Fundamentals of Abjuration

Abjuration is the ancient elven study of the astral plane and its effects upon the material. Being one of the most powerful arts in the universe, it is ironic how little is truly known of it. Thinking themselves infallible, Imperial scholars have invented this system for making sense of the many disparate texts, artifacts and more recovered from the elven ruins:

Abjuration, supposedly, is the channeling of energy from the astral plane through the sun or the moon, which the elves, supposedly, believed acted as portals to the astral plane: a field of pure energy that anyone could harness with the proper knowledge and energy. Out of this philosophy came two major schools of abjuration:

Solar Abjuration

The power of Solar Abjuration contains a duality, that of fire's death and life. Unlike learning both Solar and Lunar Abjuration, trying to learn both properties of Solar Abjuration isn't impossible in theory, but nobody so far has managed to use healing outside of artifacts and temporary scrolls. Sadly, the techniques to do so have simply been lost to time. As for death, fire's dangerous qualities have been very well mastered by the Imperial Abjurers of Caleia, and used extensively for that matter. Sadly, the path of the healer is not the most common, at least not for those seeking mastery. Sol's flames have been invoking by many in the name of destruction and destruction is what they have brought, first and foremost to the enemies of Caleia.

Lunar Abjuration

The power of Lunar Abjuration, just like Solar, contains a duality of life and death. Once again, learning both is rare and nobody has learned how to harness life on their own, but it should be possible. So, most who devote their studies to this path do so not to bring life, as the practice of necromancy is taboo and highly illegal under Imperial law, but to bring death through manipulating water and ice. Oddly enough, many Elven texts speak of another ability: the manipulation of air, wind and thunder. Some rare spell scrolls and artifacts exist on this matter, but just like with healing: nobody has managed to perform any spell like this on their own. It's a controversial topic among scholars whether these supposed wind powers should be classified as lunar or solar. Some radicals even say the notion of healing should be reconsidered as well, given the apparent lack of distinction between lunar and solar forms of healing in elven texts.

Astral Abjuration

As if these mysteries weren't enough, one more has arisen: Elven texts constantly make note of essential motions: That what is infused with solar always tends to rise, like hot air and what is infused with lunar always tends to fall, like water. But many sources excessively denote the existence of a fifth: circular motion. If upwards and downwards motion have each been aligned with a school of abjuration, then given the importance of circular motion in elven texts, some scholars claim that a third, previously unknown school of abjuration must exist. Scholars refer to this tentative third school as Astral Abjuration and it is a contentious subject among them, as many decry its existence as complete nonsense. Not a single spell scroll or artifact that deals with this theoretical school has ever been found.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane

Since the true ways of casting abjuration have been lost to time, currently the two predominant methods are to use leftover Elven artifacts or to use a fuel, such as the rare and prized Hallownite crystals. Both Solar and Lunar abjuration have a source, the primary celestial object that their abjuration is based upon and draws its energy from (the sun or the moon). An Abjurer can only really be a practitioner of and attune to one of these schools. As for the practice itself, apprentices mostly learn from other Abjurers and academic texts, most of whom are found in Imperial academies and universities. The process of using abjuration can become physically exhausting the more it is used and on top of this, the abjuration itself will grow very weak when its Source (the sun or the moon) isn’t present in the sky.