On the inscription of aetherial forces upon chattel, as a subset of the scribe's art

by Eloriaon Merithros, scribe to His Magesty, Lord Mordeth

 

Many are they who can read and write, but few are those who are called to the scribe's art. Those who can have many skills that are both marketable and rare, and should only be used to strengthen the forces or order in our lands. Should you aspire to such high office, I would entreat you to join the guild of scribes, that you might me better trained in our ways. The few gold coins it requires is nothing in comparison with the value of senior guild membership.

A scribe, unlike the lesser craftsmen, needs nothing but a pen and a blank sheaf of parchment to work his art. It is simple work to copy a regular book, of course, but some scribes are able to make magical scrolls. For these works the parchment must be of the highest quality, and is often made from the hides of rare creatures such as dragons and daemons. If you wish to make such a scroll simply open your spellbook to a suitable chapter, and start copying. You cannot scribe from memory -- you must already have the spell safely inscribed in a tome of power.

Guild scribes of the highest skill are capable of greater works, and some are capable of etching great dweomers upon weapons, armor, and jewelry. Such items must be of exquisite quality, made from a highly-skilled craftsman. The scribe then takes his etching stylus and applies his craft to the item. If the fates will, the master scribe can then powder gems, and each gem so powedered will add a magical charge to the item. Needless to say, such items fetch a steep price!

Alas, I cannot teach any more of our arts to the uninitiated, so I will end the lesson here. I hope to meet you again at a guild meeting in Ocllo. We meet every other sixthday, at the chiming of 7 hours exactly. I hope to see you soon!