Journey of the Half-Elf - Book 1

Corpaendaeus Van Sorcaeris

This compendium was last updated:

4th Degthambyr, 1194, by Gaiagan of Girsandwyn, brother of Archqueen Guinvaera of Guinvaera Manor, Former Peasant and Hero of the Mudskin Cleansing

"This book contains every spell, incantation and invocation that I currently know of. Though I wrote it myself, it truly belongs to my family: My dear sister Guinvaera; my late brother-in-law Aegrandwyn; my nephews Guingerion and Aegrivor; my nieces Aegelith, Guincelina and Guinevere; and all their future children after them.

Sorcery is the term used when referring to all three types of magic. Though I doubt it, there may be more sorceries that I do not know of. In that case, whichever one of my family members comes across this book with new knowledge, I would like you to update it.

This compendium is not to leave the Manor!

Signed,

Gaiagan

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Firstly, the clear distinction between Spells, Incantations and Invocations must be explained.

While all three terms are classed as magic, they are separate because of their meaning, how they are cast and what they achieve.

Based on what we currently believe, all magic exists by the power of Mother Gwynblaidd's immortal spirit. Without it, magic would disappear. For years, I've considered the possibility that magic may have another source, but openly discussing this is heresy. We only got the Manor in 1183, and I do not want to lose it. That view of Dwarf-land is majestic.

When She came to the Great Isle, she introduced magic to the land, sea and air. Life-force has always existed, but until Mother Gwynblaidd arrived with Father Duaderyn, the Ancient Dwarves and Humans had no way of utilising it. Without us, those weak little lambs would be lost.

Spells rely on logic and rational thinking, far more so than incantations and invocations. To cast a spell, you must be thinking clearly, and your intention must be sound.

Incantations on the other hand, require emotion, faith and controlled feeling. It goes without saying that raw, unbridled rage or sadness will achieve nothing at all due to there being no clear and coherent intention. That is why is it crucial to have just enough intelligence to maintain that necessary clarity of mind.

Finally, invocations are incredibly unique; some require a combination of feeling and thinking, others expect only one of the two, and a few demand neither.

Invocations are exactly as they sound. They revolve around using power gained through invoking certain beings, such as the Ancient Dragons, summoning them in order to grant you strength, vigor, knowledge or whatever else it is that you seek.

All beings in the world vary by power and influence; that is why every invocation is different.

Since casting an invocation is essentially just another term for partaking in communion, what the caster is doing is allowing themselves to be vulnerable to the summoned being's power. This means that during every invocation, the one being summoned may choose their own price, rather than just have the caster lose weight or have the ground at their feet dry and crack. For some invocations this may in fact be the case, but not for the rest.

In regard to aspects of existence to do with invocations - or the area beyond Order and Chaos they find themselves in - the breath of certain Elemental Dragons is one such example.

While invocations are often a sight to behold — the Zinaegriel family in the far north worships the Ancient Dragons for their majestic red lightning, but only seeks to mimic it — they are highly unpredictable.