Magical Materials
Chapter 1 - A Primer
Artifice is, to simplify, the art of creating magical materials. This book will teach you about various magical materials and methods of crafting your own artifacts.
Magical artifacts are nearly as common as pebbles on the roadside, even moreso in Gavel. Often referred to as Relics, these items were made independently of each other...
...but tend to follow a similar structure. Magic can only be focused in certain ways, after all. Many reliquary items are outdated by today's standards, though theorists are baffled by...
...the presence of such relics in Wynn. Magically-gifted individuals were not present for hundreds of years after the deaths of the Twains.
Some surmise that other entities than humans are responsible for their creation, which is supported by the presence of large amounts of artifacts in the Time Valley and Almuj regions.
A good place to start with crafting is in the humble necklace, and for that you would need string and magical materials. Even the string is relevant to the magical crafting process, however.
Derived from processed crops, ones such as Barely, Rye, or native Wynnic crops are less effective than Gavellian crops such as Hemp.
In particular, the feathery structure of Sorghum, also known as Avo leaf, is very conducive towards the channeling of magical energy.
An exception to this rule is with the recently dubbed "Decay Root" derived from Gavellian plants sapped of their magical energy. Decay Root absorbs magic and can leave sources completely drained.
Chapter 2 - Magical Foci
Most magic items require a "focus" in order to draw out and direct their magical energies. Many items are usable as foci, but certain items have been found to be far more effective than others.
Jewels and precious stones are easy to channel magic through, and thus are often used in conjunction as basic foci. Certain gems have inclination towards specific elements...
...most often indicated by the color of the gem, but all are applicable for general purposes.
A less common type of focus is found in the form of Runes. They are a magical unknown, for all intents and purposes, with each specific rune seeming to have a different magical inclination.
Only five types of Runes have ever been found, and after a disastrous attempt at combining Runic power, horrifically powerful Rune Guardians have begun to appear in Gavel to guard them.
Due to this, the remaining stockpile of Runes continues to dwindle as they are used and sold between their holders, or hoarded by the wealthy.
Chapter 3 - Quartz
Quartz is a versatile magical material useful in nearly any magical item in some fashion.
Due to its natural ability to passively absorb magical energy, it is a phenominally [sic] applicable material for magical batteries or storage.
Magical marvels such as the electromagic generator in Llevigar are powered primarily by quartz and related materials.
However, it has its limits. While it is effective at storing energy, it can only store a finite amount.
Overloading quartz with magical energy can cause it to create magical discharge, which can overcharge nearby quartz as well, causing violent chain reactions.
Chapter 4 - Stabilizers
Magical stabilizers do as they state, stabilize magical energy. Though materials such as quartz and runes are useful, misuse can result in disaster for the user.
Thus, stabilizers are a necessity for creating safe-to-use magical items. In the past, these manifested as massive chains of quartz batteries or wasteful use of metals such as gold or silver.
Recently however, a material called Lodestone was discovered. It actively stabilizes influxes of magical energy far more efficiently than jewels or precious metals.
However, it has the side effect of leaching excess magic into the environment into a raw form. It is theorized that the presence of Lodestone in Gavel has...
...contributed heavily to the diverse flora and fauna of the region; the magic energy influenced evolution in ways that areas like Wynn have not seen.
Chapter 5 - Elemental Powders
Powders, while simple in actual structure, are often misunderstood except by enchanters and artificers.
Being made of specific blends of various items with magical ties to elements, certain powders are easier to create than others. Magical plants are easier to grind down than magical minerals, for instance.
After each item is ground to dust, enchanters purify the blend to remove extraneous aspects, leaving only the pure elemental powder in its wake.
Items more heavily attuned to a specific element will create a stronger blend of powder, but even items with the slightest connection to an element can conceivably be used to create a powder.
To apply powders to items in a refined way, one must either incorporate the mix into the base construction of an item, or utilize the energies within for an enchantment.
Merely sprinkling powders over other things will not generate any magical effects, although some artists are known to use powders to make brilliant colors of paint, strangely.
Chapter 6 - Cosmic Unknowns
Cosmic Magic is being studied presently by magical experts. There are few conclusive truths of cosmic energies, one such being that it is only found in things fallen from the sky.
The meteors and comets that have fallen are difficult to study, as not only does each color or type of fallen meteor appear to have different magical effects on its environment...
...but many types of meteor have been found to induce a creeping insanity in those exposed to it for extended periods. Three initial cosmic researchers fell prey to this effect.
Small samples and meteor shards appear generally safe, but are to be treated with the utmost care and caution. Gavellian law outlaws non-registered usage of cosmic materials.
