Arcane Binds

An Arcane Bind is a magical connection forged between two points, each can be either a magical object/enchantment or a mage, with the intent of supplying magical energy between the two.

Effect

The main purpose of a Magical Bind is to provide a caster with magical energy from a more powerful source. This allows less powerful battlemages to temporarily be granted higher power while more powerful ones are unable to reach a battlefield quickly. It also allows sustainable enchantments by maintaining a constant backup of magical energy. It allows for higher specialisation through some mages focusing research efforts on casting, while others focus their efforts on drawing magic from surroundings.
It also gives a link that is instantly effective no matter the distance (so long as neither part of the connection are effected by Nullifiers. While attempts have been made to use this property to communicate, the effect of such endeavors are unpredictable. What is far more reliable, however, is the ability for a mage at one end of the connection to instantly learn of the death or destruction of the thing at the other end. This can often be used to assume attacks - if the resident mage of an outpost is killed, that is a sign that the outpost is likely lost. In the Syndalan Empire, the execution of slaves have been used to send signals across the nation.
Arcane Binds are crucial for entities with artificial souls, as they cannot draw magical energy naturally, which they need both for spellcasting and for consciousness. This is used again in the Syndalan Empire in Curi, the royal guard of the empire made from artificial souls bound to embalmed corpses.

Discovery

Use of Arcane Binds date back to the Cordaint Empire, in which a group of mages powerful at drawing magic but too old or injured to go to battle could take refuge at cities while their younger counterparts fought on the front lines.
Arcane Binds were also often utilised in being placed upon high-value individuals such as the Cordaintine Marca, the head of the military, and several members of the Cordaintine Senate, so that any news of their death was instant and could be quickly spread.

Material Components

The only necessary components of an Arcane Bind is a Spellcaster and a Source. The Spellcaster is typically a mage, but can also be an enchantment that uses magical energy to cast spells. The Source can be a mage of higher capacity to draw magic, but can also be an enchantment affixed to part of a Mana Capture Array. Mana Capture Arrays will sometimes accept currency in exchange for allowing a client to draw power from the array, a practice often utilised in Merio Magic Academy, one of the most efficient mana capture arrays in the world, second only to the natural array of Staema Alera.

Related School

Bond Manipulation (Enchantment)

Effect Casting Time

Up to two hours

Applied Restriction

Arcane Binds are complex to cast and to remove, making skill a huge restriction on the availability of arcane binds. This difficulty in removal makes the placement of a bind between two people considered a very significant decision not to be taken lightly, as it would result in the caster constantly taking from the source's casting ability until the bind is removed or one of the two dies. Both mages are also required to be present in the same place to remove it, which might be difficult to arrange on short notice.