The Jebel Dedder Manual is the text that is still used as the primary source for the understanding of techniques and applications of Magick and how to recognize it, trace it, and complete a Capture. It is the textbook of all Glasseyes.
The following are excerpts from the Jebel Dedder Manual:
On the Fundamentals of Magick – Opening Concepts:
- Magick – the creation of any unnatural result in reality by drawing out (pulling) Streams of altered reality (also referred to as Streams of possibility) from the source of infinite possibility (the Slipstream). It is given an alternate spelling throughout the Jebel Dedder Manual as well as all serious texts on the subject in order to differentiate it from common and harmless sleight-of-hand.
- Slipstream – the source of all Streams, the realm of pure possibility that any User must reach into with their minds in order to create Magick.
- Streams – the building blocks of Magick that a User must match together and combine in a specific fashion in order to achieve a coherent result. A different Stream is required for each aspect of the desired result.
- Render – a separate a distinct Magick result generated by the combination of multiple Streams. A unified fabric of possibility translated into reality.
- Afterglow – the residual patterns of colored particles that occur when any Streams have been brought together into reality. The quantity, color, and brightness of the Afterglow is determined by the types of Renders created, their magnitude, and how much time has elapsed since the Render was created. They are most often invisible to the naked eye, but can sometimes be visible when very fresh. All Afterglow decays over time (both true visible Afterglow, and that which can only be seen through a Jecker monocle) and eventually disappears completely.
- Aural Afterglow – any residual aftereffects of Magick that are visible to the naked eye until they are dispersed, including: light bending, vapor trails, visible Afterglow, and residual tunnel vision.
- Sensitized Fluorescence – the attaching of Afterglow to people, clothes, or other physical objects that it comes into contact with, resulting in stains that can be seen through a Jecker monocle. These decay over time just as the Afterglow itself. The decay time of sensitized fluorescence can be affected by washing with water, the use of certain herbs, and the smoke of certain plants.
- Decay Time – the time required for different forms and magnitudes of Afterglow to become completely dispersed. The decay time can be affected by how confined a space they reside in, the altitude, the temperature, the presence of wind or water, or the presence of certain forms of smoke.
- Introduction-Of-Change – the introductory wave shape pattern that is unique to every User, and is used to bridge the gap between reality and the Slipstream. It is the only pattern that can, with absolute certainty, confirm the presence of a particular User. Although the Primary Values of a given User’s introductory pattern vibration may increase over time with experience and consistent use, the pattern itself does not ever alter in shape.
- Core Color – the color of the residual particles given off by the vibration of the Introduction-of-Change pattern. This color never changes even if the User’s Primary Values (hence overall strength) increase. They are the equivalent of eye color or hair color, and cannot by themselves positively identify a specific User, but are commonly used to rule out Afterglow with obviously incorrect core colors.
- Ingredient List – the recipe of individual Streams a given User utilizes to create a desired result. It is the list of Streams that comprise each separate Render a User creates.
- Inventory – the totality of all the Streams a given User is capable of manipulating.
- Stepwise Excitation – the increasing Energy created when a given cloud of Afterglow interacts with other Afterglow from another User or different Weaves of the same User.
On the Processes of the Magick – Introductory Concepts:
- User – anyone with the ability to both pull Streams and bind them into Renders.
- User’s Shorthand – an strategy employed by Users to make their actions as simple as possible in order to conserve their concentration for additional actions.
- Vectoric Magick – Streams that are applied to any Force to give it properties that allow it to interact with reality, and common to all Users. Examples: Streams of direction, location, size, shape, velocity, etc.
- Blank Impulse – the most common form of Render, composed of a specific two- of three-dimensional shape with a certain mass and velocity placed inside it, set to start at a specific location, and either remain still or travel in a certain direction for a certain duration, and then set in motion by an impulse Force of generic non-specific Energy.
- Looping – a specific strategy employed by Users to create an action and then set the action to repeat and tie it off, in order to spare more concentration for other actions.
- Compression, Distortion, and Backward Masking – techniques employed by Users to avoid detection or positive identification. Different methods of layering extraneous Streams over the practical Streams in order to obscure the true patters from a Weave Tracer.
On the Principles of Trace – Introductory Concepts:
- Weave Tracer – anyone trained in the arts of detecting, tracing, and apprehending rogue Users. Armed with Tools that are reactive to the presence of the Afterglow of Magick. Commonly and derisively referred to as Glasseyes.
- Trace – the act of tracking or pursuing a rogue User.
- Capture – the act of neutralizing and apprehending a rogue User, the culmination of any Trace.
- Morten’s Dew – a fine crystalline powder that is reactive to certain specific results of Magick. It glows red in the presence of Renders that altered the properties of space, and it glows green in the presence of Renders that altered the properties of time. Although it does not render any further specific knowledge of what actions a User performed, it narrows the range of inquiry and thereby saves time for a Weave Tracer by ruling out certain possibilities.
- Trace Tests – the use of prisms, plates, reflection, submersion, or the application of acid, vinegar, sulfide, saltwater, sugar-water, lemon-water, or quicksilver upon various forms of sensitized Afterglow in order to determine the precise type of Force that a User employed to create a certain result and rule out other possibilities. It is applied primarily when the Afterglow has become too faded to accurately view through a Jecker monocle.
- Oscillatrix – a tool that is composed around a core of Rithrin, a mineral which is highly reactive to the residual Afterglow of Magick. It it used to measure the amplitude and frequency of a User’s Introduction-of-Change Render pattern to quickly rule out any unrelated Afterglow during an investigation.
- Peak Points – locations of highest concentrations of residual Afterglow, usually the place where the User was at the time that they created a given Render.
- Primary Values – the amplitude and frequency of a User’s introductory wave shape, generated by the fourth-dimensional vibration of a User’s Introduction-of-Change pattern. It indicates the overall strength of a given User, and can increase over time with practice.
- Imprinter – a device that reacts to the shining of bright light through the lens of a Jecker monocle and then through the residual Afterglow of Magick. When parchment is placed upon the Imprinter, a bright light shined in such a way will render the patterns onto the parchment.
- Glow Curve – (see section: On the Application of the Jecker Monocle)
- Prismatic Dispersion – (see section: On the Application of the Jecker Monocle)
- Variants – (see section: On the Application of the Jecker Monocle)
- Glow Variance – (see section: On the Application of the Jecker Monocle)
- Resonance Spectrum – (see section: On the Application of the Jecker Monocle)
- Streak Lines – also called Spectral Lines (see section: On the Application of the Jecker Monocle)
- Redshift – a tinge of redness to the core color particles specific to any individual User. Indicates the User is moving farther away from the location of the residuals.
- Blueshift – a tinge of blueness to the core color particles specific to any individual User. Indicates the User is moving closer to the location of the residuals.
- Composite – a file record of the skills and attributes of a particular User that is being Traced.
- Schematic – a method of diagramming the actions of a User at any given Scene where they employed Magick, and can be later used to determine which Streams were used to create which results at that Scene. Repeated at each new Scene.
On the Psychology of Users:
Users throughout history have been known for their powers, but it is important to recognize the very real effects these superhuman abilities have on the psyche of the Users themselves. Any strength or capability that sets a man apart from his peers may engender a sense of superiority within the mind of the one who possesses that skill. The type of skills that a User may have are far more rare, and set them far further apart from normal men. It is only natural for these Users to develop their own feelings of power and superiority. The more powerful the User, the greater will be their sense of entitlement. It is common for Users to rationalize to themselves that the ordinary strictures of civilization do not apply to them, and that there will be little consequence to their behavior. Users also tend to attach their feelings of self-worth to their powers, and commonly suffer feelings of detachment, depression, and lack of engagement in the world around them if they cannot exercise these powers routinely. Many Users who exhaust themselves, and must go without their abilities while waiting to replenish their strength, suffer immediate fright and melancholy. Users never stop using. It is the golden rule of a Trace. No User can hide effectively for long because no User can stop using. No matter how much time elapses, all Users will return to the Slipstream, and when they do, they will leave more Traces.
On Maintaining the Appropriate Degree of Authority:
It is imperative that a Weave Tracer always exhibit an aura of professionalism and strength and poise through adversity. It is often necessary for a Weave Tracer to travel into different jurisdictions in order to prosecute a Trace. There could be any number of other lawful Authorities in any given region, and these must always be respected. However, a Weave Tracer must never alter his course at the behest of other Authorities. When performing a Trace, the Weave Tracer shall have final Authority over any decision that is required to complete the Trace and Capture of the User. It is recommended that the Weave Tracer always dress appropriately, and carry the appropriate equipment to generate that Authority.
On the Reactions of Others:
A Weave Tracer must always be cognizant of the reactions of those around them to the rigors of the Trace. Many individuals fear Users, and rightly so, but that fear can manifest in the form of rejection of the very Weave Tracer whose responsibility it is to catch the User. A Weave Tracer must always remain calm in the face of ridicule and harassment from any local population. It is important to recognize that this is merely acting out in response to terror and uncertainty that follow in the wake of any User. It is recommended to be polite and to explain in great detail the process and the objectives of the Trace whenever prudent in order to reduce the pressure that can be created by the fear of a large mass of people. It is wise to remember that for many of the locals your will encounter this will be their first exposure to a rogue User, and they will not have the same degree of familiarity of an experienced Weave Tracer. Comforting the populace of any Scene of a crime of Use will pay strong and immediate dividends for the Trace by removing the frequency of obstacles placed in your path by those you wish to help, who may not understand the importance of the investigation you perform.
On the Timeliness of Trace:
Speed is essential in performing any Trace. Users are by their very nature suspicious creatures, and it is therefore of the utmost importance that the Trace be concluded as quickly as possible. It is unethical to allow Users to continue to perform Magick after a Capture is deemed possible. The second exigency that recommends great speed is the decay time of the Magick itself. Afterglow decays rapidly in the air, and frequently will reduce from visible to invisible within a matter of minutes or even seconds. Once it has passed out of the visible spectrum, the only way to view the Afterglow is through the lens of a Jecker monocle. The Afterglow remains in the air in a consistency visible through the Jecker monocle for much longer, but even then it likely would only be hours before the rate of decay eliminated it from view entirely. The streak lines are known to last the longest in the air. Afterglow remains for the longest duration in the form of Sensitized Fluorescence, which is the presence of Afterglow on any surface, clothing, or skin. When the Afterglow remains in direct contact with any object or individual for more than a few seconds, the residual particles will adhere to the surface and bond with it with differing degrees of attachment depending on the porousness of the surface. Some sensitized fluorescence has been known to last for days before decaying completely, but rarely more than a week even in extreme cases.
On the Proper Equipment:
It is the responsibility of any Weave Tracer to properly maintain and secure the Tools necessary to perform a Trace. All equipment must be accounted for before leaving each Scene, and the equipment must be kept clean to avoid cross-contamination between different Scenes or different Users. The Tools listed below are the required items for any Trace to be performed with absolute accuracy.
A Weave Tracer’s Standard Equipment:
- Tracer satchel
- Weave Tracer badge/emblem
- dropper
- brush
- magnetic rod
- mirror
- static cloth
- chisel
- Finder
- Oscillatrix
- Jecker monocle
- Container of Morten’s Dew
- Tinwood leaf
- Imprinter
- Light sticks
- Flash flares
- Blank treated parchment
- Composite folio (soft leather-bound) of the current rogue
- User Notebooks (for schematics)
- Sandalwood sticks
- Talcum powder
- Fennum Clay
- Cleaning cloth
- Clean water
- Sword – to display authority
- Liquid reagents: saltwater, lemonwater, sulfide, sugarwater, acid, vinegar, quicksilver, cinnamon oil, nitric acid
- Rithrin – Contained in Oscillatrix
- Ranum Crystal Powder
- Obsidian Sand
- Granulum Crystal Soaps
On the Proper Diagramming of a Scene:
The first step in any Trace is to diagram the first Scene of use. This process is then to be repeated at any additional Scenes of use that are discovered for the User in question. It is imperative that ALL Scenes be Diagrammed completely in order that any new Streams be documented thoroughly. Users may employ different Streams at different Scenes, and it is never acceptable to assume that all Streams in a User’s Inventory have been accounted for. The best possible order of the process is listed in brief below, and a thorough explanation of each step will follow in the remainder of this section.
Diagramming a Scene:
- Isolate all witnesses
- Sweep the Scene
- Identify any tethered or static continuous Renders still present on Scene
- Locate any visible residual Afterglow
- Identify any visual signs: vapor trails, residual tunnel vision, bent light, sensitized fluorescence, residual burns
- Attempt to locate peak points
- Measure the primary values with the Oscillatrix: amplitude, frequency, wavelength, phase lag
- Identify any and all spectral lines (streak lines)
- Apply Jecker monocle Identify aural Afterglow
- Measure the core color and fringe color of the Introduction-Of Change.
- Imprint the Introduction-Of-Change
- Verify the colors of all identified Weave patters
- Imprint all Weave patterns
- Verify the individual Stream components of each Weave pattern
- Imprint all Streams
- Confirm all variants and denote the bonding shapes of the Streams
- Identify and note any masking techniques: backward mask, waveform compression, phase modulation, Stream echo, distortion, encoding
- Apply solving algorithms to any cipher pattern
- Perform Trace tests on any applicable surface or medium: light test for stains and vapors, water test, flame test, plate test, submersion test, prism test, magnet test, reflection test, mirror test
- Perform ghost identification test if applicable – ghost identification test: iris test, shadow effect test, environmental reaction test, light display test, response test
- Compile all notes and Imprints in the Scene schematic
- Identify the most frequent recurring Streams
- Identify the most potent Renders of the given User and make special note of their primary Streams
- Interview all witnesses of the actual Use as soon as possible
- Note any observed motions, actions, or expressions made by the User in questions and record these for use by Distractors during Capture
- Update any prior composite of the User in question with new information
- Note approximate performance limit
- Note approximate core limit
- Note approximate proficiency limit
- Note approximate break point
- Work with Stoppers and Limiters until they recognize the feel of the patterns in the Slipstream from the Imprints
- Review the primary-value-increase algorithms: time change, average frequency of use, previous primary values, verify current primary values match closely to output
- Review the decay time algorithms: most recent primary values, quantity of Afterglow, magnitude of Energy output, temperature, altitude, size of confined area, wind/water, type of surface/medium, intervening surface thickness/porousness
- Identify any presence of masking agents: sandalwood smoke, talcum powder, water/mud, fire/ashes
- Continue the pursuit
Common observables/Unintended side-effects:
- Burns: Elementals – air smokes spontaneously, ash bluish tint, smoke has yellow glow, flame – greenish hue Physicals – air crackles, ash seems to smolder when cold, smoke zig-zags, flashburn
- Moisture: Elementals – water has silver shine, diamond dew, rapid humidity, ice has rosy hue, ice crackles when melted, rain has skystreams (inexperience), mud like paper membrane, Physicals – pressure/particles leaves dew equally on all surfaces, thermal squeezing requires enough moisture already in the air, moisture like sandpaper, melted ice crackles when mixed with soil
- Wind: Elementals – flow singularities, intake compensation Physicals – with vectorics causes wind leak, with vibrations causes staggered gusts
- Vectorics – smell of burning fossil oils
- Velocity Renders – choppy motion, distances stretch for outside observer
- Momentum – inertial windows, inertial traps, inertial creep
- Vibration Renders – volume swells, shell sweeping
- Pressure Renders – black flecks, heat sink, heat rise, smell of almonds
- Temperature Renders – heat increase leaves cubic distortion, freeze leaves purple tint, temperature drafts
- Magnetism Renders – spontaneous magnetism, conductivity damping, magnetic fields, inverted field curve, wavy motion
- Light Renders – hexagonal glow, monodirectional light, internal light phenomenon
- Stress Renders/Broken things – square breaks, triangular ridge pattern, friction burns
- Gravity Renders – gravitational wells, gravity clouds,
- Changes at the atomic level via Renders – molecular decentralization of objects,
- Wave Pockets – invisible clouds of Energy that leak through from the Slipstream when Streams are bound together at a speed or skill level that is beyond the effective ability of a given User. An unintentional side-effect of rapid and inefficient use of Magick. The potency of the Energy contained within a Wave Pocket is proportional to the total amount of Energy created by the User. Wave pockets cannot be punctured under normal circumstances as they do not react to physical objects, however they can interact with altered reality when it is specifically targeted at them.
On the Application of the Jecker Monocle:
The Jecker monocle is the primary device of a Weave Tracer. It is his most versatile weapon in the battle against rogue Users. The minerals that comprise the lenses of the Jecker monocle are all highly reactive to different aspects of the presence of residual Afterglow, and will allow a Weave Tracer to see what would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. The Jecker monocle does not require light to function, as Afterglow will still shine even without the presence of a light source. However, extremely bright light, such as sunlight, can obscure the Afterglow by overloading the eye itself.
Composition of the Jecker Monocle – an oval lens of Ranum crystal, a mineral that is highly reactive to residual Afterglow of Magick. Attached to the primary lens are four filters: white, rose, green, and blue. Each filter is made of a different mineral, and can be slid into place over the primary lens. Each filter can be used individually, and the white, rose, and green can also be used in combination to expose different aspects of the Afterglow.
Use of the Jecker monocle:
- Primary Lens – The primary lens of the Jecker monocle displays any ambient Afterglow or sensitized fluorescence that has not decayed completely. However, the nature of the transposition of Streams from the Slipstream into reality will also result in spatial warping, time arching, and quantum peaks, all of which can obscure subtle details of the Afterglow.
- Blue Filter – used only individually, and filters out most of the layers of Afterglow caused by specific Forces and specific Renders, and thereby exposes the Introduction-of-Change pattern, as well as the core color of the introductory wave pattern particles. By studying the core color through the blue filter, it can be determined if the residuals are redshifting or blueshifting.
- Green Filter – filters out the quantum peaks caused by the altered reality and displays the Spectral Lines – the temporary scars left in reality after a Render has existed, whether stationary or in motion also called Streak Lines). Any stationary Force would leave faint lines in the air where the Force was located, indicating its shape. Any Force in motion would leave a haze of lines indicating the shape of the Force and the direction of its motion through the air. The greater the strength of the Force, the thicker and brighter the lines would be. This indicates the vectors of Force, which can aid in determining the size, strength, direction, and position of Forces used at a given Scene. Streak lines decay at a slower rate than the colors of other Afterglow, and can allow a Weave Tracer to make some inferences about what occurred at a Scene that is otherwise cold.
- Rose Filter – filters out spatial warping caused by the altered reality and displays the Glow Curve – the bleeding of different Afterglow colors into one another. This is an indicator of how well each Render merged with reality. Knowing how a User combines Streams allows a Weave Tracer to identify common Streams for Stoppers to look for during a Capture.
- White Filter – filters out time-arching caused by the altered reality and allows a Render Tracer to see how the residuals react to the warping of the Afterglow alone, displaying the Prismatic Dispersion – the magnitude or power behind the Forces used. This aids in determining a User’s strength and mastery of each Render.
- Rose and White and Green Filters in Combination – filters out all side-effects of the altered reality (time arching, spatial warping, quantum peaks) and displays the Variants (the interruptions in the Resonance Spectrum of each Render). These Variants are breaks in the pattern that show the separations that delineate each individual Stream so that their patters can be analyzed one at a time.
General Afterglow Qualities when Viewed through a Jecker Monocle:
- greater opacity – higher magnitude of Energy in the Render
- greater thickness – indicates multiple layered Render
- greater shine – indicates multiple unrelated varieties of Forces layered
- presence of flecks/patches – indicates Renders of multiple User’s merging at the same location
- presence of sharp outlines – indicates spatial Renders applied
- presence of spiral shapes – indicates Renders with temporal elements
- glittering particles – indicates active Renders
- matte glow – indicates passive Renders
- presence of specific root, median, and effect Renders in combination – indicates elemental Weaves
On the Application of the Oscillatrix:
The Oscillatrix is a slender cylinder with a central filament of a mineral known as Rithrin, which reacts strongly and immediately to the presence of Afterglow. The Rithrin core expands at a ratio that is directly proportional to the primary values of the User’s core Afterglow. The end of the Oscillatrix contains a series of vents which open into grooves supporting metal spheres. When the Rithrin expands, the pressure moves the spheres a certain degree that is proportional to the amplitude and frequency of the User’s core strength which is present in all Renders a given User may produce. In order to take the most accurate measurements, the Oscillatrix must be held very near to the actual Afterglow or sensitized fluorescence, often by using the Jecker monocle to pinpoint where the Afterglow is present. In some cases it may be necessary to hold the Oscillatrix within the clouds of Afterglow themselves, though it is strongly recommended to clean the Oscillatrix immediately after doing so in order to prevent cross-contamination. It is highly recommended to take these readings at the peak points, the locations where the vibration is strongest, usually the location where the User was positioned when they created their Renders, or an object or person that is directly affected by the Renders.
On the Process of Conducting Trace Tests:
When there is no visible Afterglow, even after the application of the Jecker monocle, it is still possible to identify Traces of the Forces and Energies applied at a given Scene through the use of Trace reaction tests. These tests are designed to apply certain liquids or materials in the hope of generating a reaction from the scrapings or shavings of any surface that has come into contact with residual Afterglow, even after the associated sensitized fluorescence has decayed completely. The shavings are set in a cleaned area, and liquids may be applied to the aggregate materials, or the materials themselves may be placed upon the solid reactive materials, or manipulated upon them. All results or lack thereof must be fully documented and cross-referenced, as many types of Afterglow will generate similar results from many of the tests.
On Maintaining the Cleanliness of Tools:
The first practice that any and all Weave Tracers must train to perform is the proper cleaning and decontamination of all Tools and clothing on their person while diagramming a Scene. It must be performed so many times that it becomes automatic to the Weave Tracer. Cross-contamination can ruin the results of an entire Trace, leading to false-positive identifications and inappropriate directions of all subsequent inquiry. All clothing which comes in direct contact with clouds of Afterglow or patches of sensitized fluorescence must be heavily smoked, ideally with sandalwood smoke. All Tools and surfaces must be thoroughly washed with freshwater and vinegar, dried and patted down with talcum powder, and then scrubbed with water and dried again with a soft fine-woven cloth. These are the best practices. Other techniques exist that are partially effective, but these are not recommended to the Weave Tracer.
On the Classification of Users:
There must be great emphasis placed upon the proper classification of any User. Their strength must be quantified, and the nature of their most frequent Renders must be deduced. Nearly all Users learn from a single set of related skills, and their Renders tend to follow the forms of the same Forces repeatedly. Understanding the User-type of a given User can provide vital intuitive information as to other potential Weaves they may be capable of applying, that may not have been applied yet at any prior Scenes of Use. The principle methods of User classifications are as follows:
- Core Limit – the maximum potential Energy a User is capable of projecting through the application of Streams before they will require water, food and rest to replenish.
- Performance Limit – a method of quantifying the degree to which a User is able to concentrate whether under calm conditions or under duress. It is measured with a system called the Ten Scale.
- Break Point – the point at which either a User’s concentration is tapped out and their ability to Render will be lost until they are able to either refocus or remove themselves from distraction.
- Proficiency Limit – a measurement of the quantity of different Forces a given User is capable of understanding and creating Renders for. Measured on a scale of 22 tiers.
- Physical – a User who creates Renders from their understanding of the laws of nature and the underlying Forces of the universe. Requires natural ability and also the knowledge of how a process works in order to gain proficiency.
- Elemental – a User who creates Renders from a nature-based view of the world. Based on common-sense knowledge of the environment an Elemental User inhabits, with much less technical knowledge required than for a Physical User.
On Preparation for the Capture:
The Capture is made possible due to the phenomenon of the Magick known as precedence effect. In a given range of space, a specific Stream can be drawn forth from the Slipstream only once, and once it is held, it will be denied to any other User who attempts to reach into the Slipstream for precisely the same Stream.
This process is known as Interdiction. Even the most common type of Stream, such as velocity, size, or shape are unique for each User. The purpose of the Imprints of each Stream is to familiarize the Stoppers with the precise Streams of the User in question. Once they are held by a Stopper, they will be denied to any other User who attempts them in the same region within space. The distance is affected by confinement, and the composition of any objects or barriers that lie between the Stopper and the target User.
The Capture is the most dangerous moment of any Trace. When a User is cornered, they will stop at nothing to escape. It is vitally important for a Render Tracer to have the most accurate Imprints of Every Weave that a User has in their Inventory, as well as every individual Stream. It is the responsibility of the Weave Tracer to prepare all Stoppers and Limiters who will be present and take part in the Capture.
The Stoppers must be familiar with the shape of the patterns of each Stream they will be charged with holding during the Interdiction. Even an average Stopper has the concentration to pull and hold up to seven Streams at a single time. The best are capable of several dozen, and even the poorest Stopper can hold at least two at a time.
An additional component of the Capture is the process of Distraction. The purpose of Distractors is to attempt to compromise the concentration of the User in order to make it more difficult to pull Streams and bind them into Forces. Even such simple things as loud, high-pitched noises, wild gestures, bright strobing lights, annoying speech or song, can be extremely detrimental to the concentration of a User. This can prevent them from being able to apply Renders that are not held by Stoppers long enough for the User to be neutralized.
Restraints are often applied both during the Capture and afterward while holding or transporting the User to the Fires. Most Users rely on physical movements or gestures to aid in their fundamental concentration. It is very common for a User who wishes to “throw” a blank impulse at a target to actually make a throwing motion with their arm. Finger, wrist, and hand motions are very common, though there are also a significant number of Users who rely on facial expressions, speech, or muscle flexing to facilitate the concentration for their Forces. The gestures make it easier for the mind of the User to believe in what it is trying to do.
Specialists Required at any Capture:
- Render Tracer – to direct the Capture (one or more)
- Stoppers – men trained to reach their minds into the Slipstream and hold the Streams of a particular User in order to prevent that User from employing them to create Magick.
- Distractors – men assigned to use certain strategies to disrupt the concentration that is critical to a User being able to focus to pull the Streams of Magick together.
- Limiters – Stoppers who are not yet aware of the Streams that a User employs to make his Forces (because a Weave Tracer was not yet able to discern certain Streams for them), but do have knowledge of the general Streams he uses to control those Forces, such as direction, magnitude and speed. Most Users only ever learn a few varieties of these vectoric (control) Streams, and holding some or all of them would not altogether stop a User’s weaves, but would prevent a User from being able to employ his Magick accurately.
On the Neutralization of Users:
The primary technique of Neutralization is by applying elixirs of sedatives that are detrimental to concentration. Any drug that causes focus to diminish without causing death is appropriate for this purpose. The most effective of these sedatives is tinwood leaf, usually administered via tea soaked with the raw leaves. This sedative, when administered in the proper dose, reduces concentration to negligible amounts, making the User incapable of thinking about any single thought for any duration of time, and as concentration is critical to the pulling and binding of Streams, it can render Users inert for as long as it lasts, and can be administered indefinitely. It is the most common method of sedating Users. Restrains are also often used, particularly when arm motions are frequently applied by the User when weaving the Streams. This is a wise precaution, as the dosage of tinwood leaf tea is not always easy to measure out for all Users.
On the Fires:
This is the preferred method of disposing of a User. Fire is historically the effective method of proving the death of a User, often with the aid of magnesium shavings to induce greater heat and faster destruction. Although it is rare that a User could survive more conventional methods of execution, there are those who might have the abilities to staunch bleeding, reduce the effects of trauma, or remain alive without the presence of oxygen. In order to be certain that the User has been destroyed, burning is the most certain method, as the physical tissue of the User’s body can be seen as it is eaten by the flames.
The act of burning is also a valuable method of control as it provides visual proof to the local populace of the destruction of a User, and serves as a memorable display of the power of the Authorities over the User. It acts both as a viable act of justice, and as a deterrent to other Users that might consider becoming rogues. No User has ever survived the Fires.
