Summoning and Warding

Every human in the World of Wonders has mana. The same pool [120 points] exists within everyone, however mages are the only ones that can use the full extent of this mana, manipulating the elements to their will. For those that are not magically gifted, summoning and warding is used in another fashion. The runes allow for channeling one’s inner mana, whether you are a mage or not. Non-mages can use these runes as a way to do such, however it only affects the runes and nothing more. This is also why only natural runes such as an alarm ward or a trap ward can be activated by non-mages.

## Summoning

Summoning is capable of bringing forth either dastardly devils or serving seraphs. All summoning attempts require a circle, an incantation, and a sacrifice of some form or another. Runes and an incantation are paired with this to give the summoner some control over what it is they summon. Anyone is capable of summoning, though mages may find their experience with using their will to cast helps make the summoning easier. Much of the knowledge of how to summon is still being discovered and thus needs to be fully explored IC. However, it is known that summoning requires will and as such, will use mana from the summoner to achieve results. All of the symbols used in summoning cost a base of 10 mana; though certain symbols may cost more.

## Warding

Warding is the natural opposite to summoning, yet it uses many of the same concepts. Wards can often include runes that are used in summoning in order to select specific devils or other beings in its control. Any kind of being can be affected by a ward, but the runes involved must include them in its list. Much of the nature of wards is yet undiscovered, much like summoning, and thus must be explored more fully IC. What is known is that warding requires the use of runes and the warder must expend their will and use mana from their pool to activate the ward’s effects. These Runes are often carved or painted into stone, wood, or sometimes even glass. All wards eventually lose their power over time, but certain actions can cause this to fade sooner. A ward with a single trigger will break as soon as this trigger is activated. Passive wards will last based on the amount of energy used when creating it.

Each symbol in a ward adds to the mana that is spent charging it. The symbols have a base of 10 for the mana needed to charge them, and the more symbols that are added add to the overall cost. Spell wards are a base of 10 but then also have the additional cost of the spell that is cast into it. Two people can power a spell ward; the mage casting the spell will always need to pay the cost of the spell they cast, but another person can pay the mana to power the rest of the ward. The size of the ward will also add to the cost of the ward. A small ward has no additional cost on top of the mana needed for each symbol. A medium ward adds 20 mana to the cost, a large ward adds 40 to the additional cost.

### How long do Wards Last?

* The length of time a ward lasts depends on the type of ward it is, how it was created, and if it has a power source.

* Most wards last until the ward is broken; as that is the most effective way to end a ward. This means that a ward made from chalk won’t last as long as one carved in stone because the material will degrade faster.

* Pairing a spell ward with a powered gem will increase the time the ward lasts by a year for small gems, 2 years for medium gems, and 3 years for large gems. For non-passive wards, using a gem will allow that ward to be triggered multiple times before breaking, following this chart below:

 Medium Gem (200)
 Large Gem (300)

(x<4x4)
(4x4 < x < 8x8)

* Non-spell passive wards last 3 years total; no matter the size of the ward made.
* Passive wards cannot be larger than 12x12 without outside influences which are unavailable at this time.