Defixio Magic

In the ancient world, cults of sorcerers practiced a form of magic that allowed them to use spells on targets without needing an Arcane Connection. To understand this defixio magic, the investigator must delve into the secrets of ancient traditions and uncover the relics of the cultists who practiced defixio magic. Although cultists dedicated to the gods of the underworld — Hecate, Pluto, and Proserpina — made up the majority of defixio magic users, followers of Ceres and Minerva also practiced the art. These cults largely faded from prominence in the second century, but remnants of their magic remain to be discovered.

Cultists who practiced defixio magic could use it to coerce spirits into invoking curses, or alternately, could use those spirits as conduits through which they could channel their own magic to affect a victim. To perform this magic, the cultists created defixiones (singular: defixio), which are small magical devices that name or describe the target of the curse, the effects of that curse, and the events that cause the curse. Defixio magic could be used to affect anyone the cultist could name and could be held in abeyance until a specific event occurred.

The unique aspects of defixio magic may be incorporated into Hermetic theory as a new Duration or Range. A magus who understands this tradition gains the ability to do what is impossible for all other Hermetic magi — cast spells on targets that the magus has not sensed and for which he has no Arcane Connection. Learning this ability could also allow the magus to correct what is generally believed to be a flaw in the theory of Bonisagus.