Scrying Magic

Scrying is a magical ability that allows the user to see a visual, soundless recreation of present events taking place in a specific location.

Scrying can take the form of pure magic or an enchantment. The former sees a mage simply scrying for information from within the confines of their own mind. The latter has a mage enchant an object with scrying ability, allowing the information to be witnessed by others.

Scrying also refers to the theoretical magic of peering through time. However, extensive research into the subject indicates that this type of scrying should be impossible for mortal mages. While some have proposed that the term “farseeing” be used instead of “scrying” to distinguish normal scrying from this theoretical phenomenon, this never took off; thus, the term “scrying” almost always connotes its practical form in public vernacular.

Scrying does not fit neatly into any one field of magical study, but can be applicable to Soul Magic, Life Magic, and Enchantments, depending on its usage. It is popular among Mages with a focus themed around discovery, sight, perspective, and distance.

## Limitations

Like all forms of magic, scrying magic is severely limited by scale. The further away you are from the target you are attempting to see, the more soul energy it will require to maintain the spell, increasing at an exponential rate.

For example, while a mage with an average level of scrying ability could probably scry something less than a mile away for an indefinite period of time, to scry something in a two mile radius would only be feasible for about an hour; a four mile radius, less than ten minutes.

Phrased differently, if you stood in the center of one of Duilintinn’s regional capitals, such as Fionport or Monacoil, you’d be able to scry anything within the city walls for about an hour. In the center of Cordoire, you’d be able to scry for maybe ten minutes.

These numbers assume an average level of skill for a mage with a focus that allows for scrying and a decent amount of practice using such abilities. Like all magic, the scope of a mage’s ability to perform various feats of magic varies heavily based on focus, skill, passion, and energy levels.

Additionally, scrying carries many of the same limitations as a Magical Record. Since magic will react violently upon colliding with magic from another source, severe magical interference has the potential to heavily distort the results of a scrying session. For these reasons, it is impossible to scry directly into a Fae Garden, only rendering a chaotic blur of non-information as soon as the scryer attempts to look beyond the garden’s edge.

## Noteworthy Usage

Due to magical interference, scrying is not used very often in Duilintinn. Its ecosystems are inundated with high concentrations of natural magic, making it extremely difficult to get a clear reading. Moreover, in the case of The Watch, not only would it be impossible to scry into the Western Forest for The Enemy, but even when The Enemy is within the kingdom’s borders, the amount of magic surrounding him alone is enough to scramble anything we might see.

However, other kingdoms have used scrying to great effect. In particular, Tandeli’s Magos Perdidos - an organization designed to support Changelings in Tandeli - uses a constant rotation of scryers to find and rescue Changelings in dangerous areas after they have been “reborn” into the Mortal Realm.

Additionally, scrying has become more relevant in Duilintinn after Lord Marvin’s research into “Argentum Inanis” was uncovered in October 1615. While little is known about this mysterious alchemical process, the result seemingly functioned as a scrying enchantment, imbuing a black sphere of unknown material with the ability to not only scry for unprecedented distances, but somehow through time itself. It’s unclear how this is possible; ordinary scrying magic can only scry through space, not time. Regardless, these discoveries will likely bring newfound attention to the study of scrying magic within The Watch.