Editing Narcissus (section)

====The Honorable Guild of Mirror-Casters====

Mirror-casting creates mirror-wraiths from the imperfect reflection of a person. (Mirror-casting a perfect reflection calls forth the doppelganger of that person.) The art of mirror-casting influences what kind of mirror-wraith is called forth, by choosing the imperfections of the reflective tool, the illumination upon the reflective tool, the subject it is to be cast from, and what emotions and desires that the subject acts out during the casting. It is an imprecise art, and even with all these planned for, the resulting mirror-wraith may not be what was anticipated.

Mirror-casters prefer to hire skilled actors as their subjects, for they better portray the emotions and desires to be cast into the reflection. Necessity or other factors often force them to rely on using apprentices or clients. The process of casting a mirror-wraith is long, and can be arduous for the subject, which adds to the imprecision of mirror-casting. There is a joke in the guild, about the journeyman who attempts to cast a mirror-wraith of lust, to use upon the object of his desire, who hires a courtesan as his subject and gives her detailed instructions to act out before his copper mirror, only to find he has called forth a mirror-wraith of confusion, all because of his muddled intent and skill.

It is, of course, easier to create random mirror-wraiths, and even possible to create accidental mirror-wraiths (particularly in Narcissus, where the mirror-world is so close). The guild scorns such things, of course. But journeymen mirror-casters often make their living dealing with and unmaking these unintended or accidental mirror-wraiths.

-- by Kakita Kojiro