Introduction Incantation

"Yes, ritual magick can be used for all those purposes. Many others also."

Alice stepped up to the white writing board behind her desk and began drawing on it with a chemical writing instrument from the ledge below. The writing instrument made a squeaking sound when pressed against the boards that Voldegra found amusing. "I specialize in curses, divination, and summoning. I am also fond of warding, compulsion, and projection, but I don't have any true skill in those studies."

Ritual diagrams were taking shape under Alice's hand on the board. She had written her magickal disciplines and was constructing a basic diagram used for each underneath the name. Her tiny stature made this a little difficult, since she could only reach so far up the writing board, but she managed a light injury curse, a location divination, and Gaforgamarl's summoning circle with only a few simplifications.

"There are far more magickal disciplines than I could list, but all of them allow magicians to bend what science knows as the laws of nature in one way or another. The magick I use can be thought of as a way to take advantage of other forces in domains beyond the material world."

She lifted up Mr. Pudding by the loose fabric of his neck, exposing his white underside and the summoning diagram stitched into it. Gaforgamarl snarled, but Alice paid this no mind. She had the demon under control. "Each ritual uses different symbols to achieve the desired effect. This summoning circle specifies the demon Mr. Pudding is hosting at the moment, but even a small change to the pattern could alter the terms of the summoning, fail to bind the demon to my will, or summon a different demon. For all of these reasons I will not have you working with demons, but the principle is the same even with less perilous magicks."

Alice did not answer for a few breaths, the demon filled toy writhing in her hand. She stared at the not student, considering all the possible factors and which were suitable to mention to her class. "That is not a simple question, but I'll try to explain it simply."

"Every part of the diagram has meaning, and any change to the symbols can change that meaning. The outer rings of this summoning circle are part of the binding wards that compel this demon to serve." She lifted her finger to Gaforgamarl's summoning circle on the board and wiped away one of the outer lines wrapped around the symbols within. "This ring confines the demon to a material vessel, Mr. Pudding. If it isn't scribed properly, the demon is free to manifest in its own form. I would demonstrate, but this demon drools lots of blood and that would be messy."

"However, even if the summoning diagram is drawn perfectly, that is only one part of the summoning ritual." Alice paused again, thinking of how to explain the other half of magick. How could she tell them that magick was more than just an act, that the magician was the cradle of what their magick brought about? "Magick is a spiritual discipline, and the mind of the magician is as much a part of ritual magick as the physical symbols. Without understanding how the magick works, it is impossible to perform it correctly. You can't just set up the ritual and let it happen, you have to be part of the process. Failing to understand that process corrupts it. At best nothing will happen. At worst, what happens will be tainted by your misunderstanding."