The 3 Laws of Enchantments

Excerpt from Chapter 17 of Omnia Magicka
The 3 Laws of Enchantments
Gabriel Suzette the First of His Name, Royal Alchemist to the Phendorian Empire

Enchantments are a form of magic that exists for extended periods of time. Whereas most spells will use up their magical energy, enchantments will use surrounding magical energy as fuel to persist. Either by Sealing or sustainment, Enchantments can persist for hundreds if not thousands of years.

1. Sealed Magic will not grow or shrink as long as the Seal remains isolated.

Sealing is a practice in Magic that binds a specific magical effect to a host. It should be noted that although hosts normally refer to items, Magic can also be bound to locations and living creatures as well.

If we take a Wand of Fireball as an example, the framework for a Fireball spell is Sealed to the wand. This allows any user, magical or otherwise, to activate its ability to cast a Fireball spell. This is the basis of practical enchantments. Contrary to popular belief, enchanted items do not create magical energy. Magical energy will flow through an item much as it does for spellcasters (see the First Law of Magic). In order for enchantments to be used, they must be sustained by an outside source.

If Sealed properly, magic will flow through the host fuel the Enchantment, but it will not allow the Enchantment to change forms. Improper Sealing or unsealed enchantments, however, can have a variety of negative effects.

2. Unsealed and Sustained Magic will grow and change forms

Although a broken Seal will normally cause enchantments to fail and dissipate, they are still the most common cause of unintentional Enchantments in the wild. When a Seal is broken, the underlying enchantment becomes susceptible. The magical force that fuels the enchantment will cause the enchantment itself to change over time.

Again examining a Wand of Fireball, the implement will still allow Magic to flow through it. However, some of that magical energy will shape the magic that is tied to the wand itself, making the implement unstable.

From here, one could speculate on how the magic might change. It could very well be likely that the implement may start on fire. Instead of shooting fireballs, it could become a fireball itself, and continue to burn without physical damage to the implement.

3. Unsealed and Sustained Magic will shape and be shaped by its surroundings

It should be mentioned, that magic itself is not living, but merely a force that exists within our universe. However, when talking about enchantments, it is helpful to imagine Magic as being alive, as it shares some traits with living entities. It is near impossible to tell exactly how enchantments will change over time. Much like how living things will adapt to their surroundings, so will unsealed magic that is sustained. If we consider the now burning Wand of Fireballs again, we can further speculate how it may be shaped by a forest environment.

After years of burning, it’s conceivable that the eternal fireball would grow to become a full forest fire. This forest fire could grow and consume trees brush and animals using their physical forms and magical energy as fuel for the enchanted fire. Over time, what was an all-consuming fire may change its literal shape to become the form of a deer, made entirely out of the fire. This fire-deer would likely be able to move around just as a deer would, and act similarly to them.

Likewise, the environment would also become affected by the spell, evolving rapidly. It’s could be that the enchantment would leak into the trees and plants that inhabit the forest. This may have the effect of all plant life within the forest becoming incredibly resistant to flames and fire.

Evolution of Enchantments

Of course, this is only one possibility that could come from an unsealed enchantment. Although this example is extreme, it is within reason. Many Magical scholars believe that this may have been how the original Phoenix may have been created.  Any enchantment left to its own devices has many potential ways that it could evolve, even in similar environments.

 

This article is part of the RPG Blog Carnival hosted this month by Sea of Stars