Written by The Mad Professor
Mantike is one of the arts of Low Magic, it deals primarily with the modification of bodily processes. Advanced students of Mantike usually delve into Creation as a part of their teaching and their knowledge makes them excellent Flesh Forgers. Mantike is one of the few fields of Low Magic used by the Dragonkin although they refer to it as Apporheta.
Field
Mantike covers a lot of different things though it primarily deals with enhancing the body in some manner or another. It may cover anything from causing wounds to heal faster or improve eyesight or anything of a similar note. Wizards specializing in Mantike typically make excellent Flesh Forgers later in life as their spells often require a relatively detailed knowledge of anatomy. While some wizards may use the spells to aid themselves, most use them to help or hinder others in some way or another. Short of those priests who use their Mantra to heal, Mantike Wizards are typically among the greatest healers available in Adylheim.
Techniques of Note
Spells in this art are primarily powered through Prime Words though some of the more permanent spells may draw power from a person's Numen, Mantike only very rarely makes use of other power sources. Mantike spells are primarily performed by drawing Prime Words on the body, reagents often used are the blood of the person in question or ink of various kinds. Advanced users of Mantike may create magical tattoos which have permanent effects, though these often have the side effect of draining some small portion of their wearer's Numen. One of the primary challenges of Mantike is often finding ways to squeeze Prime Words onto relatively small body parts, this requires deft penmanship from the wizards employing this particular school of magic.
Example spells
Healing Words
Power source:Prime Words
Effect:Causes wounds to heal faster than normal.
Ritual:A sigil is drawn around the wound in question and Prime Words are written around this, once the spell has started it may take a day or more to heal the wound completely, depending on the severity of the wound.
Darksight
Power source: Prime Words
Effect: Allows a subject to see in the darkest of nights, may leave a person vulnerable to blindness if strong sources of light appear.
Ritual: A sigil is carefully drawn around a man's eyes, directing the flow of power into the eye itself, with Prime Words added as needed.
Glowing Bands
Power source: Prime Words, Numen
Effect: Increases the strength of the subject, with some sacrifice of stamina. This spell has been known to glow slightly in the dark.
Ritual: Powerful tattoos of Prime Words are written all over the body of the subject, Prime Words are added so as to keep the power of the Prime Words from fading, once the Prime Words have been finished sigils should be drawn to cover every part of the body desired for such changes.
Wracking Pain
Power source: Prime Words
Effect: This spell causes the subject intense pain while it is active. It does not, however, leave marks on the body. Ritual: Prime Words are written across the body of the subject, along with a Sigil which allow the power of the Prime Words to flow to the appropriate locations on the body where the mage wishes to inflict pain. ===Insensitivity===
Power source: Prime Words
Effect: Renders the subject oblivious to pain for the duration of the spell.
Ritual: Sigils are drawn down the spine and around the head of the subject, along with Prime Words which keep pain signals from reaching the brain.
Iron Fist
Power source: Prime Words, Numen
Effect: Makes the subject's fist almost impervious to harm for the duration of the spell, it has been known to significantly tax a person's Numen though.
Ritual: A sigil is drawn around the fist of the subject, along with an extensive array of Prime Words, once the spell is applied it should only last about half an hour to an hour or runs the risk of killing the subject.