Shardless (Tempris #1)

-An excerpt from the 27 th Volume of Shadow Magic: A Manual of Best Practice Standards for the Ethical Application of Aether Contamination Spells

The subject of the forbidden rituals inevitably arises when new restrictions on the practice of shadow magic are proposed. Shadow mages, by their very nature, control the flow of aether. By extension, this applies to the aether of those around them. The power to manipulate another mage’s personal aether pool grants shadow mages the unique ability to exert influence on other fey.

Aether contamination spells (i.e., spells that require blood to be ingested by the target) are among the most hotly debated branch of spellcasting. These enchantments function by allowing the shadow mage to infect or contaminate another mage’s pool of aether with their own. The desired enchantment can then be enacted by penning the correct series of runes onto the subject’s skin.

Though there are various accepted methods to anchor a spell, embedding crystals into the subject’s body is by far the most common approach. If the spell is not anchored, its effects will dissipate as soon as the target is able to metabolize the foreign aether. An anchored enchantment, however, can remain active for decades, sometimes centuries.