Recommendations Where magic is a faustian bargain

[TotallyHuman]

I adore the idea of magic. Many a time I find it underutilised in stories because it opens up a whole world of potential developments - but I digress.

What I enjoy a lot is when magic is granted by some entities beyond humanity. Those could be Lovecraftian eldrich horrors or plain old demons from Hell or pagan Gods or spirits of nature, jihns trapped in lamps, 1000 year old witches who want to trap their best frenemy crush in an everending loop of murder mystery because they are yandere, even the big G (and I'm not talking about Google) - anything but some stupid mana fuel for miracles powered by imagination^TM (ugh).

Anyway, since I am talking about magic being granted, why not have it be traded? In a faustian bargain, of course. Because having characters be given powers to warp reality for cheap is boring and having them come out with profits when dealing with forces that fundamentally are beyond their very species in everything but idiocy feels forced. I have always been the kid to cheer for the devil in movies like Constantine and Bedazzled.

So I want to read any stories from here (or from royalroad, that space ship battles forum and other similar platforms but mainly from here) where magic is explicitly traded for with great supernatural beings in a very unequal trade - even if it is never really shown that the price is very heavy outright but implied, like the character trades their soul for magic and it is never really shown how they then suffer eternal damnation but it is already obvious that something that lasts at most a lifetime is worthless compared to something that will be there forever. But it can be shown that the price is heavy outright.

In case it wasn't obvious, the bargain cannot be escaped from. You seal it and you seal your doom.

Other requirements... no harem, preferably tragedy, would like psychological but really as long as it's not a harem and depicts magic as a faustian bargain then it can be a comedy for all I care.

 

[Jemini]

Hmm... that's not really my scene exactly. The closest thing I'm aware of in this whole magic as negotiation theme is "The Ancient Magus' Bride," which is Japanese in origin and is currently being adapted to anime.

There are 2 classes of magic in that series, magecraft and sorcery. Sorcery is internally sourced magic where you use your own mana, pretty much the traditional model used by most of today's magic systems. Meanwhile, magecraft is a form of magic born almost 100% from negotiating with supernatural entities called "neighbors." "Neighbors" is a grouping term for every type of magical entity that can possibly grant you magic, and ranges from fey of various forms to otherworldy horrors that live in interdimensional spaces.

The negotiations are pretty even though, so nothing like the faustian bargain you are asking for. For instance, the extradimensional creatures I mentioned just want to eat meat. If you make a contract with them to bring meat with you to feed them every time you pass through their extradimensional territory, they see this as a better deal for them than just eating you because it's getting a one time meal from eating you or getting to eat the meat you bring in repeatedly every time you come by. So, if you bring them enough meat to feed them, you can use their extradimensional territory to quick travel from one location to another.

That's the level of the negotiations.

One thing this does bring to the table though is that there are a few cases of more faustian bargain type deals, such as one that the protagonist does with a kelpie one time. A kelpie is a horse-like creature that likes to lure people into the water so it can eat them. She needed to outrun and kill a huge centaur like monster, so she made a deal with a kelpie that if it let her ride it and helped her to lure that centaur monster into the water, she'd enter the water with it. Of course, she needs to find a way to avoid getting eaten afterwards, so that makes it a really unfair deal but one she has a chance of avoiding the consequences for if she plays it smart.

Of all the creatures negotiated with, fey are probably the easiest negotiation. They will just do a few simple elemental-like magic effects for a few sweets or maybe they'll even do it just because you asked nicely.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Well, I don't know any faustian bargains. More like, Bad situations.

 

[DarkeReises]

Father of Monstrosity on Royal Road has some of what you're looking for. The MC uses magic related to demons and Lovecraftian horrors, and attempts to make deals with some and such. Doesn't always go too well for him, and I'd say it fits your bill quite well.

 

[TotallyHuman]

Father of Monstrosity on Royal Road has some of what you're looking for. The MC uses magic related to demons and Lovecraftian horrors, and attempts to make deals with some and such. Doesn't always go too well for him, and I'd say it fits your bill quite well.

I have read it. Good book. Am not sure it fits - but maybe it does? Probably to some extent.

 

[melchi]

Devilman crybaby might fit that?

 

[TotallyHuman]

Devilman crybaby might fit that?

it's not a novel afaik

 

[LunaSoltaer]

so basically every trans spellcaster in my book, got it.

Or perhaps, more accuractely, an inversion: You can transition into your perfect ideal body... but you lose your magic as payment.

(if you're not a spellcaster then transition is free and awesome and perfectly balanced with no drawbacks whatsoever)