Solo [The Great Library]Reading a good book

[Clyde Sullins]

65 Spring 514

Clyde was ever a learner. No amount of magical knowledge was enough, he always wanted more and new things, new secrets, new understandings, new powers.

Ever since he'd met a Maledictor in Ravok seasons past he'd been interested in yet another new magic, Malediction. He knew the basics of how it worked. You cut a circle into a object, a part of a once living thing, drew out magic, and made a enchanted object of sorts.

It wasn't as precise as Magecrafting, that was for certain.

Nor was its effect as refined. But, he had to admit that after seeing it used, he had some interest in learning of it.

Clyde knew no better place to do so than the library of Sahova, and so found himself in search of a book to instruct him of its uses and capacity.

Luckily he knew Nader Canoch, the ancient tongue, and so he was able to read even those tomes in that language. He wasn't fluent, but he knew it well enough to be able to read and write it. Particularly if he took his time.

First was to find a book on the subject. Heading out into the rows, Clyde checked book titles, trying to find something that seemed relevant. "Mechanical joints and their uses" didn't seem right. Nor did "Malodorous mishaps". Clyde didn't want to know what that was about.

One did catch his eye, titled "Made Magics". Perhaps that was related, as Malediction was one of the magics related to making things.

Clyde flipped through the pages, hoping to find some sort of glossary or chapter heading at the start, but had no such luck. When that failed he flipped about, till a drawn out chart came up.

It seemed a weird interconnecting diagram, showing various symbols and figures. He noticed one was a blade being struck by a hammer. By its unique size and shape, he recognized it as a Magecrafting hammer. Connected to it by a squiggly line with a line slashed down its middle was a skull with a circle on it, and a funny symbol inside said circle. At the bottom of the page the same line overlaid with a squiggled line was drawn, with a few words next to it.

"Diverged but related." There were other symbols, other lines connecting other things, but they didn't make sense to Clyde. Those did.

It was saying that Magecrafting and Malediction were not only related, but once a part of something that had diverged into two magics? He'd never heard such a thing before, though the idea did strike him in a odd fashion... Both involved making magical objects... Though by different means. Malediction used their bones. But the idea that those same bones that he'd used for ingredients in Magecrafting, could be used for the item itself in Malediction... It was odd. But rang with a truth.

Next to the symbol of the skull was the word Zapatl. At first Clyde thought this was a new term, but then he recalled it was a word in the ancient tongue... It meant Legacy.

Considering what he knew of Malediction, that it brought out the power of a creature, calling the enchantment the things "Legacy" also made sense in a odd way. Perhaps another term for Malediction? Another thing he hadn't known.

Setting the book back, Clyde set out for another book, this time with a new term in mind. Legacy.

[Clyde Sullins]

It was nearly a full bell before Clyde found the next book, titled "A Legates Legacy."

That seemed promising. Clyde quickly skimmed through the beginning of the book, before he found a interesting looking or informative passage.

The work of a Legate is to create. Using various sources, such as the bodies of monsters, animals, or sentient beings, various objects can be made. This can be a talisman, fetish, charm, idol, relic, or other term for a object of power and magic. Whether the source is living or dead, the object is a work of Legacy.

Clyde read over this bit again, trying to commit it to memory. Often terms were important when understanding something, or at least when communicating with another about it. And these terms for a completed work could be of use.

Turning a few pages, he found a page headed "Living or Dead." It seemed to contain a one sided argument being discussed.

Many have argued whether the true work of a Legate should focus on works created from the living, or from the dead. Of course, this all depends upon the desired end result. With a work crafted from the living, one can gain power over this same living thing. Blades hewn from their bones can cut the creature, or overcome its normal defenses, where other items cannot. Or other properties in relation to the creature may be gained. With the dead, the power is not over the creature, but of it. Qualities of the creature in its life may be imbued into the talisman, and thus conveyed to its holder.

Clyde could perhaps see the upside in this... Kill a creature, steal its innate power or abilities. Of course, the only issue with this was that the creature would innately be less powerful than its killer. If you could overcome it in some method, allowing you to kill it, then surely you were stronger than it? Was the creature so good that you'd want to steal its properties, if it couldn't stand up to you?

Of course, if less direct means of victory were gained, this might not be explicitly true... If Clyde killed a bear with his Reimancy, it might be stronger than him, at least physically. Having that same strength of a bear then could be of use, even if he'd killed it.

Reading further into the book, Clyde managed to find a description of the magic, if not the process by which it was done.

A body holds djed, is of djed, and has inherent properties and powers because of this. By obtaining the remains of the dead, or the parts of the living, this power is brought within the Legates grasp.

Not only is the source itself important for the end result, its life, its actions, what it was, so is the piece used. There must be a connection for it to work properly, a connection between the source and its djed, the piece, and the desired result. A horse that was lame for much of its life would not be effective in bringing out its speed, even if its leg bones were used which would normally be the source of a horses speed. However if the strength of a bear is desired, and a bear is found that was full and strong even to its death, its arms and their bones used for swiping and killing could be of great use.

An interesting thing to note. While in Magecrafting an item was an item, its source overall being the only thing that mattered, the specific bits and such clearly were important. And so perhaps was how it lived and died.

[Clyde Sullins]

It took a good bit more skimming to find another salient bit. Much of the book seemed to devolve into idle chatter, odd comments, and in depth descriptions of cutting up various animals. Too detailed.

However after a bit he did find a few pages about making the items. Not the malediction part, the magic part, but more crafting.

A general rule of making a Legacy, is to use the part whole. A half of a tibia bone will not be as powerful as a full bone. Damaging, taking away, or subtracting from the piece will thus lessen the end product. While preparations can be made to make it suitable, the part should remain as intact as possible.

For the item to be marked, different methods can be used. The part can be turned into another item, such as a bracelet or charm, perhaps even using hair from the source as a string. In more complicated usages parts from different sources can be combined, such as taking various bones from various sources and combining them into one greater whole. Or a part of a source can be a part of an item, and not its entire substance, such as a bone hilt on a steel blade. These may not be as potent as a whole item used alone, particularly if only part of the item is a work of Legacy, though in the case of many items together the whole may be greater than the one part if all parts are created of Legacy.

So, simple enough, it was best to leave a part of the creature intact, and to not break it unneeded. Likewise, pure parts were better than items where only a section was maledicted. Also where many items were connected into one thing, the individual part might be lessened, but could be better perhaps as a final work.

He wasn't fully certain how one would turn something into a bracelet, that seemed like it would require breaking or cutting a hole in something, but it did seem that it was possible to craft normal looking objects, albeit of bone, into works of Malediction.

However from the wording that seemed trickier, and it would likely be easier and more straightforward to use a single source, and for it to be the entire item.

Reading onward, Clyde finally found a bit about the circles.

The item itself holds power, latent and hidden within. By creating the circle, this power can be drawn out and made manifest. This can be cut into the items surface, painted on, or marked in some other fashion. Once it is fully fashioned, it is activated by an offering of blood from its crafter, spilled in a act of sacrifice and awakening.

From Clyde's own experience with circles in other world magics, he did not doubt that the writer here had gone for some creative liberties. More than likely the blood made a connection between the mage and the item, or opened up a pathway, or did some other means of enabling its power. Considering similar things were needed in other magics he used, Summoning, Animation, even Spiritism, he doubted it was as the writer said. But he'd let the creative wording slide, since he'd learned a good bit from the likely long dead writer.

However little detail seemed to be given about the circle themselves, their process or its details or important bits. He shuffled through the book for a bit, but didn't seem to find any further information. It seemed Clyde would need to seek out yet another book.

[Clyde Sullins]

Once more it took a few bells of sorting through books to find a promising one. The next useful one for the final piece Clyde needed was a book called "A Circled Legacy".

He had first tried "A Circle's Legacy" which had turned out to be a long boring series of entries about the history of circles and their use. Considering that it made regular mention of extra-dimension creatures placing the concept of circles into peoples mind, and the conspiracy of the hidden dot inside of all O's, he had a feeling the mage who'd written it had suffered overgiving and had their minds addled.

Luckily "A Circled Legacy" turned out to actually be on the topic of Malediction, and so was of use for his current research.

The first entry he found of use was about the circles themselves, and of placing them on objects.

An important aspect of placing a circle on a item is that of permanence. The circle is both the symbol of a Legacy's power, but also the conduit. If it is destroyed, so is the functioning of the item. Because of this it is a good idea to take ones time in its crafting, making sure the item and its circle will hold the tests of time. While a hastily painted on circle and image might work for a bit, it will eventually be damaged, scraped away, or in some other way marred. Thus the item will lose effect, if it ever had any.

That also made sense. Clyde had seen what happened when a glyphing circle in use was damaged. It'd almost "happened" right in his face. Luckily he was quick at ducking.

It made sense then that the circle holding the items power being lost, would mean the power would be lost. Clyde did wonder what would happen if a circle was lost, and someone attempted to redraw it. Would it have the same effect? Or what if the circle was lost, and the effect left, and someone redrew a new circle and image? Would it be affected at all by the prior circle and its drawing? Or would it work the same as a freshly harvested and prepared source item?

However Clyde's thinking on this was distracted by another interesting passage.

A Legacy's circle taps into the power deep within an object, bringing potential forth. This works much like a well tapping into the reserves of water hidden deep in the ground, allowing it to be brought to the surface.

The circle or circles shapes and appearance is not specific, varying both by Legate and item, suiting the needs and purposes of both.

Meaning is the important thing, as the circle gives it to the item, imbued by the Legate. Since understanding and meaning changes so much from one person to another, circles and their form will also change drastically amongst Legates. Meaning links to the object being used, and to the effect desired, both of which can influence the items true nature and effect. A poorly connected meaning, or one that ill suits the object will have a effect that is equally ill suited.

Potential and Meaning are both very important therefore in Legacy.

Images within the circle can take many forms. These can be words, letters, images, pictures, or other means of showing concepts. The important thing is meaning and it being conveyed properly.

Once more in reflection, much of what was said about Malediction made sense, or Legacy as it seemed to be called by those within its craft. Circles and the images held within seemed to have much in common with Glyphing. Like with glyphs, the specific image or symbol did not matter, but the meaning and intent the maker conveyed by it did.

Putting the book back, Clyde felt he had learned a lot about Malediction. He felt that if he had bones before him right then, he could cut into them and make a work of Malediction. Clyde wasn't sure if he was now a legate, or if that distinction only came once he had actually made an item, but he felt he'd grown in the magic all the same, in much the same way he'd once learned and grown in Glyphing by reading about new glyphs and techniques.

[Dravite]

G R A D E S

Clyde Sullins

Experience

• Malediction: 3
• Investigation: 1
• Research: 3
• History: 1
• Logic: 2
• Intelligence: 1

Lore

• Clyde: Lifelong learner
• Malediction: Making something of a creatures remains
• Nader Canoch: An ancient language
• Malediction: Book symbols
• Magecrafting and Malediction: Once related
• Zapatl: Legacy
• Legate: To create
• Malediction: Selecting the right bones
• Malediction: Use the whole bone
• Malediction: Drawing power from items
• Malediction Circle: A symbol of a power and the conduit

Notes

Well, I've learnt a lot this morning, had to do a bit of research of my own. Good research thread, enjoy the rewards.