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This concise instruction manual describes how a person with limited resources and little or no skill as a craftsman can manufacture the forms of the four elemental weapons. It describes only the construction of these tools, as methods of consecration and enchantment vary greatly between even similar systems.
The Shield
When confronted with confusion, or any alien malevolence, our model for reality serves as the first line of defense. From this model we can know (and summon) resources to aid in any task, defend against adversity, and make sense of ideas whose development would lead to confusion and helplessness. To display the Shield before an intrusive spirit compels them to manifest within a form consistent with your view of reality, and submit to its limitations. You can also make lesser disks to embody a particular sort of energy or spirit, the symbol borne upon them containing the entire "world" of the spirit, to define the sort of powers possessed by the spirit.
- Decide upon a symbol which represents all aspects of reality known to you. These may range from a flat, plain surface to a complicated mesh of obscure glyphs. Choose what seems proper for your work.
- Obtain a small flat object, slightly larger than a tea saucer. You can get this from just about anything which can fit your needs, including a tea saucer. Cross-secions from fallen trees will need some sanding and/or water sealant, lest they crack when drying; and wax disks will require special care, though you can destroy them easily if needed.
- Engrave, burn, paint, or otherwise inscribe your chosen symbol(s) upon the disk. You can make engravings on metal by lightly tapping your design onto a sheet of metal (copper works excellently, as does silver) with a hammer and a slightly-blunted nail. Wax pours easily into molds, and wood readily accepts paint, burnings, or carvings.
The Blade
Iron has the peculiar property of directing magical energy away from it. We can see this property, or at least a belief in it, exercised in burial grounds from the most ancient prehistoric tomb sites to present-day cemeteries, wherein the bodies of the deceased rest surrounded by iron bars, presumably to prevent them from disturbing the living. The power of iron has made empires fall and develop, and countless warriors have died from wounds inflicted by this metal. It has brought glory to those who wield it, and terror to those who have stood against them. Its power in the realm of spirit differs very little from its power in the heart of Man: barriers made by it have no more power to intimidate than that which made the barrier.
- Obtain a three-foot piece of 2" diameter steel plumbing pipe. At either end, attach an open right-angle joint (both facing the same way) with another pipe set perpendicular in one end. Make this perpendicular attachment about a foot long.
- Obtain also the following: A) one large fireplace bellows or a cordless hairdryer, B) a pair of sturdy metal tongs, C) a bag of charcoal or bucket of bituminous coal, D) a metal mesh screen, about 18" across, E) several metal tent stakes, F) a large, sturdy hammer, and G) heavy duty tape.
- Select a suitable piece of metal for your blade. A very large nail, a pice from an iron gate, metal pipe, or steel reinforcing bars all work well for this.
- Take all of this out to a place far from intruding eyes, beside railroad tracks or a section removed from them. Dig a hole and set the steel pipes into the ground, so that the 3' pipe lies parallel to the surface, about 8-10 inches below the ground, with the attached "arm" protruding above the surface. Around the other end, without an attachment, dig a hemispherical pit or bowl in the earth, and smooth this with dirt or mud. Make the rim of this small pit at least a foot away from the protruding pipe section.
- Pour the coals into the pit and get it started. When these have ignited completely, cover the pit with the screen and secure it in the ground with the tent stakes. Attach the bellows or hairdryer to the protruding pipe with the tape, and begin blowing air onto the coals.
- Jam your blade metal into the coals (a hole in the screen made for this helps), and make the jet of air blast the heat of the coals onto it.
- When heated, remove the metal with your tongs, and hammer it flat on the nearby railroad tracks. This may require several repetitions of steps 6 and seven before proceeding. Take care, through protective gear, to avoid sparks thrown up from the work.
- When you have finished beating the blade to its general shape, file the edges and point to the desired sharpness with a metal file or grindstone. Attach leather wrappings to the unsharpened portions to form the hilt.
The Vessel
In seeking answers, we often receive counsel in "reflecting" on problems. The tool of divination reflects for us the patterns which follow our choices. Like using a mirror to see what lies around a corner, the divinatory tool shows what we can expect to encounter through the images it displays. Sometimes these appear distinct and direct, and sometimes their meanings hide within symbols.
Use of a scrying mirror, chalice, or cauldron has its advantages in that it allows for more specificity in the images shown by it, but you can only use it under proper viewing conditions. While you may use a set of bones, runes, or cards almost anywhere, best results require the ability to read specific events into vague symbols. Since you can make a scrying mirror or bowl from any dark bowl or glass, i will describe how to make a diviner's set.
- Identify the realms of your existence. Consider possible schemes of arrangement: emotional states, physical territories, physical properties, and so forth.
- Go to these realms, and find things which have a direct relation to their environment. For example, if you searched for "indoor," "outdoor," and "in-between" items, you might have small tokens from around the house, stones from outside, and some keys. If you chose emotional states, you might have symbols of love, hate, fear, happiness, etc...
- You will cast these upon the ground, a special cloth or table, or any suitable flat surface, and interpret the casting based on their meanings and placements in relation to each other. Decide for yourself the significance of their proximity, their arrangement, and the direction they face.
The Baculum
Spirit follows the will of those who choose to direct it. Since time long forgotten, the rod, wand, or staff has served humanity as a means of directing others and compelling them into action or submission.
The design of a staff generally shows the type of power its weilder commands, whether used to guide (as a bishop's crook), to enforce (as a judge's gavel), or to inspire (as a flag).
- With an axe or saw in hand, go out and find a suitable tree.
- Cut down the desired tree, leaving 3 to 6 inches at either end, and remove any undesired branches.
- Take the fallen tree to a place where it can dry, and cover the ends and severed limb remnants with a sealant like pitch, liquid latex, or hot glue. This prevents the shaft from cracking while it dries.
- After the staff dries for a few weeks, cut off the sealant and remove any unwanted bark. It may help to sand the whole thing with coarse sandpaper, to remove any inner bark.
- Burn, carve, or attach onto the staff whatever designs or items you feel represent the powers of magic.
- Finish the staff with sanding and possibly a good coat of sealant.
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