Meet the Sponsors

Several classes in Aelsif have the ability to dedicate their service to a voice only they can hear, their Sponsor. Well, them and all the others who have been chosen by that voice. What these voices are can't be said for certain. To those who hear them, they are higher beings, even gods. Others see them as demons, delusions, or outright fabrications. Nobody can know for sure, but whatever they are, they bring their followers considerable occult power, some of which breaks the rules of magic as we know them.

The classes able to access them are:
Harbinger: The sponsor teaches new spells to the harbinger as they level, asserting influence over the harbinger, called "insight", which makes the harbinger's spells more accurate but lowers their defences. The voices can be made louder and more active by using some of the spells, building insight points. On the other hand, the voices can be suppressed and dampened by using some of the other spells, spending insight points. As a general rule, insight builders are dangerous to the caster where insight spenders have significant advantages over other spells.

Occultist: The sponsor provides them the ability to channel them to cast spells, drawing occult power from around them and using it to cast certain spells with no cost of normal spell resources, in exchange for a substantial charge time.

Emissary: The sponsor inhabits the emissary, directing them to spread their influence. The emissary's bardic performance is to simply allow the sponsor to speak through them. Compared to other bardic performances it is very strong without a high cost, but is dangerous and doesn't always have the emissary's best interests at heart.

All five cleric classes: Clerics are able to choose a sponsor as well, where it takes the role of their religion, their sect, and their deity. However, clerics are only able to have a sponsor if they're a member of a class that gives them a sponsor, and it must be the same sponsor.

Now, about those sponsors. (Also, I am aware of the backslashes, but I can't do anything about them.) I can provide specific examples of any of these that aren't clear in what they actually do, but ideally these should be self-explanatory. Let me know either way.