Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

background on amulets

Amulets are an important part of life, most adults have one. They're imbued with ritual magic to protect the bearer.

Amulets come in a wide variety of shapes and forms. Usually they're made as something that can be worn, like a ring or necklace, but sometimes they're carried or affixed, like a pommel decoration on a weapon, or a brooch. Whatever form they take what they have one thing in common, which is that they were crafted with the intent of becoming an amulet, and that they were imbued with magic through a ritual. 

Another common factor is that they're given as a gift as part of the ritual that imbues them with magic. Every amulet needs to be attuned to the person that it protects. Giving someone an amulet, or making it for a specific person who becomes attuned with it creates an arcane link with the person it attuned to. For most people this is an obscure fact, but amongst those with divine blood, or scholars of amulet lore, it's a useful aspect.

Properly attuned amulets protect the person to a similar level as those involved in the ritual. For the most part this prevents curses, geas and scrying from being effective unless the person trying to do it is capable of more powerful magic than those that completed the ritual that attuned the amulet. When it comes to those with divine blood that starts to get noticeable. For ordinary people it works most of the time. When a hero attunes someone's amulet then they tend to become immune to curses, scrying and involuntary geas until a more powerful hero becomes interested.

There are some exceptions to these rules. The adepts of Jorunn are very good at finding people, even those warded from scrying. They're equally good at stopping things being found, unless they want to be found. The general rule holds true within the adepts, but between them and those with other forms of divine blood there's a power gap in that area. This only holds true for the scrying function.

When it comes to curses something broadly similar happens. Those attuned to certain gods find that some types of curse are either easier or harder to avoid. For example fertility curses for the mother and the father, sight for Malfin, death and conflict for Meniaxter, weather for Kari and so on.

Most people in Skyss, and those they come into contact with, are aware of the general way that amulets work, although they might not know all the nuances around forms.

There are some advanced aspects of amulets that most people are completely unaware of.

Heroes can use them to communicate with anyone that has an arcane connection to them. This communication is usually tightly bound two way mental links. Only the gifter and the bearer can use it. However sometimes there's a three or even four way connection. The wider connections usually come from either shared lineage, shared construction of the amulet (often through more complex forms), and joint gifting via the ritual. In theory dozens of people could be linked together, but in practice four is seen as a limit.

For communication to work at least one of those involved must have divine blood, and any that do not need to be initiated into the mysteries of their god. Only those that can draw on divine magic are able to use their amulet to communicate with those they have an arcane connection to. Only the person with physical possession of the amulet can initiate the communication.

The most effective amulets are those in direct contact with person, and which are in a form related to both the subject and the divine branch to which it is dedicated. For example Malfin has an affinity with silver, Jorunn with things that have been lost and found, Meniaxter with weapons, Frijdodr with craft tools, etc.