Compiled and commented by Albert Weaver
"There are no lies in Illusion. Only mirrors."
- Veyla Ros, illusionist and fugitive, Wild Years
It begins with a flicker. A sound that shouldn't be there. A shadow on the wall where nothing stands. Illusion doesn't change the world - it changes the way you see it.
Illusions project false sensations directly into the minds of those nearby. The scent of smoke, the touch of rain, the voice of a loved one long gone. A good illusion isn't loud - it's familiar. It feels right. That's the danger.
***
[Audio Transcript – Civil Defense Briefing, Reykjavík – "The Disappearing Bridge"]
CAPTAIN: "We had eyes on the rebel group. Watched them sprint straight into the ravine. The bridge we saw? It wasn't there. We crossed it twice. Turns out - only the drone saw the truth."
ALBERT (off mic): "Because machines can't be fooled?"
CAPTAIN: "No. Because machines don't have minds."
***
Advanced casters can craft illusions that breathe, move, and react. A fake soldier that ducks when shot. A crowd that panics and scatters. A doppelgänger that holds your gaze and grins at just the wrong moment.
But no matter how real it feels, illusions never leave a mark. You can't cut one open. You can't prove it was ever there.
***
[Excerpt – Field Notes, Street Mage "Lenya"]
"I once held off a bounty crew for five hours with nothing but voices behind doors. Every time they kicked one open, it was just me laughing in another room."
***
The real risk with Illusion isn't combat - it's trust. Victims have reported hallucinations weeks later. Anxiety. Paranoia. Never sure what's real anymore. A whisper in your ear becomes a threat. A flicker of light becomes a trap. And in some cases, even knowing it's an illusion... doesn't make it stop.
Albert's scribbled margin note:
"You can fight a fire. You can run from a beast. But what do you do when the lie is beautiful - and you want it to be true?"