Spellmaking

By 'The Keeper'

What can be said about Spellmaking? It is quite a topic in Tamriel, a very strange and interesting talent. Some people throughout Tamriel have this strange power. Some have the ability to make spells, and others do not. It is a simple fact of life. I myself, a master of all schools and forms of magicka, cannot even contrive some of the simplest spells of my own. I must be taught. Even though I may tell a spellmaker what I would like to learn; I cannot make the spells without the help of the spellmaker. If I could choose anything in Tamriel it would not be gold, nor treasures, nor women, no, I would learn the art of Spellmaking. Why some people cannot do it and others can is beyond me. It is a sad fate that some of the most skilled masters of magicka cannot contrive their own spells.

Spellmaking is the ability to create spells of all magical fields. They can create healing spells of Restoration, powerful spells of Destruction, the changing spells of Alteration, the interesting spells of Illusion, the supernatural spells of Mysticism, and the morbid spells of Conjuration.

I have spent many years of my life trying to find a way to learn this skill, and through all my studies and researches, I have come up with nothing other than the simple fact that random people can make spells of their own. Why is it that these people are the only ones that have this power? Is it a hereditary skill? I should think not, for I disproved this theory while interviewing a young Dark Elf spellmaker named Admantius Addasartus. I asked him about his family, and if they had any skill with magicka. He said that they did not know the first thing about magicka and that they thought he was crazy for getting involved with things that just are not natural. Admantius Addasartus had been making little spells since he was a child under the teaching of a local mage who was not a spellmaker either. Admantius Addasartus said he did not remember when he started making spells; he just said that he could do it ever since he remembered. Admantius Addasartus is now a Journeyman in the Mage's Guild on the mainland of Morrowind. He now is a registered spellmaker, and making his living off his strange power.

So now, I had to think of a new theory. Spellmaking was not a hereditary trait, so where did this power come from? My next theory was that it was appointed by the gods. This would be an interesting investigation because the diverse races of Tamriel believe in vastly different gods, but since I had already interviewed a Dunmer, I thought it would be best to keep the variables the same. In this case, do all my investigating on Dark Elves. I visited the Temples across Morrowind, until I found an interesting spellmaker by the name of Lethan Valos. Lethan Valos was a Curate in the Temple of Kragenmoor. He also had this peculiar ability in Spellmaking. I asked him about this ability and he said that he does not remember being given this power, but it may have been a blessing from the gods when he was born. I find this unlikely since Admantius Addasartus had nothing to do with the Temple and he had this power from birth as well. I asked Lethan Valos if his parents had any experience with magicka. He said that they were poor Guar herders in Stonefalls. Lethan Valos also apparently had no family connections with magicka.

Again I was stumped and had to make yet another new theory. I thought that perhaps it depends on when the spellmaker was born, after much time I found and questioned both, Admantius Addasartus and Lethan Valos. And the results were once again disturbing. Admantius Addasartus was born in Rain's Hand, under the sign of The Mage. Lethan Valos was born in Last Seed, under the sign of The Warrior.

My theories were being destroyed left and right, I was resolved to find out how this power was given out. My next task was to find someone who was a spellmaker and had a child. I found this Dunmer in the small town of Riverbridge. His name was Ettin Ravirri. Ettin Ravirri was a spellmaker for the town. He had no faction; he simply enjoyed living life. He had a healthy family; a loving wife, four sons, and three daughters. To my surprise and dismay, none of his children had any signs of Spellmaking ability. I thoroughly examined all of the children and none of them gave me any evidence of magicka presence at all. When I asked Ettin Ravirri about his parents, he said that they were merchants in Narsis.

So, after all my theories had been disproved, I returned to my library without a whim of what to do. For now, I am going to leave Spellmaking alone. I am setting off on another journey to learn more of the magickas in Tamriel. I hope these notes encourage you to find the answers of Spellmaking. Although, I have failed in this quest for now; I urge you to search Cyrodiil and all of Tamriel until we find the answers of Spellmaking.