Lore:Spellmaking

Altar of Spellmaking

Ulfsild the Evergreen

Spellmaking, also known as spell making, spell-crafting, or spellcrafting, is the magical craft of creating new spells. Spells taught at institutions of learning, known as circinate spells are standardized and more readily available. However, for more advanced practitioners of magic seeking more unique effects, spellmaking is an option. Ulfsild the Evergreen collaborated with Luminaries of Magic to create Scribing in the First Era, the precursor to the modern spellcrafting system. Scribing when it was rediscovered caught the attention of Vanus Galerion, who envisioned altars in every Mages Guild hall, and saw that Scribing would influence even roving mages out in the wilds. Spellcrafters have existed outside Ulfsild's Scribing and Vanus Galerion's modernization, however, and have created spells outside their contributions.

Those who practice spellmaking are referred to as spellmakers, spellcrafters, and spellsmiths. They are known as the Isolationists within the Mages Guild of the Iliac Bay.

Spellmaking Altars, and Spell Makers, serve as the supplementary tools for mages to craft spells. Magetallow candles are utilized to power some of those tools. However, some mages are capable of inventing spells without utilizing these altars, opting instead to cast them directly to assess their effects, sometimes on willing subjects.

Spells were sometimes named after their creators, such as Merien's White Mask devised by Merien Sellan of Eagle's Brook, or Shalidor's Mirror created by the legendary Arch-Mage Shalidor. Master Neloth of House Telvanni also lent his name to his experimental spells. Sometimes spells and magically enchanted scrolls are named after other individuals. Tarhiel's spell and scrolls of Icarian Flight bore Icarian's name.

While usually associated with magical institutions like the Mages Guild and similar organizations, as well as temples such as the Temple of Kynareth, spell invention is a practice observed among mages throughout Tamriel, and beyond, spanning from elite practitioners like Master Neloth, or Archmagister Mavon of House Telvanni, to more commonplace spellcasters, whether from urban, rural, or tribal backgrounds.

Imperial law mandates the Mages Guild to instruct any eager learner in the commonly practiced spells of magic, yet it does not extend the same obligation to the crafting of magical items or the acquisition of components essential for creating new spells, and Advanced Spellcrafting was considered potentially dangerous to the public at large. Accessing the guild's spellmaking and enchanting services necessitates higher-ranked membership in good standing by the Council of Mages, and entry to the Arcane University.

Frostcrag Spire and the Praxographical Center of the Arcane University are known for their spellmaking equipment. Master Spellmakers are the mages who resided in the Arcane University and offered their services to other members of the guild. In the late Third Era, in 3E 433, Borissean and Gaspar Stegine were considered the premier spellmakers of the university.

Gallery

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  Spellmaking Altar (Oblivion)

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  A Mage offering spellmaking services (Arena)

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  An Isolationist mage of the Sentinel Mages Guild (Daggerfall)

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  A Spellsmith of Kynareth (Daggerfall)

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  An Ashlander Spellmaker (Morrowind)

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  Borissean, a Master Spellmaker of the Mages Guild (Oblivion)

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  Master Neloth, known for inventing new spells (Skyrim)

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  A Breton spellmaker (ESO)

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  A Scribing Altar (ESO)

Notes

• 1.	Term spellcrafting is also occasionally used to describe spellcasting in general, though it also was used to specifically refer to process of creating spells.

• 2.	Spellsmiths of Kynareth are a known practitioners of spellmaking. However, the term spellsmith is also sometimes also used to descibe arcane smiths using magic during their metalworking, or armamancers.

• 3.

  Icarian, a Bosmeri mage of the Second Era, crafted a device enabling long-distance jumping, meeting his demise in 2E 582 while using it. He claimed that his name would be remembered in the scrolls of history. In that same year, Tarhiel Farano was developing a spell aimed at achieving similar effects, also meeting his demise after using it. He claimed that his descendants would perfect his spell. Centuries later, in 3E 427, another mage named Tarhiel sought to perfect his spell, utilizing scrolls of Icarian Flight for his long-distance leap and meeting a fate akin to his predecessors.

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, and Legends articles.
• Spellcrafting was originally intended to be a mechanic in ESO; however, it was ultimately scrapped and later repurposed for Scribing. More information about this mechanic can be found here.

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.