.
Historical Magical Artifacts and Curio
These are widely sought, traded, and smuggled through the streets of Portavas. Many items find their way into the hands of Xenomagas, who may choose to study, sell, or use the items once they understand them better. Treasure hunting for magic items is one of the ways a crew, or trade house, can make their money and names known.
Figurehead sympathetic magic
These carvings are not just beautiful, but also hold cultural significance as a type of localized magic. They are often treated similarly to a coat of arms, or prized tapestry, depicting a particularly important moment in the history of a group or person’s life. They are meant to bolster, inspire, support, and protect. Sometimes animals and plants that are thought to represent specific aspects and ideal traits are used like sympathetic magic. Birds and sea creatures are particularly popular. Waves, wind, landmarks, navigation symbols, and repeating patterns, sea monsters, large animals, figures from history and folklore are all acceptable. Similar carvings are also used to create these wooden scenes that decorate the sides of homes and the bows of ships. When traveling many people will carry a small wooden representation of their family, ship, or merchant house as a way of staying connected; and also to let others know where they were from if they were to perish far from home. When away from a ship, for example on the field, some groups carry a smaller version of their figurehead and display it with pride or simply will tell others about their ships figurehead with great excitement. Wood, after all, is very precious.
Magical Creatures
The Kraken
An ancient demi-godlike creature that is said to live at the bottom of a giant whirlpool. The Kraken’s emissaries, Kraken Spawn aka Reef Walkers, use the corpses of drowned sailors to travel across land and sea. These amalgamations of flesh and coral reef are basically zombie bipedal transportation vehicles for hyper intelligent cephalopods. They communicate and speak through the corpse by inflating the lungs and using them like bagpipes. They act as emissaries for the Kraken and bring the monster’s demands as well as blessings. They can be reasoned with, but are also fierce warriors. The bodies they use are armoured in coral and shell, the soft octopus body hidden within. The more talkative ones will often openly sit where the head of the corpse once was.
Sirens
Sirens are innate magic users, able to charm and confuse their prey. There are two distinct subspecies of Siren. The shallow shore hugging Sirens and the deep water Sirens. Both have their own special and often terrifying characteristics. Both types have the ability to, for short periods, take to land in order to hunt. The process involves a reverse morphallaxis, where a siren will grow a second tail which will then develop into legs over the course of a few hours. When they return to the sea they shed the extra limb and the remaining leg reverts. The spare limb can be scavenged and the scales used in the making of magical items and armour.
Sirens lure the majority of their prey to them by “singing”. It’s really more like a rhythmic melodic whispered chanting that causes confusion and hallucinations. It’s unclear if this is a type of natural weaving or a learned skill.
Sirens can communicate, but their main goal is always to feed. There are stories of great cities below the waves where Sirens dwell, covered in sunken riches and skulls of unlucky sailors. If you can withstand their song, it is possible to distract them long enough to escape as they are prone to vanity and love objects of beauty. Some more naive sailors will tell stories of impossible love between Sirens and young heroes, or instances where Sirens have helped sailors to shore. But any seasoned sailor will immediately dismiss it as hogwash noting that Sirens just like to play with their food.
Shallow Sirens
At first glance these Sirens are more “Human” in appearance. On closer inspection they have almost doll-like faces. They will often engage with people on shore, attempting to tempt them into the waters. They mostly sing alone, but have been known to hunt in packs, especially when targeting groups or a ship. These hunting choirs have been known to summon thick fog to better confuse their prey.
Deep Sirens
Apart from the basic shape, there isn’t much human about these creatures. Like the horrors of hadalpelagic fish, they are mostly teeth and giant unseeing eyes. These Sirens mostly hunt by sound, their songs echoing off the hulls of boats. They don’t make landfall often as they are unable to live for long when dry, but when they do it’s usually because of a storm washing them up. Captured Deep Sirens were a favourite weapon of the Corrupted at the start of the Age of Calamity. The confusion caused by the Siren’s songs, and the ability to hunt without sight caused devastation.