Over on the couch, Simon gave a quiet sigh after Professor Alrik asked his question. Neither he nor Drevock had been introduced properly, but the similarities in Simon and Alrik’s outfit suggested to Gabe that they must been from the same organization. The lack of embroidery from Simon's, and the fact that he was carrying the pack implied that he was lower in rank than the professor, likely a student or assistant of some sort.
"Magic? You mean like casting spells?"
Gabe was sure that he was missing something. This whole situation was strange to begin with, but now he was being asked to explain magical theory? Maybe this was all a mistake and Professor Alrik had Gabe confused with someone else. But the old gnome just continued to smile at Gabe encouragingly so he continued.
"Well um I only know one spell, but I've talked with a few other mages in the time since I learned it and most cast the same way I do. I pull a thread of mana out of my life node and guide it into the pattern for Repair. Initially I needed to use my hand to direct the mana thread but now I can do just by force or will." Gabe was particularly proud of that fact as even some mages who had been casting spells much longer than he had still used gestures. "That causes the spell to activate and whatever wound or injury I'm focusing on begins to heal, or at least as much as the spell allows. Um that's all I know for certain. There's obviously more, Knotted wizards are proof of that but I've never been able to get a clear answer as to what makes them different."
Professor Alrik nodded his head as if this was the answer he had expected from Gabe. "Thank you Gabriel for that response. It gave me a good idea of where the gaps in your current knowledge are so I can know where to begin. Foremost, what you just described is not magic itself, but merely one of the many ways in which magic can be manifested. Magic, as defined by those of us who take the time to study it, is at its core simply the product of mana interacting with itself to cause an effect. A comparison would be with something like 'art'. There are a myriad of methods someone can employ to create a piece of art, but all of them require the manipulation of materials with different tools to produce something that is more than the sum of its parts. Does this make sense so far?"
Gabe thought he understood what Professor Alrik was saying, however it did bring up a question.
"I think I'm following you, but it sounds like you're saying there are different ways to cast spells than what I do. How else could you do it without guiding mana threads if magic is just the manipulation of mana?"
There was a twinkle in Professor Alrik’s eye as he responded to Gabe.
"Ah, a very astute observation, though I would hesitate to call magic ‘just’ anything.. You are correct that, as far as I am aware, all magic requires the caster to form their mana threads into particular arrangements. Now let me ask you this- you mentioned that you can cast Repair without any gestures, though when you first learned it you needed to use your hand as a proxy. What has changed in how the spell is cast?"
If Gabe thought he was following Professor Alrik before, now he was certain that he'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. "I'm sorry Professor but I don't think I understand the question. You already mentioned what changed. I don't need to use my hand anyway, I can guide the mana using my will alone."
"Let me ask a different question then. When you were first learning the spell, what was the purpose of using your hand to create the necessary pattern? We're you physically moving mana with your hand?"
"Um, I don't think so. I guess I always imagined that the mana thread was tied around my finger or something, but I never felt anything physical. It helped me to visualize drawing the spellform put, especially in the beginning when just grasping onto the mana thread was hard enough. It took me a long time to be able to cast the spell at first because the mana thread kept slipping and the form would fizzle out. Using my hand allowed me to focus on something real as a stand-in for what I was doing with my will I guess."
The satisfied expression on Professor Alrik’s face hinted to Gabe that he must be close to the conclusion the professor wanted him to reach. With a slight dip of his head, the gnome continued to watch Gabe in silence, giving him time to think.
‘He wanted me to realize that using my hand was never part of the spell itself, just a tool I used to help me in the beginning. Before when he compared magic to art, he said that different forms of art are separated by the tools and materials they use. If all magic uses mana as the same material, then only the tools can be different. What else could be used as a tool? The bards mention wizards using words to cast spells, but the spells were always vulgar so I assumed it was a joke. He’d never met anyone who cast spells by speaking, unless…’
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Gabe was stuck with a sudden realization. Just minutes ago when they first arrived at this room, Thalia muttered something while unlocking the door. He hadn’t paid much attention to that when it happened because it seemed so minor compared to everything else going on today, but now it seemed like the key to unlock some secret truth.
“I think I get it now. I always assumed that gestures were a necessary part of casting spells. Everyone I’ve ever known who could cast magic had needed to use gestures, at least when initially learning the spell. But just now, when we arrived at this room, I think Thalia cast a spell using words. That’s what you wanted me to figure out, that spells can be cast with gestures and words. Is that what makes someone a Knotted wizard? The ability to use words instead of gestures?”
A muffled snort came from the couch where Simon was reading his book. Gabe deflated a bit hearing that. He had really thought he was onto something there. If the secret to becoming a Knotted wizard was using chants, and since apparently Thalia was able to cast magic that way, maybe he would be able to achieve his dream without Professor Alrik. But if Simon’s response was any indication, Gabe must have been off the mark.
Professor Alrik cast a quick disapproving look towards Simon before looking back at Gabe, that same encouraging expression back on his face.
“Good job puzzling that one out. You are correct, it is possible to cast spells using vocalizations, as young Thalia did, however doing so is not what grants a wizard the “Knotted” title, nor are gestures and chants the only means of casting magic. There are three primary approaches to casting spells. The Edortian method is what you use - it involves precise somatic gestures that closely mimic the pattern of the spellform. This method is the dominant one within the Lochian and Mortula Empires as well as the Kingdom of Dupry. It is generally regarded as the easiest to utilize, though it becomes harder to use with more complex spells.
The use of spell chants is referred to as the Postrian method and though it is more difficult to master compared to Edortian casting, it is capable of much more complex casting. You told me that when you were still using gestures, you imagined your manna was tied to your finger and that you were guiding it into the shape of the spellform. While helpful, this also inherently limits the spellform to something static. By using their voice, a wizard trained in the Postrian style is able to control their mana in a more dynamic way. Changes in pitch, tone, emphasis, and dozens more factors can cause the mana thread to spiral, expand, or collapse. These spells are capable of producing truly clever results, however they are also the most prone to failure. One mispronunciation can cause the whole thing to collapse, often with explosive results.
Postrian casting is primarily used within the Scorat Highlands. It is also the preferred method used by clerics, though they do not like it when you mention bring that up. They believe that the ‘miracles’ they perform are divine acts of their gods despite our numerous attempts to educate them otherwise. But alas, I digress.”
At that moment, there was a firm, but non-threatening knock on the door. It took Gabe a moment to process the sound as he had been focusing intently on the information Professor Alrik was sharing with him. Professor Alrik must have been expecting this however, as he gave a quick wave to Drevock who set down the cube he’d been playing with and went to open the door. It opened to reveal a Guild employee with a large cart full of refreshments. There were several varieties of pastries, a platter of fruit, and a bowl of spiced nuts. There was also a carafe of local wine and a pot of freshly brewed tea.
The impromptu magic theory lesson was momentarily paused as the four of them, Simon included, who set his book down long enough to make a plate of food and grab a large glass of wine, helped themselves to the food and drink. Once everyone had made their plate and returned to their seats, or in Drevock’s case position near the couches, Professor Alrik took a light sip from his tea before continuing.
“The last of the common methods is the Vidjeu approach. Similarly to the Edortian method, Vidjeu practitioners use their body to help cast spells. However, instead of using gestures, their spellcraft is connected to combat forms. This allows for some of the flexibility that Postrian chanting has with the stability of Edortian casting. A person trained in a Vidjeun sword art would be capable of casting spells via the motions of their blade. This style of casting tends to focus on spells that affect the caster or those they are in contact with, however I have seen a grandmaster from the Coald Monastery shoot a blast of fire larger than a horse from his fist. Vidjeun practitioners are more spread out than the other two, being more common within particular organizations and clans than entire nations.”
While Vidjeun magic did sound interesting to Gabe, it wasn’t nearly as appealing as Postrian chants. Gabe had never been much of a fighter and much preferred taking a more support role within a party. His ability to cast Repair without any gestures paired well with his medic training, he could imagine that being able to chant spells would similarly be a good compliment to his skills.
“Professor, is it possible to learn how to use different methods of casting? And also, could you explain what being a Knotted wizard means? I’ve heard that term my whole life in stories but even with everything you’ve explained so far I still don’t understand what it means.”
The old gnome smiled brightly at Gabe’s enthusiasm. It was clear that he enjoyed having an attentive and curious mind to teach, even if Gabe wasn’t properly his student.
“Recall that I related magic to art. Just as someone who shapes clay can pick up a paintbrush, so can someone trained in one of the casting styles utilizes the others. While most magic users usually specialize in one approach, the truly powerful are capable of using different methods concurrently to augment their strength. As to what being a Knotted wizard means, that dear Gabriel is central to the job I wish to hire you for.”