Prince

In some systems, gods must be prayed to in order to gain and maintain their divine power. In return, they grant boons to those who worship them. There are no gods like this on Nephele - gods have no more or less positive proof of their existence there than they do here on Earth - but devotion to a mortal leader can perform a similar function.

Political, religious, professional, or otherwise - any person who gains a certain large amount of followers who consider them 'our leader,' the primary person that each looks up to and will listen to or admire above any other figure, will become a Prince. "Prince" can be considered to be a loose translation of the real word; for the purposes of this magic, it does not imply maleness, youth, or blood inheritance. A Prince, upon elevation to the needed threshold of loyal followers, will apotheose and manifest a title and a power. Those physically present will witness this and intuitively understand the concept conveyed by the title in the moment that it was granted, and then usually be tasked with trying to express what they saw in a single word. This word is how the Prince will be known in history books and to their allies and enemies.

For the purposes of record keeping, no two Princes should ever have the same title. If you'd like to make up a Prince in this setting, check to see if someone else is already using the word you wanted. There will only ever be one of each. Their title is directly linked to their power, and a Prince's power and title together is called their "signifier." As in effort magic, the signifier a Prince gains will never be useless or inappropriate, although it may take time to understand fully why it was granted. It will always be a tool that will reflect the future Prince's intent and goals. Whatever they were probably going to do already, the signifier will add magic to make it easier or more impressive. The resonance with the Prince's themes may be either literal or abstract.

The followers of a person who has found themselves elevated to Princehood or a follower who joins an existing Prince will gain a magical gift through their devotion and association. Generally, this will be a less-powerful, more temporary, or shorter-ranged version of what the Prince themselves gained as their signifier's magic. A Prince's followers that are gaining magic from the Prince and think of the Prince, on an individual basis, as their most important leader, are referred to as their Court. It is possible to be in a Court of a Prince you have never met, or that has never met you, provided you think of them as your leader. It is possible to gain magic from being in the Court of a Prince without actually providing them with any tangible service besides your devotion. Joining a Court is usually done purposefully, but requires no particular effort besides who you, as a person, decide is important.

Here are some example Princes,  to get an idea of potential signifiers and Court gifts.

- Caléxandra of House Avenant: the Prince of Locusts. Calyxandra was infamous in her aggression in expanding her empire for her tactics of total war: she would burn crops, pull up railroad tracks, salt fields, and poison water supplies. Upon her ascension, she and members of her court gained the ability to rot organic matter at a touch and lay earth permanently fallow where they rode or walked. The maximum depth and range of the destruction the Prince herself could wreak using this power was far greater than the use of it by a member of the Court.

- Arsène "Harry" Cotard: The Prince of Legends. A media titan, Cotard's core reputation for extremely high-quality productions with broad appeal was derived from his signature technique of adapting existing folklore, fairy tales, and world mythology into palatable and consumer-friendly animated spectacles. A beloved cultural father-figure, upon his ascension, he gained the ability to create constructs out of animals, plants, or people that had been depicted in art or myth, bringing the story or image to "life." Members of his Court were able to do the same on a temporary basis, generally dissolving once the caster's concentration was disrupted.

- N. Sinfonia (Born Nash Ithridatus): The Prince of Thundering. The global cultural split between homeland and colony-born Orcish citizens was brought to the forefront by a young revolutionary who self-educated himself from a humble background. He became an icon and firebrand for total reform and renunciation of Orcish supremacy. The timing and building tension in the diaspora, as well as his natural charisma, made his words seem as if they were heard for miles around, an omen from the heavens of coming chaos and change. His ascension allowed him to speak storms into being, bringing both cleansing rain and devastating lightning in his wake, while his Court could achieve smaller-scale strikes and booms at ground level.

Not everyone on the planet belongs to a Court. The exceptions are generally in two categories. First, a person who holds in their most important devotion a leader who does not have the number of followers needed to become a full Prince. In general terms, a Court must reach the size of a small city to apotheose its Prince. As well as initially gaining this number of members, a Court must maintain that number, or grow it, to keep their Prince as a Prince. A Prince who has been previously empowered but now finds themself losing too many followers will also lose their power and title upon dropping below the required threshold. It's a soft number, not a hard one, so there shouldn't be much ping-ponging in and out of Princehood unless something really weird is happening. Have people, have power. Not enough people, no power. A beloved older sibling, or a local mayor, while you may be able to devote to them, will not gain Princehood and therefore cannot empower you as part of their Court.

The second large group of people who do not belong to any Court, intentionally or otherwise, are people who devote themselves to a mortal who is dead or doesn't really exist. Elvis can be your most important idol. Your deceased ancestor who founded your family line can be your model for how you live your life. Hatsune Miku can be your number one princess. Unless they are alive at the same time as you, they cannot be your Prince. Only living mortals count, for the purposes of who you find yourself empowering towards Princehood. This also means that the Prince mechanic does not confirm or deny the existence of gods or spirits. In the case that you are devout and religious and your devotion is primarily to an intangible being that would not be considered a living mortal, your devotion is likely to be empowering your mortal religious leader. The Pope and the Dalai Lama would be two of Earth's most powerful Princes, and good for them.