Symbology

Symbology is a method of spellcasting that uses a system of arcane symbols, which are said to be discovered through exploration and meditation on the world of Stechtis. Anyone with sufficient time and resources to devote themselves to the study of such symbols can theoretically cast using symbology - including the vast majority who are not able to visit Stechtis themselves - but in practice, the years of education required serve as a limitation. Accomplished casters are generally referred to as "symbologists".

Each symbol is associated with a specific object or quality. It is said that new symbols can only be discovered by visiting Stechtis, a world where all objects - including those carried there by visitors - are said to be suffused with their symbols. To see these symbols, a visitor to Stechtis must be trained and equipped as a searcher, and then spend a significant amount of time contemplating an object and its variations without distractions. Simple or generic versions of symbols are easier to discover and are generally better known. Symbols are not considered to have their own inherent names: each symbologist or school will tend to refer to a symbol using the word for the equivalent concept in their own language. Traditionally, searchers who gain first-hand knowledge of symbols will publish their memories of the process in scholarly accounts, and other practitioners who compare multiple accounts will generally be able to gain sufficient second-hand knowledge to cast with the symbol. Basic symbols are those which have been independently discovered enough times to have a substantial body of literature connected to them, which makes it easier for novices to conduct the research necessary to understand every facet of them. Advanced symbols, with more limited attestation in the scholarly literature, require access to more exclusive libraries or places of learning and a greater degree of competence and confidence on the part of the practitioner.

In order to use a symbol, the caster must first understand the symbol in its entirety. Symbologists must learn, not only how to produce a symbol and the associated effects, but also the history and process of its discovery, and often a significant amount of theoretical background about the formation and importance of the object itself. For instance, a symbologist wishing to use the symbol for Gold must have an adequate knowledge of the production and importance of gold in different cultures and economies.

Casting with symbols is not a split-second process, and requires concentration on all through facets at the same time: memory and understanding of the symbol and its combinations, visualisation of the effect, and the enactment of an inscription with strokes in the correct order without being able to actually see the strokes which have come before. The difficulty of this process means that the chance of failure is high for inexperienced symbologists or those who cannot multitask and hold their nerve in high-stress situations, and although sometimes failure is as simple as the spell fizzling, often a failed spell has potent negative effects for the caster. Success depends both on the symbologist's intelligence and on their familiarity with the exact symbols and combinations they are using.

Execution

Once a symbologist has obtained full knowledge and understanding of a symbol, or a set of symbols which they wish to combine into a spell, they are ready to execute a casting. To do so, the symbologist must visualise their intended effect, by looking at the world as it is and imagining the world as they wish it to be as a result of the spell. Such visualisation is generally only possible for those who have seen similar spells cast using the same symbols, and who therefore know what can be expected.

Next, the symbologist must perform the action of inscribing the requisite symbols in the air or on a surface (without actually using a blade or ink), and simultaneously visualise a sheet of paper on which the symbols appear. The visualisation of the direct effects of an action taken in reality creates a link between the symbologist's imagination and the world around them, which is necessary for the previously visualised spell effect to take place.

Components and tools

Other than the textbooks required to first learn a symbol, casting with symbols requires no material components. Novice casters will often prepare the rough outline of an inscription on a piece of paper before casting, to make it easier to keep their place, but it is essential that the caster does not actually write out the inscription, or there will be no visualisation taking place.