Winswand's Talismans (2)

Well, since the last time we've talked about these, one of them has already gone missing. Morporkian thieves have developed a great liking towards my Psaltery, and after about 4 attempts, have been successful in taking it away from me. I've already ordered another pearlescent velvet scarf from Enne Ira, but I think I will be too lazy to delude it until I get some better perception skills.
So... 'tis rings and bracelets today. Here we have...

Big Ben

After I discovered that hidden cafeteria we wizards have access to, I started buying some of the nice things the bar-keeper has on sale. Among these, one of the prettiest and most amusing are clockwork bands, which tell the time (or burn it in the sky) and cast Torqvald's Many Colours for free on you. I am always wearing one, and its name is pretty self-evident, isn't it?

Simple, yet elegant. Etched on a reticulated electrum band, eldritch runes supply the power used by the inner clockwork gears. The latticework is so fine, it allows for a visual of the inner workings of this masterpiece. Tiny, delicate gears hum and whistle ever so quietly as they keep stunningly accurate time.
Big Ben is a clockwork band.
An octarine shimmer washes across the ancient runes.

Trapped Salamander

This is one of those pieces of crystal jewellery that are ever so spammy and nice. In this case, the lines seemed to invite for a name like this one, and it surely surprises people when they see that 'The flames on your Trapped Salamander seem to dance' (among other lines).

This ring is carved from glittering crystal, with such fine chisel-strokes that the slim band seems almost perfectly rounded. Running around the outside are carven flames, seeming to dance and flicker with the light reflected from the fine facets.
Trapped Salamander is an amber-coloured crystal flame ring.

Ding A Ling

This peculiar hommage to Chuck Berry required some kind of a implement with bells and spammy message. Once again, Libby Twinkle's trinklets came to the rescue. I also employ it as a talker (there it substitutes another bracelet of which we'll talk on some other occasions, as it languishes in a vault right now).

This is a fine bracelet of twisted silver filigree, from which dangles a row of tiny jet black crystal bells. Softened light glints from their facets as they rub shoulders, sending out muffled and musical chimes which peal gently with every movement.
Ding A Ling is a jet black crystal bell bracelet.

Bolshevik

Last, not least, another item from the magic Cafeteria. Now that I look at it in perspective, it looks more like an item for a Silver Star Wizzie, and yet it looks so nice... As for the name, hammer and anvils (not sickles) made me remember the Reds before even thinking in the Stars. And I have an Archdruidic sickle deluded somewhere to a similar name (used it a lot when I relied on misc weapons, as it was light and poisonous).

This is a bracelet made of the finest and thinnest silver possible. The links of this bracelet are tiny and they hold together piping made from brushed silver of the same vein. The startling shininess of the links contrasts beautifully with the more matte flare of the piping. On opposite sides of this bracelet are strands of even thinner silver. On each strand a golden hammer or a golden anvil dangle loosely. Both are etched perfectly and each displays a relief. The anvil boasts an iconograph of a workshop, while the hammer presents small runes which glow a slight blue.
Bolshevik is a hammer and anvil bracelet.

Friddlefrod’s Hydratic Extrusion

What's it called? Friddlefrod’s Hydratic Extrusion (nicknamed FHE)

What does it do? Well, let's just say I wouldn't call it the most useful of spells. The only thing it does, to my knowledge, is dry you (or others) when you are wet (which may be the result of sweating, raining or having taken a swim in some watery places). The help information says it all, really, and with less words. It might be useful to tm the skills at beginner levels. The failure effects are an extra amount of wetness.

Where is it? Being a non-practical, toy spell (unless it really annoys you to go around soaked and dripping), it is found in the Begynners' Magick tomes at Wizard guild's gyms.

What does it require?: No components at all.

What skills do I require?: Water, Evoking, Water (2)

Has it worked?: A good output should read something like this:

You prepare to cast Friddlefrod's Hydratic Extrusion on xxx.
You attempt to sense the location of water on xxx.
You point at xxx, feeling for the presence of water.
You send out a message to xxx, reminding any water there how it likes to flow.
You visualise flow lines passing down xxx.

Help Information:

Friddlefrod's Hydratic Extrusion - Dry out a target.

Friddlefrod's Hydratic Extrusion is a miscellaneous type spell that forces water off, and hence dries, your target.

Order Rings - Mrs. Widgery's Lodgers

>look tower ring

An elegant gold ring, surmounted by an intricate setting based on a platform of gold. Seven silver spokes lead in from the rim of the platform, joining to the corners of a heptagon in the centre. In the middle of the ring, surrounded by the polygon, a small house has been picked out in octarines. Underneath the whole design is a depiction of the Tower of Art.

Etched in lines of glowing octarine: "Inquilinus"

It appears to have something written on it.

It is in excellent condition.

>read tower ring

You read the tower ring:

Mrs. Widgery's Lodgers

Conjuring

Conjuring - not to be confufed with the type of magickal creation of thyngs - ys ufed to requeft a spirit to perform some action, like abjuring but the other way around.

Winswand's Talismans

Of course, that isn't wizard magic. Talismans, like brooms (except for ash-sweeping) and magical brewings remain outside our sphere. But in the case of talismans, we may benefit, like everybody else, from the witchy spell 'Delusions of Grandeur', which gives items a proper name, after some time-consuming training, and makes them a magical object of sorts.

The reasons for deluding are practical and aesthetical. In this section, I'll be listing some of the many things I've christened, and which regularly come along with me...

Onyx Psaltery

I relish all sorts of custom clothing, so I had to have one of the custom badge-for-club substituing items that are made at the Temple of the Monks of Cool. The Psaltery is very appropiately a talker-scarf for the #Musicians club.
As to its name... I find some sort of delight in combining glass and crystal with music... I can't imagine a real crystal harp, but there's this thing they do with wine glasses that has the most ethereal of sounds...

This is a scarf, handmade by Enne Ira in the Temple of the Monks of Cool, hidden in a laid-back valley somewhere in the Ramtops. There is an intricately sewn emblem embroidered on the scarf, bearing the words "Musicians". You feel like the command "musicians" does something.
Onyx Psaltery is a pearlescent velvet scarf.

Bottomless Pit

My backpack is probably the oldest deluded item I still carry with me, as I got rid of many trinklets for burdening reasons. It is also one of the remaining items of my Agatean craze, when almost everything I was wearing came from the Counterweight Continent...

The deep red coloured backpack is made of durable traditional silk. It is shaped like a tube. Each pocket is adorned with delicate embroidery depicting dragons coiling and uncoiling in a lighter shade of red.
Bottomless Pit is a deep red silk backpack.

My Precious

Very appropiate, as it was my first custom ring, and it cost me a fortune. It was the product of another craze of mine, which was spending money in the most expensive items I could find around the Disc. The ring is pretty, though, and serves a nice function as a superb blorple to one of my most frequent portalling locations: the Unseen University.

This is a magnificent black gold ring. Set with a central moderately-sized teardrop-shaped lapis lazuli shard that is surrounded by seven oval-shaped small chrysoberyls, the ring is a masterpiece that must have taken much skill to craft. The surrounding chrysoberyls glitter gently in the brilliant light that the lapis lazuli shard gives off, causing the ring to look even more spectacular in its black gold setting.
My Precious is a lapis lazuli shard ring.

Books - Begynners' Magick

A tome and an old, battered chest are on the floor.

This book is an old, leather-bound tome with some strange designs on the front.

Octarine light seeps from between the pages.

Table of Contents
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
2 ... Boolywog's Forbidden Pleasures
3 ... Memories of a Vicious Chicken
4 ... Rugged Victor's Rodentia Vivisection
5 ... Torqvald's Many Colours
6 ... Sorklin's Field of Protection
7 ... Independent Recurring Vocaliser
8 ... Worstler's Elementary Mineralogical Glance
9 ... Scolorid's Scintillating Scribbling
10 ... Collatrap's Instant Pickling Stick
11 ... Grisald's Chilly Touch
12 ... Finneblaugh's Thaumic Float
13 ... Eringyas' Surprising Bouquet
14 ... Malich's Penetrating Ocular Lance
15 ... Friddlefrod's Hydratic Extrusion
16 ... Amazing Silicate Blorpler

Finneblaugh’s Thaumic Float

What's it called? Finneblaugh’s Thaumic Float (nicknamed FTF)

What does it do? A priori, it is a toy spell, that allows the wizard who's cast it to 'float' a little space above the ground, and adding an informative line about this to your description (as well as informing others when you enter a room that you are 'floating above the ground').
In the past, its effects were only aesthetic, it seems, but now I'd say it is the most useful of the easy spells (it is harder to cast, though, after recent tweaks. See notes).
Thaumic Floating includes the following advantages:
1) Under its effects, witchy vines cannot tie you down (specially useful to PKs, I imagine, but also if you like killing npc Witches...).
2) It reduces the damage taken from falls from high places.
3) It's an obstacle to sinking on the water while it remains working.

Where is it? It includes some fondling of the air waves, so it lies inside the found in the Invoakatyons in thee Mysterie of Wind grimoire at the Unseen University library.

What does it require?: A feather (any kind of feather), which is consumed in the process.

What skills do I require? Air, Evoking, Summoning, Air (2)

Has it worked?: A good output should read something like this:

You prepare to cast Finneblaugh's Thaumic Float.
You drop a feather, watching it drift to the ground.
You probe the feather, concentrating on its affinity with the air.
The feather crumples into dust.
You call forth the spirit of the wind.
You lever yourself gently upwards with magic.
You float gently off the ground.
You feel light as air.

Help Information:

Finneblaugh's Thaumic Float - Hover gently in the air.

Finneblaugh's Thaumic Float is a miscellaneous spell that causes the caster to float several inches above the ground for the duration of the spell. The spell consumes a feather.

Notes:

This spell has been recently modified to make it what it now is (I'm adding this note on the 25th of July, 2010). In its previous version, it was much easier to cast, only had 3 stages (Air, Summoning and Air again) and it didn't consume the feather. Also, it was counted among the toy spells of the Begginer's grimoire, and not among its present air kin...
As it had a stage less, the output was slightly different. Line two was 'You drop a feather, watching it drift to the ground and force it to float back up into your hands' Present lines three and four didn't exist.

Banishing

Banishing ys usually ufed to end an encounter with a spirit, sending yt back to yts normal place of dwelling. Having control over the spirit ys a great asfet, as often they prefer being here and don't want to go back.

Order Rings - The Order of Midnight

> look macabre ring

A plain wooden ring, topped by an elaborate setting. The base of the setting is a slice of tiger's eye. It has been inlaid with a pattern of bones, wrought from diamond. Femora line the circumference, while a detailed skull sits in the centre. The eye sockets of the skull have been filled by tiny sapphires. Deep green lettering runs between the two.
Etched in lines of glowing octarine: "Noctivagus"
It appears to have something written on it.
It is in excellent condition.

> read macabre ring
You read the macabre ring:
The Order of Midnight

My own one

It has been some time since I've fiddled with the illusions created by Torqvald's Illusion Generatrix. The size of my illusions was quite a problem, as I never had enough to carve out the little piece I was trying. One recent casting in a highly thaum-charged area gave me almost the size I needed, with just a little trimming (the spell amounts, as per thaumometer reading, to a quite massive size 45), and so my very own spell, now kept in a scroll, was born: Winswand's Zethir Huphiv.

This spell requires the skills of Evoking, Channeling and Chanting. As for components, it employs a pinch of ash (consumed) and a bronze ring (which gives some use to the extremely expensive and custom bronzed topaz bezel-set ring I ordered for just these spell castings). Like all of Torqvald's offshoots, it creates an area illusion, which in this case reads as follows:

You prepare to cast Winswand's Zethir Huphiv.
> You blow the ash into the air.
You hold up the ring and look through it.
You whisper "Winswand's Zethir Huphiv" to yourself.
The illusion unfolds...

A Red, horned, sulphurous, angry demon suddenly appears.
Lew-Cypher whispers with malevolence to you: Hello!
Lew-Cypher whispers with malevolence to you: Nothing personal, mate.
The demon taps your shoulder, patronizingly.
Lew-Cypher wields Maxwell's Silver (War)Hammer.
Lew-Cypher moves aggressively towards you!
Lew-Cypher smashes the guts out of you with Maxwell's Silver Hammer.
Hp: 0 (1873) Gp: 127 (327) Xp: 53183
Lew-Cypher says: Bye, bye!
Someone says: MY, WE'VE BEEN A BIT CARELESS, HAVEN'T WE? SHALL WE POPPADOM TO THE NEXT DIMENSION?

Guild Metaphysics

It seems that in many Role-playing games and their tabletop/MUD equivalents -most of them as copies of prototypes already struck and minted in D&D- the playable classes tend to follow quite a predictable pattern. We can state that all guilds fall into one of the two main and general types, from which they afterwards branch out: they are either Fighters or Magicians.
As it seems, the names are quite self-evident and descriptive. Fighter classes will focus on weapons, armour and general fast-and-evident killing methods, at which they'll probably be more profficent than anybody else. As for Magicians, they tend to rely, on the contrary, on slower and more spectacular ways of dealing with their foes, and unconventional protections.

This general set can be further subdivided into four sub-classes, two for each branch. So, the Magicians can be either of the Priest type (they use 'divine' or supernatural, god-sent magic) or of the Wizard type (they use 'profane', or natural magic), with many more possible sub-branchings, depending on the different gods and their characteristics, and in the different classes of magic and magic practitioners. And Fighters can be divided into Warriors (usually very strong, holders of huge weapons and wearers of heavy armour) and Dodgers (they rely more in fast movement and dodging for their protection, and tend to use light weapons, like daggers, and hiding-and stabbing attacks).

This would be the 'pure' set of classes generally found everywhere. Each class tends to relate to a specific stat as its main and most important base. With stats and guilds, then, we can develop the following correlations:

Strength -------------------------------------- Warrior
Dexterity -------------------------------------- Dodger
Intelligence ------------------------------------ Wizard
Wisdom ---------------------------------------- Priest

The desire to merge the best of two or more classes (easier to do in some worlds than in others) generally leads to a development of 'mixed' classes, even if they are not as proficient in the branches as those who choose the pure. Notorious examples would be Paladins (Warrior-Priests) and Wizard-Warriors.

When applying all this to the Discworld, we find it generally fits quite well. We have all the 'pure classes': Warrior Guilds (Barbarians, Musketeers, Samurai...), Dodger Guilds (Assassins, Thieves), Wizard Guilds (Witches and Wizards) and Priest Guilds.

There doesn't seem to be a priori, despite specializations, any of the mixed categories. But I'd say that's the case because the system is less rigid here than in other places. That is to say, with the exception of a few (albeit important) guild-only skills, an adventurer in the Discworld can learn almost anything (there are some exceptions, though: Wizard classes can't practice any faith, 'priestly' skills. It would seem logical for priests not to be able to practice magic, but that isn't the case). Indeed, I'd say the system rather stimulates mixing up a bit, as at least some of the classes, in a totally pure stance, may confront with some important disadvantages.

Here's also where 'rearrange' comes into. I wouldn't know about other guilds, but it certainly is a wizard's nightmare, as there are no easy solutions. Having a clear idea of the things you want to be good at (and the things you want to be mediocre and damn bad in, as well) helps a bit, but as the Spell tree touches almost every stat there is up to a high degree (in past ages, it seems, all that was required for a good wizard was extremely high Intelligence), even a 'pure' wizard rearrange seems problematic...

Frygellhan's Fiendish Orbit Disruptor

What's it called? Frygellhan's Fiendish Orbit Disruptor (nicknamed FFOD)

What does it do? Basically, this spell is for automatically knocking out of orbit all types of floaters (wizard and witch ones alike). The purpose of this, with the exception, perhaps, of confronting some wizard/witch npcs and of pk Wizards confronting themselves, is generally to bring down one's own shield when in bad state so as to repair it in a smithy.
The spell, though, is a little unpractical because of the heavy component employed; and therefore, I doubt it is much used, and shields are very easy to knock down without its medium anyway. Too easy...

Where is it? It lies for all to learn it in the Introeductyon too thee Strukture of thee Multyverss grimoire, at the Unseen University Library.

What does it require?: A chain, which isn't consumed in the process, but which is also damn heavy (7 pounds), bearing in mind that Strength isn't usually the strongest field for wizards.

What skills do I require?: Evoking, Channeling, Binding

Has it worked?: A good output should read something like this:

You prepare to cast Frygellhan's Fiendish Orbit Disruptor on xxx (target with floating object).
You start twirling the chain around xxx.
You carefully aim the chain at a point where it might intersect an object in orbit around xxx.
You send the chain into a counterwise orbit around xxx.
The chain scores a direct hit!
A (floating object) clatters to the ground.

Help Information:

Frygellhan's Fiendish Orbit Disruptor - disrupt floating objects.

Frygellhan's Fiendish Orbit Disruptor is a first order offensive spell that disrupts the orbits of any objects floating around its target, knocking them to the ground.

Abjuring

Abjuring ys one of the moft important parts of demonology, for those that care to get involved in such thyngs, as yt forces a spirit to abftain from some action, such as leaping out of the magick octogram and devouring the wyzard.

Order Rings - The Brothers of the Silver Star

>look anvil ring in case

A plain silver ring has been augmented by a miniature representation of an anvil, flawlessly crafted from flint. Lying crossed on the anvil are a golden hammer and an octiron staff, while the sides of the anvil have been stippled with golden spots which seem to form words.
Etched in lines of glowing octarine: "Argenteus Astrum"
It appears to have something written on it.
It is in excellent condition.

>read anvil ring in case

You read the anvil ring:
The Ancient and Truly Original Brothers of the Silver Star

Magical Items - Elegant rings

Not so long ago, Gillimer's Ring of Temperate Weather re-appeared again in the Weather Magic grimoire, at the Unseen University library. Since then, it is quite usual to see many wizards (specially those of the Silver Star branch) bejewelling their fingers with these nice little pieces of magic and craftsmanship, which provide a brief, albeit highly appreciated, respite from the inclemencies of the Discworld climates...

We won't go into details on the spell (it will have its own entry in the future). As to the rings, they look like this:

>look elegant ring

This ring is spinning around its axis radiating a magical aura. Looking at its revolving form, you are reminded of a blizzard, or a crackling fire. It hums softly.
The ring shines from within.
It is in excellent condition.

While worn, the ring communicates to its owner its climatic-protection properties ('You feel protected from the elements.') and will appear as a 'spinning elegant ring'. Your description will be slighty altered with an added line, as you will find yourself "encased in a translucent bubble".

The protection is limited (it seems to work when not subjected to crazy amounts of heat and cold, and doesn't work at all at the Temple of the Listening Monks' surrounding area) and doesn't last forever; casting skills probably fix the duration of the effects. After some time, you start receiving messages from the bubble (they are quite frequent, so they may not be directy related to protections getting weaker, though: 'The bubble around you flickers slightly'; 'The bubble around you flashes for a moment'), and after some more time, the ring will stop spinning. When that happens, you'll get a line like this: 'The ring glows, but then splutters and its warmth dies away'. It will lose the 'spinning' part in the simple look, stop working and present the following description:

>look elegant ring

This is a beautiful ring. It somehow combines the brightness of the sun with the delicacy of snow. It looks like it's made out of gold, but it is hard to tell.
It is in excellent condition.

You can stop wearing it at any moment, and that will also put an end to protections, as warned by the line: 'You feel at the mercy of the elements.' Once it has spent all its magic, you get, nevertheless, the possibility of recharging the ring by casting again Gillimer's spell over it.

The ring responds partially, as was mentioned in the Fabrication Classification Identification entry, to identification ("The weave pulses with soft yellow light"), but is unrechargeable except by said recasting of the spell on it. A failiure, like a first casting, will melt the ring and set the caster to sleep for a short amount of time.

Floron's Fabulous Mirror

What's it called? Floron's Fabulous Mirror (nicknamed FFM)

What does it do? We continue with scrying, as Floron's is the spell for spying other people, and the scrying method used by wizards (other have longsight and maybe some items, direct or indirect, like crystal brooches). A casting of this spell over any player (and many npc's) will allow you to see him and his room surroundings at a glance.

Where is it? As would be asumed, the spell is hidden in the Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Everything grimoire, at the Unseen University Library.

What does it require?: Aside from a target to scry, some sort of mirror. It isn't consumed in the process.

What skills do I require?: Channeling, Divining, Scrying

Has it worked?: A good output should read something like this:

You prepare to cast Floron's Fabulous Mirror on xxx (target)
You concentrate on the mirror, pushing your mind into it.
You think about finding things out.
You wave your hands over the mirror.
The silver mirror seems to urge you to gaze into it.

Help Information:

Floron's Fabulous Mirror - View a target.

Floron's Fabulous Mirror is a zeroth order spell which allows you to see a snapshot view of any creature or person on the Disc. It requires a mirror to cast.

Notes:

After gazing into the mirror (something which requires, I think, another spellcheck -on scrying, against the target's resistance-), you may either succeed and see the room and person, or get one of the following messages:

1) You failed the spell:

Your reflection in the mirror suddenly turns strange...

2) The person you want to scry is net-dead at the moment:
The mirrored timepiece glazes over, displaying a matte white surface, before going back to reflective.

3) The person you want to scry is a Pk, and you are not:

Your mind finds xxx in a haze of smoke and mirrors. (before the gazing) The mirrored timepiece seems to urge you to gaze into it.
You merely see your own reflection in the mirrored timepiece.

4) The person is an unscryable npc/creator/protected by Kipperwald's spell, or his faith skills have succeeded in the end. One of these two:

The mirrored timepiece clouds, turns black, and then goes back to reflective.

The mirrored timepiece goes cloudy, then returns to normal suddenly, looking somehow offended.

5) You are attempting to scry a generic, non-specific npc:

The mirrored timepiece goes cloudy, then displays a complex fractal pattern. Within this pattern, you can see a myriad of xxxs going about their business

Scrying

Scrying ys a broadly applied method ufed to send a wyzard's senfes to another place. Often thys ys done indirectly using crystal balls, mirrors, bowls of water, Caroc cards, Ching-a-ling and a whole hoft of techniques ending in -mancy. Thefe methods are generally preferred over sending the raw senfes where there ys the danger of not coming back.

10 Klein bottles / standing on a wall...

Well, it's not 10 bottles, actually. It is rather, 6. And they aren't on a wall, but in the wardrobe of my rented room, at the Apex Club...

It all began a few days ago, while I was rummaging in the basement of the AM Daily offices, buying and reading old numbers of the newspaper in search of any articles about spells and magic. The most interesting thing I found were some detailed lines about Klein bottles, how to make them and catch spells inside them, and the probability that they'd be used as a (new) spell component in the not too distant future. A year and a half has passed since publication, but this things go slow, I imagine...

For those of you that ignore totally what I am talking about: Klein bottles are the deformed product of trying to make a crystal bottle in an area with a high magical buildup.
At the western end of the Street of Cunning Artificiers lies George's glass blowing shop. If you order him a bottle after creating a big enough number of thaums in the shop (around 50-60; use a thaumometer to measure them), the result will be this:

>l bottle

This is a mind bendingly paradoxical Klein bottle which has the revolutionary property of not being able to hold anything at all, on account of having no volume. A student discovered the ingeniously intricate shape at the back of a lecture theatre, as he was trying to make a paper giraffe out of thaumic funnel paper. This one, however, has been skillfully blown from glass.

So, what can you do with this peculiar item? It won't hold liquids, but it will hold spells. The next part of the process is getting yourself a butterfly net and search for a runnaway sphere of energy, the result of failing to remember a spell from a scroll, and involuntarily setting it free.
At this stage, I had the unvaluable help of my coz Winsalt, whose general ineptitude in wizardry was put to good use in releasing spells for me. Then, the issue is to 'catch' them...

You attempt to capture the substantial sphere of energy.
The substantial sphere of energy showers your stomach with hot sparks but your floating large wooden shield swoops in and absorbs all of the blow.
Hp: 2170 (2170) Gp: 306 (371) Xp: 1212735
You swat at the substantial sphere of energy with your butterfly net but its thaumic field absorbs most of the blow.
The substantial sphere of energy wriggles out of your butterfly net.
The substantial sphere of energy showers your right arm with hot sparks but your floating large wooden shield swoops in and absorbs all of the blow.
Hp: 2170 (2170) Gp: 308 (371) Xp: 1212738
The substantial sphere of energy buzzes angrily.
The substantial sphere of energy showers your stomach with hot sparks but your floating large wooden shield swoops in and absorbs all of the blow.
Hp: 2170 (2170) Gp: 311 (371) Xp: 1212741
The substantial sphere of energy buzzes angrily.
You swat at the substantial sphere of energy with your butterfly net but its coloured haze absorbs most of the blow.
The substantial sphere of energy showers your back with hot sparks but your floating large wooden shield swoops in and absorbs all of the blow.
Hp: 2170 (2170) Gp: 313 (371) Xp: 1212744
The substantial sphere of energy showers your neck with hot sparks but your floating large wooden shield swoops in and absorbs all of the blow.
Hp: 2170 (2170) Gp: 316 (371) Xp: 1212747
The substantial sphere of energy showers your chest with hot sparks but your floating large wooden shield swoops in and absorbs all of the blow.
Hp: 2170 (2170) Gp: 319 (371) Xp: 1212750
You swat at the substantial sphere of energy with your butterfly net but its coloured haze absorbs most of the blow.
You capture the substantial sphere of energy in your butterfly net and wrestle it into the Klein bottle.

Once captured, the bottle adds an adjective to its description (a glowing Klein bottle), two lines (Not quite inside, but within the glass itself; a substantial red sphere is zipping around energetically. /It produces a warm becon of octarine light.) and, from time to time, some spam about its light properties and fluctuations (The light from your glowing Klein bottle pulsates warmly.).

Do all trapped spells look the same? The first 4 bottles or so I made, I had employed scrolls of Nargl'frob's Empyrean Spear, and the spheres trapped in the bottles all had a distinctive red colour. The regularity seemed to discard total randomness in colour, and suggested one of three possibilities:
1) All spells and their energies are red in colour
2) Nargl'frob's Empyrean Spear is red; other spells might have different colours, or share this one
3) General classes of spells (Misc., Defensive, Offensive) share a common colour

To test this, I needed to make more bottles, one more with a different offensive spell, one with a Defensive spell, another with a Misc. one. It wasn't an easy task, as I couldn't myself scribe the biggest of those (the bigger the spell, the easier to let it free), nobody was willing/able to make HEB and DKDD scrolls, and Winsalt was annoyingly capable of remembering, even with the help of repeated cross-spellchecking, spells of less than size 40. After some time, I did manage to set free and capture Grisald's Reanimated Guardian, Patient Taming of the Quantum Weather Butterfly and Stacklady's Morphic Resonator. The results confirmed the last hypothesis, as Grisald' addopted a 'green' colour, the Butterfly gave a 'multicoloured sphere', and Stacklady's the predictable red...

So, what remains now? Nothing much, really, except awaiting for the new spells that might require them to be implemented. Otherwise, their uses are non-existant for the moment: they glow (but it seems, from the AM article that they can't act as lights in spite of the glow) and can be thrown to create explosions, with no damage. I still have to test these two last characteristics, though...

Order Rings - Sages of the Unknown Shadow

'Gotta have them all'. I've just bought, right now, the last of the rings I was searching for (by an ironic twist, it was my own Order's, and the first one I ever bought; I even had it deluded, but I must have lost it in some remote robe, cloak, backpack or pothole...). I've even bought them a nice-looking lacquered box in which to lie, and which would also do as I nice piece of decoration if I start renting a property one of these days...

>look case

This is a beautifully engraved small lacquered case. It has the picture on it of two fine steel daggers with delicately jewelled handles.
It is in excellent condition.

As for this entry's ring, it will be the daemonologist's piece, which at a short glance responds quite appropiately as a 'black ring'.

>look black ring

This ring has been cast from octiron, and features a disturbing setting. Its main feature is a blackened, flat disc, with an elegantly faceted ruby at its centre. Around the rim of the disc, blood red letters have been marked into the metal. Between the stone and the letters is an intricate network of silver wires, bulging upward from the face of the disc. The impression is of enormous forces struggling to burst through a barrier, and only the ruby at the centre seems to be holding them back.
Etched in lines of glowing octarine: "Umbra Incognitas"
It appears to have something written on it.
It is in excellent condition.

>read black ring

You read the black ring:
The Sages of the Unknown Shadow

Fabrication Classification Identification

What's it called? Fabrication Classification Identification (in short, FCI)

What does it do? This is one of the most useful spells for the recharging wizard, alongside with the already mentioned Crondor's Fabulous Detection. If that spell informed you of the safety of attempting to recharge a magical artifact, this spell 'identifies' the said artifact; the identification provides you with the 'true name' of the object (for example, blue crystal rings are 'Rings of Recall', red staves are 'Staves of Frottjor", Balsa Wands are 'Wands of Eternal Light', and so on), which I think is needed for attempting to recharge; and it also informs you of the number of charges left in the said artifact.
Of late, the items on which it can be cast (you have a list of them and of their proper names at Sined's) have been expanded somewhat, including yellow rings and some other trinklets, which shall be posted soon on this site.

Where is it? It rests inside the folds of the Introeductyon too thee Strukture of thee Multyvers grimoire, a little bit into the depths of the Unseen University Library.

What does it require? no components; a magical object, to investigate it.

What skills do I need? Divining, Evoking, Convoking

Has it worked? A correct output should be something like this:

You prepare to cast Fabrication Classification Identification on xxx (magical artifact).
You wonder about xxx.
You peer at xxx, probing at its ticklish parts.
You coax xxx to make it reveal its basic identity.
The weave indicates that xxx is a *** with xxx charges remaining

Help Information:

Fabrication Classification Identification - Identify an artifact.

The Fabrication Classification Identification is a first order miscellaneous spell that attempts to identify a magical artifact.

Notes: We mentioned above that lately, some items have been added to those who get some sort of a feedback from FCI. They are items without 'evident' charges (although they 'spend' after some use), and therefore, dubious as 'artifacts', but they certainly are magical items, and add an appropiate line when looking at the weave. We've already talked about Twisted Black Amulets. Yellow stone rings provide the following:

The weave pulses with soft yellow light.

The elegant rings that result from transmuting plain gold ones through the spell Gillimer's Ring of Temperate Weather also provide a similar line:

The weave glows with the gentle warmth of a spring afternoon.

As for zodiac charms, they also present a message of their own:

The weave squirms and bounces in a happy confusion of fur, feather, claw and scale.

It remains to be known if other magical stuff gives some feedback (Klein bottles aren't considered an 'artifact', so for them, and many others, the weave is empty). Possibly, but not probably, the items made with the new light-clothing spell (Turnwhistle's Effulgent Autiridescence), which become equivalents of the Yellow stone rings, might give a weave the colour of the light they emit...

Magical items - Twisted Black Amulets

Recent advances in demonology have provided us, as you well know, with a whole set of new spells. One of these is Professor Flambardie's Grim Amulet, which creates a magical amulet that protects from some of the worst aspects of devil-dabbling-in, and which is of obligatory use for two of the evil imp spells: Kelleflump's Irritating Demon and Doctor Kelleflump's Deadly Demon.

The amulet is a curious work of art, certainly worth noting:

This piece of black-stained silver isn't quite flat, and isn't evenly rounded, as though it had been warped by a fire. The spikes and hooks around the rim have a disturbingly organic look, and the eldritch runes spiralling around the face are never the same twice. Occasionally, you can make out glimmers of meaning in the runes, but the bitter, doleful words always retreat and change before your mind can do more than take a glimpse of the vast, empty infinity of unpleasant truth behind the blackened silver.
Unpleasant-looking spikes and hooks of octarine light thrust at odd angles from its surface.
It is in excellent condition.

While being used the amulet doesn't seem to accumulate any visible damage. It will, though, from time to time, cause a small amount of damage to its user ("Your twisted black amulet emits a sullen black gloom and the surface shines with frost"). And after some more time and use, it will melt away. Many hypotheses have been suggested about how and why this happens: some think alignment might have something to do with it, that the number of thaums present when the spell to create it was cast could be decisive, or that the success in the skills when casting the spell is what really cuts the cake... Nothing is known for sure. It does seem to behave like an item with a fixed number of charges, variable in each amulet (like the pickling stick, so maybe also influenced by casting skills), but it doesn't respond to investigations with Fabrication Classification Identification ("The weave abruptly writhes, throwing out nasty-looking spikes and hooks. A black stain spreads over its surface before it shifts... sideways... and disappears somewhere to the left of down.").

Some research lies, therefore ahead. Meanwhile, we'll continue with the cumbersome crafting of these strange artefacts, that show an annoying tendency to unharness all bounds and set free ugly oozing demons into the Discworld...

Eringyas' Surprising Bouquet

What's it called? Eringyas’ Surprising Bouquet (in short, ESB)

What does it do? Erm... Well, it creates a nice bunch of flowers. There's quite a variety which needs be listed (I'll do some work on that field one of these days), among which are heliotropes and Baby's breath. No fancy roses, tulips or orchids, though...
As to its uses, aside from taskmastering skills at very low levels, they fall on the realm of the aesthetic. Which lady would refuse a nice bouquet of flowers, even is octarinely scented?
A not too distant tweak changed them a bit (maybe gave them odours?), but that remains to be checked too...

Where is it? Being a toy-spell, you shall find it at all the Wizard Guild Gyms, inside the Begynners' Magick tomes therein.

What does it require? no components whatsoever.

What skills do I need? Channeling, Evoking, Charming

Has it worked? A correct output should be something like this:

You prepare to cast Eringyas' Surprising Bouquet.
You carefully open a rift into the flower dimension by staring hard into space.
You conjure up the image of the flower you want in your mind and sketch it out in the space in front of you.
You wave your arms wildly, attracting the attention of the bunch of flowers you wish to bring back.
You quickly reach into the flower dimension and drag a bunch of flowers screaming into this plane.

Help Information:

flowers - Make someone some nice flowers

Eringyas' Surprising Bouquet is a miscellaneous type spell that conjures a nice bunch of flowers into being.

Notes:

So... flowers I've got from the spell... All 'look quite fresh', and the bouquets 'shimmer in octarine'.

-anemones:
Despite the name, these are not squidgy sea creatures, but brightly coloured, daisy-like flowers with thick petals and a jaunty air.

-sense and sensibilities:
Made of soft and fuzzy pussywillow catkins, this bouquet not only looks cute, but feels cute also. Gufnorkians would be very appreciative of its fluffiness.

-moonflowers:
These flowers aren't white as one would expect, but pure black. They are often sent as good luck tokens to those whose work takes them abroad by night, and who enjoy the cover of darkness.

-oleanders:
Cheerful pinwheel shaped blooms of pure white adorning a thin branch are collected here. The flowers give off a lovely fragrance somehow reminiscent of one's own mortality. This bouquet would be perfect for sending to an assassin admired from afar.

-bleeding hearts:
Graceful thin stalks bearing heart shaped white flowers with red petals dripping downward say either "I love you", or "Thanks for fulfulling the contract on my heart."

-rain-daisies:
Called rain-daisies because the petals have a glistening, bedewed appearance, these blue-white flowers with thin petals radiating from a cheerful yellow centre are as refreshing as a gentle spring rain.

-heliotropes:
On first look this bouquet seems to be made of one large flower, but closer examination reveals large flat clusters made up of hundreds of tiny, intensely purple, flowers. The whole gives off a heavenly chocolate-vanilla scent.

-fuchsias:
Brilliant red and purple flowers with a suspicious resemblance to a lady's bloomers dangle appealingly in this bouquet. Perfect for an evening out, or sending to your favourite assassin, these flowers will complement any look.

-matthiola stocks:
Sturdy stalks covered completely with pyramids of red, spice-scented flowers make up this bouquet, providing a treat for the nose as well as the eyes.

-bachelor's buttons:
Cheerful, thistle-like tufts in bright blues and pinks combine for a happy-go-lucky effect. These flowers have been used to discreetly signal that the wearer is single.

-bat-flowers:
These enormous flowers are midnight black, and their outline eerily resembles a bat in flight with wings spread, trailing wisps of dark smoke. There are even little indentations which look like eyes. Be careful with this bouquet, it's watching you.

-baby's breath:
Tiny, pure white flowers tremble on fragile stalks, giving this bouquet a lovely, airy look.

Smelling them gives a small series of feedbacks ('You smell the bunch of xxx's. Wonderful! / Delightful! / Lovely! / Mmm! / Aaachoo!).