#tactaxtalks

Worldbuilding

Spirits

Greater Spirits (like Ramuthra) (4+ magicians to summon)

Marids (2 powerful magicians to summon most marids)

Afrits (1 powerful magician to summon)

Djinn ( utukku (p215))

Foliots

Imps (messenger imps, goblin (p292))

Lesser Sprites (homunculus)

(don't know/didn't note exact rank) mouler krel horla (p254) ghouls (p379) vigilance sphere (p181)

Planes: 7 (p10)

cats can see 1st and 2nd plane

distance improves illusions through planes

spirits may (attempt to) negotiate between another based on previous experiences to fulfill tasks

loyalties between spirits are temporary (p43)

a magicians "word" takes 9 seconds to reach Other Place, 3 seconds for Spirit to arrive (p118)

a magicians true name is a defensive shield for spirits from the magician, a kind of talisman, can reverse spells to attack magician instead (p126)

rosemary, garlic, silver (feels cold), burns spirit's essence (p134)(p174)

modern materials are bad, or at least unpleasant for spirits (p262)

rarely a spirit will serve magicians willingly, these are detested by other spirits

Spirits have several levels of consciousness at once (p213)

in the Other Place essence mingles freely and chaotically (p214)

Spirits "just endure" (p265)

Spirits Magic

Forms can be objects, smoke, animals (real or otherwise), intelligence and amount of forms a spirit can take seems linked (p216)

Form can achieve more than form implies (ie increased flying speed of a bird)

all living / magical things have a distinct aura, can change with mood/emotion (p35)

sufficient resistance to a masters order can tear a spirit in two, resulting in a major explosion large enough to destroy suburbs (Asmoral the Resolute was set against Ianna the djinni and refused, ever since mages are cautious about ordering direct attacks against other spirits)

spirits will do everything possible to twist orders, to the point of interpreting an inhale as a period in order to render the order grammatically nonsense.

the smaller a form the less noticeable the spirits aura to other spirits (louse!Bartimaeus can be in same room as an Afrit)(p430)

if powerful enough a spirti's form can distort the planes, even if they're invisible

"the greatest of us always bring the chaos of the other place with them" (p445)

without amulets protection ramutha was able to attack his master (sufficient power overcomes pentacles?) Named "spells":

compression (p21)

detonation (p22)

seal (p23)

defense shield (p22)

illumination (p26)

concealment (p44)

charm (p86)

snare (p177)

change object properties

petrification (afrit) (p186)

void (marid)(p191)

hermetic mantle (afrit)(p203)

portal (p215)

mirror illusion (p261)

flame

stricture, lets no sound or movement pass (p432)

rift, requires summoning horns aid, only visible on 7th plane, presence of other place distorts reality (p441-443)

pestilence (p452)

Magicians

Magicians rule, commoners have resistances

"imperial government" has 300 ministers

Night Police of Internal Affairs raid pubs to find resistance meetings but consistently fail (p39)(p184)

computers, Laptops exists (p30)(p120)

commoners know of spirits, but do not know that all of mages power comes form using spirits, they think mages have innate powers themselves

culturally embrace 'stage magic' and similar aesthetics

culturally the "wizard look"is for low to mid ranking magicians (long beard, pointy hat, etc) (p88)

culturally the "accountant" look is preferred for high ranking magicians (plain suits etc) (p88)

magic tourism / vandalism (p20)

magicians feud extensively, dangerous to display any magic skill or get mixed up in it (p38)

Vigilance spheres on every pub in London against resistance

Magicians are not allowed to have bio children (p55)

Mages main languages: English, French, Czech, Latin, Armaic, Hebrew, Coptic, Greek, Egyptian,

the "ideal Virtues" are patriotism, respect for authority, dutiful wife (p187)

Tower of London is prison for spirits, torture prison for government, 3 layers hexlocked, Horlas, Utukkus, Mournful Orbs (p235)

Traitors remains are hung in glass prisms from the tower of London (p235)

Magicians "definition of incompetence" is loss of control (p67)

Countries / History

Britain is called "The Empire"

London became "Magical Capital of the World" ca 100-200 years ago (p99), there are 'non commoner' parts of town (example Piccadilly) (p162)

Czechia infiltrated England 10 years ago

England at war with Italy (Italian rebellion)

England at war with Czechia

Italy greatly damaged by blood feuds (implied) (p55)

Atlantis was devastated by something extremely powerful running unchecked after summoning with out pentagram (p434)

historical and modern major magical countries as implied by main languages (biggest grain of salt for actual country names considering irl and unknown canon history):

England

France

Czechia

Roman Empire

Armaic implies ancient Syria, Mesopotamia, southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, Caucasus, Eastern Arabia, Neo-Assyrian Empire, Neo-Babylonian Empire, and Achaemenid Empire

Canaan / Judah / Israel

Egypt

Nubia

Apprenticeship

Employment ministry assigns apprentices (p52-53)

the master collects the nameless apprentice at 5y/o

all previous legal documents of child are destroyed

child is told to forget their birth name

child's parents get money for handing their child to ministry, this service is advertised

child will be tested for potential, may not be selected to be apprentice (61)

once done child is considered "officially unformed" so the master can "start from scratch"

their "true life" starts once apprenticed

this is "how it's always been"

apprentices are done like this (instead of inheriting) to avoid blood feuds (p55)

all school learning is via tutors in house, since the days of "Median Magi", one apprentice to one master

Lessons: drawing (technical drafting), music (pipes, lyre, choral voice, sistrum rattle), mathematics, politics, history, geography, chemistry, physics, religion, principle of pentacles, art of runes, rites of purification, swimming, English, French, Czech, Latin, Armaic, Hebrew,+

masters can do anything to their apprentices, including killing them (or petrifying them in public to be used as boot scraper for embarrassing the master)(p186)(p238)

once named (12 y/o) an apprentice is harder to get rid of, paperwork exists for them now (p238)

Magicians Magic

magicians can only summon, enslave, influence spirits, everything else is done through spirits

charms can be bought in booths (p38)

sufficient resistance to a masters order can tear a spirit in two, resulting in a major explosion large enough to destroy suburbs (Asmoral the Resolute was set against Ianna the djinni and refused, ever since mages are cautious about ordering direct attacks against other spirits)

summoning uses principle of pentacles, art of runes, rites of purification, incense, candles, and more

a "word" takes 9 seconds to reach Other Place, 3 seconds for Spirit to arrive (p118)

the less powerful the spirit, the quicker and easier it is to summon (p258)

"seven words of dismissal"

"six words of direction": Appear (Appare), Remain (Mane), Listen (Ausculta), Submit (Se Dede), Obey (Pare), Return (Redi) (p106)

may use instruments as part of summoning (ie lye for lamia) (p63)

glasses to see into other planes (as apprentice), get first set of contacts at 12y/o (p71), can see into 2nd, 3rd, and blurry 4th plane (p171)

Amulet is item of passive protection, automatic

Talisman is item of active magic, used at owners discretion (p90)

using too much magic can exhaust a magician into death (p130)

magic traps (using entrapped spirits) (p173)(p175)

pre-charged staff (talisman?) (p173)

Elemental sphere (a spirit of each element trapped together for extended time, will repel each other in a violent explosion when freed)(p202)

Mournful Orb, traps and burns spirit, can grow/shrink, spirit cannot be summoned form an orb, no escape

reading portents in the stars (maybe?) (p370)

djin used to be woven into carpets for flying (p411)

seven league boots supposedly have djinn in them on an 8th plane (p414)

summoning horn, requires first user to be incinerated by summoned spirit, requires pentacle for very powerful summonings, makes no sound when blown on any plane, only 'audible' in the Other Place (p437)

amulet of samarkand contains spirit equal or greater than Ramuthra (well above Marid)

anyone can release a spirit, provided you're in the pentacle it was summoned in (p464)

Characters

Nathaniel / John Mandrake

very pale, no moles, no scars, dark straight hair, pinched face, calculating eyes (93)

very intelligent and driven

closes his eyes to memorise (p182)

prone to disassociating (muteness at 5 when very stressed(p53)/ at 6 went catatonic for a week, refused to eat, speak (after first encounter with imps)(p33-34)/ at 10 couldn't speak (lovelace incident) (p111)(p113),

at 10 endured a month in isolation without stimulus except window, not even allowed to leave room for toilet or washing, no communication, no lessons, no books, started Revenge Plannig TM (p112-113)

Languages: English, French, Czech, Latin, Armaic, Hebrew, Coptic, Greek, Egyptian,

can swim, hated it (p60) but then did it voluntarily for fitness before lessons (p123)

spiteful to his detriment

wants to prove himself not weak or useless (p463)

wants to help people (deep down) (p463)

anger overpowers fear by a large margin

superb actor (p115)

agoraphobia of wide open places (p364)

claustrophobia (p433)

feels upmost betrayal at Underwood for cowardice in not defending his pupil from bullying (p115)

feels utmost loyalty for Mrs Lutyens for trying ot defendhim from harm (p116)

commoners seem 'two dimensional' to him

threatened Bartimaeus with "Old Chokey" tin full of rosemary, which he sank into the thames (p147)

has been to zoo once (184)

doesn't care about rank when someone knows more than him and follow their instructions (example following Bartimaeus instructions despite him being Nat's servant) ("Go follow your orders! No wait, teach me how to build up the fire first." (p342) (p379) (all of chapter 43)

has killed, almost started crying (p423)

was able to release something more powerful than a marid by himself (Bartimaeus expected it to take multiple magicians)

corrects himself from 'demon' to 'djinn' not to insult Bartimaeus (p477)

admits to Bartimaeus he's grateful (p476)

Bartimaeus

Bartimaeus, Sakr-al-Jinni, N'gorso the Mighty, Serpent of the Silver Plumes,

Element: Air, Fire (p13)

5010 y/o (p96)

essence is a thick oily vapour, color and scent of dishwater (p214)

loved Ptolemy (p19)

takes Ptolemy's form frequently, has no breath even when speaking (p328)

smallest form is a louse

hates Faquarl

dislikes tentacles (p24)

doesn't usually eat imps (unlike others, implied)(p161)

doesn't like eating humans (unlike others, implied), is like bad seafood (p377)

bad at comforting people (p310)

doesn't know incantations or 'words of command' (p461)

considers Nathaniel 'not the worst master' he's had (p360)

consider Nat clever (derogatory), has initiative, a conscience (p477)

worries about nat (implied) (p479)

"surrender to my tender claws" says Bart, Nat goes pale. (p425)

(interesting bart&nat conflict scene p328)

Faquarl

djinn

true form has many tentacles, visible on 7th plane (p24)

preferred earth form is a cook, fat, jovial-looking man, red face, meat cleaver

intelligent

cuts nails with cleaver

hates Bartimaeus (it's mutual), used to work together

likes (?) Jabor

'don't use the s-word (slave) in polite company' is 'playing the long game'

Jabor

djinn

preferred earth form is a tall, red-skinned man with a jackal head

brute force, likes detonation spell

more brawn than brain

will yell in all caps

Kitty

commoner, resistance

13y/o (book 1)

staight dark hair, leather jacket, bellbottoms (p46)

level, authoriative voice (p46)

had the option to have Nathaniel killed but spared him because 'he's jsut a kid' (p354)

Martha Underwood

knows quite a lot about spirits (p59)

well travelled (p59)

Arthur Underwood

Nathaniel's first master

middle ranking

ministry of internal affairs

georgian house in Highgate (burnt down)

Ms Jessica Whitwell

Minister for Security

Head of Tower of London

controls the Mournful Orbs

rake thin

Chapter pages

Part 1

1: 3 2: 9 3: 13 4: 15 5: 27 6: 35 7: 42 8: 51 9: 66 10: 77 11: 86 12: 97 13: 114 14: 125

Part 2

15: 139 16: 151 17: 162 18: 179 19: 189 20: 202 21: 213 22: 225 23: 233 24: 245 25: 252 26: 269 27: 281 28: 285 29: 295 30: 307

Part 3