Kethramancy
The illusory magic of kethramancy was discovered initially by a Jinifarian religious order several centuries before the Demon Wars. It was originally used to facilitate bandit raids and other acts of robbery. It would later spread further across Legere, but notably picked up by Isutan Mabosa working with Khatkir.
Kethramancy was usually referred to by its colloquial names, mirage magic or illusion magic, although in The Eastern Provinces it received the alternative name of zendamancy.
Powers #
Kethramancy was an illusory type of magic that allowed casters to create intangible but realistic projections. Illusions created though kethramancy could never be used directly as weapons, but could be paired with martial arts or other conventional methods of attack to create befuddling, sensory-overloading fighting styles.
A common use of kethramancy was to change the physical appearance of an individual. Changing a face, skin colour, hair colour, and other physical features for a temporary period of time were used not only for subterfuge and infiltration, but also within high society as a form of sophisticated makeup and cosmetology.
Illusions created by kethramantic illusionists needed to be focused on. Skilled kethramancers could create and maintain many different or more complex illusions. The most advanced of kethramancers could weave an intricate spell over a person or thing to turn them invisible to the naked eye.
History #
Kethramancy was discovered by Kethra Hussain, a Jinifarian scholar-bandit and a member of the House of Lesser Knowledge--a collective of religious zealots who were dedicated to ensuring the balance of society by stealing from those who had plenty and redistributing the goods the needy.
Kethra used his magic to help the House orchestrate greater and greater acts of robbery, and eventually taught it to most of the zealots. Knowledge of Kethra's magic, which at the time was called the Teachings of Kethra, would eventually find its way into the Eastern Kingdoms, where it would be adopted by an array of Mabosa who were in turn, employed by the various Isutan lords to enhance the operations of their Khatkir. The elementalist Lingchao Zendath spearheaded the spread of kethramancy to other mabosa, eventually founding the arcane institution the School of Zendath, which began to teach kethramancy under the name of zendamancy. It wouldn't be until after the Mundane War where scholars of the Thaumaturgical Academy of Arcane Studies discovered that both kethramancy and zendamancy were not cousin paths, but rather the one and the same.
While the House of Lesser Knowledge fell into obscurity and eventually eliminated following the rise of The Lancer Guild and the spread of merchant lancers, Kethra's legacy would live on through kethramancy as it spread across Legere.
Vocations #
Kethramancers were an ideal choice for espionage, intelligence officers, and other covert operators. Outside of cold warfare and spying, kethramancers found jobs in circuses, entertainment, and education thanks to their ability to project 3D images in real space.