Monday, July 23, 2007

Basic Spellweaves

These are the simplest spellweaves known to Theril, Nimlo, Dargon, and Quix, and often the ones on which more powerful, complex spellweaves are at least partly based. These reflect the changes we discussed ages ago (not the abortive ones we rejected recently) that resulted from the fall of Isiyes and the change in the way Black Steel wizards deal with magic; in some cases, of course, the changes are just the spellweaves' names. Finally, note that these are very basic descriptions; the specific extent and limitations of these spells, even when woven in their normal forms, are rather more complicated.

Bewitch: When people claim a friend of an accused witch is "under her spell," this is the spell they mean. Contrary to popular delusion, this spell does not make the victim the caster's slave; it just tricks the victim into trusting and liking the caster, and works best if the caster can maintain the illusion of being likable and trustworthy to him.

Cloak in Shadow: Pasha Zavalier claims to have developed this one while perpetually drunk. It creates a small zone of shifting, flickering shadow, generally around a target creature, who can see into and through the spell's shadows, though their darkness is otherwise impenetrable to human vision. Only Theril knows this one.

Confer: Allows the caster to converse with one or more nearby targets in near-silence; possibly the original basis for Theril's Assurance, but at several removes.

Contribute Power: Boosts the power of a spell being cast by another (willing) wizard (if he is sufficiently skilled to control the boosted spell) but makes the caster of Contribute Power completely vulnerable to the spell thus boosted if it is cast upon him. (The history of this one is even more complicated than the details of how it works...)

Decipher: Allows the caster to see words written in invisible ink or otherwise concealed through chemical or certain kinds of magical trickery, and to correctly interpret magical runes or too-ornate-to-read, sloppy, worn, or otherwise damaged letters, so long as enough remains for the spell to get a grip on their intended form.

Deflection: One of the three basic defensive spells, this one generates a continuous field of force around the caster that attempts to knock attacks aside -- like judo to Force Block's boxing.

Enchanted Runes: Encodes a brief message in runes that can be interpretted only by the caster and a person or group of his choosing, with whom he is intimately acquainted (but also to anyone using the likes of the Decipher spell). Various enchantments can be included in the runes, so that they glow faintly, are invisible except to sorcerous vision, or even seem to burst into flame upon being touched.

Fire Show: Allows the caster to cause flames to dance and leap, glow bright, die down to nothing, or any combination, in any order, while the spell lasts. The effects are mostly visual, used to control the light level in a local area, to impress an audience, or both. Only Quix and Dargon know this one.

Force Block: Another basic defensive spell, and probably the one on which Pasha Zavalier based Preemptive Strike, Force Block lies dormant until someone or something tries to strike its subject, then instantly generates a counter-force to try and push it away. Unlike Preemptive Strike's, the resulting force isn't very powerful, and doesn't reach very far, but it can operate several times for a single casting if not broken down.

Illusory Sounds: Generates noises of the caster's choosing, potentially including speech; the more familiar the caster is with the sounds being made, the more convincing they can be.

Minor Telekinesis: Allows the caster to lift, push, and move things around in his immediate vicinity (or the area where the spell was released) without touching them, by means of mere words, glances, and gestures. The spell isn't capable of fine manipulation, and breaks down if resisted by a living being.

Protective Charm: The third basic defensive spell generates an all-purpose defensive field that (weakly) resists not only attacks on the caster but even magical spells.

Resist Gravity: The simplest artificial force spell, mostly notable for its presumed association with the development of Flight.

Second Sight: Enhances the caster's sorcerous vision to aid in identifying power sources and spellweaves. Theril seems to have no need for this spell, as ever since the fall of Isiyes, she seems to see deep into the magical world naturally.

Shadowcast: Fills an area with impenetrable shadow, as everything in the area, including the air molecules themselves, absorbs all light that reaches it.

Sleep: Works on the minds of animals to send them into sleep. Though most sentient beings are animals, their minds are much more complex than those of nonsentient creatures, and it takes tremendous skill or a personalized effort to make this spell work upon them.

Spellstrike: Directs the energy of the spell's power source directly against its target's animating energy. It leaves no wounds, but can be debilitating or even deadly to living, undead, and magical beings alike.

Time Seal: Often used for privacy (of person or of letters during delivery), or to guard objects or records under the caster's protection while he weaves other spells or engages in other attention-intensive activities, this spell seals an object (e.g. a book, door, drawer, envelope, etc.) so as to prevent it from opening (even for the caster) until the spell expires.

Werelamp: Causes a small (part of an) object or creature, or a point in space, to glow like the wick of a small lamp, shedding light and casting shadows normally, but consuming neither the "wick" itself nor fuel of any kind, except of course for magical energy.