Located in a gray area between gods and demons, principalities are entities – usually individually, though sometimes in groups, such as with the Faltine and the Seraphim – which are invoked by sorcerers to perform exocentric magic. Many of these principalities are rulers of their own dimensions; some are even said to have created their home dimensions.
Many principalities have what are called signature spells, spells which draw upon the principality's power. These spells can be invoked as parts of other, more complex spells by more experienced sorcerers. For some unknown reason, many of these spells are alliterative in English, and it is said that the alliteration is part of the magic; casting the spells in other languages automatically makes them alliterative for that language, even if a direct translation of the spell would not be. (This is believed to be a facet of magic itself, not intentional on the part of the entities.) Not every spell or invocation is alliterative, though most sorcerers find the ones that are not alliterative jarring to the ear.
It is said that each invocation puts the sorcerer in debt to the entity invoked, whether the entity is a god, demon, or other principality; in effect, treating the invocation as "a favor for a favor," with the entity claiming the right to call upon the sorcerer for services rendered at a later time. There exists one known means for a sorcerer to essentially cut ties to every principality in existence at once: the Incantation of Emancipation. The Incantation of Emancipation is known to every member of the Order of Kamar-Taj and presumably to sorcerers outside the order, such as Dakimh the Enchanter and his student Jennifer Kale, and the Arthurian-era sorceress Morgan La Fey.
A partial list of principalities is as follows:
Balthak – a being of pure mystic energy, provides sorcerers with the Bolts of Balthak, which manifest in any number of energy types, although most instances of the spell are electrical/lightning.
Cinnibus – rules a dimension of peace and enlightenment, provides sorcerers with the Seven Suns of Cinnibus, which can be used to dispel magic darkness or disrupt spells cast using black magic.
Cyttorak – rules a dimension called the Crimson Cosmos; although generally called a being of destruction, is more properly an entity of applied power, protective and destructive alike. His signature spells are the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, which is used to create a large number of bands of mystic energy to entrap or protect those within them, and the Crimson Crystals of Cyttorak, which creates a number of gemstones that hurtle toward their target and can bypass shields and armor.
Denak – an entity that commands a dimension of demons; in addition to the Demons of Denak, a spell to summon demons, is the source of the Astral Arms of Denak and Demon-Claws of Denak, which create magical claws at a distance, and the Discs of Denak, which create energy discs for offensive use.
Dyzzak – an entity whose own dimension is considered a prison; his signature spells, Dyzzak's Cage and Spheres of Dyzzak, are used to entrap foes.
The Faltine – beings of pure mystic energy which inhabit a dimension where baryonic matter does not exist beyond high-energy quarks, leptons, and other elementary particles. Their signature spell, the Flames of the Faltine, produce flames which can vary in temperature and can be shaped by the wielder as befits the situation.
Farallah – a minotaur-like entity, often called Farallah of the Hunt, grants a number of spells which all apparently bear the name Fangs of Farallah. These spells vary from counterspells to banishing to attacking others.
Ikonn – an insectoid entity which grants the Images of Ikonn, a powerful illusion spell.
Ikthalon – an icy being which grants spells related to cold and ice, such as the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon.
Krakkan – an entity with the epithet "the Jailer"; his signature spell is the Chains of Krakkan, which creates iron chains to capture and hold opponents.
Munnipor – a three-in-one female entity ruling a dimension known as the Twelve Moons of Munnipor. Her signature spells are the Mists of Munnipor, which conjures a mystic haze to impede and confuse opponents, and the (Twelve) Moons of Munnipor, which is primarily used to focus and reinforce other spells, but can also be used by itself to banish others.
Nirvalon – an entity of which little is known; his (or her?) signature spells are the Sphere of Nirvalon, which encases its target in a globe of protective light, and the Light of Nirvalon, which produces pure white light that can keep evil entities at bay and dispel illusions created through demonic energies.
Raggador – a four-armed entity with the lower body of a snake, rules his eponymous dimension. His signature spells are: the Seven Rings of Raggador (also known as the Roving Rings of Raggador), seven multi-colored rings which can entrap and protect; the Rains of Raggador, conjuring storm clouds which produce lightning; and the Ribbons of Raggador.
The Seraphim – Although they share the name as a choir of Biblical angels, the Seraphim are actually the creations of the Elder Goddess Oshtur. Their most commonly invoked spell is the Shield of the Seraphim, a powerful protection spell which can be layered on itself with multiple castings; other spells invoking them include the Skill of the Seraphim, the Speed of the Seraphim, and the Circle of the Seraphim, the latter being a protective circle to ward away mystic enemies.
Valtorr – rules a dimension known as the Veils of Valtorr. His signature spells are: the Vapors of Valtorr, which produce a mist that can surround and imprison or confuse others, or act as an otherwise normal obscuring fog; the Vipers of Valtorr, creating ethereal snakes to attack others; and the Veils of Valtorr, which is used to glimpse possible futures. The phrase "to breathe the final vapors of Valtorr" is sometimes used by sorcerers as a metaphor for death.
The Vishanti – a trinity consisting of the Elder Goddess Oshtur; her son Agamotto, Earth's first Sorcerer Supreme; and lion-headed Hoggoth, believed to be an Elder God from an alien race; all three are known to be called upon individually as well as in their trinity. Agamotto penned the Book of the Vishanti, the greatest tome of white exocentric magic in existence, and which contains every known counterspell; the Tome of Oshtur is also a powerful tome containing hundreds of spells which call upon Oshtur. Hoggoth is the only one known to have specific signature spells, in particular the Hosts of Hoggoth, which can form a path through mystic dimensions that defy the known laws of physics such as the dreamscape and Nightmare's connected nightmare realm, and the Dark Dimension of Dormammu.
Watoomb – a former mortal sorcerer who ascended to become a principality in his own right; his signature spell is the Winds of Watoomb, which create intense winds.
Demons such as Dormammu, Mephisto, Satannish, Set, and Chthon, and some gods such as Gaea, Odin, and Vishnu are also considered principalities.
There are dozens if not hundreds of principalities who can be invoked for power; the listing above represents the entities invoked by the sorcerers of the Order of Kamar-Taj and the Cult of Zhered-Na. Sorcerers of other mystic orders can call upon other entities; there are probably hundreds more. GMs are encouraged to research more obscure principalities, and even create some as needed.
Calling upon a principality for the first time requires both a successful Spirit/3 roll to contact the entity and a Reaction roll, modified as the GM sees fit depending on how the principality's goals align with the caster's. A reaction roll of Neutral or better will permit the caster to continue invoking the entity until/unless "something changes". This "something" will probably be a plot point: either the entity has temporarily been destroyed – all principalities effectively have Unkillable 3 when facing others on their power level – or the sorcerer's goals no longer align with the entity's. Using the Incantation of Emancipation automatically resets the reaction levels of all principalities – even those unknown to the sorcerer! – to Bad; all incantations invoking entities, and many artifacts created by them, automatically fail. In short: the sorcerer loses all access to exocentric magic until s/he renders mends fences with at least one principality, which resets the base reactions to Neutral.