KO
Sorcery · Medium

True-Name Sorcery

True-name sorcery is the medium that operates through the binding power of identity itself. Every being has a 'true name' — the secret name that captures who they actually are — and a sorcerer who knows that name can bind operations directly to the being without any other medium.

Its strength is purity. No physical object, no symbol, no blood — just the name and the operation. This makes true-name sorcery the medium with the longest reach and the deepest bind; once the operation is anchored to the name, no distance and no defense matters.

Its weakness is access. True names are by definition secret. Most beings don't know their own true names, and finding another being's true name is itself a major undertaking. This is why true-name sorcery is treated as the rarest of the four mediums.

Core characteristics

The defining properties that set this category apart from others.

  • Identity-binding
    Operates through the binding power of identity itself.
  • Longest reach
    No distance can break a true-name binding.
  • Deepest bind
    No defense can resist a true-name operation.
  • Access-limited
    True names are by definition secret and hard to find.

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.

True Name

Identity-binding medium with the longest reach.

Blood

Life-bond medium tied to a specific person.

Totem / Charm

Physical-object medium with persistent operations.

Sigil / Mantra

Symbolic medium operating through patterns.

When true-name sorcery shines

Best when the operation needs to bind a specific being without defense.

  • Absolute binding
    Operations no other medium can resist.
  • Cross-distance operations
    Operations that reach the target wherever they are.
  • Anti-defense operations
    Operations that bypass conventional defenses.
  • Identity-anchor operations
    Operations that change or seal the target's identity.

How true-name sorcery splits

Inside the medium, several styles coexist by who knows the name.

Self-name style

Practitioner uses their own true name.

Given-name style

Practitioner uses a name willingly given by a partner.

Discovered-name style

Practitioner discovers a target's true name through investigation or divination.

Limits of true-name sorcery

Power without limit comes with rare access.

  • Name secrecy
    True names are by definition secret; finding one is a major undertaking.
  • Loss of own name
    If the practitioner's own name is discovered, they become a target themselves.
  • Ethical weight
    Discovered-name operations create serious moral consequences.

72 data item(s) in this category are currently available only in the Korean source. View the Korean dataset →

How true-name sorcerers grow

Their career runs through learning and protecting names.

Beginner true-name sorcerers learn what a true name is and how to recognize one.

Mid-rank brings the ability to perform basic operations using willingly given names.

High rank brings out signature operations using discovered names.

Top-rank true-name sorcerers can discover, bind, and even change true names — operations of mythic scope.

Reading true-name sorcery

Sharpens alongside blood sorcery and pact origins.

Read alongside Blood Sorcery as the other identity-binding medium.

Pair with Pact Origins to see how true names become operations.

Return to Medium Types for the big picture.