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	Enchanting Researches, Book I		'''Enchanting Researches, Book I''' <br>
	by Xathvier Calvaradde, Gnomish Enchanter		by Xathvier Calvaradde, Gnomish Enchanter <br>


	Prologue:		'''Prologue:''' <br>

	It thrills me to place quill to parchment and write this treatise,		It thrills me to place quill to parchment and write this treatise,
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	Lesson One: The Sigils in the Skies.		'''Lesson One: The Sigils in the Skies.''' <br>

	Throughout the ages, enchanted objects have been held in high regard.		Throughout the ages, enchanted objects have been held in high regard.
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	Lesson Two: Sigil Scrolls.		'''Lesson Two: Sigil Scrolls.''' <br>

	Now that we've discussed the nature of sigils, we've reached the		Now that we've discussed the nature of sigils, we've reached the
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	Lesson Three: Predictions in the Palm of Your Hand		'''Lesson Three: Predictions in the Palm of Your Hand''' <br>

	A prime example of how sigils interact with each other is the device		A prime example of how sigils interact with each other is the device

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	- Enchanter Xathvier Calvaradde		- Enchanter Xathvier Calvaradde

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Enchanting Researches, Book I
by Xathvier Calvaradde, Gnomish Enchanter

Prologue:

It thrills me to place quill to parchment and write this treatise,
enlightening mages with my researches. As a small child, my
aptitudes lay with the mechanical and magical arts. I studied and
experimented, always dabbling with runes and stones, and by the time
I came of age I was already well known as a creator of magical
devices. Yet like all youngsters, I longed for travel, and with my
assistant Bhothfin, I eventually journeyed to Therengia during the
Gorbesh War of 354. Here, while the fighting ravaged the lands all
around, I learned from all the ancient texts that Throne City's vast
libraries had to offer, and like a sponge I absorbed as much as I
could. Before long, I was well known among the Moon Mage population
as a skilled Enchanter. I proudly count Councilors Elvaka
Kre'Domar and Erzebet Crowther among my peers.

Enchanting is a glorious art. Normally reserved for the elite in
the guild, the skill has never really been taught to students. It
is viewed as both a lost ability and an unknown. This writing is
intended to change all of that, and I feel my talents more than
qualify me as an authority on the source material.

Lesson One: The Sigils in the Skies.

Throughout the ages, enchanted objects have been held in high regard.
Stories and myths abound, glorifying the existence of such strangely
flawed objects like Deeder's Lockpick, the horrifying Death Mask of
Tu'yuloa, or the unusual walking Pi'houmun. Every warrior wants an
enchanted weapon, and every mage wants to be known as an enchanter.
Not all magicians can achieve this lofty goal since most acts of
enchanting are not only magically draining, but physically draining
as well. Historically, and with the exception of the Elven arts of
Lifesculpting and some items from pre-Imperial times, only Clerics,
War Mages, and our own Guild of Moon Mages have ever managed to
create any works of note.

Each of these different Guilds has used its own means to create
valued magic items, which is no doubt linked to their uses of
different mana types. For Moon Mages, we search the skies for our
portents, and it is little different when seeking the nature of
Lundar Enchantment. Enter what we term the sigil.

The keystone of Moon Mage enchantment, sigils are pictorial
representations of the constellations, drawn to such precise
geometric exactness that they can be used to evoke the raw power of
the constellation upon which they are based. Then why cannot just
anyone with a healthy dose of artistic talent copy a constellation
and start evoking lunar magic? A sigil is, by far, more involved
than merely a drawing.

There are a few rare members of our Guild who have developed their
magical senses to such a honed level of refinement that they can
sense details about our constellations and stellar bodies. A craft
learned and jealously guarded since the years before the collapse
of the Empire, it has been invaluable to developing enchanting.
These mages have learned that the constellations are not flat, but
in fact have width, height, and depth. Imagine positioning a few
gems so that they float in the air, then walking around them; our
constellations exist in three dimensions, as do we! Luckily, those
who have been trained in the ways of Lunar Enchanting can study
the constellation or celestial body to briefly memorize its sigil.

When a sigil is placed on an item, it must be re- created accurately
on a smaller but precise scale, and it must be drawn in all three
dimensions. Obviously, this cannot be achieved with a simple quill
or pencil, which is why an Enchanter's best friend is his enchanting
burin. The burin, through the gem in its tip, allows a sigil to be
drawn both upon a target object as well as in the space around it.
Due to this, scribing a sigil is quite a difficult thing to accomp-
plish, even for those of simplest design.

The most basic sigils are called Foundation sigils and represent
a single constellation. If an enchantment is made with only one
sigil, naturally this type of creation is referred to as a Foun-
dation Enchantment, or Foundation-based. Similar to Foundation
sigils are Celestial sigils, though these types are representa-
tions of heavenly bodies such as the three moons, the sun or the
planets. They tend to be more difficult due to the foreign nature
of such objects.

Greater sigils can be made by overlaying Foundation or Celestial
sigils over one another. When two such sigils are combined, the
result is called a Conjunctive sigil. Some mages like to name the
combinations, though the practice is not widespread and owes more
to pleasantries and politics with Clerics than anything else. For
example, the constellation of the Shrew overlaid upon the sigil of
the Vulture has occasionally been referred to as "the Sigil of
Discord." The name actually means nothing, being derived from
theology and owing nothing to the nature of the sigil itself.

Yet more powerful enchantments can be made through the creation
of Trines, which are three Foundation or Celestial sigils scribed
upon one another. These have historically been named for the
creator, but this practice has fallen out of use in recent times.
Trines are among the most powerful sigil combinations and are
harnessable by only the most adept of mages, but there is an even
more potent type: Grand Squares, most commonly seen in artifacts
of devastating ability. The notorious sphere called the Deceiver
which was capable of breaking the boundaries between the Plane of
Abiding and the Plane of Probability employed no less than three
Grand Squares on each of its three components. This helps explain
why it took over five hundred years to create as mages capable of
such feats are few and far between.

Once a sigil has been successfully scribed upon an item, it must
be activated. This is done by sending a jolt of lunar magic
coursing through its design. Several common spells are handy
for this, including Unleash, Dazzle and Shadows. Let me warn
practitioners to be fairly cautious, as the choice of spell can
have a direct impact on the quality of the final enchantment.

Activated sigils must be bound to the device in question, or else
they will soon fade and flicker away as the sigil loses cohesion.

Any Moon Mage who understands the principle of basic enchanting
knowledge can do this easily enough in fashion similar to adjusting
the power levels in a runestone.

A final note about sigils -- not every combination results in a
usable enchantment, and some may even be outright detrimental!
Recall the lessons learned about the Construct of Ras'Kon and how
its heart of granite, while like the design of a Pi'houmun, nearly
destroyed half of a village when it exploded!

Lesson Two: Sigil Scrolls.

Now that we've discussed the nature of sigils, we've reached the
point where most students will quickly realize the limits to using
them. One of the biggest hurdles is the one we face when observing
any constellation -- the daytime! Sigils, being three dimensional
and therefore so much more than mere pictures, were effectively
impossible to store on parchment. Weather and timing were all-im-
portant in those days, as Enchanters relied on directly viewing the
skies to learn sigils. Overcoming this had always been something of
an enigma until the days when the Empire was on its last legs and
strife was becoming commonplace. A young Moon Mage, rather than
risk the increasing attacks from the brigands and other outlaws of
the time, managed to find the way that we still use today. By
scribing the shadow of the three-dimensional sigil, one could, with
a few mathematical conversions, store sigils on scrolls.

This opened new doors for Lunar Enchanting. Scrolls could be kept
for rainy days and studied from the safety of an indoor area. Many
even took to selling sigils to younger Moon Mages who were incapable
of learning the sigil directly from the constellation itself. Even
now, the Phelim Club occasionally meets solely to trade sigils and
enchanting tips among its members.

Unfortunately, only a single Foundation or Celestial sigil can ever
be scribed upon a scroll. More than one sigil simply tears the
scroll apart -- a testament to the power of a sigil if even the
shadow of two can destroy paper!

Lesson Three: Predictions in the Palm of Your Hand

A prime example of how sigils interact with each other is the device
known commonly as a Constellation Amulet, or Constellation Jewelry.

The name is actually a misnomer, as the enchantment can manifest
itself in forms other than decorative baubles. One mage I know from
Muspar'i seems to enjoy making them from desert stones while another
on Mer'Kresh is fond of shark teeth. This versatility proves to be
a boon, since the rich often will pay more for items that are
aesthetically pleasing to their varied senses of style despite the
fact that a "Constellation Ring" might create the same results as a
"Constellation Snail Shell."

The power of Constellation Jewelry is highly desirable. Such items
are enchanted to hold a singular yet complex matrix that, when act-
ivated, gives the user brief hints about the future. This is very
similar to the process that occurs when a Moon Mage predicts, and
such imbued devices are prized among those who do not have an
astrological advisor handy.

They are also excellent tools for the Enchanter himself. I've come
across numerous reports and historical debates about the afore-
mentioned Construct of Ras'Kon. At the center of this heated argu-
ment among scholars is whether the creator used multiple jewelries
to enhance his own abilities to a level necessary for the creation
of such a monstrosity, or if he was simply a natural utter genius.

The constellations of the Wren, Coyote, Phoenix and Owl are
all well suited for beginning a piece of Constellation Jewelry,
though scribed by themselves, they do nothing. All Constellation
Jewelry is by its nature a Conjunctive sigil -- or in some cases, a
Trine. Vigorously rubbing an incomplete piece of such jewelry can
result in any layered sigils dissipating, which is handy for those
combinations that simply don't work. If a functional Conjunctive
sigil has been scribed, rubbing will activate the sigil's astro-
logical magic.

Not all combinations create desirable results. Experimentation is
the student's friend, and I encourage the effort necessary to learn
which Conjunctive and Trine sigils do what when creating
Constellation Jewelry.

And with these lessons given, I end this first book in what I hope
will be an educational and promising series of research books.
Enchant and reach your potential!

- Enchanter Xathvier Calvaradde

Enchanting Researches, Book I (book) - Revision history

CARAAMON: moved Enchanting Researches, Book I to Enchanting Researches, Book I (book)

CARAAMON: moved Book:RxcER1 to Enchanting Researches, Book I

Maintenance script at 14:46, 3 April 2009

Maintenance script at 05:18, 1 April 2009

Maintenance script: Created page with ' Enchanting Researches, Book I by Xathvier Calvaradde, Gnomish Enchanter Prologue: It thrills me to place quill to parchment and write this treatise, enlighten...'