Magician

Magicians, known in Egyptian as shesh, are those with magical powers and trained in the methods of Egyptian mythology and magic and can cast a variety of spells. Magicians are often members of the House of Life and are trained by them.

History
The House of Life survived the fall of Egypt, but was forced underground. As a result, many of their most secret and powerful spells were lost. Since the end of the Egyptian dynastic period, members of the House of Life have been tasked with hunting the gods and trapping them, preventing them from having any contact with the mortal world. This is a stark contrast to previous actions by the House of Life, as they worked with the gods to better Egypt.

It has been implied by Zia Rashid that at one time there were a great deal of initiates in the House of Life until an unknown event occurred.

Skills, Abilities, and Limitations
See also: List of Spells in the Kane Chronicles

Magicians are trained in Egypt, the First Nome, beginning at no later an age than ten. There, they learn the basics of spellcasting. They are assigned a new Nome at age thirteen. There are few dangerous exceptions, such as Carter and Sadie. While in training, a magician's specialty is determined. Initiates double as the First Nome's 'operators', scrying with bowls of oil and keeping in contact with magicians from other Nomes. Training is often intense and once the initiates are able to summon objects reasonably well, they will dual with another initiate while a full-fledged magician watches over them; this is done on the principle that magicians do not learn magic through study but rather from practicing.

A wand and staff is essential for a practicing magician. A wand, made of curved ivory, is generally used for defense. The staff is most often used for defense; in modern times magicians have taken to using collapsible or disguised staffs. On occasion, the staff may be replaced by an object that is better suited to one's specialty. For example a khopesh, a curved blade, is good for combat magic. In addition to a wand and staff, magicians also typically carry twine, paper, an ink set, and a ball of wax. Some may carry a shabti with them.

Magicians take a number of precautions to ensure the effectiveness of their spells. This includes wearing clothing made from plants (such as cotton) rather than animals as it may interfere with their magic; if a magician is strong enough, they are sometimes able to wear a small amount of animal products. Magicians may also tattoo a symbol of Ma'at on their tongues, and these tattoos may be temporary or permanent. The tattoo helps them speak magic words clearly. They also often drink water that has been purified by Thoth. This water helps magicians focus and gives them a great amount of energy.

Magicians typically use a special headrest when they sleep. It is made of ivory and engraved with hieroglyphs to prevent one's ba from entering the Duat while they slumber.

Magicians, as agents of Ma'at, will often trap monsters within statues and smash them to destroy the monster's essence. Failure to smash these objects may result in the monster later being unleashed.

A spell, at its most basic, turns words into reality. A magician may use any language to cast a spell, but Egyptian hieroglyphs are generally preferred as they are the language of creation and Ma'at. The simplest way of casting a spell is to write it out on a piece of paper. Should a magician use a hieroglyph for something alive, however, they must be careful to leave it incomplete, else the hieroglyph itself may come alive.

There are some limitations on the magic a magician can cast. Each magician has a limited reservoir of magic. When casting a spell, they draw upon this magic. If a magician overdraws their reservoir when they cast a spell, the lack of energy will be made up by their life force, killing them and often quite literally burning up. This limitation may be escaped in a few ways. Many magicians store reserves of magic in objects, such as a staff, amulet, scroll, or wand. They may also summon power directly from Ma'at, but this is only when using the Divine Words, the Ancient Egyptian pronunciation of hieroglyphs. When hosting a god, the god will add their own power to the magician's reservoir, although the god may choose not to. Another limitation is a magician's inability to summon a portal on the Demon Days unless possessed by a god of magic such as Thoth or Isis.

Specialties
Magicians, through birth or training, can specialize in various forms of magic. A well-trained magician knows a little of everything.

Elementalist
A magician specializing in elemental magic controlled one of the central elements; earth, fire, air, water, and possibly cheese.

Example: Zia Rashid, fire magic and Amos Kane.

Statuary
A magician skilled in making shabti.

Example: Iskandar; Nectanebo II.

Healer
A magician adept at healing magic.

Example: Although no Healers have appeared thus far, healing magic has been seen; Bast has healed Carter and Sadie many times, fitting her role as a protective goddess.

Amulet Maker
One who makes protective amulets.

Example: None

Animal Charmer
Presumably one who can talk to and/or control/summon animals.

Example: Bast showed some level of being able to communicate with cats. Jerrod the shabti could turn people into lizards, and his staff became a komodo dragon.

Combat Magician
One who is skilled at using magic offensively.

Example: Carter Kane; Bast.

Necromancer
Presumably magic dealing with death.

Example: None; Anubis and Osiris most likely possess these abilities.

Diviner
Said to be extremely rare, these magicians can see the future.

Example: Ruby Kane.

Chaos Magic
Desert and storm-based attacks.

Example: Amos Kane while possessed by Set.

The Path of the Gods
A specialty that has fallen out of practice since the fall of Egypt, the Kane siblings are now attempting to revive it. In ancient times, all members of the House of Life followed the Path. Some only called upon the power of the gods on occasion, while others sought be become the 'Eye' of a god: a perfect union between god and magician. There was great risk in this, however, and if it is done improperly the host can die or even be driven mad. In other instances the god may overpower their host and literally burn them up. These tragedies are evidenced by King Tutankhamen and Cleopatra VII.

Example: Sadie and Carter, the Eye of Isis and Horus respectively.