Theurgy (Shadowrun)
Theurgy is one of the largest magic traditions of the world. It is tied to religion, using scriptures and devotion to power the faith. In some ways it resembles Hermetic magic, in that it refers to mystic texts and teachings. Yet it is similar to Shamanism in that it depends on devotion and passion.
Like all magic, teurgy is draining; humility, self-awareness and an open mind seems to be the traits that help a teurge resist drain.
- *Combat*: Earth. These most often appear as armored warriors wielding physical weapons.
- *Detection:* Air. Ephemeral, these spirits grant visions and help on astral quests.
- *Health*: Fire. Like the flames of the Pentecost miracle, these spirits are radiant and grant a glow of charismatic power.
- *Illusion*: Beasts. Also called low spirits, these are worldly and often deceptive tempters offering worldly advantage. Some consider them evil, other see their temptations as a divine mission.
- *Manipulation*: Man. These are saints, humans who went before and wise in the ways of the world.
- Drain*: Willpower + Intuition
Chatholic Theurgy
The return of magic was hard for established religions to accept. Cults and fringe groups that accepted magic gained a huge advantage early in the sixth world. But Catholicism had a strong tradition of exorcism, and many of their clergy gained such abilities during the critical early years. As time moved on, the church started to use its records of historical supernatural incidents, acts of faith, and saints to form a coherent magical theory based on faith and catholic doctrine. However, even today, many leading Catholics regard religious magic with doubts, and the use of theurgy is restricted to certain religious orders.
Spirits as they are perceived by Catholics are Angels. They usually appear as (meta)humans, dressed in radiant robes and wielding weapons of divine might. Those of lesser power may appear as children or winged babies. Sometimes, they manifest as wheels of fire, pillars of light, thunderclouds, whirling pairs of wings surrounding an angelic face or in just about any form, but always bright, radiant and impressive.
Angels are righteous and strict. They strive for perfection in form, speech and action. This becomes even more pronounced as they become free spirits; such spirits often take on a cause that they champion with never-ending zeal and vigor. They sometimes become guardians of sacred places, testing the mettle of anyone who tries to enter.
All catholic magicians must be members of a religious order, the most common being The order of St. Sylvester, The order of Mary Magdalene, or The Templars of St. George.
Just as there are toxic shamen, there are infernalist theurges. These corrupt individuals seek to corrupt the work of the church and cast a blight on the community.
