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Book Of Lies

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Aleythir is not magic; it can be studied, falsified, used as a basis for predictive models, and it conduces with all known laws of physics which squarely lands it within the purview of science. However, many people do not understand this or they may not believe it and thus, aleythir is often seen as magical, especially by nors (those who cannot directly and willfully sense and/or manipulate aleythir). As such, many practices have arisen around aleythiric activity that may appear superficially "magical".

Some of these practices can be downright predatory, playing off the ignorance of those who do not know any better. A psychic may pretend to know when someone will be "visited by death" but in reality, it is impossible to know when someone will die unless there are obvious symptoms a psychic might sense through the ley (such as a weak heart or cancer and such). An ethyric might sell "magical" cures to the ignorant when they're really peddling naproxen, acetaminophen, cephalexin, and other such ordinary medications made to look "magical" by coating them in mica-based pearlescent pigments. Mystics are perhaps the most adept at trickery being that they can manipulate electromagnetic radiation via myst which allows them to create a near-infinite variety of illusions and optical effects. 

Sometimes, aleythai (those able to willfully and directly sense and/or manipulate aleythir) will perform elaborate "rituals" that are totally unnecessary but great for a show. Here, an ethyric has collected some corpse fingers, moldering bone broth, a dead lizard, and a few "totems" to create some standard pain relief medications. The ethyric could absolutely make the medications without any showmanship but many nors expect a grand display of power and if they don't get it, they may ironically become skeptical of the aleythai's abilities.

The "spell tome" is made mostly from ordinary materials such as leather and parchment, all lacquered for effect. The eye is a simple marble. The skulls and claws are real. Inside, the "spells" are just chemical formulae commonly used by ethyrics; glucose, naproxen, cephalexin, cyanoacrylate, glyserol, methanol, etc etc, all neatly organized. 

Most aleythai are quite capable of making an honest living without resorting to trickery and most do but weaker aleythai or those not possessed of a robust conscience may resort to dishonesty.
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Adarion's avatar

Well, that does look quite scary. Comfy by light, but scary by some content. The focus is on the book, and maybe the engraving on the table in the light. But then, if you look around... the dried lizardish thing, the fingers and whatever else is there... some amulet? A bloody card and matches and coins and a glass of wine? Still life with lots of weird and scary elements. That book would be awesome to have as a prop for LARP. Little skulls and claws, skin that nearly seems to have pulsating veins, more teeth that will slash your fingers if you open it at the wrong page, and the eye that watches back.