Magic

Public Opinion

A couple of cults claim to have magical or miraculous powers. Poular opinion believes most of these to be just showmen and charlatans.

'Magic' is also known to be a tool of demons, and occasionally granted to humans who have made a pact with the devil. Anyone with demonic powers must immediately be eported to the church according to Canon Law, however most people only pay lip-service to these rules and really don't believe in satanic power.

Blood Rune Magick

A vert gang on Magellan, known as the Bloody Kings Clan, has since 846 practising a bizarre art which seems to involve drawing bizarre symbols on walls, floor and their enemies using their own blood. News reports and camera footage clearly show amazing destructive power being released by these rituals, baffling most scientists.

This is the plot seed for the game I ran in Spring 2008

In the last 3 months, other gangs in the area have taken up similar techniques, creating a great deal of agitation in the Inquisition.

This is separate from the pretentions of many cults, because they do not advertise these techniques and do not make a show of using magic. Also, secret texts within the Inquisition describe demonic/satanic magic we'll enough to determine that this isn't the same.

Fortunately for the church's investigators, the public off-world has yet to make a major commotion about this ... giving them a brief while to decide to handle a new threat to the good order of the universe.