Spellsinging

About

The Sildaryn practice a form of magic that is an integral part of their culture and religion. Those members called dalfyn use spell singing to commune with spirits and bring about change. To the Sildaryn all living things contain a spirit which can be sang to. Some ancient wisdom suggests that some inanimate things may have spirits as well (rocks, rivers, clouds, etc).

The challenge is convincing a spirit to teach or share its songs, so that the Dalfyn can utilize them in the future. One dalfyn may teach another the songs he has learned, but directly learning from the spirits is considered a more pure use of the art.

Abilities

Dalfyn are taught how to commune with spirits they might encounter in the forest the call home in order to affect change or receive information. The process takes time and requires a certain calm, meditative state. During these sessions the Dalfyn calls out to a specific spirit. Negotiations between the dalfyn and the particular spirit can take a long time, as some experience the world very differently than the Sildaryn.

Seeking

A Daflyn can call out to the nearest spirit for which they know the song, and receive an answering call providing the direction and approximate distance of that spirit from the Dalfyn.

Communing

A Dalfyn may seek answers from spirits for which they are familiar. The answers may be require some time to draw meaning from, as many spirits understanding of the world is filtered through their perceptions and experience.

Call for Aid

A Dalfyn may call out to spirits they know for assistance. The request can be as general or specific as the Dalfyn wants, but any help they receive will only be within the plausible abilities of the spirit which answers.

Healing

A Dalfyn may attempt to aid a being for which he or she knows the song of its spirit. This magical healing is seldom instantaneous, but accelerates the natural restoration of health for the particular target. This may include recovery from disease or infection, setting of broken bones, or recovering from blood loss.

Costs

Often the spirit in question will demand an exchange for sharing information, or providing aid. This usually takes the form of quests or bans, and failing to meet the spirit's request will result in some retribution from the spirit, or potential loss of any knowledge granted.

Quests

The Dalfyn will be required to complete some task that the spirit desires. This could be nearly anything, and sometimes may seem trivial or unrelated to the spirits nature. Sometimes these quests need to be completed before the spirit will give assistance; otherwise they are to be completed after the spirit assists the Dalfyn.

Bans

In some cases the spirit will place restrictions on the Dalfyn. These take the form of refraining from certain activities, or compelling them to perform certain minor actions under specific circumstances. The nature of these requests are usually aligned with the interests of the spirit in question.

Effects

The Sildaryn people are all about living in harmony with the natural environment, so even their magic leaves few traces. These songs can achieve just about any effect aligned with the nature of the spirit in question. The results are sometimes dramatic, but not outside the bounds of what is potentially possible without magic. Usually the results are subtle enough to leave witnesses wondering if anything was even done, but since this is so strongly tied into the Sildaryn spiritual beliefs and philosophy they don't see it as coincidence.

Examples might include:

• A more bountiful harvest, less insect damage to crops, larger, healthier plants
• Predatory animals avoid the dalfyn and those under his care
• A frightened animal calms in the presence of the dalfyn allowing injuries to be treated
• A storm shifts its track enough to dissipate its fury away from the hinta
• A Sildaryn's mental illness symptoms abate to manageable levels
• Wounds stop bleeding sooner, and become resistant to infection
• Labour pains are eased during childbirth

Stories

Druid (fifty word fantasy)

One Year Later (fifty word fantasy)

Song (fifty word fantasy)

Songs of Neelam

Travel (fifty word fantasy)

See Also

Dalfyn

Spirits