An Apprentice's Guide to Wizardry
by Student-Apprentice Orin Vossar of the Sandstone College
Introduction
Those who wish to achieve mastery over Wizardry have a long road ahead of them. The Arcane Art is one of mystery and beauty, but also dismay and treachery. Those who wish to learn how to perform such arcane miracles will take many years to begin understanding the basics, before they can even begin on their own path as Wizards.
The purpose of this tome is to explain some of the basics, to those who may just be beginning their journey, or those who ponder on taking that first step.
Much of what may be said here will not be for everybody, but like any art or craft, one must see the basics, the foundation of how the Arcane works, before they can begin creating something of their own.
As such, let us begin by discussing the different schools of magic.
The Schools of Arcane Magic
There are eight Schools of Arcane Magic. Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy and Transmutation. Those who study the Arcane as Wizards will either aim at understanding magic as a whole, not foregoing any specific school of magic, while others may choose to become specialists in a specific school.
When one chooses to specialize in a school they will traditionally be unable to tap into an opposing school of magic, trading away versatility for a more focused approach, allowing them to more effectively use magic associated with that particular school.
Let us look briefly at each of these schools, and what those who choose to Specialize in them tend to become.
Abjuration
Abjurers are specialists in protecting themselves and others from harm, through the use of shields, barriers and other beneficial enspellments. Their unique approach to magic also allows them to block planar creatures from persisting in our reality, being capable of banishing them. Further, they are capable of dispelling magic. Broadly speaking, while the School of Abjuration lacks in almost any spells that would allow an Abjurer to cause harm, they have a multitude of ways of stopping it from happening.
Abjurers are opposed to the School of Conjuration.
Conjuration
Conjurers, sometimes also known as Summoners, are capable of calling forth different creatures from the planes. A skilled summoner won't only be able to bind a greater number of creatures to do his bidding, but also be capable of keeping them at his side for longer, compared to other arcanists.
That said, Conjuration does not focus solely on the summoning of creatures, but also has access to a plethora of spells capable of causing harm, or disrupting a wizard's enemies.
Conjurers are opposed to the School of Transmutation.
Divination
Diviners specialize in magic that allows them to see hidden creatures, foes and dangers. Capable of observing those who would be hiding, whether nearby or in distant lands. Furthermore, Diviners have a better grasp in collecting and understanding knowledge, often seen as the wisest among Wizards.
However, as one might guess, the School of Divination, similarly to the School of Abjuration, lacks almost any spells capable of doing harm. While they have many spells that can aid a Wizard, the School of Divination might not help him defeat his foes, at least not directly.
Diviners are opposed to the School of Illusion.
Enchantment
Enchanters are known for manipulating and dominating the perception and minds of others. This allows them to control an otherwise dire situation, by turning enemies against one another, or to put to slumber a mighty beast. Here too we might see few spells that can directly harm a creature, which does not leave an Enchanter helpless.
Assuming that the foe they face has a mind that can be manipulated.
Enchanters are opposed to the School of Illusion.
Evocation
The single most recognizable School from among all the Schools of the Arcane. Evokers are known for their grand displays of destruction. Whether calling forth fireballs, ice storms or casting lightning bolts that pierce through numerous foes, an Evoker is a very present and powerful threat to any who would stand in his way.
While the School of Evocation offers a great many spells that allow a Wizard to harm another, there are a scant few spells that offer anything but that. One such exception being Shelgarn Spells that uniquely allow an Evoker to animate weapons to do his bidding, if for a limited time.
Evokers are opposed to the School of Conjuration.
Illusion
While it is a bit redundant to state such, Illusionists specialize in the use of Illusions. Whether to conceal themselves or others, or to convince a foe that they have been struck by a fatal blow, the School of Illusion affects the minds of others, but unlike Enchantment can still be used, under some circumstances, against those who lack a mind.
A powerful Illusionist could create scores of copies or clones of himself, while remaining hidden and out of sight. Many Illusion spells serve a Wizard, whether to keep himself or those with him safe.
Illusionists are opposed to the School of Enchantment.
Necromancy
Necromancers are most often known for the manipulation of negative energies. It is very difficult not to associate them with animating the dead, as that is one of the most common reasons why Necromancy, as a School, is banned in most civilized lands.
While it is true that Necromancy offers more than magic that allows one to create the undead, their spells can rarely be seen in a benign light. It is why my personal recommendation is to approach the School of Necromancy with great caution, and be weary of any grand promises that Necromancers can make when it comes to studying this particular School.
Necromancers are opposed to the School of Divination.
Transmutation
Transmuters may transform themselves, or others, according to their wills. Whether to strengthen a warrior, or curse somebody into a chicken, or perhaps turn themselves into a mighty beast. Much of transmutation focuses around change, for better or worse. It's a school that can manipulate the body, or objects, in a similar fashion how Enchantment focuses on manipulating the mind.
While there are certain spells from the School of Transmutation that allow one to cause harm directly, the majority of spells aim at strengthening or weakening others.
Transmuters are opposed to the School of Conjuration.
These few words upon each School do not do them justice. Before making a decision whether one wishes to specialize in one, over another, consider their strengths and limitations. Many Wizards opt to remain as Generalists, thus not limiting their selection of spells or magic, and instead embracing the Arcane as a whole. This may, to some, make a Generalist less capable in a single School, but if one desires choice and versatility then this is the path for you.
Now let us move onto a largely unexplored topic.
The "Language" of the Arcane
A spell normally requires two things in order to be cast. A verbal component as well as a Somatic one. In some cases an appropriate Reagent may also be used, but this differs between spells.
If one ever witnessed a Wizard cast his magic he would both utter the spell and perform a series of hand gestures, after which the spell would be cast.
It is important to note however that the gestures and words are not a random jumble of vowels or motions. There exists something that could be broadly called the Arcane Language.
Unlike a traditional language however it is not something that is typically used for record keeping or communication. Instead it is the means by which spells of many different forms can be cast.
An Arcane Scroll typically describes what manner of gestures and words have to be spoken in order to cast a spell, but only those who have studied the Arcane as a Wizard can comprehend and copy it. One of the first things an Apprentice will attempt to learn is this "Language".
There does exist an alphabet for it, as such, and there is a parallel alphabet of hand gestures to go alongside it, and while some such examples I will list below, simply understanding how to pronounce individual "letters" or how to perform a singular gesture will not be enough to successful cast a spell.
The reason why I call it a language is because if you were to read out a sentence in a tongue you have not learned, and you were even given the alphabet and how to pronounce each individual letter, you would not be able to pronounce even a single word correctly.
This is why simply offering a full Alphabet of "letters" and "gestures" means little, as one has to learn how to "read" and "speak" a language before they can communicate with it, understand it.
From these "letters" you must learn to form words and sentences. Then one must learn how to move from one gesture to another fluently. Through the combination of these two things can a spell be cast.
And the more skilled you become in the use of this language, the greater the feats you can achieve. A child may learn to read and write, but a writer, a poet, a troubadour, masters the language to create something unique and beautiful.
This also brings me to the matter that certain Wizards master the art of casting their magic without the need for verbal or somatic components. This however is a demanding art, and few ever truly perfect it, though it does allow some to cast their magic in unusual circumstances, such as when their hands would be bound, or when for one reason or another they are silenced and unable to speak.
See below a few examples of Arcane runes and hand gestures.
[What would follow would be a few individual runes and sketches of hand gestures, showing examples of the above mentioned "Arcane Language"]
When one finally learns the Arcane Language it is the time one can begin learning magic on their own. But, simple learning the Language is barely enough. One must practice and continue to use it, so that it does not dull or is forgotten.
Yet, the Arcane is not a simple thing, and while one might learn the basics of what is needed to cast spells there may exist phrases, runes or gestures that could be considered ancient and forgotten.
This is also omitting the occasional need for specific reagents or means to cast certain spells. For example, the need for a scrying focus when attempting to Scry, or of reagents needed to summon certain being into our world.
And while finding a scroll describing such an ancient spell may be a boon an unskilled wizard may not be capable of replicating it, which brings us to our next topic.
Scrolls, Wands and Spell books
The staple of any Wizard is his Spell book. It acts as your Thesaurus to the Arcane Language. Spells that you collect, discover or learn you ought write down within it, so that you may use them for your own reference, to repeat and copy them yourself. A Wizard's spell book is his most prized possession, and losing one may make it difficult if not impossible to replace.
Arcane Scrolls will typically describe the spell written upon them, allowing a Wizard of sufficient skill to replicate it, yet even if a wizard does not fully know how to cast a spell himself he can usually use even an ounce of his skill to unleash the spell stored upon a scroll.
The magical ink that is typically used to create such a scroll is like a powder keg that a Wizard can light. To others it might simply be a piece of parchment, but to a wizard it is a tool, or a piece of knowledge.
The magic stored on the scroll, ready to be unleashed, just needs the right trigger, and when that occurs all the magic stored within is released, destroying the scroll in the process.
The difference between a scroll and a wand is that a wand keeps the raw energy of the spell stored within itself, while a scroll is like a spell that will cast itself.
Because of their study of the Arcane Language, any Wizard is capable of recording their own scrolls. Yet it takes a degree of skill and mastery to create wands. It is also a very expensive and difficult process, especially in the case of more powerful spells. Even then the stored spell will typically be weaker than what a wizard would be capable of casting himself.
To some there is still a benefit in creating wands, as they allow the stored magic upon the wand to be cast again, and again, in rapid succession, and it is typically also faster than trying to unfurl and activate a scroll.
However, one cannot learn magic from a Wand, and a scroll is required for a Wizard to add a new spell to their spell book.
Raw Arcanum and Casting Magic
You may now understand that in order to cast a spell one needs to know how to utter it and what gestures must come with it. Then, they must learn what a spell actually requires to be cast. But even with all of this knowledge presented before you one cannot cast the same spell indefinitely.
The Theory of Raw Arcanum is that a Wizard has a limited capacity of how many spells they can cast before they are depleted, unable to use more magic.
An apprentice may be limited in what they are capable of casting, and it is related to their own skill and understanding of the Arcane.
That said, there exist in the world objects that allow one to tap into more Raw Arcanum, allowing them to cast more magic, where others might be unable to.
These may be pieces of clothing, ancient relics or artifacts, foci or something as simple as a stave created from the right material. Some objects may be saturated with magic, while others allow a Wizard to focus more, thus be able to draw upon more magic.
This is where the clearest difference between specialist and generalist wizards may be seen. A specialist can typically only prepare very specific spells, in order to be cast, while a Generalist may use his deeper understanding of the Arcane as a whole to restore some of his magic, delving deeper into the Raw Arcanum, to cast more spells.
Here too, those who would seek to gather objects with the Aspect of the Apprentice may find themselves capable of replenishing their supply of Arcanum, at a slow rate, allowing them to cast far more magic than what any other wizard is capable of casting.
It ought be also noted that most wizards have access to a very shallow and near endless pool of said Arcanum, which is what allows them to cast and recast cantrips endlessly. Cantrips usually consume so little Arcanum that it does not restrict their other spellcasting, and even when nothing else is available, any Wizard is at least capable of casting these most basic spells.
The Journey from Apprentice to Wizard
The main reason why Wizards take on Apprentices is to pass on the basics of magic to those who may grasp these complicated notions. Understanding the core, the basics, of casting magic is but one facet of Wizardry. The Arcane Language is something that takes a long time to perfect, even to the most gifted of students, as a single slip or mistake can make a spell fail or misfire.
More powerful and proficient Wizards may have spent decades perfecting the Arcane, and such knowledge comes with a price. There is a reason we often imagine Wizards as hermits, living secluded in their towers. The privacy and environment of their home allows them to continue their studies unhindered. Even with an Apprentice present, they might seem dismissive and unable to truly communicate as an ordinary man would.
Yet, if one thinks this is unusual, many masters of artistic crafts may seem equally hermit-like and distant. Remaining in their workshops, working upon their works of art. Apprentices who join them may witness their masters crafting these creations while unable to yet fully grasp as to the method.
But those who are willing to be patient with their teachers, heed what wisdom and knowledge they share, and most importantly, do a lot of self-study may break out of the mould and graduate from mere apprentices to real wizards.
Yet, even as I write this, I never felt I left being an Apprentice, even after my teacher sent me out into the world. The Arcane is vast and complicated topic, that very few may ever fully grasp in their lifetimes. Especially here, in the Ash desert where the Ancient clashes with the Modern, so too can one suddenly learn of magic so mysterious and incomprehensible that even somebody whom we view as a Master may not fully understand it.
Closing Remarks
There is still much that I could not touch upon in this book. Alchemy, brewing of potions, arcane rituals, but many of these topics are things that Wizards tend to embark out to, or learn on their own. Not everybody wizard is a potion brewer, not every one trains with alchemy or herbalism, and while many dream of performing great and powerful rituals, it is a complicated topic that could not be simply stuffed or added into such an introduction to the Arcane.
If you are certain that you wish to follow this path, to try and become a Wizard, the first step to take would be to find a Wizard willing to teach you these basics. It is exceedingly rare, if not impossible, for one to learn all of this on their own. And many times over you have to prove your ability for learning and curiosity in order to persuade a wizard of your worth. And all the while, aside from the learning, you will have to act as a wizard's helper and assistant, often doing gruelling and unrelated work for him, some perhaps expecting to be paid for their time teaching you.
But at the very end of it all, after many years, you may be able to claim the title of Wizard.