Totems

Totems are relics of an older time whose intended use has long fallen out of knowledge. They are indestructible objects which exist in certain locations, primarily far removed from large settlements. Efforts have been put into place at different times throughout history to catalogue the locations of them and disseminate this information braodly. Totems are extremely dangerous, even to high level mages, and contact with them is usually fatal.

Varieties
The varieties of totems have been codified as they have surfaced in the public consciousness. Though it is not well understood how they function, some theories as to where they draw their energy from have been proposed in different circles of scholars. The common thought is that they draw energy from the earth and manifest it as raw power. The most popular counterargument posits that they are a type of enchanted object which draws in energies from the spirits passively.

Weakness Totem
The Weakness Totem is so called because it unexpectedly launches attacks at mages which correspond with their weakest areas, putting them on the defensive and forcing them to close the gaps in their skill set or die.

Fear Totem
The Fear Totem creates a pocket dimension which the mage is pulled into. The dimension is characterized by the mage's deepest held fears, and they must overcome those fears in order to escape.

Golem Totem
The Golem Totem induces a connection between a summoned golem and a amge in which the golem siphons energy from the mage, growing stronger as the mage grows weaker. The golem usually takes on an elemental form that the mage is weak against, stacking the odds against him or her. The mage is forced to end the fight as quickly as possible or succumb to his opponent.

Rage Totem
The Rage Totem induces intense paranoia and anger in the mages who enter into its area of effect, forcing them to confront themselves in order to break out of it. These totems are particularly dangerous as they only activate in the presence of groups of mages, with the result that affected individuals tend to turn on each other.

Song Totem
The Song Totem generates magical songs which induce hallucinations, and then sleep, and then death. If the mage does not break out of the illusion in time, or is not rescued from the area of effect of the totem, he will die.

Silent Totem
The Silent Totem silences the mages who stumble into its area of effect, then throws numerous magical attacks at them. In order to overcome these totems, mages must throw off the Silencing rite and counter the attacks.

Death Totem
The Death Totem is the least well understood of the totems. It seems to have random effects that are triggered under apparently random conditions. They may generate violent weather anomalies, trigger death magic rites, generate random explosions in the land near them, etc. Because of their unpredictable nature and the high level of the rites the Death Totem manifests, it is considered the most dangerous variety of totem.