Sy Senz-Ai ([zi:sen:zaɪ])

Pronunciation and Meaning

Sy Senz-Ai is very simple, linguistically-speaking, but can have multiple meanings. It is derived from mostly Archaic Foyiitùn.

• Sy: You (singular or plural)
• Senz: Mind, Inner-Self, Awareness
• Ai: (go) away, begone, distance oneself

Already it becomes clear why this is one of the Unstable classifications of incantations.

Pronunciation

For the layreader and non-linguist scholar, Sy Senz-Ai is spoken thus:

Zee Sen Zy

Where zy rhymes with "eye" or "aye".
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Background

The basis of Elemental Magecraft is very simple: never take life except in desperate moments and even then, try not to take life. Scholars and linguists should note the wording:

...never take life...

not simply:

...never take a life...

This is important and is one of many reasons that Authorised Mages exist, because some spellcraft, either for hurting others or even for healing, involves the use of "Life Siphoning" - the taking of life-essence from one being and imbuing it into a different being, object or mental projection (e.g. invoking an ethereal companion or familiar) ¹.

How this Relates

Mages who are taken into battle (or going of their own volition, naturally) or witnessing a crime often felt under pressure to kill. Either in a "justifiable war" or "justice" for the latter example. Those practising the Elemental arts (which was not limited to the Crystal Circle) had to derive a way of still fighting for their cause, or championing justice.
Sy Senz-Ai was their solution: an incantation designed to render someone unconscious for a time, allowing them to be removed from battle or secured elsewhere.
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Effect

Before saying what this incantation does, we should first be clear on what it does not achieve.

Not Mind Control

Sy Senz-Ai is not, and cannot be, used to change the will of another to that of the caster's own. Its primary purpose is to distract, or delay, an action or consequence. While advantage may be taken of the victim's dazed state, this is a biological scenario, not one directly related to applied magicks. The confusion is more akin to the disorientation felt when just waking, or recovering after a blow to the head.
The Contest of Wills (explained later) is about attempting to open a breach in the target's defences, allowing the intended effects of the spell to take root. You cannot whisper your own will into your target's mind with this incantation.

Common Effects

Assuming the Contest of Wills favours the caster, the possible effects (determined by the will of the caster are):

• Temporary Confusion/Befuddlement
• Temporary Blindness
• Unconsciousness (akin to that brought on by a head injury)
• Sleep (in the natural sense)
• Distraction
• Forgetfulness

Extreme Effects

In the hands of a practiced and, likely malevolant caster, Sy Senz-Ai can be intended to:

• Induce Insanity
• Cause the victim to carry out "erratic destruction"
• Lose their sense of self-identity

So, while we are still correct to say that this is not mind control, in rare cases it can cause a mindless lack of control. However, before the studier of this script furrows their brow in concern, all of these are temporary save for longer-term side-effects. To reiterate, even the insanity and loss of identity are temporary, so long as recouperation time is afforded to the victim.
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Resistence and/or Countering Sy Senz-Ai

We will discuss the "Contest of Wills" shortly. However, it may be that contest never happens. This can be due to certain resistences, a physical block or a counter-spell being issued. The following list is not exhaustive, but serves to highlight the key methods of resisting, countering and/or avoiding it.

Element Erdé Sensitivity

With literal lighning storms, though that power surge may erode the surface of the mountain, it is the rock that endures longer than the lightning. In the same way, depending on the strength and closeness to Element Erdé ("Ground"), it may be all that is needed to resist the desired effect of Sy Senz-Ai, even if it hits the target. But, in the same vein, if struck, "erosion" may still occur - not in a literal or a Elemental Essence Degradation way, but in the manifestation of the milder side-effects.

Physical Barriers

A key limitation of Sy Senz-Ai is that it is a mental or mind attack. Therefore nearly all physical barriers between the caster and the target will prevent the incantation from striking the intended individual. Readers of this, please be cautious - papyrus will not suffice! However, the well-trained Sword Marshall, or Shielder may effectively block this spell, if they keep their focus on the manifestation.
How much a physical barrier will prevent a successful strike will depend greatly on the manifestation. Lightning and Light forms are narrow by their nature (even with lightning forks), so usually prove easier to defend against. Water or Wind manifestations may need avoiding if mystical shields are not available. Therefore, though physical barriers are theoretically effective, it does not serve the average soldier - or even mage - to rely over much on them.

Sy Senz-Ai vs Sy Senz-Ai

This incantation may be countered by the same incantation. This leads, usually, to the toughest Contest of Wills between mages (or "Warrior Mages"). See below for more details.

Shielding Incantations

Certain shield spells may partially, or completely block Sy Senz-Ai. A key example is Kyl-Y-Ormà which, depending on the Contest of Wills may absorb the entire attack, or nullify its worst effects.
Another would be any spell that invokes a temporary rock or stone barrier or shield. This draws on our earlier observations on Element Erdé. However, unlike Kyl-Y-Ormà, extra care must be taken in terms of maintaining that temporary shield and that none of Sy Senz-Ai is deflected to friends or allies. But by the same token, it may be possible to reflect it back at the original caster in this way.
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Side/Secondary Effects

Effects on the Victim

As one would expect, most of the side effects are of the mental type. However, you'll notice "burns" in this list too:

1. Tiredness, or longer-term fatigue.
2. Lethargy, a feeling of being physically weighed down.
3. Extended forgetfulness: which can lead to frustration and a self-directed anger or irritation.
4. Burns: depending on how Sy-Senz-Ai was cast, the brand/branch used or the will of the caster, this mental attack may have a physical manifestation. Commonly this is in the form of lightning. Though, as the focus of the incantation is to cause psychological effects, not actual burning, any injuries sustained will be mild.
5. Black Cloud: having one's mind invaded cannot be without damage. Black Cloud attempts to explain a sudden drop in mood and self-esteem. If the target of Sy Senz-Ai was successfully struck, ensuring they recover from Black Cloud becomes imperative upon waking, especially if they too were a mage. If they do not, they become more susceptible to the incantation - and other similar mind-influencing spells. They must, with all urgency, do all within their power(s) to raise their confidence in their abilities once more.

While there have been many self-deprecating successful people throughout history, there is little more damaging to future success than a sudden failure today. If one believes failure to be a character trait, rather than a part of the learning process, a cycle of self-confirming failures raises its head.
We must accept that the world is full of a wide variety of character types. We cannot all be unshakable optimists, after all. But self-belief is often required for survival. To lose faith in oneself opens the door to placing un-thought-through faith in an object or person in an attempt to fill the void. The question of whether that object or person is worthy of said faith is questioned less the more self-confidence is eroded.
"A Theory of Irrational Faith"
Various Authors, page 139.
End Note: This work is called "Irrational Faith", not because all faith is irrational, but because not all instances of faith are based on reason or even experience. Thus, it is only intended to explain specific cases and is not an indictment on faith (or trust) as a wider issue.

All can be recovered from given time, patience and appropriate advice from a healer.
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Effects on the Caster

Elemental Magecraft excels at drawing on the power of one or more Elements and returning that energy back into Nature through incantations in one or more other Elements. But as Sy Senz-Ai is non-elemental, Elemental mages must be careful not to draw on their Elemental Crystals or Shards to enhance this spell. This is because it is a pure attacking/assaulting incantation, seeking to do damage (in this case, mental). The intended target does not gain Elemental energy from being struck, which can leave the caster far weaker than would be the case for other spells.

Symptoms

Non-Elemental Mages, or those that are (but do not draw on their Elements) may experience a range of symptoms.

• Temporary Tiredness or long-term fatigue
• Dizziness or disorientation - especially if it is repeatedly cast.
• Increased Cast Time: for other incantations, due to the mental energy required for this spell to be effective.
• Slower reaction time: against counter-attacks. It is dangerous to assume Sy Senz-Ai will always succeed. Thought must be given, beforehand where possible on defending - or evading - a possible counter-attack, especially from physical weapons where a traditional Mage's armour is usually weak.

Exacerbating Factors

The following is a list of examples of factors that may make the side-effects worse.

• Inexperience:
  If a newer Mage, or one accustomed to more physical spells, attempts Sy Senz-Ai, they may be unprepared for how mentally draining it is.
  
  
• Duration of the Contest of Wills:
  As with normal day-to-day tasks, or writing or studying, the longer one does anything the more tiring it is. Thus, if the Contest of Wills drags on, then this can lead to exhaustion and a need for recuperation time. In the worst case scenario, a temporary decrease in Myst Sensitivity may occur, akin to Elemental Essence Degradation for Elemental Mages.
  
  
• Poor Preparation:
  All spellcasting requires some element of preparation. Whether a simple calming of one's spirit, or days' worth of invoking no incantations, how well one is prepared affects both the efficacy and the likely repercussions for the caster. If there is a lack of preparation - either actively (the Mage did not choose to prepare) or passively (they were attacked with little time to react) - then Sy Senz-Ai may cause more disorientation on the caster, rather than the intended target.

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Manifestation

How Sy-Senz-Ai "looks" can vary, but only by margins, unlike, say, Kyl-Y-Ormà.

Commonalities

Whether from a hand or brand, all casters emit what could be described as "focused mist", as steam swirls over hot water. It is nearly always dark in colour, making it especially dangerous at night time, except the Ormà manifestation.
The spell can be targets towards the head or chest - both are equally effective, thus all successful manifestations will be directed with near-instant speed at one of those areas. It is then that the Contest of Wills begins.

Elemental Differences

The above description fits nearly all recorded non-Elemental calls to this incantation. However, Elemental Crystals (or Shards), as well as whether your Myst Sensitivity is coupled with Elemental Alignment, will change its manifestation.
Note: Elemental Alignment affects the manifestation. The above assertion that Elemental Mages should not utilise the power of their Crystal or Shard still holds here.

Aevyen

Aevyen (Air) manifesting as Aevyten (Wind) causes a more lance-like appearance and to reachs the target quickly, usually under the 1 second mark, regardless of the number of paces away the target is.

Ethkiel and/or Ousii

The power of the heavens and the ocean depths, focuses into lightning-like crackles that flash until the manifestation succeeds or dissipates. The lightning does not increase the success of the cast, but may serve to shock the target and distract them from raising their own defences, or during the Contest of Wills. This form can cause burns - both on the target and on the caster if no brand is used.

Ormà

The swirls appear simply as a narrow ray of Light, increasing the chance of mind penetration. It must be stressed that, under Ormà, sleep, confusion or temporary blindness are the only outcomes of Sy Senz-Ai. The Light cannot be forced to wilfully (or accidentally) harm another.

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Source

The power behind Sy Senz-Ai need not be elemental, though a certain maturity and training is required. Therefore Myst Sensitivity is a pre-requisite. To date, no method of "making" a being sensitive exists.

Contest of Wills

While many references to this have been made above, in practice, the Contest of Wills is a simple principle. Assuming we are discussing one Mage against one other, therefore equal numbers on both "sides", then it is a simple task of determining whose willpower is the greatest in that moment with the aim being to break the target's defences to allow it (and subsequent spells cast) to take root. How this looks depends on what has occured immediately prior to the Contest.

Both Cast Sy Senz-Ai

If both pit the incantation against itself, the two manifestations of the spell will meet at some point between the two Mages until one overcomes the other.

A Shielding Spell is Cast

The manifestation of this can vary, but as with the above, both the attack and the shield defence could meet in the middle. If the shield is a "bubble" or "armour" then, naturally, the attack will strike the shield spell, but not penetrate unless the Contest is lost.

Spell Hits a Target's Physical Shield

"Shield" in the loosest sense here, as a sword's blade may be used to parry, after all. The manifestation of Sy Senz-Ai will reach the shield until one mind gives way to the other. If the caster is successful, then the attack succeeds - but will not cause any damage to the item struck (save for minor burns, as mentioned earlier). If the defender succeeds, the energy may be deflected back to the caster. If equalibrium is found, the energy dissipates.

Sy Senz-Ai Strikes the Target

If no counter-action is taken then the Contest happens immediately upon being struck. For the cases above, this represents the last defence after the first has failed. This is why certain manifestations are more effective - not because they are more powerful, but because they are more distracting. At this point, the target's own Willpower, Focus and Self-Awareness will be pitted against their assailant's. If they are successful, the energy from the spell is released from the body. If they are unsuccessful, then the caster's intentions will be carried out (except the preconditions and limitations already defined).

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Footnotes

(1) Note: this is not the same as drawing from one Element then outputting that energy in the form of one or more other elements. When we are talking about "life", we mean that which keeps a person, creature or plant alive. (back ^)

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Incantation Classification

Unconsciousness, Stun, Mind Fog

Element

None: However, Elemental Alignment affects its manifestation

Possible Counter-Spells

Kyl-Y-Ormà, Sy Senz-Ai

Predictability

Unstable

Success Variables

Willpower, Experience, Elemental Alignment (Defender), Physical Location

Material Components

No particular items were required for Sy Senz-Ai due to it being mostly a contest of wills. Some claim some brands (but not branches) may increase the likeihood of success, as though piercing the target with a needle, but no studies into this appear to have been recorded to date.

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Gestures & Ritual

Direction was absolutely critical to this incantation. Whether through the use of a brand/branch, a palm of the hand or a pointed finger, Power is channeled in the direction of physical focus. While it is one mind against another mind, be aware it is also one body against another. Focus must also be kept on the target for a number of seconds before resolving the "Contest of Wills".
A mage interrupted before the Contest of Wills ends may find the incantation misdirected, or worse, directed onto an ally or even themselves, usually leading to unconsciousness lasting a few days. (A fight against oneself can create a stalemate).
Note: the spell need not be cast at the target's head to be effective.

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Effect Duration

1 minute to 3 Urs (Usually)

Effect Casting Time

0-2 seconds to hit target and 3-4 Seconds Contest of Wills, thus 0-6 seconds from uttering Sy Senz-Ai

Range

5 - 10 meters (Unobstructed View)