How does it look?

Savant magic may be ceremonial or quick, done by a single Savant or a group. Components (usually specific stones and woods) are held in the hands, and a few words are spoken.

What is Cant?

Savants use a secret language, unlike any other in Worldstree. Nonspeakers call it Cant, probably because they always sound like they are chanting. Where the langugage came from and the details of its syntax are Deep Savant Secrets.

What Spells are there?

Well, that depends on your degree of organization, and oh my, are they organized!  Savants are extremely hierarchical and position determines which are available to which individial. Neophytes learn basic Nature spells, Acolytes must pass through four Phases, and learn Spells concerned with each Phase (Matter, Energy, Life and Time, if you don't rememeber). A graduate Acolyte is an official Savant and can learn multiPhase spells and much more powerful Nature spells. Savant-Adepts learn spells dealing with Chaos and Gates. Heirophants, Savants who have gone beyond the Cabal, once again devote themselves to the four phases, though in a much more esoteric manner, and become the teachers of Acolytes.

Savants almost always have a form of SecondSight called Sense of Balance, which allows them to determine the health of an individual area (or sometimes even an individual).

How does it work?

Unlike Lorecraft, Savants do no draw off their personal magical energy. Instead, they tap the energy Balance of the area. Simple spells are of no concequence, but major spells run the risk of overextending that Balance, and making permanent changes to the area. Such a side effect is considered a Disaster, no matter how benign it appears. In GURPS terms, Savants use Unlimited Mana.
 
 

Savants start with a Threshold of 30 points. Whenever they perform a ritual, the cost is subtracted from this. To restore their Threshold, they must meditate. Meditation automatically succeeds in wilderness or Savant sanctified areas, and restores 2 points per hour. In other areas, a roll is required.

If a Savant exceeds his Threshold, he risks a disaster. Each time he casts a spell with his Threshold at or below zero, he rolls on the Disaster table, adding 1 for each 5 points he has exceeded the limit. The radius of the effect is 3d feet.

Sample Disaster Table:

Roll       Result
3            Zero gravity for 2d minutes
4            +50F instantly, cools normally
5            all beings +1d to hits for 24 hours
6            huge static charge, may attract lightning, 10d minutes
7            -50F instantly, warms normally
8            no magic of any kind will work for 1d minutes
9            area if permanently gloomy and shaded
10           permanently -10F
11           nothing happens
12           permanently +10F
13           permenently high static charge, lightning magnet
14           massive flash of light, heat and electricity, all take 2d damage
15           witherdeath, all things take -1 hit per day, materials decay rapidly
16           no fire will burn in area
17           any failed spell is treated as a critical failure
18           area is permanently +/-25F
19           gravity is permanently x2
20           any spell produces a random result
21           magic of any kind does not work
22           +1 hit/minute, massive growth, living things swell, cancerous, etc
23-30        Gate opens for 1d minutes, 1d Beyonders appear
31+          Permanent Gate opens
 

Upon becoming a Novice, Savants learn rituals to clean up Disasters, but this is always dangerous.