In brief, Divination was considered a practice of sophistry. Only individuals with more time and money than sense were practitioners, although skilled adherents were always in great demand. It was only after the rise of the unfortunately named Lord Dimwiddy (1534-1685) that the true potency of Divination was revealed. In his realm, no rebellious activity could be taken; Scrying, Foresight and Oaths were implemented to such a high degree that a near 100 percent accuracy rating was achieved by his law enforcement. In response, the surrounding nations engaged in a furious bout of research, seeking ways to circumvent those methods. It wasn't until the Seventh Cursed Alliance deduced the underlying principles of Divination and created the Divination Wards in 1683. Three years later, an empire reliant on outdated information gathering techniques fell to the Alliance, and the International Secrecy eliminated what information-collecting wards remained (Unrecorded Histories, by Dark Lord Phoenix, 1899).
Note: Designs for information-collecting variety have been remanded to criminal status. Anyone seeking such knowledge may be charged with Treason, punishable by a minimum of three life sentences and/or Obliviation.
Divination wards of the defensive kind possess a less complex nature than any other warding format. Whereas Energy wards require caution for their high-powered damage capacity, and shielding wards provide benefits and detractions through their physical manifestation, divination provides only an abstract impact. This is only to be expected, considering how Divination is also known as the Art of Artistry and the Realm of Creativity.
While a forbidden art, Divination still exists under the classification of Charms, and retains certain facets necessary for functional administration. Legal activities, census calculations and intelligence matters all require informed individuals. At the same time, preventing the betrayal of said information must be considered. Therein lies the allowance of Divination Wards as a licensed, regulated aspect of warding proper.
Without going into illegal details, Divination is the realm of probability. Magic's nature revolves around making the improbable possible, and Divination itself could be considered the visual aspect of this nature.
Ergo, it is simplicity itself to derive that all a Divination ward needs must is obscure a specified location from the capacity of rendering improbable occurrences possible.
The best rune combinations in this venture involve multiple runes in the focus. The best runes include Laguz (formless, unknown), cher (protection from enemies, or defense of loved one) and eihwaz (stability or strength). In extreme situations hagalaz (destruction or chaos) and naudhiz (need or unfulfilled desire) are used, but their inherently unstable nature may either counter their purpose or double their effectiveness. Adding them in the correct order, in constructive placements, creates what could be described as tangible imagination. This is the first in two primary methods for implementing Divination wards.
[Redacted]
The first method, known as the Obscure methods, returns us to the initial postulate: that Divination is the art of making the improbable possible. A ward constructed in the fashion described would force a Seer or Scrying to perceive every possible event. This does not mean just one or two potential situations, nor even a dozen. In the province of Divination, the academic Realm of Creativity, the mind expects to observe certain things – and the best defensive wards convince the mind behind the Scrying to see everything it expects.
This means, in other words, nothing. Just as light may be combined in all aspects to form a white fog, so too do the aspects of a well-constructed ward affect the Divination magics.
[Redacted] The greatest example of Divination Wards may be observed in their full glory vis a vis the long-lost city of Atlantis. Its glories have been rhapsodized in works older than civilizations; empires had risen and fallen since its loss, and unknown throngs of researchers have been lost seeking answers behind its demise. Very few hold success, as can be expected from the remains of an ancient civilization where paranoia and greater wealth than half the empires since its time have amassed.
What is known references ancient spells created to protect what the Phoenicians called The Dream. History written by those not native to the island tells of its value to Atlantis. No armed fleet could approach it, nor could the most skilled pegasi rider view its shores. While the latter is in all likelihood a result of strong Intent wards (see chapter 4 of this work), the Divination wards provided nearly all the protection needed.
In the technical terminology referenced in earlier chapters, the source of these protections lies in the complex panoply of languages used. Legends assure us of the transporting abilities of Atlantis, and the great doorways that once crossed thousands of miles in a step. It is certain that a society as well-traveled as the Atlanteans understood the languages spoken outside their realm, and used it in their protections.
This leads to the second method used in Divination wards: the Confusion method.
Whereas the Obscure method incorporates rune structure in the Focus, the Confusion method relies upon a vast array of similar runes in the source. Unlike the Obscure method, which requires coherent structures in calculated sequences in its focus, the Confusion method takes as many runes or structurally similar runes as the wardmaster knows, and places them all within the source confines.
As an example: if one were to place hagalaz alone in the source, the only result would be a destructive outcome at an undetermined point. However, if hagalaz, a Futharkrune were accompanied by a rune of similar meaning from Elder Futhark, their stability would be enhanced while the output would be increased. Adding such additional terms as Isfet (Egyptian), tupi (Etruscan) and konton (Japanese) only increases the stability and power. Studies have shown that in Divination wards, the addition of terms to the source creates exponential growth. Terms associated, but in unrelated languages add to the strength still.
When considering the sheer quantity of languages available to the Atlanteans and their desire for security, it is of little wonder how effective their Divination wards became.