>>96349304
Was one thread (>>96301147) not enough for this?

Anyways in the interest of at least trying to take this seriously, though it little deserves it:
>bronze age-esque world, relatively undeveloped politically with most people living in clans or city-states divided principally on tribal/ethnic lines
>there are a few larger powers that have managed to consolidate multiple cities and subjugate different tribes under a central dynasty, but these are the exception to the norm
>in a similar vein, magic is shamanistic and spiritualistic in nature
>that is, dealing with otherworldly spirits as the source of power
>the mightiest of these are worshiped as gods, but there exist thousands of lesser spirits associated with different elements, places, and concepts
>including the spirits of the dead, who are usually the easiest to 'contact'
>all magic comes about as a pact between the mage and one or more spirits, and involves becoming a conduit for that spirit into the physical world
>to better attune themselves to their patron spirits, shamans will wear masks so that they can literally take on the persona of the spirit
>as a result, even among non-mages, masks are a symbol of status and power
>but if you REALLY want that magic spirit energy, you need to let the spirit inhabit you
>the results vary depending on the willpower of the channeler and the strength of the spirit
>where the channeler is stronger, minor cosmetic changes and personality quirks will manifest temporarily
>where the spirit is stronger, these physical changes are more pronounced as the spirit forces the channeler to become a more suitable vessel
>in cases of frequent or particularly blatant invocations, the changes can become permanent, including changes to personality going as far as resulting in a permanent fusion between the channeler and the spirit
>oh and there are elves. Gotta have elves.