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On the subject of Grimoires and their creation, I have a strong
feeling that we are being sidetracked by a word that creates the
wrong impression (such that progress in sorcery is about making magic
books). Instead I want to describe them using a new word that will
give us a better understanding of what it's all about.
That word is Thesis.
A sorcerer's thesis represents his personal understanding of the Cosmos. Initially he is taught one or two spells by his master and spends his apprenticeship trying to weave the spells into a thesis. Once he does so, he's no longer an apprentice but a fully fledged sorceror. He could try to invent spells to his thesis but these are the equivalent of lengthy scientific experiments that may not work. He is more likely to add already existing spells to his thesis, which is the equivalent of swotting up for an exam - once he casts the spell through his thesis, he's passed.
[sorcerers can and do learn from grimoires like the Blue Book of Zzabur. But these are little more than training wheels and they are expected to focus on their thesis]
Unlike standard grimoires, theses are not readily communicable. That's because they are full of private language and codes that only make sense to the sorceror and some sense to those that knew him best. To become clear to everybody requires that the sorceror generalize his understandings from the particulars.
Like grimoires, theses are dedicated to a rune. A sorceror normally has two theses, a major and a minor. Brainy sorcerors may boast of double majors but they are reviled by others as nerds and girly-swots. The minor thesis is normally dedicated to a different class of rune than the major (ie if the major was in harmony, then the minor would be in an element or a form rune). A sorceror can cast spells of runic types that he did not major in through his thesis but these will be at a reduced effectiveness, depending on how removed it is from his thesis (a sorceror who does not know any elements will have difficulty in casting a fire spell) or how opposed it is (a necromancer's healing spells will be the weakest magics he can cast).
A sorceror may improve the potency of his thesis by divorcing himself from subjects that he does not care about (the dark side is the strongest! why bother studying light?) or he could weaken the impact of his thesis by generalizing so it becomes easier to cast spells of any sort. There's also scope for academic hijinks like plagarism or inflating one's thesis
On the other side, a sorcerors thesis takes the form of a an vague image or representation of him at the appropriate runic node. Increasing the thesis potency means that the image becomes more defined until the point at which every detail is clear whereupon the sorceror is a fully fledged philosopher and his thesis can be studied by other sorcerors (or wizards) for spells. Normally one has to pay a visit to the runic node but the sorceror can make things easier by publishing a grimoire, a book magically linked to his thesis.
Saintly grimoires are pretty much like sorcerous theses except as living proof of the Invisible God, they are easier to study from at the expense of being more difficult to modify. Wizards prefer to work with revealed proofs rather than laboriously make up their own. They use scholarly techniques to boost the lore of the known grimoires by deciphering obscure texts, using higher criticism and stuff like that. A saintly order probably has a wizard or two on the staff in order to make sure the full knowledge of the saint is made available to them.
The aim of a wizard is similar to that of a sorceror to have a presence at a runic node and a grimoire named after him (or her). Instead of constructing a thesis, they aim to use their vast knowledge of revealed works to uncover an unrevealed work of the Invisible God. Wizards that discover such a manifestation and craft a spell from it become Venerable. Wizards that create a fully comprehensible grimoire from that manifestation become Blessed. The third step is of course Sainthood (but this is far from being the only path towards such).
So what do you think? It has potential? Or is it a load of faeces?
--Peter Metcalfe
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