Soul-binding enchantment

"With earthly stone and wood and metal found,
Let them to this unworthy soul be bound."
Soul-binding was a magical practice utilized by Aquilan mages. Likely invented by ancient Animist mages in modern day Valencia, the spell was widely used by warriors during the era of the Old Ways due to its high utility and ease of use. When applied to an object - usually a weapon or precious heirloom - the enchantment allows the owner of said object to materialize and de-materialize it at will. For example, an archer may Soul-bind with their bow to carry it over long distances without encumbering themselves, or an assassin might magically conceal their blade whilst in disguise and summon it just before they meet their mark. 
Whilst straightforward in application, the spell was highly complex to cast and could prove fickle if used carelessly. It required competence in two very different schools of magic: Transmutation in order to reduce an object to atoms, and Animism so the user could bind the object to their souls that they may summon it at will. As such, anyone attempting to Soul-bind with their weapon had to maintain constant focus and determination over the course of the ritual; should their thoughts wander for but a moment, the incantation may fail, destroying the object and potentially even damaging their soul in the process. Additionally, overuse of the spell in the form of flippantly summoning and de-summoning the weapon excessively throughout a short period of time was known to cause the transmutation to fail and prevent it from re-materializing, effectively keeping it out of reach forever.
Most individuals were advised to Soul-bind no more than one object at a time as the process became increasingly dangerous if repeated. An object, once enchanted, was technically known as a fetish when in a Soul-bound state. The enchantment could be reversed by simply repeating the ritual whilst slightly modifying the incantation. 
Soul-binding was often performed as a service by mages to non-practitioners who sought to have their weapons or valuables bound. In the Aether War, for example, the black mage Ben Holliday guided the Outlanders in casting the enchantment upon their favored weapons. Historically, due to the high demand of such a beneficial spell, many amateur wizards have claimed to be master Soul-binders in order to swindle their clients out of huge sums of gold, leaving the victims with poorly or half-enchanted weapons. As clients were unable to reverse the spell by themselves, they were forced to pay the charlatan mage another fee in order to undo the ritual or resign to be half-bound with their damaged fetish for the rest of their natural lives.
Category:Invidere