Totems & Charms
Totems and charms are the physical-object medium for sorcery. The spell's work is bound into a physical object — a carved figure, a written ward, an inherited family piece — and the operation lives in the object as long as the object exists.
Their strength is persistence and portability. Once the operation is bound, the totem carries it without further work from the practitioner; the operation can be carried, given, hidden, or sold. Their weakness is fragility — destroy the object and the operation ends.
On this page we walk totems and charms' character, operational styles, and limits.
Core characteristics
The defining properties that set this category apart from others.
- Physical persistenceOperations live in the object as long as it exists.
- PortableOperations can be carried, given, hidden, or sold.
- FragileDestroy the object and the operation ends.
- Inheritance-capableCharms can pass to heirs along with their operations.
How it differs from neighboring categories
Even within the same family, each category has a distinct character. Comparing side by side is the fastest way to grasp the differences.
Totem / Charm
Physical-object medium with persistent operations.
Sigil / Mantra
Symbolic medium without physical object.
Blood
Life-bond medium tied to a specific person.
True Name
Identity-binding medium with no physical or symbolic carrier.
When totems and charms shine
Best when the operation needs to persist and travel.
- Long-term protectionWards on a home or person.
- Inherited operationsFamily charms passed down generations.
- Distance operationsOperations the practitioner needs to send to a distant target.
- Hidden operationsOperations that need to be planted and triggered later.
How totems and charms split
Inside the medium, several styles coexist.
Carved-figure style
Totems carved from wood, stone, or bone.
Written-ward style
Charms inscribed on paper, cloth, or metal.
Worn-charm style
Charms worn as jewelry or clothing.
Limits of totems and charms
Persistence comes with clear costs.
- Object fragilityDestroy the object and the operation ends.
- Theft riskCharms can be stolen along with their operations.
- Identification riskEasily recognized by other sorcerers.
76 data item(s) in this category are currently available only in the Korean source. View the Korean dataset →
How totem and charm sorcerers grow
Their career runs through binding ever-more-complex operations into objects.
Beginner totem sorcerers bind small operations into simple charms.
Mid-rank brings a working repertoire of charms with reliable effects.
High rank brings out signature totems carrying signature operations.
Top-rank totem sorcerers can bind multiple operations into a single object.
Reading totems and charms
Sharpens alongside the other mediums.
Read alongside Sigils & Mantras as the symbolic-vs-physical contrast.
Pair with Blood Sorcery to see how persistence shifts when the medium is alive.
Return to Medium Types for the big picture.