Sensory Illusion

An Illusion Mage

Sensory Illusion is the arcane or voidal art of creating false vision and sensations. Whether that be by affecting an object already upon our realm, or to create and extend a branch from imagination to draw upon the physical world by utilising the five or more senses and perceived reaction of thinking and reacting beings. The Alteration of Perceptions.

Basic Understandings

A magic which, to this day, few mages understand. However, what is known is that Illusion is the magic of the mind and conscience. Perhaps Illusion is considered to be the magic of the manipulative due to the fact that Illusion most often always deals with the manipulation of others through the creation of false thoughts and images. A truly difficult art to master in the sense that any Illusionists must first be a master of their own mind to alter the minds of others. Though Illusion does not involve the “summoning” of any physical object from the Void into the physical world it does still involve the use of the Void.

The Void is a plain of thoughts, memories and emotions. Though the Void may “appear” to be nothing more than a vast black nothingness it is in fact a collaboration of thousands of the previously stated. This is how the Illusionist weaves their web, through using the Void directly. Everyone’s mind is technically connected to the Void, however very few know how to utilize it as Mages do. An Illusionists must spend days upon hours upon weeks meditating and looking into the nothingness that is the Void. More than any other sub-type of Arcane, Illusionists must be the most connected to their source. By allowing their own conscience to drift through this empty space allows for them to enter that of others.

A common misconception is that Illusionists posses the ability to control the minds of their foes. This is, of course, false. In no future or past can any form of Arcane arts directly control the minds of others, only control certain senses which we as living things process. These senses are: touch, sight, sound and smell. When an Illusionists alters these senses the art is known as “Light Illusion”. Light illusion is the most basic (but by no means weaker) form of Illusion which allows Illusionists to use other’s mind within the Void to make them hear, see, smell, or touch something which does not actually exist. This is done by the Illusionists having their minds enter the Void and just as all the other sub-types, they must imagine what they are choosing to create, whether that be an army of soldiers or ear ringing shreek. However, unlike the more scientific approach which the others require, Illusionists rely on their own experience.

They must know exactly how their Illusion will sound, smell, feel, or appear. It is because of this that Illusionists must experience their own Illusions. If they choose to summon a tangle of snakes, they must have seen with their own eyes, ear, hands, and nose that tangle of snakes in the physical world. Due to this factor, it is extremely rare to find an Illusionists who can produce something like an ear bleeding shreek, because if an Illusionists experienced that noise in the physical world, they would most likely be deaf. After the step of creating the Illusion in their mind, next comes the step of actually making the Illusion come to be. Unlike the other sub-types though, an Illusionist almost entirely skips the step of drawing the Illusion from their mind and into the physical world. Once the Illusion is imagined within the Illusionist’s mind they must simply have the Illusion take place within the minds they choose. This is when the use of mana for Illusion comes in. By using their own mana to intermingle with that of their choosing (With our without the other person(s) knowing) they can reproduce this Illusion which is already within their own minds into the minds of others.

Illusions can also take on multiple senses to alter. Meaning an Illusionists could create the most realistic army to siege a castle ever seen, however! No matter how realistic that army is NEVER can it affect the physical world. This means that if a fake soldier stabs an Illusionist’s enemy, that blade can appear and even feel like a real blade, but never will that blade harm or draw blood from the enemy no matter how realistic the stabbing feels to the enemy. (Note that the Illusionists would have had to feel what being stabbed feels like to produce this Illusion...)

Just as any other sub-type, the larger more complex the Illusion, the more mana it will take to produce. Oddly enough, Illusion uses the least amount of mana since nothing within this sub-type actually exists and not nearly as much mana is needed to enter the minds of others than to produce a fireball. A mage can only begin casting illusion when the mind is trained enough to discover the void and establish a connection to it. Illusion does not create anything to originate any of the five senses on an individual, simply trick the mind into thinking it's there. Illusions disappear after the magic stops being done. No physical harm can be done with illusions, they do not influence the world, simply trick the mind. The illusions created must make sense, an unbelievable illusion will break. The mage knowing his illusions are fake, can not feel the illusions he creates. A mage can only illusion what he has felt.

Progression / Progression Examples

Note, this guide and part may be outdated.

Novice: Small fragments the size of a small ball which can be held for short periods of time. These only control light and fade when touched.

Journeyman: Mastering other senses such as hearing, touch, taste, smell and learning to mainpulate sensations of heat. By this point an illusionist would be able to hold an illusionary disguise for a short time. The illusionist begins to experiment with phantasm but is largely ineffective.

Adept: Illusionist can form a variety of light illusions and hold disguises for a while. The illusionist is capable of a few phantasm emotions on one person. They struggle holding a conversation and maintaing a phantasm.

Master: Sensory illusions continue to develop while phantasm can be extended (with difficulty) to more than one individual.

Red Lines

• Emoting invisibility, one can not become invisible. There will always be tells. This does not, however, mean one can't vanish. Given enough distance one may create smoke or a flash of light and then become the illusionary form of somewhat-invisible to escape.

• Copying a person perfectly in an illusionary disguise. One is required to study someone in detail before they can be replicated without error. Unless one has spent a large amount of time with someone they can only replicate their appearance vaguely with illusion.

• Attempting to illusion upon one's self. This is impossible as it creates a paradox. After all, logically how can you attempt to trick your own mind while knowing you are doing it?**

• Accessing memories, wiping minds or reading minds. This would require Mental Magic.

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