[Originally my 'Rune magic' post. Expanded]
Mystic Symbology is a catch-all term applying to any form of written magic. Generally they come in three forms: Magic Script, Glyphs/Sigils, and Runes.
Magic Script is the easiest of the three to master. Simply learning to use the commonly accepted 'true' language allows a mage (any kind of practitioner of magic) to be able to read it. To any other, the language wriggles and squirms, never making any sense. This is in part due to the nature of the 'true' languages; It can only be learned by someone who had the knowledge passed down to them, not simply learned by observation. Fortunately, one did not need to be taught how to read the language to understand it. Simply learning how to speak the 'true' language allowed the reader to comprehend a magic script. This allowed the humans to learn Magic Script; The mercanian's servants had been taught their 'true' language to allow them to relay orders to the enslaved humans below them. When the masters vanished, the servants passed the language on to those who sought it.
While used typically in spellbooks, where mages diagram their varying magical research, it can also be used to refine and focus other Mystic Symbols when connected. More complex structures can be worked this way, but generally lack in power compared to more simple symbols.
Glyphs/Sigils are usually interchangeable terms to indicate a 'magic picture'. In their basest form, a glyph/sigil is a marking that creates a two-dimensional spell form. (It is possible to stretch a glyph over a three dimensional surface) These spell forms are the most direct method to enact a spell, and glyphs are like the many other methods but in written form. Fully powered spells may be placed on pages, walls, floors, windows, even on clothing if done properly, making them flexible sources of magic.
Runes are proof that there may be more than one 'true' language. Single letters, these runes are of a language that predated even the Mercanians. It is theorized that the runes are actually simple icons, similar to the common language's arrow symbols, or the 'x' marking a location on a map. This would explain why one need only learn the rune instead of the complete language in order to be able to use it on it's own.
Runes have very limited fields of use, but are incredibly powerful in those fields. A rune can be placed on any surface that is relatively unbroken. Runes can have one of the following three effects: They can affect an object it is placed on. They can affect anything in an area around where they're placed, and they can affect anyone who reads them. The last is an insidious, yet useful function as the reader need not comprehend the rune, merely looking at it is enough to activate its powers.
Inverted Runes are placed in their mirror-reversed form. making them perform the opposite of their normal effect. Only certain Runes are the same mirrored and are viewed in such a way. Perspective doesn't affect a rune; its nature is that the carving/setting creator was facing when made. (You cannot 'flip' over a rune on a piece of glass to make its nature change) This allows certain effects to be made possible to a clever enough mage.
There are only a few 'common' runes, and any other runes discovered/known are usually kept by the mages that discovered/researched them. Many have been willing to teach, especially in the academic hierarchical structure of the Ironsoul Circle of Magi. While the elven mages use runes, they're typically underplayed compared to their Elemental Magics.
Magic Script, Glyphs/Sigils, and Runes can be used collaboratively to great effect. The most commonly known form of this work is known by mages across the world: The magic circle. A properly worked magic circle uses runes, script, and glyphs together (The circle itself is part of the glyph component) to perform a compounded magical effect that can be one of the most powerful spells a mage can perform. The preparation required to make such a circle are great, however, and many make due with simple circles when they are pressed for time or resources.
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Thursday, April 24, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Spellscribed Tales: First Refrain
And now for the moment you're waiting for!
Coming soon (I.E. in May) is Spellscribed Tales: First Refrain!
This book, while not the third in the Spellscribed series, tells stories from the world of Spellscribed. Anyone who is a fan of Spellscribed will find this book doesn't disappoint! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!
Here's a Sample from one of the two stories in First Refrain:
Then, one night while Devinia was sleeping, her
mother swept in and woke her with a start.
“Get dressed and grab the bag I packed for
you.” Ashrava commanded, shaking Devinia’s shoulder. All the lights in the
house had been extinguished, and only her eyes could pierce the darkness.
She slipped out of bed and went to her closet.
Inside was a stand mirror for which the frame had been grown instead of carved.
Because of the pitch darkness, though she could see, there was no reflection in
the mirror. While still reflective, there was nothing it revealed except a pair
of golden cat eyes staring back at her.
She reached for the small light crystal her
mother had put in the closet, but Ashrava caught her hand. Looking up, she saw
her mother shake her head slightly. Frowning, she turned back to her clothes.
Slim and slender, Devinia hadn’t even grown
into her full height yet. Just under five feet, she was pretty but indefinite,
with no definition of curve nor muscle, she could be confused for an elven boy
just as easily as a girl. She was nearing her growing period, which happened
between twenty and twenty two. Her
father, as a silk weaver, had made sure her wardrobe was well stocked so she
had plenty of adult clothing prepared in advance.
She dressed quickly, confused but afraid to ask
her mother any questions. Ashrava was wearing her civil service gear and
smelled of blood. Her face was tight, drawn into a mask of emotionless focus.
Devinia had seen her mother make that face before, when she thought that
Devinia wasn’t looking. It was her expression when she thought a fight was
going to start. It was the face she made when she was called in to do a
contract.
Since Sha’hdi fashion trended towards the
blacks and grays, Devinia didn’t have much clothing that couldn’t be stealthy.
She avoided clothing with hanging adornments and shiny embellishments. Thus
dressed, she pulled her shoulder length blonde hair together and bound it from
her face with a simple black ribbon.
Devinia pulled the bag out from under her bed
and slipped it onto her shoulders. She looked over to her mother and nodded.
The room was pitch black, but the two of them could see clearly they were alone
for the moment. Ashrava opened her mouth to speak, but froze.
A faint tick of something hard touching wood
came from the other side of the bedroom door. Devinia looked to the door and
back at her mother. She had disappeared.
The doorknob silently turned, and the door
slipped open just enough to let a lithe, masked figure into the room. Devinia
backed away as quietly as she could, hoping that her pack wouldn’t make enough
noise to give herself away. The assassin looked over the bed and scanned the
room. She had golden eyes; the gold burning in defiance of the muted colors of
the dark. She spotted the girl immediately.
“Ah… already dressed and ready to go.” The
voice purred. Devinia thought she had heard the voice before. “Where is your
mother?”
Devinia shook her head.
“Pity.” The assassin said, drawing a long, thin
blade barely wider than one of her delicate fingers. “I had hoped to take care
of her without waking you, but since you’re now awake… I am sorry, honey. But
if you lay back down on the bed, I promise I will make it quick and painless,
okay?”
Devinia trembled in fear, but shook her head.
“No.”
“No?” the assassin pouted. “I’m offering you a
gift, child.”
She did not hear Ashrava drop down behind her.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Artifice. The art of crafted spells
The art of crafting magic into physical objects is not one isolated to just humans. Any intelligent being that could use magic at one point had a thought that sounded similar to: "Wow, even though I have cosmic, world bending powers, it would be handy to have some of those powers set into a more permanent object so I use it without needing all that concentration and energy I usually have to use. That would be great."
... Whatever the motivation, crafting a magically enchanted item was a sound idea. Done properly, a magical item can do almost anything a mage could do. Some items were made to supplement a mage's abilities, some boosted them, some even provided completely bizarre and strange new powers to the user.
One of the appealing parts of magically enchanted items is the fact that almost anyone can use the item instead of a spell just being able to be cast by a mage. Should a mage be able to throw fire from his hand make a glove that does the same, anyone wearing the glove should be able to use it to throw fire, so long as they can fulfill the requirements to activate it.
Those requirements could be anything so long as it can be considered a trigger. Pressing a button, making a certain hand sign, saying a trigger word, or touching with a drop of blood are the most commonly accepted methods to activate items. Other conditions could exist.
Some items, however, are created by someone powerful enough to make them able to have a constant effect. These are fueled by some other source, subtly subsume the surrounding energy in the environment, or are granted so much power that they run little risk of running out for centuries. However they're achieved, such powerful objects are sought after by any who know of their ability.
There is some importance to the material of the item crafted. Firstly the purity of the material. Magic works equally well in steel as it does wood, depending on the purity of both materials. Steel that is poorly made, or of a bad mixture of minerals, will resist the flows of power and reduce the efficiency of an item. Rarer metals are better, silver and gold being favorites for crafting as they are relatively easier to get ahold of. Platinum, and other extremely rare metals, provide even better results. No matter what material, the purity of the material being used is extremely important. The standard purity of a metal accepted by ironsoul mages is 85%, while mages such as the Archmagus only work with metals of 98% purity or higher. Metal Enchanted items are a signature of Ironsoul mage craftsmanship
Woods that have been artificially treated with strange chemicals or drawn from young trees would be similarly reduced in efficiency. Though speculated at why, it had been found that the heartwood of a tree is particularly effective, with better results the greater the age of the tree. Some groves in the Elven country of Salthimere have a variety of trees grown in geomantically optimal locations, tended to by some of the best woodshapers in the dual monarchy. They can use their ability to extract the needed type, age, and volume of heartwood without causing their trees much more than mild irritation. Wood Enchanted items are a signature of Salthimere mage craftsmanship.
Stones and other minerals like crystal structures are used by all races, but were once the specialty of Dwarven mages. Many of their secrets were lost with the disappearance of the race thousands of years ago, though some of their edifices are existant to this day, a testament to the durability of their crafting techniques. Only the Mercanians were close to the dwarves in terms of ability to work stones and crystals. As with metals and woods, the more pure the base material, the better that power could run through it.
Regardless of the material used, the act of Enchanting an object changes it. Not counting the actual effect it was enchanted for, the object enchanted resists decay far more effectively than a mundane counterpart. The power flowing through it keeps the material in peak condition. It also reinforces the structure of the object, making it harder to damage. The more powerful the enchanted object, the harder it is to scratch/cut/break. This is exceedingly helpful for magical objects made of very pure rare materials, like silver, gold, willow, or sandstone. Tales exist of crystal orbs made by mages surviving the collapse of a stone tower directly on top of it, or mages who had used their staves to block attacks that would have cut through a foot of stone. Enchanted buildings have remained undamaged amidst widespread destruction.
The practice of making such enchanted objects is extremely difficult, though by every right worth the effort. The crafter needs to know everything relating to the object they're making. This means they need to know everything about the materials being used (percentage of purity, weight, dimensions, etc.) the tools being used, and most importantly the effect being wrought. It's possible to 'estimate' the values of the base materials, but a mage cannot spitball the magical know-how behind the effects they're trying to evoke. If they want to make an object that does something, they better research the magic behind that thing. An example would be researching spells that create light in order to make a crystal that sheds light on command. Without a proper grasp of the principles, one could make an enchanted object that is either inefficient or one that outright fails. Even worse, being misinformed about the principles used can cause the object to work, but to disastrous ends.
As with any degree of mastery, the better a mage knows what he's doing, the more effective their craftsmanship would be. The aforementioned light crystal could require activation and only work for a few minutes before being inoperable for the rest of the day when made by a novice, but once mastered the same crafter could make a crystal that always sheds light without needing to shut down and was far clearer and brighter than the original.
Example Object:
Apprentice Grady is trying to build a staff that spews fire like a miniature dragon. He procures the wood, metals, and tools, and sets to work using a fire spell he learned a month ago to create the object. weeks of work later, he finishes. It works, spraying flame when a trigger word is spoken, but it's rather lacking. The weak flames only reached out about ten feet and Grady could only get it to work once before he had to refill the stave with power.
Grady's master, Magus Randal Grey, wants to show him how to do it. With finer materials procured and high quality tools, he uses the very same spell he taught his apprentice in the crafting... but he had learned it a century ago and had been practicing with it regularly. His staff worked spectacularly. The flames where white hot and reached three times as far, and required only a tiny trickle of power to not only fuel the spell, but to activate it. To anyone else, he could just point and shoot without any unnecessary actions. The power requirements were so low, that even a normal human could have the energy to activate the staff at least once.
While the difference in the power of the staves were vast, the principles were the same. Only experience, superior tools and materials, and more intimate understanding of the spells involved made Magus Grey's staff better. With practice and time, Apprentice Grady would be able to make an object of similar power.
... Whatever the motivation, crafting a magically enchanted item was a sound idea. Done properly, a magical item can do almost anything a mage could do. Some items were made to supplement a mage's abilities, some boosted them, some even provided completely bizarre and strange new powers to the user.
One of the appealing parts of magically enchanted items is the fact that almost anyone can use the item instead of a spell just being able to be cast by a mage. Should a mage be able to throw fire from his hand make a glove that does the same, anyone wearing the glove should be able to use it to throw fire, so long as they can fulfill the requirements to activate it.
Those requirements could be anything so long as it can be considered a trigger. Pressing a button, making a certain hand sign, saying a trigger word, or touching with a drop of blood are the most commonly accepted methods to activate items. Other conditions could exist.
Some items, however, are created by someone powerful enough to make them able to have a constant effect. These are fueled by some other source, subtly subsume the surrounding energy in the environment, or are granted so much power that they run little risk of running out for centuries. However they're achieved, such powerful objects are sought after by any who know of their ability.
There is some importance to the material of the item crafted. Firstly the purity of the material. Magic works equally well in steel as it does wood, depending on the purity of both materials. Steel that is poorly made, or of a bad mixture of minerals, will resist the flows of power and reduce the efficiency of an item. Rarer metals are better, silver and gold being favorites for crafting as they are relatively easier to get ahold of. Platinum, and other extremely rare metals, provide even better results. No matter what material, the purity of the material being used is extremely important. The standard purity of a metal accepted by ironsoul mages is 85%, while mages such as the Archmagus only work with metals of 98% purity or higher. Metal Enchanted items are a signature of Ironsoul mage craftsmanship
Woods that have been artificially treated with strange chemicals or drawn from young trees would be similarly reduced in efficiency. Though speculated at why, it had been found that the heartwood of a tree is particularly effective, with better results the greater the age of the tree. Some groves in the Elven country of Salthimere have a variety of trees grown in geomantically optimal locations, tended to by some of the best woodshapers in the dual monarchy. They can use their ability to extract the needed type, age, and volume of heartwood without causing their trees much more than mild irritation. Wood Enchanted items are a signature of Salthimere mage craftsmanship.
Stones and other minerals like crystal structures are used by all races, but were once the specialty of Dwarven mages. Many of their secrets were lost with the disappearance of the race thousands of years ago, though some of their edifices are existant to this day, a testament to the durability of their crafting techniques. Only the Mercanians were close to the dwarves in terms of ability to work stones and crystals. As with metals and woods, the more pure the base material, the better that power could run through it.
Regardless of the material used, the act of Enchanting an object changes it. Not counting the actual effect it was enchanted for, the object enchanted resists decay far more effectively than a mundane counterpart. The power flowing through it keeps the material in peak condition. It also reinforces the structure of the object, making it harder to damage. The more powerful the enchanted object, the harder it is to scratch/cut/break. This is exceedingly helpful for magical objects made of very pure rare materials, like silver, gold, willow, or sandstone. Tales exist of crystal orbs made by mages surviving the collapse of a stone tower directly on top of it, or mages who had used their staves to block attacks that would have cut through a foot of stone. Enchanted buildings have remained undamaged amidst widespread destruction.
The practice of making such enchanted objects is extremely difficult, though by every right worth the effort. The crafter needs to know everything relating to the object they're making. This means they need to know everything about the materials being used (percentage of purity, weight, dimensions, etc.) the tools being used, and most importantly the effect being wrought. It's possible to 'estimate' the values of the base materials, but a mage cannot spitball the magical know-how behind the effects they're trying to evoke. If they want to make an object that does something, they better research the magic behind that thing. An example would be researching spells that create light in order to make a crystal that sheds light on command. Without a proper grasp of the principles, one could make an enchanted object that is either inefficient or one that outright fails. Even worse, being misinformed about the principles used can cause the object to work, but to disastrous ends.
As with any degree of mastery, the better a mage knows what he's doing, the more effective their craftsmanship would be. The aforementioned light crystal could require activation and only work for a few minutes before being inoperable for the rest of the day when made by a novice, but once mastered the same crafter could make a crystal that always sheds light without needing to shut down and was far clearer and brighter than the original.
Example Object:
Apprentice Grady is trying to build a staff that spews fire like a miniature dragon. He procures the wood, metals, and tools, and sets to work using a fire spell he learned a month ago to create the object. weeks of work later, he finishes. It works, spraying flame when a trigger word is spoken, but it's rather lacking. The weak flames only reached out about ten feet and Grady could only get it to work once before he had to refill the stave with power.
Grady's master, Magus Randal Grey, wants to show him how to do it. With finer materials procured and high quality tools, he uses the very same spell he taught his apprentice in the crafting... but he had learned it a century ago and had been practicing with it regularly. His staff worked spectacularly. The flames where white hot and reached three times as far, and required only a tiny trickle of power to not only fuel the spell, but to activate it. To anyone else, he could just point and shoot without any unnecessary actions. The power requirements were so low, that even a normal human could have the energy to activate the staff at least once.
While the difference in the power of the staves were vast, the principles were the same. Only experience, superior tools and materials, and more intimate understanding of the spells involved made Magus Grey's staff better. With practice and time, Apprentice Grady would be able to make an object of similar power.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
'Traditional' Ironsoul style spellcasting
Ironsoul style spellcasting originates from before the time when Ironsoul was founded. In the centuries before The Shattering, humans of the region were ruled by their all-powerful Mercanian overlords. Arcane power, the secrets of controlling the fabric of reality, were used at the expense of thousands of human lives. Even attempting to learn about how the Mercanians work magic meant a death sentence.
Still, things were learned over time. Observers shared rumors of bits seen of battles between Mercanians, servants whispered about spells cast when their masters weren't careful to hide their powers. Still, progress was slow, as much of Mercanian magic was etched into their skin and therefore even harder to discern.
When the Mercanian empire collapsed almost literally upon itself during The Shattering, the surviving humans no longer had to hide their research. Thousands of years of magical knowledge gained over dozens of generations of a species that passed on their power to their survivors had been lost.
The empire had been shattered, their magnificent cities devastated and lost to the oceans that rushed to reclaim the sunken continent. Nearly every location containing arcane knowledge had been lost, save for one. Ironsoul.
Originally a border city, Ironsoul had still been under construction when The Shattering called a halt to the Mercanian empire. The millions of enslaved humans watched the destruction of their empire and waited for a Mercanian overlord to return to tell them what to do. None came, and in the years that followed the humans abandoned the tasks their masters had enforced in them, and began to build their own society.
Centuries passed, and since then the survivors of the labor force of Ironsoul spread out, forming their own kingdoms. From the meager archives of magical knowledge present in Ironsoul, the circle of magi were formed. Like a pale echo of the former Mercanian masters, the circle of magi gained great power... for humans.
Ultimately, human magic is based off of a model of one method Mercanian spellcasting. Gestures, words of power, and mental practices were learned from the scraps their prior masters left behind. While initially incomplete, Humanity had proven quite capable of filling in the gaps.
Calling their magic scraps of a prior empire would be doing their abilities an injustice. Ironsoul style spellcasting is unique in that it uses the simplest forms of spellcasting available to achieve great results. Human ingenuity had sprung ideas that made economic use of a human's meager auras a possibility. Even the elves, the next users of magic, could not do the same with as little power as the average human mage had.
Human spellcasting has three primary components. There is the gestures used, the words of power spoken, and the spell form shaped using power drawn from their aura. The ultimate goal is the creation of a spell form: a complicated shaping of power that changes something in the world.
Power is first pulled into the body through the anchoring chakra that connect the aura to a living person; the heart.
The words of power are fragments of an ancient language used to help form the world. Their purpose lubricates the creation of a spell form, making it easier to push it into the proper place. This necessity can be reduced the more a mage is capable of making that form by memory, but even so, the final word of power, the triggering word, is almost always impossible to remove since it is what helps the mage focus his power into a targetable effect.
The gestures, postures, and mudras used are a long list of pre-learned movements that a mage uses while pushing power through their bodies. By expelling the power, typically through their fingertips, a mage literally shapes a spell form in their body. Most any spell form can be made using a combination predesigned motions. This can be shaped with will alone, but that only comes from practice and deep understanding of the spell form being used. Even so, the final gesture is needed just like the final word of power in order to make a targetable effect.
Human style spellcasting relies heavily on rote learning. By being able to perform the actions required to cast a spell without actively thinking about it, a human has the concentration to focus his mind on channeling power through their body safely. This is inherently dangerous for humans, as since they are natural creatures and not inherently magical which have bodies capable of handling power flowing through their systems. To them, actions like 'holding' a spell are possible, but highly damaging to their bodies.
Because of rote learning, they have developed their own 'trick' to spellcasting: Slinging. By knowing intimately every aspect of a spell, a human spellcaster can internalize all but the final word and gesture of a spell, shaping the energy flooding their body in an instant. This allows a spell to be 'slung' out at speeds useful for combat scenarios, but the process is admittedly inefficient, losing upwards of half the power spent on the spell. This meant that the spell could be brought into play with a thought, murmured word and a gesture... but pushing power through the caster's body so quickly causes much of it to be lost in the process.
Among human spellcasters, the quality of a spell when slung is considered the standard. Long-form casting, the normal way, is usually used when the caster has the time and attention available to make sure it is done efficiently and precisely.
Even so, humans still unknowingly lose some of their power when casting. Since their bodies are not naturally able to handle power, a little bit is lost in their meridians, burning them very mildly. This is why a human mage can end up exhausted from 'emptying the well' quickly; It's the ache from their overexerted meridians more than any physical exertions (Unless the spells being cast had great physical motions required)
Burning out is the term relating to leaving power in a human's meridians for too long. From the instant they draw in power, it burns itself onto their flesh. Holding it for more than the moments required for spellcasting can be dangerous. For long-form casting, the trickle of power is not usually enough to cause long lasting harm if kept in their body, but when one floods the maximum capacity their meridians can handle in order to 'sling' a spell, even a second too long can cause burn out.
The damaged meridians harm the skin and nerves of the body, causing a constant, itching and burning. It also prevents the meridians from being used for any purpose, and attempts to use them further burn out the areas around the injury. The physical damage is quite evident on the surface, but what's worse is the possible internal damage. Any damage to the deep meridians can kill a mage outright, as their life energy flows through them.
Next week I will discuss another type of magic! Any questions?
Still, things were learned over time. Observers shared rumors of bits seen of battles between Mercanians, servants whispered about spells cast when their masters weren't careful to hide their powers. Still, progress was slow, as much of Mercanian magic was etched into their skin and therefore even harder to discern.
When the Mercanian empire collapsed almost literally upon itself during The Shattering, the surviving humans no longer had to hide their research. Thousands of years of magical knowledge gained over dozens of generations of a species that passed on their power to their survivors had been lost.
The empire had been shattered, their magnificent cities devastated and lost to the oceans that rushed to reclaim the sunken continent. Nearly every location containing arcane knowledge had been lost, save for one. Ironsoul.
Originally a border city, Ironsoul had still been under construction when The Shattering called a halt to the Mercanian empire. The millions of enslaved humans watched the destruction of their empire and waited for a Mercanian overlord to return to tell them what to do. None came, and in the years that followed the humans abandoned the tasks their masters had enforced in them, and began to build their own society.
Centuries passed, and since then the survivors of the labor force of Ironsoul spread out, forming their own kingdoms. From the meager archives of magical knowledge present in Ironsoul, the circle of magi were formed. Like a pale echo of the former Mercanian masters, the circle of magi gained great power... for humans.
Ultimately, human magic is based off of a model of one method Mercanian spellcasting. Gestures, words of power, and mental practices were learned from the scraps their prior masters left behind. While initially incomplete, Humanity had proven quite capable of filling in the gaps.
Calling their magic scraps of a prior empire would be doing their abilities an injustice. Ironsoul style spellcasting is unique in that it uses the simplest forms of spellcasting available to achieve great results. Human ingenuity had sprung ideas that made economic use of a human's meager auras a possibility. Even the elves, the next users of magic, could not do the same with as little power as the average human mage had.
Human spellcasting has three primary components. There is the gestures used, the words of power spoken, and the spell form shaped using power drawn from their aura. The ultimate goal is the creation of a spell form: a complicated shaping of power that changes something in the world.
Power is first pulled into the body through the anchoring chakra that connect the aura to a living person; the heart.
The words of power are fragments of an ancient language used to help form the world. Their purpose lubricates the creation of a spell form, making it easier to push it into the proper place. This necessity can be reduced the more a mage is capable of making that form by memory, but even so, the final word of power, the triggering word, is almost always impossible to remove since it is what helps the mage focus his power into a targetable effect.
The gestures, postures, and mudras used are a long list of pre-learned movements that a mage uses while pushing power through their bodies. By expelling the power, typically through their fingertips, a mage literally shapes a spell form in their body. Most any spell form can be made using a combination predesigned motions. This can be shaped with will alone, but that only comes from practice and deep understanding of the spell form being used. Even so, the final gesture is needed just like the final word of power in order to make a targetable effect.
Human style spellcasting relies heavily on rote learning. By being able to perform the actions required to cast a spell without actively thinking about it, a human has the concentration to focus his mind on channeling power through their body safely. This is inherently dangerous for humans, as since they are natural creatures and not inherently magical which have bodies capable of handling power flowing through their systems. To them, actions like 'holding' a spell are possible, but highly damaging to their bodies.
Because of rote learning, they have developed their own 'trick' to spellcasting: Slinging. By knowing intimately every aspect of a spell, a human spellcaster can internalize all but the final word and gesture of a spell, shaping the energy flooding their body in an instant. This allows a spell to be 'slung' out at speeds useful for combat scenarios, but the process is admittedly inefficient, losing upwards of half the power spent on the spell. This meant that the spell could be brought into play with a thought, murmured word and a gesture... but pushing power through the caster's body so quickly causes much of it to be lost in the process.
Among human spellcasters, the quality of a spell when slung is considered the standard. Long-form casting, the normal way, is usually used when the caster has the time and attention available to make sure it is done efficiently and precisely.
Even so, humans still unknowingly lose some of their power when casting. Since their bodies are not naturally able to handle power, a little bit is lost in their meridians, burning them very mildly. This is why a human mage can end up exhausted from 'emptying the well' quickly; It's the ache from their overexerted meridians more than any physical exertions (Unless the spells being cast had great physical motions required)
Burning out is the term relating to leaving power in a human's meridians for too long. From the instant they draw in power, it burns itself onto their flesh. Holding it for more than the moments required for spellcasting can be dangerous. For long-form casting, the trickle of power is not usually enough to cause long lasting harm if kept in their body, but when one floods the maximum capacity their meridians can handle in order to 'sling' a spell, even a second too long can cause burn out.
The damaged meridians harm the skin and nerves of the body, causing a constant, itching and burning. It also prevents the meridians from being used for any purpose, and attempts to use them further burn out the areas around the injury. The physical damage is quite evident on the surface, but what's worse is the possible internal damage. Any damage to the deep meridians can kill a mage outright, as their life energy flows through them.
Next week I will discuss another type of magic! Any questions?
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Types of Magic in Spellscribed
So... Anyone got any burning questions about magic? ;)
Actually, I've been collecting all my notes about how magic works in the Spellscribed series and I realize that there are a few more methods of magic than just the one that the main character uses. Over the next few weeks I'd like to go over some of the types of magic use in my world and perhaps talk a bit about their use and histories.
A few of the types of magic already touched on in the series are:
'Traditional' Ironsoul style spellcasting
'Traditional' Elven spellcasting
Runes
Circle Magic
Summoning
Elemental Calling
Transformation
Ritual Magic
Crafted Spells (magic items)
Would anyone like to see that? Comment below about what you want to hear about first!
In other news, my short novel is almost finished. I'm actively writing book 3 now, and I'm hoping my newly hired cover artist actually gets back to me soon with my short novel's cover.
Actually, I've been collecting all my notes about how magic works in the Spellscribed series and I realize that there are a few more methods of magic than just the one that the main character uses. Over the next few weeks I'd like to go over some of the types of magic use in my world and perhaps talk a bit about their use and histories.
A few of the types of magic already touched on in the series are:
'Traditional' Ironsoul style spellcasting
'Traditional' Elven spellcasting
Runes
Circle Magic
Summoning
Elemental Calling
Transformation
Ritual Magic
Crafted Spells (magic items)
Would anyone like to see that? Comment below about what you want to hear about first!
In other news, my short novel is almost finished. I'm actively writing book 3 now, and I'm hoping my newly hired cover artist actually gets back to me soon with my short novel's cover.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Spellscribed: Provenance-Revised Edition
So I've been listening to my readers.
One of the things that I think that I ever hear from readers about my first book is that it has a few... well, eccentricities that makes it not as refined and polished as Ascension was. So I've been thinking about this for a while and I have decided that I'm going to be working to fix that.
While I'm writing the third book, I will be having the first one reviewed, re-edited, and revised so that I have a clean, polished set of books in my series. I don't want people to think I am putting overpriced, poorly written literature out there; that's not my goal in the slightest. I'm aware of my own writing faults and while I can try to keep them in mind with my professional writing I can miss things and proper editing definitely helps weed out the errors.
So without further ado, Spellscribed: Provenance will be revised and be replacing the version on amazon. At least I'm pretty sure it will be replacing it. I have to look into how amazon handles new editions of a book beyond minor changes.
I promise that the revised edition will be going over the book with a fine toothed comb, clearing away some of the inconsistencies that plagued my debut novel. I hope that future readers (and past ones) will enjoy it even more now that it will not have those little unpolished burrs in the story.
Any questions, comments, concerns? Post a comment below! I'd love to hear it!
One of the things that I think that I ever hear from readers about my first book is that it has a few... well, eccentricities that makes it not as refined and polished as Ascension was. So I've been thinking about this for a while and I have decided that I'm going to be working to fix that.
While I'm writing the third book, I will be having the first one reviewed, re-edited, and revised so that I have a clean, polished set of books in my series. I don't want people to think I am putting overpriced, poorly written literature out there; that's not my goal in the slightest. I'm aware of my own writing faults and while I can try to keep them in mind with my professional writing I can miss things and proper editing definitely helps weed out the errors.
So without further ado, Spellscribed: Provenance will be revised and be replacing the version on amazon. At least I'm pretty sure it will be replacing it. I have to look into how amazon handles new editions of a book beyond minor changes.
I promise that the revised edition will be going over the book with a fine toothed comb, clearing away some of the inconsistencies that plagued my debut novel. I hope that future readers (and past ones) will enjoy it even more now that it will not have those little unpolished burrs in the story.
Any questions, comments, concerns? Post a comment below! I'd love to hear it!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
C-c-c-c-changes!
For the better, I assure you!
I had previously mentioned my next book being tentatively titled "Scroll of suns and moons", but after some time spent writing the stories I realized that something wasn't flowing right. It was taking far longer to write than it should.
I did some thinking, examined what I had, and came to the conclusion that one of the characters just wasn't ready to have their story told. It's not that it isn't there; it's just... not the right time for the tale to come to light.
Instead, I dedicated much more time and energy producing a story about a character everyone has come to love, and his tale will be taking the place of the original. I hope everyone finds this story as engaging as I did. I tried a somewhat different perspective when writing this tale as I felt inspired to tell it in a way different from what I've done before.
I should be finishing this story by mid-month and putting it out by the end of the month. It's going to be an exciting set of stories!
After that, I will be returning the bulk of my writing energy to book three of Spellscribed!
I had previously mentioned my next book being tentatively titled "Scroll of suns and moons", but after some time spent writing the stories I realized that something wasn't flowing right. It was taking far longer to write than it should.
I did some thinking, examined what I had, and came to the conclusion that one of the characters just wasn't ready to have their story told. It's not that it isn't there; it's just... not the right time for the tale to come to light.
Instead, I dedicated much more time and energy producing a story about a character everyone has come to love, and his tale will be taking the place of the original. I hope everyone finds this story as engaging as I did. I tried a somewhat different perspective when writing this tale as I felt inspired to tell it in a way different from what I've done before.
I should be finishing this story by mid-month and putting it out by the end of the month. It's going to be an exciting set of stories!
After that, I will be returning the bulk of my writing energy to book three of Spellscribed!
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