After working through a couple individual spells, Ezrin begins to lecture Ethelred daily on magic.
“We should start from the beginning, I have been trying to reconstruct the initial teachings I was given. Some of it will be tedious or maybe even repetitive, I’m sorry, but I believe it will give you the necessary foundations required by the Collegium and for your own, and all our safety.
Let us begin with the Basics of Invocations, Rituals and Workings.
All magical rituals, invocations, workings or spells, are epiphemomena emergent from the alignment of phenomena and noumena. Thought made real. The precise replication in reality and in the mind of the correct gestures, sounds, and materials, when combined into the applicable weave-matrix patterns, are charged with energy from the relevant Warren, Warrens and or Weave-elements.
This pattern-matching of gestures, intonations, and visualization of the sigaldric formalae is what we study when we memorize a spell, in addition to the local adaptations required to take into account astrological alignments and influences, and any other locally variable pheonomena.
When properly and precisely uttered or gestured, while mentally recalled, the correct arcane invocations combined with the correct material foci, create an arcane entanglement and then a release of this energy from the weave matrix, which in turn triggers a set reaction. The release of the energy contained in these words, and gestures is what causes the spell to be forgotten or the inscribed sigils disappear from the surface upon which they are written.
The triggering action draws power from one or more Warrens. Whether the spell is an abjuration, conjuration, alteration, enchantment, or whatever, there is a flow of energy — first from the spell caster, then from some warren to the area magicked or enspelled by the caster. The energy flow is not from the caster per se, but in the cases of vocal intonations, it is from the utterance of the sounds themselves, each of which is charged with entangled audiosymbolic energy which is loosed when the proper formula and ritual is completed with their utterance and demonstration. This power then taps the referenced warren or warrens (in some cases whether or not the spell user has any idea of what it is) to cause the arcane entanglement to function.
Many spells also require somatic motions in conjunction with words. The spoken words trigger the release of the magical energy, and the hand movements are usually required in order to control and specify the direction, target, area, etc. of the spell effects.
Materials are often but not always required. In general, the material requirements are shaped by the Principle of Similaritiy. Fireflies and Light for example. In the case of more powerful spells, certain common components become necessary. Gems, crystals, silver, gold, pearls, and so on. Some say these items are necessary to properly channel the energies, some say they a required sacrifice, and others maintain that they contain power that is amplified and consumed. Either way, in the common vocabulary suggest ‘materials’ are consumed, and some items are used as a focus.
When spell energy Is released, it usually flows to a given warren to reality. To replace It, something must flow back in reverse. The dissolution and destruction of material components provides the energy that balances out this flow, through the Principle of Similarity. Sometimes this destruction is very slow. Some say that those spells without apparent material components are actually utilizing the air exhaled by the magic-user in the utterance of the spell.
When performed properly, with the correct sigils, gestures and materials, the release of stored Warren energy is not usually particularly debilitating to the spell caster, as he or she has ensured the correct conduits and protections are in place through the proper use of the correct sigils, gestures and materials. As long as the incantations and rituals are done correctly and accurately, the power comes from outside the spell caster, not from his or her own vital essence. The power to activate even a simple and relatively weak spell would leave a spell caster weak and shaking if it were drawn from his or her personal energy, and a powerful spell would most certainly totally drain the caster’s body of life!
It cannot be emphasized enough that because spells utilize arcane energies from Warrens of Power tested methods always be used. Any improper casting is likely to cause the arcane entanglement to malfunction dangerously, create intransitive oscillations of the Weave, and unleash eldritch abominations. The Principal of Similarity is called the First Principle of Corruption by some. Careful attention must be applied to using the correct sigils, symbols, gestures, and materials, lest the caster be harmed, or worse yet, the caster may unleash unknown horrors upon the world.