Magic

Magic is varied as it is unpredictable. There are rumors of great flying beasts in far-off lands, shining towers of glittering mana, and legends of enchantments and supernatural phenomena the world over.

But, in the Free Cities, magic revolves around ambergris.

Magic of the Free Cities
Ambergris is a potent, volatile concoction, specially prepared from the organs and blood of the great sea beasts and leviathans that roam the waters not-too-distant from the Free Cities' shores. In smaller quantities, it is simpler to work with but less powerful. In large enough concentrations and doses the force of ambergris- fueled spells can rock the heavens.

Throughout the Free Cities, ambergris is used to power simple "hearth magic." Most houses count at least one "hearthmother" amongst their kin, who can prepare simple, practical spells for the benefit of the house. Torches and lights that last for weeks, setting a bone, healing a wound, or driving down a fever are all in the purview of hearth magic. Hearthmothers typically pass down their wisdom and spells from mother to daughter, though some men have been known to dabble in it as well.

"Sea" magic, as it is colloquially known, is the varied, chaotic, and powerful ambergris -powered magic of the Sea caste's mages and witches. Each Sea caste uses ambergris somewhat differently, and the schools and variety of magic they perform is as varied as the stars in the sky. Some use ambergris to see past the horizon-of-things, to guess at future outcomes and spout prophecy. Others use it to calm or quell great storms. Still others simply use it to hone their ships, or power great, vast public works normally outside the strength of human hands. In general, the magic of the Sea is themed around stars, the sun, sand, and the water itself.

There are rumors of "blood" magic, spells that use forbidden concentrations or organs of the leviathan s. Such magic is said to be devastating, both in it's outcome on the world and to the soul of it's users. Still, one never knows when a Sea house might start down the path towards heresy and destruction.

The Ambergris Trade
The production and trade of ambergris is highly restricted and tightly controlled by the Regents of the Free Cities. The inherent dangers in the acquisition and use of the material makes it far too powerful to not be.

Technically, any Sea Caste house could hunt Leviathans all by it's lonesome, but to do so would prove somewhat foolhardy. Instead, most Sea Castes ally with themselves with Blood houses dedicated to the art of the hunt. There are entire techniques and schools of martial prowess built around the hunting of leviathans, and the Blood houses that keep such secrets guard them jealously.

There are a great many rituals, forms, and regulations involved in the hunting of Leviathans. The great beasts are considered sacred to the Mother-of-Waves, and must be hunted with honor, skill, and great care. A leviathan must not be fought "unfairly", a harpooner may not cause the beast too much pain, and all the rites and rituals contingent in such a holy act must be observed.

When a leviathan-hunter returns to port, they can expect their catch to be closely inspected by the Regent's tariff and tax men. These inspectors hunt for any sign of impropriety in a hunt, and may impose penalties ranging from stern warnings to confiscation of ambergris to revocation of licenses should the leviathan-hunter's quarry fail to meet their exacting standards.

From there, the leviathan is handed over to a Blood House trained in the art of butchery, taking great pains to avoid the corruption of blood or the spilling of organs. A Sand house may then take the necessary components and render them (through arcane and highly guarded means) into ambergris.

While Sea houses can and do trade in ambergris, the extraordinary amounts of wealth involve typically mean that Sand caste houses must be involved as well.

The export of ambergris is likewise tightly controlled, but yet it still occasionally makes it to foreign ports through less-than-official means. Foreign mages are known to prize ambergris more than diamonds or jewels, and the lengths some will go to in order to acquire the Free Cities bounty are staggering.

Smuggling ambergris or poaching leviathans is dangerous, deadly work. The tax and tariff men are known to be just as ruthless to the smuggler of ambergris as the Sea caste houses are with those they catch attempting to claim the bounty of their seas.