Your local library

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An undead citadel created before the cataclysm, Sahova is devoted to all kinds of magical research. The living may visit the island, if they are willing to obey its rules. [Lore]

Your local library

Postby Lakuer Byer on December 11th, 2010, 6:23 pm

510 AV, Winter 7


OOC: the things that are with the writings that are in parenthesis are his personal notes on what he has read.

IC:
Having caught up for a bit with his work, Lakuer finally had time to do some research. Going into the library, he quickly got back to work before he was needed by Bebe again.

Having grabbed several books on magic, he started the first one off the pile, which was about magic in general. taking out a piece of parchment, along with a quill and ink, he started to read, along with taking notes on anything important.

  • Most normal people do not distinguish between different kinds of magic, and will label someone a 'wizard', 'mage' or 'witch' by reputation and appearance alone. The truth is that what people call 'magic' is actually a collection of innumerable disciplines, and any practicing one or more can be considered a magic user.
  • All magic is fueled by a principle called Djed (meaning "backbone" in the ancient tongue). Djed is inside everything, but occurs with the highest degree of purity in the souls of mortals and immortals alike. Djed is what gives things identity, substance, sentience and free will. It cannot be created or destroyed, but only transmuted from one form to another: the nature of Djed implies that something gained is also something lost. Magic disciplines are divided into three categories depending on the source of the Djed that fuels them. (note-read on djed)
  • 1-Personal magic is fueled by the magic user's own Djed; this includes a creature's innate powers, if any. The wizard transforms a part of their own essence in return for a supernatural effect, be it conjuring a firebolt with Reimancy, open a portal with Voiding or transforming one's body with Morphing.
  • A self-centered form of magic, personal magic gives immediate gains and requires no tools, though it may benefit from gestures and incantations. It carries a terrible risk, however. Using your Djed means spending the very thing that defines your identity. Using too much of it, too quickly, may result in overgiving - a spectrum of side effects ranging from mild to devastating and deadly, or even worse. (i currently have some skill in Auristics and Reimancy, i should read up on them to)
  • 2-Gnosis (Divine magic)-falls into the category of magic granted by the Gods themselves and is generally called Gnosis. Recipients are specifically chosen by a God or Goddess for a wide variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include rewards for worship, linking the person more closely to the deity so the deity can keep tabs on them, or for the potential use of those gnosi as 'tools of the gods'.
  • A God or Goddess will 'brand' an individual with a Gnosis mark that gives them access to the divine powers of the marker. These marks vary in location and appearance depending upon which god or goddess does the marking. Gnosis marks can be forcefully branded upon the individuals, unwillingly, and grant them powers the users themselves find horrific. Depending upon the nature of these marks, the divine magic granted may work voluntarily, involuntarily, and may in fact harm the wielder. (? look up marks)
  • 3-World magic- is the magic of craft and lore. The magic user possesses no superpowers of their own, but has learned to exploit secret pathways of the universe to gain power. World magic may not involve the direct risk to one's soul that comes with personal and divine magic, but it carries the danger of meddling with dark and obscure trades - and users often experiment on themselves. As with the other two magic paths, world magic is extremely diverse, ranging from the concoctions of Alchemy to the runes of Glyphing. Other important world magic disciplines include Summoning, Animation, Webbing, and Spiritism. (Research Glyphing, seems a good thing to know)
Last edited by Lakuer Byer on December 12th, 2010, 8:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Your local library

Postby Lakuer Byer on December 11th, 2010, 6:36 pm

having finished a go through of the book on magic, he put it back in its place on the shelves. Looking through his notes, he saw he needed to read on Djed. Grabbing a book on it, he started to read through and take more notes.

    Laws of Djed:
  • 1-Djed cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
  • 2-Some forms of Djed are purer than others.
  • 3-Some transformations are irreversible.
  • Since Djed is in everything, its alterations are also easily perceived. Those who practice magic, especially personal magic, are the most apt at sensing mutations in the local Djed of places, items and persons. However, even trained wizards would have trouble pinpointing the nature and purpose of the alteration unless made obvious by its visible effects. It takes a practitioner of Auristics, a discipline of personal magic, to scan Djed auras for an accurate reading. (it seems auristics is very useful in working with djed, i will have to read further on it, as i am only self trained in it so far)
  • Creatures take Djed from the things they eat, and use it to compensate for the daily losses caused by physical exertion. With old age, the body's ability to absorb Djed decreases, eventually leading to death.
  • All magic implies transforming Djed to accomplish something. This Djed is usually released into the environment and becomes too chaotic to be collected again. In time, natural processes will turn most of it back into a nobler form, for example as plants and animals that can be eaten.
  • World magic and divine magic use external Djed sources, but personal magic uses the wizard's own Djed. This means they lose a part of their spiritual essence upon using their powers. Wizards are taught to keep a reserve of expendable Djed for spellcasting, but if this reserve is exhausted, Djed is taken from their bodies and souls. This limits the amount of magic they can use before they have to stop and rest, or experience worse and worse symptoms as they go into overgiving. Symptoms vary depending on which discipline is being used, but include both physical and psychological trauma and can lead to death, or worse. (need to read up on overgiving)

looking further into the book, he saw there was a small excerpt on overgiving. Flipping to it, he quickly read over it.

  • Overgiving is the disruptive consequence of casting too much personal magic, overexerting the wizard's body, mind and soul. It brings a host of negative effects that are related the disciplines the mage practices but include physical, mental and spiritual damage. While milder cases can be recovered from with rest and medical care, the more severe forms can be irreversible and affect one's form, identity, soul, and mental state in minor or major ways. In the worst scenario, the subject might not be recognizeable afterwards.
Last edited by Lakuer Byer on December 12th, 2010, 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Your local library

Postby Lakuer Byer on December 11th, 2010, 6:57 pm

now done with djed and overgiving, he went on to personal magic. since he naturally had some skill in auristics and reimancy, he needed to read on them. though he could use them, he had no formal training, and did not know much of anything about them. Putting away his other books, he found one on auristics, and started to read.

  • Auristics is a discipline of personal magic that allows the wizard to read - and, at higher levels, interact with - auras. Everything that exists possesses an aura, but sentient creatures have the largest and most complex of all. An aura contains precious information for the Aurist to read; for example, he may be able to establish whether an object is cold or hot without having to touch it. Auristics can be used to find out if someone recently entered a room, or if someone is wounded underneath their clothing. More advanced Aurists can capture the subtle nuances in people's auras, figuring out emotions, worries, expectations. Aurists are also the best at detecting other forms of magic through the auras left by Djed usage. (interesting, i thought auristics was only used for reading the auras of djed around people and things, i did not know it could be used in other ways... i need to record what ways they can be used besides this.)
  • Just like fire creates smoke, everything creates an aura around itself. Regular items usually have a thin aura that extends around one inch around their outermost boundaries. Magical items have variable auras whose size depends on their power. Unintelligent animals have a few inches' worth of aura, whereas a Human or another sentient creature possesses auras that reach several feet around them. Gods have incredible auras that span dozens of meters, though they can suppress them at will as even a normal person would be able to perceive such energy. (Items can have auras? i suppose from the djed put into them in there creation. especially so from items created through magic, which is why magical items have even more of an aura.)
  • Focus happens as the wizard consumes Djed to synchronize his mind with the aura he is trying to understand. There is no specific moment at which one is "done" focusing; the longer one keeps doing it, the more details surface, more and more subtle as one continues to concentrate. Getting the big picture about an aura is usually a matter of a few seconds, but truly understanding the shades and their meaning can require minutes or even hours of inspection. (i have only ever done a cursory glance at an aura, i have never tried to focus on one. i will have to try this sometime.)
  • Auras look and feel different to each practitioner. The mind adapts the information into a format that the user can understand and is familiar with. Sometimes, the Aurist himself will be surprised at how he perceives a new aura. Colors, shapes, smells, motions and swirls; there is an endless repertoires of ways to interpret an aura reading. Clearly, more proficient Aurists will usually receive more accurate information than a beginner. (so two different people reading the same aura would see it differently? interesting.)
  • There are limits to what an aura can reveal. For example, Aurists cannot read minds, though they have a certain reputation for being able to. In truth, they can perceive slight aura variations and use them to direct a conversation. Clever questioning, possibly some interrogation skills, and logic may allow a good Aurist to guess what is on someone's mind as they speak. Likewise, an Aurist will not know which cards their opponents hold in a game of poker, though they can pick up their confidence level through their auras. People who have higher control over their emotions also leave smaller and less accurate aura signals, though normally only a machine or a construct will be utterly devoid of emotion. There are artificial ways to negate or suppress emotion (and its aura reading), such as the Gnosis of Severing.
Last edited by Lakuer Byer on December 12th, 2010, 8:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Lakuer Byer on December 11th, 2010, 7:11 pm

looking around, he saw a passing catalog golem. concentrating on it, he saw it had an aura around it. However unlike a person, its aura was grey. proving his readings true, he saw no emotion in the aura, it was flat and grey, and with out any feeling. however its auras were larger than the objects around it, most likely do the the magic that was used to create it.

continuing on with the book, he read further.

    Auras can reveal, among other things:
  • Physical properties. This is the easiest thing to tell by barely focusing on it. The aura acts as a proxy for the wizard's five senses. They can know if a man has a fever, or what a food would taste like if eaten. (this seems like something i could do. it would be especially useful as a tester before eating. the food around here is not always properly cooked. they once served me something that had raw meat!)
  • Internal structure. Auras can be perceived even through other objects covering them (unless they are made of special antimagic materials). As such, they can be used as some sort of much weaker see-through vision. Clothes are relatively simple to bypass, but walls pose a bigger challenge, depending on their thickness. Still, the Aurist might be able to know that there was a person waiting on the other side of a door and thus avoid an ambush. (i should start doing this for my room. i dont want a repeat of the incident when i went in and had a escaped animal under my bed. im lucky i did not lose a finger from that darn thing!)
  • Feelings. It is easy to perceive that there are feelings, but pinpointing what they are is not as simple - especially if the person is trying to conceal them. In general, straightforward feelings such as physical pain are the easiest to sense. Clearly, someone who feels very strongly about something is much more likely to be detected. (do nuits even feel physical pain? i dont seem to recall ever sensing pain from any of them.)
  • Magical activity. While all wizards have a basic sixth sense when it comes to magic, an Aurist is the most apt at detecting hidden spells, magical traps, as well as identifying magic items. (if im ever looking for a magical item, this would be helpful.)
  • Residual activity. An advanced power. The user can infer things about the past of an object or person. Things tend to stick on auras much longer than they do on physical objects, which allows the Aurist to detect them. For example, if someone killed in the recent past (or many people over a long time), the Aurist might get the impression that their aura "reeks of blood". At very high levels, an Aurist might even get glimpses or flashbacks of things happened in the past. (im no were near powerful enough to do this. but maybe some day...)
  • Intent. Another difficult power, the Aurist can track someone's attention focus over time. They can tell what they are paying attention to, and where their gaze might shift next. A very useful ability to have in combat. (another for the future. this could be quite helpful if i am ever attacked though.)
  • Overgiving in Auristics is almost never deadly, but it carries its own risks. In mild cases, the user will get away with fatigue, dilated pupils, incoherent speech, and temporary loss of his physical senses. Serious overgiving may lead to permanent consequences, however. In particular, there are tales of wizards whose powers awakened against their will, showing them (possibly false) things they did not wish to see. Mental scarring is much more frequent than physical scarring in this discipline.

having finished reading this book, he needed to go get back to work. after catching up again, he would come back to read more, but for know he did not want to get in trouble.
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Your local library

Postby Lakuer Byer on December 12th, 2010, 8:40 pm

After running around for a while delivering things and finding books for Bebe, he had another short time with which to do some research. Looking through his notes, Lakuer decided to check on a book on Reimancy next. Going over to were he had seen one earlier, he took it back to a table, and set down to read and take notes.

  • Reimancy is a discipline of personal magic. It allows the user to expel their Djed out of the body as a peculiar fluid called Res, 'the thing'. Appearing in various forms from a thin gas to a thick gel, Res can be turned into a different elemental substance (fire, water, air, earth) at the user's whim, or attract this substance from the environment. While beginners can only grasp one element, the greatest wizards can master all four. Reimancers can accomplish a range of effects, from vomiting a short burst of flames to crafting spears of rock, but every time they use this power they are basically throwing out a part of themselves. (Interesting, i currently can only use earth reimancy, but it is good to know as i get better i will be able to use more elements. i will have to try that rock spear some time, once i get a bit better.)
  • Reimancy is about concentrating the user's Djed into a physical form, which is then emitted through the body, for example from the palms of one's hands or with one's breath. The resulting fluid, called Res, is an extension of the Reimancer's will and can quickly be transmuted into elemental substances, provided Res has not decayed. Res also has a second mode of operation, in which, instead of becoming another substance, it attracts that substance from the environment. This is more cost-effective and gives the Reimancer an important edge in the right environment - for example, a fire-based wizard in the middle of a blazing inferno. (i think for know i will have to try the second method. though the last time i tried, i only managed to pull a single pebble off the ground! it was my first time though.)
  • Reimancers may transmute the four natural elements: fire, water, air, earth. Since Res can be turned into any combination of the substances that the user can utilize, it is possible to craft para-elements such as lava (fire+earth), ice (water+earth) and lightning (fire+air). (so depending on my next element, i will be able to do a para-element. if i get fire next i can make lava, or if i get water, i can make ice! i cannot wait to see which i get!)
  • Depending on the intended use, the wizard will manipulate the Res with their hands, willpower or other disciplines of magic before transmuting it, or simply transmute it as it is generated. The wizard will choose the best form of the Res - solid, liquid or gas, thin or thick - depending on the task to be performed. (i did not know that could be done, i will have to try changing the state of my res the next time i do it.)
  • The hazards of Reimancy are two-fold. On the one hand, once Res has been transmuted, the wizard is not immune to its effects. Many Reimancers have died from getting involved in backfires from their own spells. On the other hand, generating too much Res without rest leads to overgiving as with the rest of personal magic. Parting with one's Djed can unbalance the body to the point where it undertakes gruesome transformations, among other things. (i will have to be careful not to overgive, if they continue to mention it this much, it must be pretty serious.)
  • Res is a manifestation of the wizard's Djed, and its appearance and color depend on the individual mage. Generally, though, it tends to be translucent and ethereal-looking. It can be as thick as a gel or as thin as a gas. It is emitted from the wizard's body, generally but not necessarily from the hands.(i have only done it through the hands, i seem to be very good with my hands. i guess it is from all of the time spent being a scribe that i became very articulate through them. perhaps that will help in glyphing?)
Lakuer Byer
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Your local library

Postby Lakuer Byer on December 12th, 2010, 8:53 pm

  • The wizard can transform Res from one form to another with an effort of will, for example from solid to gas. He can also control its flow and motion to a varying degree that depends on skill and distance. If the Res is very close by, his control is near total: for example, he can make a ball of fluid Res hover above or in front of his hand, then ignite it. Control decreases sharply with distance, meaning that projectiles cannot always be pinpointed to their target, and mid-air turns are for very skilled mages only. If Res exits the wizard's area of control, he cannot turn it into another substance, either. On the other hand, when he transforms Res into a substance, he loses the ability to control it after a few seconds. Many wizards do not transform all the Res at once; instead, they transform the outer layers only, but maintain the inner ones as Res in order to be able to aim and manipulate the spell, only completing the transformation at the very last moment. (i will have to remember this. it seems a very common thing to do in reimancy, and a very useful one at that. especially considering i can only currently control my res at a very very short distance. so outer only, and with a core of res, and then at the last moment turn the res to the element.)
  • Res can also attract the elements, in addition to transforming into them. The wizard has to will this effect into existence, as it is a separate power that does not manifest by default. It allows the user to manipulate larger amounts of the elements than he would be able to conjure on his own, but the process is not entirely predictable and may render the environment unstable and very dangerous. The Res acts like a magnet for desired element: flames will fly towards it, sand and rocks will concentrate around the Res, and so on. From this moment on, the spell works very much like the previous case. (i will have to be careful not to just pull up elements all willy nilly, as it could be dangerous. even just using earth, i will have to be careful of my footing, and to not collapse the ground beneath me.)
  • Res that has been transformed into an element can never revert back to its former state. Transformed elements (though not those attracted from the environment) are considered magical, even when they look just like normal water or fire. Advanced Reimancers can create custom versions of the elements by combining this discipline with other forms of magic, including Gnosis, possibly even using Glyphing to merge the disciplines. They might give birth to laughing flames that spread terror as they consume everything, or generate holy water that damages some creature types. (quite interesting. i wonder what i could do with this? though i do not really have that much that i can combine. i have mainly specialized on a few types of magic.)

finishing up this book, he returned it to its place, and searched his notes to decide on were to look next. finally he fell upon Gnosis, and looked for a book about both gnosis in general, and about the individual gnosis marks, in particular his own one.

  • Gnosis is simply the domain power of The Gods and Goddesses channeled to their mortal faithful (or enemies) through the use of Gnosis Marks. While Gnosis is related to Djed, it differs in a significant way in that not everyone has access to it. Gnosis isn't a learned ability that someone has to work with repeatedly to use. Instead, Gnosis is a power that is granted (or forced upon) - along with the knowledge of how to use it - from a deity to mortal person. (very interesting, i had wondered how that worked. so i suppose my gnosis is a continuing connection to my diety and to her power.)
Lakuer Byer
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Your local library

Postby Lakuer Byer on December 12th, 2010, 9:23 pm

  • The world of Mizahar has a vast pantheon of personalities and temperaments. The established deities throughout the known lands act as harbingers of change which greatly influences the people, places and even Mizaharian society itself. The Gods and Goddesses of Mizahar are comprised of complex individuals with a wide range of skills, beliefs, and histories. These divine beings are often seen as human-like in their personality traits but with enormously powerful additional abilities, knowledges, and perceptions. This range of extraordinary abilities are called Domains which constitute each deities sphere of influence. The Gods and Goddesses are thus super-beings that are often driven by their passions and needs much like normal people - controlling their spheres of influence completely. These deities have well established churches, cults, and tenants which bridge the gap between normal and supernatural making the fantastic often commonplace.
  • While Godly influence might be considered rare or superficial elsewhere, on Mizahar it is commonplace. The Gods and Goddesses gain a certain amount of their power through the faith of those who worship them. The more followers a deity has, the stronger they are or can potentially become. It is a well known fact that many rank four demi-gods and demi-goddesses have ascended to Godhood through sheer recruitment of followers, treachery carried out via their followers, and the fine art of divine politics. Rank three deities have moved up to rank two as well. Frankly, faith matters - and the collective support of a well rounded group of followers can mean the difference between life and death for a deity. Relationships between deities are also incredibly important. Often together they can achieve what one alone cannot. (very intriguing. so even though a select number of mortals receive power back from there deity through gnosis marks, that power is really originating from other followers. each follower gives power to there god through worship, small individually, but together, they can be mighty. it seems to give a bit more meaning to worshiping! i will recall this as i worship Priskil, and will do so with even more fervor knowing that i am helping give her the power through which she is a god.)
  • But Gnosis just isn't about what the Gods and Goddesses do. It is what their followers do as well - for the most part in the name of faith and loyalty and devotion. Faith can be rewarded, and generally is. Followers receive Gnosis Marks placed divinely upon their bodies which grant them power. Most Gnosis Marks are deep etchings (that resemble elaborate tattoo or brand-like designs) in the skin of a God or Goddess' followers that channel a portion of that Gods divinity directly into the bearer of the mark. Thus that marked individual has access to a select portion of power belonging to the God or Goddess who marked them. This thread of attachment ties the person to that deity for good or ill and its granted abilities are absolutely controlled by the deity in question taking into account who is marked and why they were marked. Gnosis Marks can be given as rewards or punishments. Through a Gnosis Mark, a deity can always track the individual bearing that gods symbol. A God or Goddess can grant up to four Gnosis Marks per person, both good and bad, and that individual will wear that mark (or marks) for life. (i hope i truly deserve the mark priskil gave me, though i will do my best to live up to her name. it is interesting to know that Priskil know always knows were i am, and amazes me that such divine power is even know inside of me.)
  • Luminance is the gnosis of the goddess Priskil. As Priskil presides over the domains of light, hope and vigilance, her gnosis is a combination of these traits, giving its wielder the ability to turn positive feelings into light that can be shaped at will. This light will be especially harmful to dark or evil creatures, but will not damage the innocent. (interesting. i have so far not used the power of my mark very much, though at this level it is not very strong. i should hope i would not encounter to many evil creatures, but if i have received this mark it is for a reason. it did allow me to give off light as a glow, from my hands. it also seems to give me a connection to light, as i seem to have a more or less 6th sense about where light is located, even if i cannot see it. it is comforting to know there is so much light around me, even in the darkest of night, and in the most enclosed spaces. still light goes on, never allowing me to lose hope, or to quit!)

having finished up learning about gnosis, he would now finish off his readings for the day by going over one on glyphing. putting away his last book, he would go and get caught up on work once more, before returning to his spot with a book on glyphing.
Last edited by Lakuer Byer on December 13th, 2010, 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Lakuer Byer
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Your local library

Postby Lakuer Byer on December 12th, 2010, 9:38 pm

finally done with his work, Lakuer returned once more with a book on glyphing. know he would go over this, to learn on the subject, as he had been planning to.

  • Glyphing is a discipline of world magic that allows the user to draw mystic runes and symbols, forming sigils and pictures. These runes have no power of their own, but can manipulate magic from another discipline, for example storing, releasing, channeling, deflecting or confining a spell. Scrolls containing a single use of a magical effect are a product of Glyphing. Many wizards of the past also cryptographed their lore with the same runes, though this habit has declined in recent times.
  • Glyphing uses the Djed contained in the mystical shapes of runes to modify other types of magic. Many disciplines, especially those of personal magic, tend to be quite narrow in their scope. For example, some may only affect the caster, or only in certain ways. With suitable runic sigils and preparation, it becomes possible to circumvent many of these limits, at least in the controlled environment of a laboratory. Clearly, breaking the limits brings with it the standard risks of magic, but it is a risk many are willing to take. (i will have to try this some time. it seems pretty obvious how reimancy would work with this, however my other magic, auristics, im not sure that could be used with glyphing)
  • The runes can accomplish the following:
  • Store magic
  • Release magic upon activation of a trigger
  • Restrict magic into a fixed space
  • Channel magic into an area, target or path
  • Split the effects of magic
  • Combine the effects of magic
  • Stabilize wild magic
    (quite a few things, i will have to try them once i get a bit better. the whole channeling magic sounds like a very powerful and useful thing to do, i wonder if you could channel incoming enemy magic? i suppose doing so would be a very high level glyphing though)
  • The most common product of Glyphing is the magic scroll, generally containing a single magical effect that is triggered, for example, by a magic word. Runes can be carved onto most items to affix magic onto them - these are, however, low-end magical items and are no match for the products of Magecraft, a discipline whose only purpose is to create powerful items. Magecraft items are rare and difficult to make, whereas runic items are relatively more common. (yet another thing i will have to try as i get better. magical scrolls would be very good for storing up magic to use later, so you do not have to do the magic in the middle of battle. i wonder though why you must use such large focuses, would it be possible to store it on something smaller, like in a book?)
  • Glyph is the official name for a rune. Runes drawn by different mages will look very different, but wizards can instinctively know their meaning. Glyphs can be drawn in any way, be it with ink, blood, sand or ashes; carved, painted or sculpted. (why would someone use blood for glyphs?)

    Once the power of a glyph has been exhausted, it will break. Scrolls may crumble, paint will disappear, stone might crack. In long-lasting experiments, sigils have to be replaced quite often.

    Glyphs are one possible written form of the ancient tongue, and can be pronounced as such. (perhaps that will be my way. it is a good thing i know the ancient tongue. yet another use for learning it.)
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Postby Lakuer Byer on December 13th, 2010, 9:43 pm

  • A sigil is a collection of glyphs that performs a given task. They range from very simple to very complex, but in general will feature one or more of the following building blocks.
  • Focus - A single, large glyph that stores magic. When magic flows into the Focus, it disappears until released. The Focus can be thought of as a mirror: if a fireball is thrown into it, it will be expelled from it with the same speed when released. The Focus can also store a magic procedure; for example, a Morphing wizard would step on the Focus and perform a transformation on himself which would be copied by the Focus and repeated on the first person to activate the Focus. Even physical objects can be stored inside a Focus, provided that they contain magic in them and can pass through the Focus. With great practice and skill, even constructs such as golems and summoned creatures can be stored. (i guess that explains why focuses are so large. but there must be a way of using smaller focuses, allowing you to store the magic in a smaller area. but i guess even if you could do that, the exit would need to be large again. i will have to think more about this later.)
  • Barrier - A barrier is a series of glyphs, usually arranged in a circle, that surround another part of the sigil. They block and restrict the magical effect inside, typically contained in a Focus. Only exceptional users can block a real spell coming towards the wizard. (so it keeps the magic inside of a focus from escaping? seems simple enough. im sure it also has other uses though.)
  • Trigger - Glyphs that specify a condition for another part of the sigil to be activated or deactivated. Commonly, a Trigger will deactivate a Barrier which in turn activates the release of a Focus. (seems pretty easy. so using a trigger, a barrier could be turned off, thus letting out the magic. i suppose that is how a scroll normally works. or perhaps have it activate by something, like if someone walks over it, it lets out the magic spell.)
  • Path - A Path is formed by two Barriers that act as boundaries, forming a 'road' for a magical effect to travel on. It is used to channel magic where desired or connect different sigils. Just like Barriers, they can transport the magic stored in a Focus, but require a master user to channel hostile magic. (that could actually work with what i said earlier, about storing in a smaller focus. if it went into a large focus, and then went along a path into another, it could be stored inside. though i suppose it would need two triggers, one activated to seal the magic inside as it goes in, and then another to let the magic back out to the large focus.... though i dont think i could do that now... but maybe someday!!!)

having gone over glyphing, Lakuer felt it would be good to attempt a simple glyph. slowly he painted a single glyph on the palm of his left hand. it took some time, and several attempts of erasing and redoing it, but after a while, he finally managed to get it done.

after doing this, he tried to flow some res out of both hands, through reimancy. in doing so, it was easy to see that it was much easier to flow the djed through his body and out his hand with the glyph than the one without one. noting this for the future, he knew glyphing would be a helpful thing for practicing and improving his reimancy, since it would be easier to use his djed with it.

putting away this last book, he finished for the day, and left the library for his room to turn in.
Lakuer Byer
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Storyteller secrets

Your local library

Postby Panna Cotta on December 17th, 2010, 2:00 am

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NAME

  • Research 2
  • Writing 2
  • Lore of Annotating
  • Lore of taking notes
  • Lore of the basics of Magic
  • Lore of the basics of Glyphing
  • Lore of having a to-do list

NOTES
  • A big part of the thread was lifted from the wiki. That makes it bland in terms of narration. There are many variations you can try out to spice things up in the future!
  • I like your personal interpretations and wish to see more of it. (Start writing a book! :) )
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