Bargains and Gains - A Treatise on Ruh Negotiations

Bargains and Gains - a Treatise on Ruh Negotiations

Hizli Ogren, University of Deephold

Any experienced Ruh magician has their own methods of interacting with the Ruh spirits for the sake of producing magic. Each method and praxis varies from mage to mage, but the core tenets remain the same - negotiate with a spirit and in exchange produce a desired magical effect, be it destructive, constructive, or alterative. The form of this effect can vary from Ruh to Ruh, for example a Wateruh may provide cutting streams of pressurized water, separate water to create an air pocket for a mage, or halt/excite water's movement to form ice or steam, respectively.

Naturally some Ruh will overlap in their capabilities. A Wateruh may overlap with a Frostruh, as both have some dominion over the formation and properties of ice or snow, or a Magmaruh and a Stoneruh may share control over metals or small-scale volcanic activity.

Knowing this, every spell is a bargain, and one that must be struck before a Ruh provides the desired effect. Naturally, since not all Ruh are sapient - some can hardly be said to exist at all, such as the Philosoruh - bargaining with them isn't always as easy as a simple transaction. While intelligent Ruh may ask for favors, such as permission to siphon off a small measure of vitality, a gift of knowledge, or a small amount of precious metals or other items. These material (or immaterial) components aren't always obvious, and certain Ruh may be satisfied with payment of the same sort and quantity time and again. These transactions are often verbal, as the terms of the transaction must be spoken aloud before the Ruh will accept it - words have power, after all. The more powerful the Ruh is, however, the more difficult it is to appease and convince to supply a prospective conjurer with sought-after effects.

This phenomenon creates what we call the Ruhcurve. As a Ruh possesses less sapience or sentience, such as the Stoneruh, the more difficult it is to control, however the more powerful and potent it is, such as with elder Naturuh or the Deepruh, it becomes more complicated and more difficult to satisfy their demands. If we were to graph this relationship, it would appear as an inverse bell curve, thus the name "Ruhcurve."

The Djinn of the Spiral Islands seem capable of completing these transactions much more efficiently, perhaps due to their Ruhic lineage or familiarity with specific Ruh. There are some reports that magical effects can be traded for from Djinn rather than Ruh, but this has not been nearly well-tested enough to describe the process or mechanics accurately.

The fact remains that regardless of magical effect - at least in regards to Ruh magic - an exchange must occur to satisfy the Ruh.