The Mechanics of Magicka

hrough the course of study, to exert his mind in order to align the magical energies within himself to certain effects. He knows the technique of mental exertion, but teachers of Magic often fail to teach their students just what happens once the energy begins to flow.

The body has physical energy, but the mind also sports but the mind also sports its own source of energy. The body derives its energy from food, but the energy of the mind is magicka. By exerting his mind and thoughts, a mage can manipulate magicka to his purposes. This is why the use of spells leaves a mage feeling drained mentally, and why too many castings can effect thought processes negatively.

Magicka is present in the world around us, and our souls act as magnets, drawing it in. The soul in this way recharges magicka contained within the body over time, though those born under the sign of the Atronach suffer a failure in this regenerative process.

Theories abound as to how magicka manifests itself within Mundus, and none of them has yet been proven true. What is stated here is based on the Thread Theory of Magicka.

Throughout the world, magicka manifests itself as threads of energy that are woven and wrapped around one another without purpose and with constantly-changing patterns. Souls attempt to give partial organization to these threads of magicka and thereby contain them within the body. The casting of a spell consists of focusing and weaving the threads of magicka contained within the body into a patterned weave that will create a desired effect. This can be considered the origin for the term spell-weaving. The complexity of the weave and pattern determines not only the effect but how that effect manifests itself.

This volume intends to explain the multitude of effects inherent within magicka, and how these effects are utilized. A reader will fail to find within a detailed weaving instruction or a pattern chart, for the patterns and weaves needed to receive a desired effect are known to vary between mages. A student must experiment to discover what works for him.

There are five different attributes of a spell; each attribute determining how the spell is cast and how its effect manifests itself. There are advantages and disadvantages inherent in each.

TARGET 
The mage gathers the magicka within his body, forcing it out typically through his hand. Before doing so however, he would have to manipulate the magical threads in the environment around himself to create a sort of focused freeway upon which his magical spell could ride forward. This focused threaded pathway also holds the spell together on its journey. Because this type of spell requires manipulation of both the magicka within the mage and the magicka of the environment, it is more complex.

TOUCH 
Touch Magic is the simplest type of spell, as it requires concentration to form   magicka within the mage, but is then released from the body in some manner that is haphazard, the magical threads of the spell quickly unravelling as they travel and creating a fogging spray of magic that lasts only a short distance.

SELF 
Casting on oneself is the second simplest of magical castings, as it requires one simply to focus the magical energies innately present within the body to act upon the body. Some mages are skilled enough that they simply redirect their magicka throughout their body with nearly no sign of the spell externally, but this shows immense control of the threads of magicka within the body. Instead, it is often easier for a mage to focus their magicka into their hand like all other spells, and then direct their magicka from their hand to another area of their body, or to their whole body.

AREA 
Casting an Area effect spell is rather difficult, as it is hard to hold spell cohesion and effect over a large area. Most spells work by being cast in the same manner as a Target spell, but with an added effect of spraying the magical energy out after impact. The magical spray's size and strength is dependent on how much magicka was placed in the spell and how well the spell was organized. By weaving the threads of the spell in an intricate pattern and condensing the weaving into a smaller sphere, the spell could be projected like a common Target spell. When the spell impacts, the condensed weaving is unraveled, expanding at a high rate of speed and affecting the area around the impact.

Frost spells are the most commonly fogged spells, as they are easiest to fog. The caster does the usual condensed weaving area style, but upon release of the condensed weave the spell will unravel and spread rapidly. Because of the Principle of a Frost spell - explained later in this volume - the spell can spread further than other spells, which creates the fogging effect.

DURATION 
Duration of a spell is fundamental in its usefulness. A restorative spell over time can heal slowly and near naturally, while a harmful spell could curse an opponent for years. What lends to the duration of any spell is dependent on certain factors. The strength and organization of the weaves of the magical threads, and the level of magical power placed within those threads, can lengthen the duration of a spell. As such, spells with longer than an instant duration consume more magicka to cast efficiently.

Two other means of attaining magical effects include Enchanting and Alchemy.

ALCHEMY 
All matter has magicka innate within it, and in some matter this magicka focuses itself through natural means and giving a magical effect. The most common effect in alchemy is reached through Wortcraft or consumption of the ingredient. The grinding of the teeth against the ingredient releases the threads of magicka within it, which grant the primary effect of the ingredient to the eater.

The majority of matter holds within it four magical effects: a primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary effect. The primary is the weakest and easiest to release, the quaternary is the hardest. Through the refinement and purification of ingredients and solutions with Alchemical tools, one can gain access to the magical threads bound deeper within the matter without magical exertion from the alchemist.

ENCHANTING 
Enchanting an object is a process often mentioned in legends and tales, and probably second only to healing in its prolific existence in the common mind. But again, the masses fail to understand the art. Magical threads of energy are bound to an object, the threads being aligned and woven in a certain way to obtain a certain effect, as any spell would be. The magical energy bound can come from the enchanter directly though this is amazingly taxing - or from the more common means of soul gems filled with entrapped souls. The magical energy of the soul is manipulated and woven into the desired spell effect, and the soul is linked to the object to be enchanted. Any spellcaster knows that a spell cast drains the soul of magical energy, but that the soul can, over time, restore the lost magicka. The principle is the same for enchanted items. The soul linked to the item is consumed as the effect of the item is used, but over time the soul can regenerate: or in some enchanting methods a new soul is filtered to the item from a soul gem, and the soul being filtered is disassembled into pure magicka before being consumed by the existing soul (the soul originally used to enchant) and therefore replenishing the enchantment's power.

DESTRUCTION

Destruction is the magical school of offense, focusing mostly on damaging the target, and manipulates the laws of nature to reap destructive ends. It is a highly suggested school for starter mages, as the elemental magicks are simple to grasp and useful in self-defense.

FIRE DAMAGE 
Fire is the most versatile of the elements, as even in nature it is easily created. The caster focuses their magicka into the air around them, forcing the magicka to increase the temperature of the air before that same magicka becomes fuel for the flames, igniting in the high heat and becoming fire. The fire will feed from a magical source - the caster. Even in the laws of nature it is easy to increase the temperature of something but harder to maintain that increase. A simple and instantaneous fire spell costs little magical exertion and focus to create, but maintaining the spell is more difficult. Though easy to create, the fire can easily dissipate when focus decreases. It lends itself well to Area of Effect spell castings, though the duration of the effect is often small.

Fire also sports potential outside of doing harm. A mage who lacks skill in Illusion can call forth a ball of fire to his palm to give light in times of darkness. Though difficult to do correctly, one could theoretically use fire to cauterize a bleeding wound, stopping the bleeding. A few have even tried to make weapons from pure fire, but have yet to succeed. And -though extremely taxing to the caster- if their fire was hot enough, it might possibly melt enemy weaponry.

SHOCK DAMAGE 
Shock is the most unpredictable and deadly of the elements, both in nature and in magic. The caster spreads forth his magical energies, exciting the air around him into an electrically charged state. By focusing this electrically charged magicka and air in any direction, one creates a bolt of electrical energy that follows the threads of magicka. The magicka takes on the attribute of the element, however, and is often attracted to metallic objects. This property of electricity, along with the desire to connect with the ground, and the speed of lightning in nature, make this magical elemental the most deadly to friend and foe, and the best for long-range casting battles. It is also the easiest to lend to an area of effect, as the lightning can arc wildly around the impacted area with little magical aid. However, these natural attributes of lightning only take effect once magicka has ceased to guide the spell: Namely, when the spell reaches the target. This is the reason for why a bolt of lightning will not disperse to the ground or metal nearby until after the impact, producing the cloud of sparks witnessed on striking.

The natural properties of electricity might also lend itself to further usefulness outside of causing direct damage. The possibilities have yet to be fully studied or widely tested.

FROST DAMAGE 
The caster does opposite of Fire casting when utilizing frost. By exerting magical threads of energy into the air around him, he drops the temperature of the air, making it frosty and cold. By nature, it is easier to maintain a temperature drop than a temperature increase, and so the cold magical energy requires less magical exertion to hold for longer periods of time. This property lends the element to easy fogging Area of Effect spells, as the cold air caused by the magic in turn makes the air around it cold, and the frost spreads in a foggy cloud throughout the area. If the caster wishes to control the areas affected by the frost, he can contain and weave the threads of magicka as such, but unlike Fire, Frost naturally lends itself to spreading slowly and steadily throughout an area, and is much easier to fog.

Though still only theory, there are some who believe a mage could successfully fashion a weapon with frost magic under proper conditions. While an instant weapon of ice is useful to those mages lacking Conjuration skill, it would probably be difficult to keep frozen, and would be fragile. Frost magic has often been used, however, to simply cool a warm drink.

POISON DAMAGE 
This is a class of Destruction spell not like the elemental varieties. These spells seek to replicate the effects of natural poisons found in plants and animals, the magicka transforming itself into a poison, rather than a fire or snowflake. This foggy cloud of poison can be sprayed, having acidic effects. But through touch spells the magicka can be transformed into poison within the target body. Damage from this class of magical spell requires healing.

MAGICAL DAMAGE 
There are other ways to inflict damage besides utilization of the elements. The caster focuses threads of magical energy to the target. This magical energy then works to harm the target, the method of which depends on the effect desired. The majority of magical damages work by increasing the activity of bodily functions that harm, rather than help, the body: One example is by causing an increasing fatigue within the muscles of the body, by draining them of energy. If focused into the legs alone, this could lower the target's speed and agility considerably. By causing muscles to degenerate, the target's strength could be reduced. One's own health could be harmed by causing increased bleeding in wounds and increasing degeneration of the wounded area. Often the effects are permanent without some form of healing aid, be it Restoration magic or the body's own regenerative healing. Often, it is this form of Destruction magic that is most deadly when given duration, as it can curse and plague a target for long periods of time.

DRAINING 
Similar to Magical Damage, the spell itself is woven more quickly and with less overall need for concentration than the Magical Damage spells, and this aspect is what gives them their draining classification. They damage the target for a time, but once the magicka wears off, the effect is reversed as the spell falls apart. The reason lies in the fact that the spell is not as thoroughly made as a Damage spell is, and therefore the damage caused by the spell can only exist so long as the magicka fueling the damage exists. When the magicka of the spell wears out, the damage can no longer be sustained and fades away.

DISINTEGRATION 
One skilled in the art of Destruction can corrode away matter, in a way not dissimilar to the corroding of tissues of the body in effect. A basic knowledge of the material to disintegrate is helpful in strengthening the power of the spell effect, though not needed. The caster weaves the spell, directing it at the object in question. As the spell unfolds and the effect takes place, the magicka grasps the material and slowly takes it away in sections as the spell disperses, resulting in the object corroding and/or turning entirely to vapor. This is most commonly used against armors and weaponry, though an experimenting student should not limit themselves to those materials alone.

WEAKNESSES 
Destruction magic may seem straight-forward on the focus of damaging, but there is a strategic aspect. That is displayed in the Weakening spells, which do not damage directly like the other Destruction spells. Instead, the caster uses the spell to alter how the target's body reacts to magic and the elements, making spell effects more potent as the body has a worse reaction to the magicka. Weakness also makes the effects of poisons and diseases more potent.

RESTORATION

Restoration is the most commonly used and known magical school, appearing at least once in every story involving magical exploits. This school is the complement to the School of Destruction, focusing on creation and maintenance rather than destruction. Many of the spells in the two schools are closely linked, and as such many mages know spells from both schools.

RESTORING 
Restoring of the body is the most common and widely used form of magic, known even amongst many laymen and lesser educated. However, this class of spell is also one of the least understood, and many of its practitioners are not highly skilled as a result. A general requirement is a basic knowledge of the target's body, though greater knowledge will result in greater spell capabilities. By focusing their magicka into the target, the caster can speed up the natural regenerative processes of the body to unnatural degrees, halting bleeding and sealing open wounds in mere minutes. The caster can also restore energy to the fatigued, focusing their magic into the body of the target. The magicka will change itself to mimic the natural energy of the body, substituting as energy for the body until energy is naturally regained by the body's natural functions.

SPECIALIZED RESTORATION 
Sometimes, just spreading the spellweave into the target is not sufficient enough for the purpose of healing or revitalizing. In such cases including severe wounds and fainting, the caster must use more focus in their casting, weaving the threads of magicka tighter, resulting in a greater concentration of energy over a surface area. This results in a far more condensed and concentrated effect, the magic effects focusing purely on the one section of the body. Wounds heal faster and more thoroughly then average restorative castings when the magic is concentrated to such a degree, and energy can be regenerating to the target to a far more effective extent. Also, these specialized spells can be used to undo the destructive magical effects of the School of Destruction. By focusing the magicka threads to the affected area of the body, say the legs, a caster could restore hampered mobility.

FORTIFICATION 
Fortification spells, in conjunction with Absorption spells, work as the offensively capable spells of this School. By weaving threads of magicka in a manner relative to restoring spells, the caster can create a spell that will restore an aspect of the body beyond normal conditions. A caster can increase their muscle tone throughout their body to increase their strength, or focus the musculature to their legs for increased mobility and/or jumping ability. By focusing their magicka to the head, the caster can actually increase the mental capacity of the target, temporarily raising intelligence and possibly even the target's willpower as well. The effects are temporary, though with focus and power the effect can last for a long time. These spells are literally exact opposites of Destruction Draining and Weakening spells.

ABSORBING 
The second class of possibly offensive restorative spells, Absorption was originally classified in the School of Mysticism. However, with further study it was determined that the spells of Absorption had much in common with Restorative magic, and so it has recently been recategorized. Absorption requires the caster to weave threads of magicka into a channel, linking the bodies of the caster and target into one magical being. Depending on the spell, certain aspects of the target's body will begin to wear away, in a fashion similar to Destruction Damage spells. But the difference arises in the fact that the lost life energy of the target is forced through the magical conduit, and then tuned by the caster to fortify attributes of his own body. This leaves the opponent weakened and the mage strengthened. The absorption is not permanent, however: it lasts only as long as the caster can maintain a grasp on the magical energies taken from his target, and then returns to the target when the caster has lost focus and control. This aspect of the spell lends it to being more related to Drain spells than Damage spells, even though both use mechanisms similar to Damage spells.

One interesting note is the fact that the Absorption of Health, Magicka, and Energy are permanent. These aspects of the body will not be restored to the target when the Absorb spell wears away. One can only surmise that this interesting effect stems from the fact that the health, energy, and magicka of the target are manipulated and changed in order to be accepted by the caster's body, which therefore cuts off the last remaining link between the target and their energy, magicka, or health.

RESISTANCES 
An opposite to the Weakness spells of Destruction, a caster of a Resistance spell seeks to alter the manner in which the physical body reacts to the elements and magic, making their effects far less potent on the flesh. This does sport a negative effect, however, if used. The target becomes resistant indiscriminately; if the caster tries to heal the target of a Resist Magic spell, the healing magic will not be as effective. Unlike other Restoration spells, Resistance does not seek to undo damage, but prevent it.

CURING 
The art of magical curing of illness and poison is an art prized by all mortals. By focusing threads of magicka into the target's bloodstream, the caster seeks to root out and eliminate the presence of foreign objects. Cure spells work in a manner similar to Fortification spells, in that the caster's magicka fortifies the body's natural disease and poison combating mechanisms, increasing its strength and effectiveness and speeding up the recovery process. While most diseases only need a generic spell to be expelled from the target, some more stubborn diseases require knowledge of the disease and its unique aspects. The now-eradicated Blight diseases of Morrowind, for example, could not be cured through a common disease curing spell.

A NOTE ON THE ATTRIBUTE OF LUCK: The attribute of Luck is, one might notice, not mentioned in the sections of Absorb, Fortify, Drain, Restore, and Damage. The reason for this terrible oversight is that Luck is an uncertain thing. We know not its total purpose in this world, or how it manifests within the body. It is therefore better to focus Luck in its own section, rather than in each individual spell that manipulates it.

Luck seems to be more tied into one's fate than one's body, and many claim Luck has a marginal effect on everything one seeks to perform. How much of an effect is uncertain. One can surmise, therefore, that spells that manipulate Luck do not manipulate the physical body itself, but the soul within, seeking to magically change the fate of the soul and their overall success in everything they attempt to do. It is, however, still speculation, and we may never know for sure the true mechanics behind the manipulation of Luck.

ALTERATION 
The School of Alteration is one of the most useful schools of magic, sporting a range of effects that all people from entertainers to expert wizards could find as useful. Alteration magic hinges on the caster's ability to alter reality itself, accepting that reality is a falsehood and can be changed at a whim. Rather than forcing reality to change, the caster must guide it to change, and when the spell fades, the world returns to as it had been. The user of Alteration must acknowledge that all is not concrete, that the laws of nature can be bent and even broken at times, and think outside of the box to see all possibilities.

SHIELD 
Shield spells work by altering the properties of the air around the target, changing reality. The caster weaves threads of magicka into a "bubble" around the target, the magicka altering the air of the bubble to resist movement through the barrier threshold. The bubble of the spell moves along with the target, keeping it at the center of the bubble. Various shielding spells exist, the most common being a physical shielding spell that hardens the air, creating a friction force for anything trying to transverse the bubble. This can be good and bad, as weapons outside the bubble have difficulty getting in, but only a well made shield spell can allow items from within the shield to come out. A novice shield could also make attacking difficult for the target.

Other shield spells include Elemental shields, which work similarly to normal shield spells. However, a variation in the casting results in a variation of the alteration of reality. The air does not just become hard, but also becomes resistant to certain elemental forces. A Fire shield keeps the air within the bubble cool, reversing the effects of heat. A Frost Shield does the opposite, keeping the air within the bubble warm. A Shock Shield works like a grounding bubble, capturing the electrical energy in the bubble shield and forcing it to the ground, where the electricity harmlessly dissipates into the earth. Readers may do a double-take at the mention of a Fire Shield cooling the air, even though the shield appears reddened and hot. This is because the shield is hot. The shield keeps the air within cool by absorbing the heat within the shield and outside the shield, trapping the heat within the magicka that comprises the shield. This makes the shield hot and colored as such. Frost Shield works upon the same principle, absorbing the cold from the air around it.

OPENING LOCKS 
Once a simply parlor trick, the uses of Unlocking spells have been discovered many times over by thieves and assassins. While knowledge of a lock can aid in the spell casting, it is not required. The spell seeks to alter the physical properties of the locking mechanism, with the intent to dematerialize the tumblers. This spell could be considered a close cousin to the Disintegration spells of the School of Destruction, focusing on locks rather than weapons. The caster warps reality and the properties of the material of the lock: melting, pulverizing, or simply moving the tumblers can be done to unlock it, though often pulverization is the most reliable method. Harder locks made of tougher materials with more tumblers take more manipulation of reality to unlock. Depending on the method used by the caster, the lock could show obvious signs of magical manipulation. While it is easy to simply demolish the tumblers, it renders the lock forever useless and obviously spell-touched. By simply manipulating reality to force the springs of the tumblers to fail and therefore open the lock, mage intervention can be harder to trace and the lock is still usable.

LOCK 
The polar opposite to unlocking spells, Lock spells seek to undo what an Unlock spell does, or simply lock a common unlocked mechanism. To lock a magically unlocked lock, it helps for the caster to have knowledge of exactly how the lock was opened. It is easier to lock what a caster unlocked himself as he knows what he did and can therefore reverse it easily. Reality reverts back to before the Unlock spell: dust compacts to remake the tumblers, they melt and mold back to their original form, or they simply fall into place. A Lock spell can be difficult to use, depending on the method of locking and the lock complexity. It is very difficult to lock a pulverized lock, but easy to simply manipulate a spring to force the tumbler to fall into place.

FEATHER 
Feather spells are very useful, as they make their target weigh less, reducing the effect of the forces of the Earth Bones on the target in question. By bending reality around the target, the air exerts less force upon the target object/person, and they feel lighter.

BURDEN 
Burden is Feather's polar opposite. Rather than repelling the forces of the Earth Bones on the target, the forces are multiplied depending on the strength of the spell. The air around the target presses upon it, making it feel heavier than it is.

WATER-WALKING 
Water-walking is a useful spell, though somewhat difficult to master. By forcing threads of magicka into and around the feet, the spell increases the surface tension of the water beneath, making it strong enough to support the weight of a person. However, it does not protect the feet from the surface of the water, like a shield spell might: the feet will still get wet. Therefore, it is still unadvisable to walk on molten lava with this spell. While it would work, the feet would suffer severe burns.

WATER-BREATHING 
Water-Breathing is a complicated spell, that can be dangerous if not performed properly. The caster must weave threads of magicka within his own body, creating a web of magicka that will manipulate reality in the lungs. Water entering the lungs becomes breathable air, and this air can sustain the swimmer for a short time after the effects wear off, but not for very long. After the effect wears off, any water already transmuted into air remains as air, so drowning will not occur immediately.

LEVITATION 
Levitation spells are illegal in many regions, including Mournhold - no one's head shall be higher than Almalexia's - and in the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil. However, mages love this trick: most notably the Telvanni Mages of Morrowind, where the spell is required to get past the ground floor of the mushroom towers. Mankind has always dreamed to fly, and by using similar castings to that of Water-walking spells, they can. Focusing magicka into the feet, as with Water-walking, the air around the feet becomes solid, similar to how a Shield spell works, allowing the feet to step upon hard air and move within the sky. Skilled magicians can make this effect last for long times and allow themselves to move faster through the air. Moving faster requires a greater focus of magicka in the feet, spreading the field of hardened air farther ahead of the caster to allow quicker movement.

SLOW FALL 
Slowfall spells came about shortly after the discovery of Levitation spells, as safety precautions in case a stupid apprentice got too high in the air to safely get down again. By hardening the air around and beneath the caster, his progression towards the earth is slowed, cushioning his fall and allowing safe landing.

CONJURATION 
One of the newest and most complex schools, Conjuration involves the calling forth of spirits from other realms through portal conduits, and enforcing the caster's will upon the spirit summoned. Conjuration has become a very volatile school, as its possible connections to the School of Necromancy and use in Daedra Worship spur hatred of the magic wielded in this Art.

DAEDRA SUMMONING 
By projecting their magical presence into Oblivion Realms, a caster can wander the realms magically, seeking out the soul of a Daedra. The caster ensnares the soul with his magicka and, depending on the strength of the spell and the caster's magical ability, strong Daedric souls could be ensnared and brought back into Mundus. The Daedra soul will be forced into Mundus through a small, temporary portal, taking on their Mundus form. The spell forces the caster's will upon the summoned, making a servant from the Daedra. Lesser Daedra can be summoned in this way, and Scamps are probably the easiest to summon. The Daedra in question will likely not enjoy being taken by force into Mundus, and as such when the magic binding it to the caster dissipates, the soul is forced back into its daedric realm by the Limnal Barrier surrounding the Mundus.

NOTE: This spell use does not work on the sixteen Daedric Princes, as their power is such that no mortal has the magical capacity to ensnare them and enforce their own will. But Princes can be summoned on certain days devoted to that Prince, typically with a sacrifice of material or biological aspect involved and prayer. Little magic is needed for such a summoning, and the summoner's will is not enforced upon the Prince. Such conjuring is very dangerous and/or risky.

UNDEAD/SPIRIT SUMMONING 
This class of summoning spell is what makes the ignorant believe conjurers to be Necromancers. However, this is not true. While similarities exist, the spells of these two schools are different in the method of summoning. The summoning of a spirit involves the caster magically projecting his will into the Outer Realms, ensnaring a dead spirit and enforcing his will in a manner similar to the Daedra summoning. The result is a spirit summoned and bound to the caster's will. The spirit draws to it the dust and matter within the atmosphere, condensing these materials to create a semi-transparent form in the mortal plane. The spirit is capable of independent thought, forced to follow its master's orders.

NOTE ON UNDEAD: The summoning of skeletons and zombies within the School of Conjuration has lent it an ignorant classification among the uneducated that it is connected to the School of Necromancy. However, the differences lay within the methods. A Conjurer will magically seek out a corpse on the planes of Mundus and call it forth by the opening of portals. Whether these portals link to Oblivion realms and therefore transfer the rotted body in that manner across Mundus is speculation, but a portal does open and the corpse appears to the caster. The caster may also summon an assortment of bones from various places and summon them as a single skeletal being. The Undead summoned appears from thin air and seems imbued with life. This is, however, false. Every action performed by an undead minion summoned through the methods of the School of Conjuration is dictated by the summoner, and they exercise complete control of the minion. Their own will becomes a replacement for the deceased's soul, directing the minion as if it were truly living. When the spell wears away, the dead sections summoned fade out of existence to return to where they once lay. It is a form of pseudo-necromancy, so to speak.

BOUND ITEMS 
Bound items are another form of conjuration magic. Armor and weaponry being the most common summoned items, they always take the form of a Daedric item. This is due to the fact that what is commonly referred to as a Daedric item is no less than a permanently summoned Bound Item. The material is imbued with the soul of a Daedra, and the presence of the soul is what twists the material into the physical form we mortals refer to as Daedric. Typical Daedric weapons and armor are ebony items imbued with Daedric souls.

A Bound Item works along the same principle. To make a permanently summoned Bound Item, using a pre-existing material(typically ebony) of any amount, the conjurer in question summons a Daedric soul and binds it to the material. A ritual is required to do this properly, and can be costly to the caster in terms of Magicka. There are certain times of the year in which it is best to make Daedric items. The presence of the Daedric soul is what warps the item into the form we mortals label as Daedric. The process is generally considered displeasing to the Daedra in question.

While summoning temporary bound items follows a similar process, the conjurer in question need not provide material for the Daedra they summon. They simply force the soul to take the form of the desired item, and the Daedric item appears to them. It is Bound only to the caster: if the caster and item were to lose physical contact at any point during the spell's duration, the soul would be released and the item fade out of existence. However, these Bound Items are of a magical and spiritual nature, and as a result feel as light as air and are as strong or sharp as the finest ebony.

While it has only been practical to summon Bound Items with Daedric souls, theoretically it would be possible to achieve the same with other souls, like animal spirits or even human souls. This has yet to be attempted according to my knowledge, and scholars can't be sure of what the Bound Item's properties would consist of.

ILLUSION

Illusion's variety of spell effects is rivaled only by Mysticism, but Illusion is a far more simplistic School for the novice caster to understand and so is more often used. The complementary school to Alteration, Illusion does not alter reality: it alters how reality is perceived, and therein lays the key difference. Illusion alters how the mind's eye perceives what the world's eye sees, making caster and target part of an imaginary world within their minds. The simplest way for the majority of these spells to work is for the caster to lock eyes with the target, for them both to establish a spiritual connection through which the spell-weave can transverse.

DEMORALIZE 
Demoralize spells seek to strike fear into the heart of the target, and the method through which this objective is obtained varies according to the caster. The caster may appear stronger and more ferocious than in reality, the target may see its greatest nightmares replay before its very eyes, or see the vicious monstrosities of lore aligned with their opponent. These are only three examples: infinite possible methods of fright can be performed.


RALLY 
The opposite of Demoralize, Rally inspires the hearts of targets with heroism and hope, bringing them out of their fears and overcoming their troubles. Giving them the illusion that they can defeat their enemy or can accomplish what they may have once thought impossible is the aim of Rally spells. Just like Demoralize, Illusionists and strong-willed people will be difficult to successfully affect, and fool-hardy people really should not be the target of this spell, as it can cause unneeded death on the target's part.

FRENZY 
Frenzy is the spell oriented towards causing untold rage within the target. The spell focuses on the emotions of anger, irritability, vengefulness, and general displeasure, amplifying them and causing the emotions of hate to rise up and conquer the target's total thought processes.

CALM 
The opposite of Frenzy, Calm focuses on the emotions of patience, peacefulness, friendship and morality. The target is made to think twice about killing the caster or its opponent, suddenly wishing instead to make peace or question the reasoning behind its  current course of action.

CHARM 
Charm spells work just like the other four, but their purpose is not to control anger or create fear. With this illusion, the caster makes the target friendly and more cooperative. How this is achieved varies according to the caster. Some Illusionists may make the target see him as someone else, someone they are friendly with. Or they may make the target feel that he is a very friendly person and respectable. In any case, the end result is the same.

PARALYZE 
The Paralyze spell affects the target's mind, going straight to the center of movement control. The magic enthralls the target into believing it cannot move, while actually never altering its body at all. Its mind believes itself to be cut off from the body, and therefore immobile. However, with time the target will come to realize it had never lost control of its body.

COMMAND 
Often mistaken with hypnosis, Command spells are true magic. Hypnosis is a parlor trick and will not be discussed here. Command works on the same principle as Charm spells, making the target believe that the Illusionist is sensible and trustworthy, and a friend. As a result, while the target will not follow commands, it will feel compelled to protect the caster from harm and fight for the caster's cause. The more capable of independent thought and rationality the target is, the less likely the spell will succeed. This is why animals are easier to Command than humanoids. While one might feel this spell could be included along with Charm as the 'Emotion' spells of Illusion, it is more an exertion of will than a manipulation of emotional thoughts.

INVISIBILITY 
Arguably one of the most difficult spells within the school, mastery of Invisibility is a feat. The target of the spell, typically the caster himself, is enwrapped in a shell of magical energy. This magical energy reaches out to the world around the target and mimics the light waves of the surrounding area, making the target appear to blend into the surroundings perfectly. However, even a master of this spell cannot avoid its limitations. Quick movements cause rippling in the air as the magic tries to replicate the surroundings rapidly, and the drawing of a weapon or handling of an item pretty much ensures the caster is detected, as the spell wears off. Scholars are unsure why, but it is believed that the spell effect is very specialized to work only on the body and anything on the body at the time of casting. By touching a book or a door, the spell will try to encompass the new object as well, as if it were a part of the body. Trying to change the magical shell ends up dispersing and unraveling it, resulting in the spell wearing off prematurely. Connecting with another body through attacking can have the same effect.

CHAMELEON 
Chameleon is a cousin of Invisibility. It is also a far more thorough effect. The magical shell is not as complex in the weaker castings, resulting in partial camouflage of the target, which is easily detectable through close observation. The target appears more as a faded form of themselves, transparent. However, the target is also harder to see when moving, and the effect will continue despite attacking or item manipulation, because of the slight variation in the weaving of the spell. The spell, being more thorough in the casting, while recognize an item on the caster's body from an item picked up after the spell is cast, and focus only on the caster and items in their possession at the time of the spell casting. In this way manipulating objects will not cancel the effect. The complete transparency of the target is harder to achieve than an Invisibility spell, and shows true Illusion Mastery.

LIGHT 
A Light spell works similar to a sound spell. By weaving the spell to mimic the properties of light, the caster creates a magical light fueled by the magicka. The magicka spreads out in a spherical formation from the caster; woven in certain ways, it can  create different colors of light, though the most common and easiest of colors is green. When the eye sees the magical sphere, it sees it as light. However, the amount of light in the world does not change. When the spell is unraveled, darkness returns.

NIGHT-EYE 
Night-eye differs from Light in the fact that it does not replicate light waves in the air. Rather, Night-eye focuses on how the mind processes the light it detects. By replicating the light waves received by the eye, the spell increases the light seen by the target, and therefore makes visibility within near total darkness possible. Night-eye requires at least some amount of light to be present, however, so is useless in total darkness.

MYSTICISM

The least understood and most complicated of the magical Schools, Mysticism is also referred to as the Old Way by the Psijic Order. How the effects of Mysticism are derived is shrouded in mystery. What is known is that the spells of Mysticism seem to thrive on the chaotic and unpredictable threads of magicka inherent around the mage. Some speculate that the powers of Mysticism are granted by Aetherius itself, or even from the realms of Oblivion. Some scholars postulate that the power of Mysticism takes its roots from the unused energies of successfully cast and failed spells. Either way, Mysticism seems to take its power from paradoxes and conundrums.

Recall previously in this text that it was stated that magicka was present throughout the world around us, in chaotic threads with ever-changing patterns and little purpose. This is another theory as to the origin of Mysticism's power. The mage casting a Mysticism spell seeks within the random threads of magicka in the world a certain pattern, and replicates that pattern with their own magicka from their body. The result is the effect derived from the weaving pattern is cast as a spell. It is up to the Mystic to discover which natural magicka patterns yield which effects, and be able to recognize those patterns consistently. For the purpose of this text this theory will be referred to as the Environmental Thread theory.

No matter what it is that drives the School of Mysticism, it is obvious that it is the most versatile and varied School, the spells classified within it seeming to be just thrown together because they fit in no other School. The only similarity between the Mysticism spells is that they are so dissimilar.

DISPEL 
Dispel magic is difficult to cast successfully. According to the Environmental thread theorem, within the chaotic threads of magicka in the world are certain patterns that weave themselves easily into forms that can unravel other magical weaves, 'dispelling' the spells they encounter. This is sometimes known to occur naturally, and might possibly account for why some master spellcasters can still fail to cast a spell. Stronger, more complexly woven spells are very resistant to these dispelling patterns and therefore difficult to negate.

Those who support other theories of Mysticism's methods feel that Dispel works by channeling raw magicka, unwoven and untouched, through the hand to the spell one seeks to undo. The raw magicka overwhelms the spell, unweaving it and destroying it. The writer feels that either method is equally plausible, though how the raw magicka is channeled is uncertain.

SPELL ABSORPTION 
Souls naturally draw magicka to them, aligning it to their own spiritual energies and therefore replenishing lost magicka. Spell Absorption seems to display a similar mechanism in its effect, though the exact method this is achieved is, like all Mysticism spells, uncertain.

According to the Environmental thread theory, there exist within nature patterns of magical threads that act like the soul and 'capture' magicka around them. By replicating these patterns, the Mystic can multiply their natural Magicka regeneration to such a degree that even spells cast against them are disassembled and absorbed into the body.

Other theories suggest that Spell Absorption works similar to Dispel, creating a shell around the caster of raw magical energy that is very loosely organized so that the Dispel will disassemble spells, and the magicka of the spells will be sucked into the mage by the magical shell of energy tied to the caster.

SPELL REFLECTION 
Spell Reflection is a prized spell effect that can be difficult to understand. Most scholars feel that magical castings carry a signature of their caster, and that by manipulating the weaving of the spell it can be turned to focus on the caster of the spell, rather than on the spell's target, reflecting the magic back at the caster of the spell.

The Environmental thread theorem follows a similar line, though with variation. Every spell is weaved a different way, and stray threads of magicka weaved into the spell lag behind the spell, trailing it and connecting the spell to its caster. Certain patterns within nature utilize this property, and by replicating and focusing these patterns a Mystic can reflect a spell. They magically entrap the spell, and force it to travel back along the path it had once come, following the threads that tie it to the caster, and reflecting the spell.

REFLECT DAMAGE 
This is a class of magic that is not very well understood, a fact shown by the use of this magic as an enchantment, and yet no one seems to know how to make a spell for it. For this reason, what is explained here is a theory as to how the enchantment works.

Reflect Damage is often seen on articles of clothing and armor, particularly shields. The magicka that creates the spell effect is designed to activate when something comes in contact with the enchanted object on a certain side. Like, say, the outer surface of a shield. The magic of the enchantment pours into the offending object that has made contact with the enchantment, streaming itself through the material and anything holding the material, like an opponent's arm holding the sword. The magicka that streams into the opponent's body then manipulates itself into the form of the common Damage spell of the School of Destruction, and brings magical harm to the opponent while negating any damage to the enchanted item or person wearing it. How the enchantment would be able to change its own structural weaving and stream itself through a weapon is not certain, and this mysterious property of the magic is what lends it the status of a Mysticism spell.

SOUL TRAP 
Soul Trap is a controversial spell, as it concerns the manipulation of souls after death. This has resulted in some feeling the spell is linked to Necromancy, a feeling that has only grown after the Third Era, when Black Soul gems were discovered in Necromancer lairs that could trap human and elven souls. There is no real difference between the many theories of Mysticism as to how this spell is used, but the method of entrapment of the soul is still uncertain. The spell encases the body of the target in a magical capsule, and when the body dies the soul attempts to escape. However, the magical shell contains the soul, and upon capture of the soul the capsule returns to the spell caster. If the caster holds a soul gem on their person that is of high enough quality to contain the soul entrapped, the capsule and the soul within it enter the soul gem. Without a soul gem the spell falls apart quickly and releases the soul.

What happens to contain the soul within the gem is not known for certain, but breaking of the gem can release the soul.

DETECT LIFE 
Another spell focusing on souls, Detect Life allows the caster to see lifeforms even through a wall. The exact method of creating the hazes that signify life are uncertain, but many believe the magicka of the spell is focused within the caster's eyes, and radiate out from there, reflecting off of any souls they encounter and returning to the caster's eyes. Magicka is not bound by the laws of nature, and so it could traverse a wall, making sensibility as to how Detect Life allows one to see life through walls. A side-effect of the use of Detect Life is a caster's eyes may take on a violet hue of color.

The theory of using magicka signatures to detect life also can explain why Undead can be seen with this spell despite not being alive. It also can explain why the spell responds to Dwemer constructs: these constructs may be like enchanted objects, but the spells sustaining the construct are generally considered more complicated than a simple enchantment, as the magicka animates the construct, rather than has a certain spell effect. This is merely speculation, however, as only the Dwemer truly knew their own constructs.

DETECT ENCHANTMENT 
Detect Enchantment works along the same principle as Detect Life, searching for the magical signature of enchanted objects and relaying these discoveries back to the caster in the form of faint purple clouds that take the shape of the object.

TELEKINESIS 
This spell is probably one of the most difficult to understand. The casting of the spell is signified by an aura of violet light around the manipulated object, and the caster moves the object with their mind. One theory for Telekinesis is that spell effects can be manipulated by the emotions and thoughts of the caster, and this spell focuses its magicka on the caster's own thoughts.

Another theory is that the spell creates conduits of magicka between the caster's body and the object manipulated, and movement of the hand causes the object to move. This would explain why oft times a Mystic using this spell can be seen moving his hands constantly, grasping and twisting and spinning the threads of magicka that connect them to the object they manipulate.

Telekinesis can be used not only to reach the top shelf, however. Using the spell in a short burst of power can have combative usage. By connecting themselves to the target for a brief time, the Mystic can telekinetically push away oppressors or redirect projectiles.

NECROMANCY

The School of Necromancy is notorious for its ill reputation throughout Tamriel. The Dunmer in particular who practice ancestor worship despise necromancy, even though they themselves summon the souls of their dead. But they are strict, only raising ancestral souls, and the raising of the dead by an outlander is blasphemy at best.

Near the end of the Third Era, Necromancy –which was once simply ignored by the Mage's Guild- was officially banned by Hannibal Traven. The prosecution of Necromancers that followed has been received with mixed emotions, and many Mage's Guild supporters, Mage Council members, and mages within the Guild abandoned the Guild as a result. What happened thereafter was an outright war amongst mages, resulting in Hannibal Traven's death and the supposed destruction of Mannimarco, King of Worms, by the Arch-mage's successor.

Necromancy is still banned, and even before its banishment from the Schools of magic it was a despised art, a Black Art. This text will not go into detail as to the spells within this perverted School, but instead seek to explain how it is not like Conjuration, its accused cousin.

True, Conjurers summon undead beings, but their method is not the same as a Necromancer. What little could be gleamed from the more legal texts show that a Necromancer must exercise extreme patience as they prepare the corpses, and elaborate rituals must be used to imbue a dead spirit within the body and bend it to the Necromancer's will. In Conjuration, the summoned Undead has no soul: the will of the summoner is the soul of the summoned. But in Necromancy, it would appear that souls are forced into servitude of the necromancer, and the body's rotting processes are stopped. Conjuration does no such things, and therefore does not defile the dead to the extent of Necromancy.

The writer has never personally dabbled into this School in any extent, so does not know exactly how accurate these statements are. They have been gleamed from a few easy to obtain texts for research purposes that were later handed over to the Mage's Guild for containment. The texts hinted, however, at other uses for the School outside of raising dead. Further research was impossible.