Commoner Magic Utilities

Despite the Nobility's monopoly on magic tools that actively rely on the use of mana, there are a variety of lesser magic tools that are used frequently by the more affluent commoners of Ehrenfest. Since commoners are incapable of channelling mana into magic tools, those made for them require the ability to hold a mana charge that needs to be replenished regularly by a mana wielder. Furthermore the lack of mana of commoners also means that they can only register with a magic tool by stamping them with their blood. Notable examples for this practice are magic contract, guild cards and citizenship medalions.

The manufacture, maintanance and charging of magic tools for commoners is an important source of income for layscholars.

Contract magic is most often used to prevent nobility from taking too much advantage of commoners. The contract itself is written on special parchment with special ink that write blue when signing a name, but turns black when the name is stamped with the blood of the signatory. Once all members' names have been signed and stamped the contract will burn up and take effect. The terms of the contract are magically enforced within the city of their creation, though terms can be added for legal protections across duchy boundaries.

Should one party fail to uphold their end of the contract, they will face magical repercussions. Such contracts can either be terminated by all signed parties consent, or can be nullified at the discretion of the Archduke as part of their jurisdiction.

Guild cards are commonly held by members of a guild, and can have several functions depending on which guild they belong to. Each card can only be used by their owner due to being stamped with their blood.

For the Merchant's Guild, it serves not only as proof of membership, but also allows members to enter the upper floors of the guild headquarters by tapping it against a magic door, as well as facilitating banking services to take place.

When two individuals wish to make a transaction, they come to an agreement on the price and then tap their cards together, at which point the transaction is made and Lyon is transferred from one member to the other.

Upon reaching the age of seven, the children of citizens take part in a seasonal baptism ceremony that officially designates their status as citizens upon completion. As they enter the temple, they are asked their names and have their fingers pricked to stamp their blood onto metal plates, at which point the child is officially recognized as a citizen. People who were not born in a given city can also gain citizenship, but this requires them to pay a fee. If the person in question has close relatives that are already citizens of the city, this fee is reduced. The fee also depends on the city they wish to live in, with bigger cities usually requiring a bigger amount of money, with the capital city of the respective duchy naturally being the most expansive.

Since most commoners are illiterate, their citizenship plates also serve as headstones, by being affixed to a post that marks the grave. Most families denote their graves by the style of the post or where the plate is affixed on the post.

The Rott Bell serves as a means for city guards to call for the aid of the Knight's Order to the gates without relying on a wand to do so. Once the bell is hammered, a red beam shoots into the sky and the Knight's Guard makes their way to the gate in question to help resolve the situation.