Blue Mage

Users of conflueverant who soak themselves in aetherial waters. In doing so, they absorb aether into themselves and are able to make themselves metaphorically fluid, giving them the power to control water and absorb energies.

Aetherial Waters

All water contains some aether in it naturally, but water potent enough to help turn someone into a blue mage must either be searched for or created. Natural sources of aetherial waters exist at some river sources, springs, deep ocean valleys, waterfalls, and in fresh rainstorms, but only very rare ones. Those who live near these, such as in The Wash or in the valleys of Mesoine tend to have a higher percentage of blue mages in their communities. But creating aetherial waters is not a deeply complicated process. There are a few methods:

• Boiling very clean water in a special zinc pot (which will absorb esoteric energies), then pouring it into special urns made of sledovik.
• Gathering rain water or taking water from a fresh spring and filtering it through the gills of a freshly caught wild bass.
• Skimming gold or silver through ocean water captured in a seashell for three days and nights.

All of these methods take a great deal of time to create enough water for soaking, and the waters created are very fragile - contaminants can get in very easily. Special blue mages known as levites (sing. levitas) spend much of their time creating aetherial waters to help students become blue mages.

Baptism

When a student of blue magic reaches the point where they have understood the lore and managed a few of the simpler tricks, they are taken to the levitas's house under the full moon(s), or the local source of aetherial waters, and bid to wrap themself in tight-fitting rags. They then must slowly enter the water: first their feet, then kneeling so their whole legs are in, then lying down, then lowering their head in. The water is always kept in a shallow pool for the baptism of a blue mage. While in there, other blue mages make the waters flow over the student while the student releases their breath and lets the waters take them. If they are ready, they will become one with the water. If they are not ready, they will choke and remove themselves from the water. If someone seems like they are drowning, the blue mages pull them out.

Undines and some merfolk and fish folk do not have to go through with the baptism.

Worthiness

To be worthy of being a blue mage, one must understand the lore and be at one with the flow of the water. One must be an ally to the waters of the world, one who will not despoil them, one who is not an enemy to Mother Shem. And one who is attuned to the tides.

Rags and Towels

During the baptism of a blue mage, they wear special rags made of simple fabric (never anything magical). When they emerge from the baptismal pool, these rags are collected by the other blue mages present and the student is toweled off (unless it's an underwater culture, then they are rubbed down with mud). After the student is dry, they are questioned about their experience. If they are found to have passed the test, the rags are sent to their room, home, etc. If they are found to have failed, the rags are saved for them for their next try. The towels are buried in the mud until the next time the moon is full (whichever full moon they are under). The rags are kept as the blue mage's armor, giving them instant access to the aether permanently encased in them and protection from fire or lahab al'qalb.

Hair

If the blue mage has hair, their hair will also be permanently imbued with conflueverant. If they submerge it in water, they will be able to better control the flow if the water flows through their hair.

Dispensers

Some of the water from the baptismal pool is then collected into a dispenser, usually a shell-encrusted jar or bottle, which is kept by the blue mage and used as a source of power.

Spit

Blue mages tend to have a lot more saliva. Some collect their spit for spells, but most are more discreet.

Dance and Song

A blue mage, adorned in their rags and/or submerged partially or completely in water, may dance or sing to command the waters around them.

Inventory

Other than their rags, blue mages have a few other tools they use.

Pearls

Pearls are the most potent of tools for a blue mage. They stud their rags with them, wear them in jewelry (especially in their hair), or place them between their toes. These draw the aether to them and make them more powerful in their spells.

Fishscales

Non-fish folk or merfolk blue mages often wear fishscales, ranging from adornments to their regular clothes or rags to full armor made of fishscale. These allow them better movement through water and improve their ability to communicate with underwater fauna.

Frogskins

Some blue mages create suits out of frogskins that allow them to swim like a frog through waters.

Powers

Blue magic can control the flows of both water and energies. Some common uses of it include

• Water control: any water can be controlled by a blue mage, but moving water is easiest. They can urge it onward, change its direction, or fling it about, even turning it into other forms (ice, for instance).
• Waterbreathing: a blue mage need only suck on their own hair or on a piece of their rags to be able to breathe underwater. This will also make them adjust to the pressure and cold easily.
• Fluid body: a blue mage in their rags can stretch their bodies a little beyond normal and increase their own athleticism greatly.
• Fishspeech: any underwater fauna can be communicated with by blue mages if they spend even a short amount of time with them.
• Improved swimming: blue mages in their rags become much better swimmers very quickly.
• Water form: powerful blue mages can merge with currents for brief periods, though they risk losing themselves to it.

Other Currents

Conflueverant can be wielded to influence not water currents as well. Mundane physical ones, such as wind, are extremely difficult to affect, but some esoteric or abstract ones have more of a connection to the aetherial currents:

• Political and social currents: like a metapol, a blue mage can sense political and social currents, though not as well as a metapol.
• pooumenonic currents: blue mages can influence any poioumenonic energy flow, though it takes great skill to do so.
• Celeste water and Eldritch energy: only the most powerful blue mages can affect these, though both are forms of water.
• Blood energy: all esoterica involving blood, whether curacion or baleblood or others, can be affected just as blood can be.
• Momentum: the energy of movement is more likely to affect conflueverant than the other way around, but it is possible to nudge it.

Variants

Some variants include

• Ickthyologer: blue mages who can influence and control the fauna of underwater environments (including fish, aquatic mammals, squids and octopuses, starfish, jellyfish, etc.).
• Kaikanikani: dancers in islands nations whose movements match the flow of water and allow them to influence it.
• Koule: blue mages who can influence the flow of blood in bodies in order to promote healing.
• Levitas: blue mages who spend their time creating aetherial waters to create new blue mages. Often teachers.
• Naufragium: blue mages who use their powers to shape wood, stone, metal, and other materials to create ships that move through the water with ease and power.
• Oceanographer: blue mages who help map the oceans or study them.
• Seirina: singers among the merfolk whose voices influence the waters around them.
• Streidi: blue mages who draw upon the water around oysters and other pearl-producing creatures/things in order to encourage the development of pearls.
• Tajir miah: blues mages in the deep deserts who use their powers to share water between themselves and others to alleviate dehydration.
• Water gardener: blue mages who use their powers to irrigate complex gardens.
• Zografos: blue mages who use their powers to infuse water colors with brightness and beauty and flow.

Similar Occupations

Other users of conflueverant include

• Diviner: diviners use dousing rods to find water, especially in dry areas.
• Elementalist: elementalists use conflueverant and three other forms of aether.
• Hydrocastald: hydrocastalds use conflueverant and all the other water-based aethers.
• Marine: marines use conflueverant to help control the flow of battle.
• Metapol: metapols use the currents to understand metaphysical and socail currents.
• Outabokusa: outabokusas are Tenzanese martial artists who work with the flow of water.
• Prospero: prosperos use confluverant and other aethers to control weather.
• Quattour: quattours are elementalist warriors.
• Sea Wolf: sea wolves are pirates who use conflueverant.
• Si Ba Jian: si ba jian are martial artist yuansus.
• Sruthan: sruthans are those who use conflueverant to move and ride sunken ships underwater.
• Thalassopoiitis: fili among the merfolk.
• Washerwoman: washerwomen use celestial essences and conflueverant to spy on the powerful.
• Water-Bearer: water-bearers carry water for cultures within deserts or other arid areas.
• Yuansu: yuansu use conflueverant and four other forms of aether.

Persecution

Blue mages are much sought after for their skills with ships and bodies of water. Many are enslaved and exploited, but some are honored or made part of the ruling classes of some cultures.

Skills

Some skills include

• Swimming
• Sailing
• Fishing
• Boatwrighting
• Pearl diving
• Politics
• Sewing

Stats

PRO /
ATH +4
STR -1
AWA +3
WIL +3
STH +1
PRS +1