WITCH ASTEROID

 In Desul there are those who forsake the powers of magic. Whether in a religious extreme or a clinical obsession, they strip their own bodies of the potential for magic. This involves a surgical removing of the ears and the sensory organs just below the skin around the skull. These anti-magic deafs are nicknamed "Snails," for they move slowly and often need a device to prop them up (or some would rather crawl along the ground and lean against walls). This is because they have lost not only their hearing, but their entire center of balance. The surgery is ironically magical in nature and also cuts them off from vibrational frequencies so the Snails lose an element of their touch as well. They experience injury, but they cannot feel pain. Their physical stamina is nearly limitless. They can crawl and crawl without every tiring. A Snail's body will crumple and die before it gives up on its pursuit. They are completely unaffected by magical ability. A magical flame will ha...

 I want an alternative to spell books. I like the image of a mage carrying around a bookshelf of reading material, Death Stranding -style. I like Dungeons & Dragons and Knave and Cairn. The cloistered scholar archetype is intriguing. But I still want a creative alternative.  How do wizards in traditionally wet or humid environments hold their magic? How does the magic-user in the wild — outside of their high tower, carrying all other manner of gear — find the cargo space to fit a few textbooks? And what really is magic?  Waves. Vibration. Sound. Magic affects everything. Naturally, the magical organ is the ear. It keeps balance. It filters these waves, intoning them within the body and solidifying their magical effect. Let’s create a “spell book” with these parameters. I’m going to call them “totems” instead. They are small, often hand-sized objects, perforated with holes that create unique sounds at specific volumes. Each totem holds one spell. Rolling a random spel...