Mesmer

The Cardinal Rune of the Mesmer is a form of personal magic that allows the wizard to exert control over and manipulate others. The wizard expends their aether in order to amplify their personal charisma and sphere of influence. By using the voice, eyes, force of presence, and even mannerisms to affect the minds of those they come into contact with. These effects range from the subtle power of suggestion to, on the extreme end, fully-fledged mind control. The saving grace is that Mesmer’s power lies not in overt displays of overbearing force of control but in subtle manipulation. A person who is unaware they are being manipulated is far more receptive and vulnerable to a Mesmer’s gifts than someone fully cognizant of the fact that the wizard is attempting to magically influence them.

Origins

There are many who believe, and rightly so, that the Rune of the Mesmer was gifted to mortals by the Mistlord Myshala. The Stitchmother is perhaps, among all of the gods, one of the most adept masters of the art of manipulation across the cosmos. Others argue that the rune of the Mesmer was uncovered by mortals delving into the secrets of the mind. Among arcane scholars, there is much commentary and debate on Mesmer’s relation to the Rune of Semblance. Due to the uncanny similarities between the two disciplines, it has lead many to believe that at one time the two runes of magic were unified and at some point they were somehow divided. Regardless of the truth, it remains a discipline of magic that has been both a boon and a thorn in the sides of many.

Initiation and Threshold Sickness

As with all Cardinal Runes of Magic, the aspirant Mesmer must find a wizard who is both willing and able to inscribe the Rune of the Mesmer upon them. The following threshold sickness is entirely psychological for the new initiate. It can range from temporary psychosis to hysterics and mania. In the most extreme cases the initiate can experience full blown amnesia for a duration of a few days. Regardless, the initiate will be driven utterly mad during the process. Successful initiation sees the initiate return with their sanity completely intact. Failure sees the mind completely obliterated reducing the individual to a vegetative state.

Overstepping

It goes without saying that the vast majority of Mesmer's overstepping remains purely psychological with limited physical side-effects. Minor overstepping can easily induce dizziness, confusion, and certainly migraines. Moderate overstepping tends to lead to temporary bouts of mania, delusions, depression or even falling into a brief coma. On the physical side of things, bleeding from the eyes, nose, and ears is common. Heavy overstepping can see the individual afflicted with permanent psychosis and madness. Rarely is overstepping with Mesmer directly fatal, it is the effect it has on the mind that leads to the wizard's downfall.

How It Works

Everyone and everything that exists is possessed of an aether imprint that is entirely unique to it or them. The aether of a sentient being is far more powerful than that of the inanimate or baser beings that exist. In addition to this imprint, each living person has what Mesmers have called a Symphony. This is the frequency at which the individual operates according to their life, thoughts, personal ability and willpower. The Mesmer attunes their aether to the frequency of the individual they are attempting to manipulate. Once this is achieved the Mesmer can perceive and hear that individual’s symphony. Through careful application of their aether they then, like a musical conductor, work to guide the symphony of their target so as to be able to exert their influence over the individual.

The Symphony

For every Mesmer, it is different. How they perceive the frequencies of the individual people and creatures they encounter is a unique experience that is personal to the wizard. For some, it is not something one hears so much as understands. For others it could be a series of sounds, a discordant melody or even a cacophony of voices that need to be drowned out with their own. Regardless, the symphony is what Mesmers have come to understand as the pattern of aether related to influencing thoughts, emotions, moods, and even one’s perception of the world. As one learns to listen to and understand the symphony and how they perceive it, the Mesmer grows more adept at guiding it in the direction they desire by conducting it toward their own intentions.

It should be noted that the term “symphony” in the context of the Rune of the Mesmer can refer to the individual or to a group of individuals. Beginners are only capable of perceiving the symphony of a single target while masters can perceive an entire crowd. Much like real world symphonies, each one is comprised of different parts.

Rhythm

Rhythm refers to the level of importance a particular thought, emotion etc. has within an individual’s symphony. The more something is at the forefront of an individual’s mind, the more prevalent that particular rhythm is in the perception of the Mesmer. An overall rhythm could be equated to “Agitated”. The melodies producing that state of mind are the things the Mesmer explores to understand why the subject is feeling that way. A more complicated example might be a “Person A”. The subject of the individual’s thoughts is the person on their mind and typically the rhythm associated with it has numerous other rhythms contributing to the individual’s overall disposition toward Person A. In order to understand why Person A is on the subject’s mind requires much deeper exploration. The Mesmer must examine the subsequent rhythms contributing toward the overarching one and then delve into the melodies comprising each subsequent rhythm from there.

Shifting a rhythm of thought requires that the Mesmer manipulate the melodies comprising that rhythm. By feeding aether to those melodies and introducing different notes and compositions as explained in the Power and Abilities section, the Mesmer makes that rhythm more prevalent. When done successfully, the subject’s thoughts turn to the rhythm that the Mesmer intends, however simple or complex it might be.

Melody

While every Mesmer perceives the symphony on an individual level, one thing that Mesmer’s all experience is the phenomenon known as a Melody. As the Mesmer attunes to the symphony of those whom they are attempting to influence, faint wisps of aether become visible. These are referred to as an individual’s “Melodies”. Contained within each melody is the composition of the thoughts, emotions, beliefs, etc. it pertains to. In order to manipulate their target, the Mesmer must navigate each melody and direct it accordingly either subtly or with more persistent force. The difference between an amateur Mesmer and a master is their ability to navigate the many melodies they perceive, quickly and efficiently.

Navigating a melody is a curious thing. Once a Mesmer tacks on to a particular rhythm of thought in an individual’s mind, they are then able to perceive what its melodies pertain to. No matter how the Mesmer perceives it, the Rune of the Mesmer enables the wizard to understand at least the gist of the meaning of what they experience.

For example, the overall rhythm of a person’s mind might be “Joyous”. To understand why a person is feeling that way, the Mesmer can explore the individual melodies producing that state of mind. Upon doing this, one melody might convey that the person just received a raise in wages. Another melody might convey that the person also received a gift from a close friend or romantic interest. These different melodies flowing together produce the rhythm of the subject’s thoughts and thus dictate the focus of their symphony at the present moment.

Influence vs. Willpower

Not easily are the minds and moods of intelligent beings changed. The minds of sentient creatures are complicated beasts. In order to influence an individual, the Mesmer must be able to shift and change the prevalent rhythm of thought within an individual’s mind. This is achieved by the Mesmer feeding more aether to the melody they wish to bring to the forefront of the individual’s thoughts. Once this is achieved, the Mesmer must maintain this rhythm of thought lest the subject’s mind snap back to its original focus. The more drastic a shift the Mesmer has to induce, the more taxing it is for them to produce said shift.

Mind Manipulation vs. Telepathy

Mesmers are not telepaths in the traditional sense. They influence the mind. They can perceive an individual’s thoughts but they cannot communicate directly to them. They produce the shifts in mindset, mood, etc. by feeding their aether into the melody they perceive within an individual. This alters the rhythm of the individual’s thoughts until it becomes the focus of the subject’s overall symphony. From there, it is simply a matter of shifting and navigating through the different melodies within an individual and altering their overall importance to produce whatever it is the Mesmer desires to see.

Road to Success

To be a successful Mesmer in the long-term requires that one understand how to communicate with people. A Mesmer who continually uses heavy handed and brutish methods will very quickly find themselves exhausted. Derailing an entire symphony is no easy thing and such forceful tactics rapidly lead to heavy amounts of overstepping. The master Mesmer is one who uses their power to augment their own personal charisma and communicative ability. Contrary to popular belief, the mind is never an open book. It is nuanced, it is complicated and it is filled with so many different melodies that even the most powerful master can be driven mad if they are not careful. While outright dominating a mind is something a powerful Mesmer is ultimately capable of doing, it is far, far easier to control and manipulate those who have been persuaded to believe as they do.

Powers and Abilities

Overture

Acquired at Novice. The overture is exactly what it is implied to be, the Mesmer introducing themselves into the symphony of an individual or a grouping of them. The Mesmer opens their senses and attunes themselves to the subject of their focus until the symphony becomes clear to them.

Tuning

Acquired at Novice. Quite simply, the feeding of one’s aether into a particular melody in order to make it stronger thus causing a shift in the rhythm of the subject’s thoughts.

Note

Acquired at Novice. Limited to simplistic and singular emotions, a Note is introduced into an individual melody in order to change it. This is achieved by the Mesmer concentrating on the emotion they wish to channel into the melody they are focused on and then feeding that saturated aether into the stream of the melody. Introducing the same note repeatedly will eventually make it become the focus of the melody.

Composing

Acquired at Apprentice. This is the cornerstone of every Mesmer’s arsenal. It is the ability to compose their own melody and to plant it into the symphony of the subject. This is achieved by focusing on a series of thoughts and emotions, stringing them together and then feeding the aether of those thoughts into the symphony of the subject’s mind. A composition can either introduce new thoughts or build upon existing ones depending on the Mesmer’s intent.

Trill

Acquired at Apprentice. A very brief and short-lived composition that is threaded into the symphony of the subject. It is usually intense in the moment but fizzles out quickly. It can be a useful tool when applied creatively.

Concerto

Acquired at Apprentice. A more nuanced and long-lasting composition, the concerto is not used to introduce new thoughts or feelings. By focusing on a series of melodies present in the subject’s symphony, the Mesmer threads notes into those melodies centered around making those particular ones more harmonious. This is typically used to reinforce a series of beliefs in a subject or to create a sense of resolve about one feeling or another. Alone, a concerto can last for an hour or two at most.

Dissonance

Acquired at Journeyman. The Mesmer creates a discordant note that interrupts the rhythm and melodies of the subjects symphony. The result of this is a momentary bout of confusion that, while short lived, can be used to creative effect.

Fermata

Acquired at Journeyman. The fermata is the first tool by which the Mesmer can maintain long-lasting influence over a subject, albeit to a limited extent. The wizard wrests control of the melodies comprising the subject’s current rhythm and supplants them with their own melodies to shift the individual’s thoughts in their desired direction. The rhythm of the subject’s thoughts become completely suffused with the Mesmer’s desired melodies. This is a forceful technique and is draining upon the Mesmer, however the Mesmer is able to hold that rhythm of thought within the subject for as long as they maintain concentration on them. As soon as the Mesmer’s concentration is lost, the subject is freed from the Mesmer’s influence entirely.

Nocturne

Acquired at Journeyman. The Mesmer slowly and carefully begins the task of interrupting the subject’s current melodies by overlapping them with their own instead of weaving them into the current symphony. This muffles the individual’s melodies resulting in lethargy, sluggishness, and the inability to concentrate. The strength of the nocture’s power is proportionate to the amount of time it is allowed to build. The longer the Mesmer is able to influence a subject with their nocturne, the more difficult it becomes for the subject to throw off its influence.

Interlude

Acquired at Expert. An interlude must be attached to a particular melody or a grouping of them. It is carefully planted into the rhythm produced by those melodies and only surfaces when they begin to become prevalent in the subject’s mind. The purpose of the interlude is not to interrupt but to redirect the melodies they are attached to in order to prevent them from forming an overall rhythm in the subject’s symphony. This produces the effect of one losing one’s train of thought, forgetfulness or the feeling of something being on the tip of one’s tongue. A carefully built interlude can last for weeks or months depending on the effort the Mesmer puts into them and how widespread they make them. The longer the Mesmer has to weave them into the subject’s mind, the more long-lasting they are.

Toccata

Acquired at Expert. Sometimes referred to as “whispering”. The toccata is a tool by which the Mesmer introduces multiple notes and compositions into multiple existing melodies within a subject simultaneously on a large scale. The result is an immediate and overwhelming belief in whatever the Mesmer is weaving into the melodies within their grasp. This can be an emphatic amount of enthusiasm for whatever the melodies being focused on pertain to, the sewing of immense and multi-faceted doubt or even an encroaching paranoia or fear. Toccata can last for days or even weeks depending on the amount of effort the Mesmer places into it. However, the strength of the toccata fades over time based on proximity to that which the Mesmer is using to induce it and the Mesmer themselves.

Fugue

Acquired at Expert. A devastating technique wherein the Mesmer takes hold of an individual’s entire symphony and utterly derails it. The wizard creates such an explosive dissonance that it fractures the subject’s symphony producing amnesia in the individual. It should be noted that the melodies that are disrupted are not gone, as it is well beyond the power of a Mesmer to erase something from a subject’s mind, they are merely discordant and not in harmony with one another. This will, over time, repair itself as the subject’s symphony is either triggered by stimulus in their environment or simply allowed to come back into alignment with itself. Alone, this process can take months but no longer than a year to repair depending on the amount of power the Mesmer put into derailing the symphony to begin with.

Waltz

Acquired at Master. Not limited to plucking at individual melodies and tacking on to different rhythms of thought, the waltz is the ability by which a Mesmer can take command of an individual’s entire symphony. Rather than feeding aether into one melody or a handful of them at a time, the Waltz suffuses all melodies simultaneously allowing the Mesmer to gently nudge, guide and direct the subject’s thoughts toward wherever and whatever they desire. Entire memories can be rewritten as opposed to just individual facets of them. Whole belief systems can be dismantled and rearranged to be contrary to what they were originally. A waltz can be devastating or empowering depending on the intent of the Mesmer. Capable of lasting many years, an individual subjected to a waltz is rarely the same even if the waltz is undone.

Silence

Acquired at Master. Rather than derailing a symphony in the individual, to Silence them is to completely mute all melodies and the rhythms they produce in the subject. The individual’s symphony goes completely quiet and thus their mind goes blank resulting in complete passivity.

Tier Progression

Novice (1-24)

The novice Mesmer is completely new to both perceiving and understanding the symphonies of those around them. The art of navigating different rhythms of thought and the melodies that comprise them is daunting and at times, almost overwhelming. Navigating the most prevalent rhythm in a subject’s mind is what comes easiest and attempting to dig deeper for different rhythms is unwise and costly. Limited to introducing small notes into single melodies, the novice Mesmer will find more success adding to what is already on a person’s mind than attempting to introduce something new.

Apprentice (25-49)

Now familiar with awakening to the Overture, the apprentice Mesmer will find it easier to feed aether into rhythms of thought that lay deeper in a subject’s mind. Navigating different melodies becomes easier and they are capable of navigating one or two simultaneously to draw a better understanding of what they perceive. They are now capable of stringing together multiple Notes thus producing a Composition. However, as they are just beginning to understand the deeper complexities of the mind, they are limited to small and relatively short-lived techniques of influence such as the Trill and Concerto.

Journeyman (50-74)

Confident in their ability to navigate the common man’s mind, the journeyman Mesmer is adept enough to explore four or five melodies within a rhythm of thought at once. Just as they are able to navigate multiple ones at once, they are capable of manipulating the same amount. Stemming from this growing expertise the journeyman can create a Dissonance in the subject’s thoughts. Furthermore they unlock the ability to produce the Nocturne where instead of feeding aether into different melodies in a subject’s mind, they use their aether to impede those melodies. Finally, the journeyman can use the Fermata though doing so is always utterly exhausting for them and will, at a minimum, induce medium levels of overstepping. The journeyman Mesmer can comfortably begin to explore two minds simultaneously.

Expert (75-99)

Uncanny in their ability to navigate the symphonies of those around them, the expert Mesmer has grown to such a degree that they can navigate just over a dozen melodies at once. Their ability to shift a rhythm of thought is refined to such a degree as to be hard to ignore for most subjects. They unlock the ability to place Interludes into the melodies of those they influence. So knowledgeable have they become that they are able to introduce the Toccata and at their most frightening, the Fugue. An expert Mesmer can comfortably navigate the minds of up to six subjects at once.

Master (100)

The master Mesmer can either be inspiring or insidious in their power. Their ability to charm, persuade, and influence the thoughts of others is so skilled that even the strongest of willed individuals will be hard pressed to resist them. They are able to navigate, analyze and manipulate many melodies at once with ease. Shifting a rhythm of thought for them is as easy as breathing. The master Mesmer unlocks the ability to completely Silence a subject’s symphony and they can utilize the magnificent Waltz. At this stage, the Mesmer can influence dozens of minds simultaneously without difficulty.