Image Magic III
Spell, Low Magic, level 3
A curse cast through an image: the victim loses half of one attribute, or is blinded, struck mute or paralyzed, permanently until magic lifts it; reversed, the spell removes such curses.
From the book
Through an image of the victim, the caster lays a curse on one individual, choosing one of four afflictions: one attribute (STR, INT and so on) cut to half, blindness, loss of speech, or paralysis. The victim may save vs Will to resist. Whichever curse lands is permanent until magic lifts it, and the reversed spell can remove any curse laid by this kind of image magic.
At a glance
- Effect
- One of: an attribute halved; loss of sight; loss of speech; paralysis
- Duration
- Permanent, or until removed by magical means
- Material component
- Image of the victim
- Reverse
- Removes any curse caused by this type of image magic
- Save
- vs Will, as stated
- Spell type
- Non-variable
A scene
The fisherman from the shore of the Lake of Dragons has not spoken since the witchdoctor's curse fell on him at the new moon; his mouth moves but nothing comes out. His wife brings him to the shaman Nyokabi, who spends a whole afternoon carving a new likeness of him from driftwood. At dusk she holds the little figure to his lips, speaks the curse backwards, and breathes into the carving's open mouth. The fisherman coughs, clears his throat, and says, hoarse and astonished, that he is very hungry. His wife starts to cry, and then to laugh.