Spell Tome: Fury

Alaro of Firsthold, Master Illusion Instructor, Bravil Mages' Guild

First and foremost, if you are looking to Illusion to become a famous mage, or to gain riches, or to have an easy introduction into the world of magicka, put this book down and go learn about Destruction. If, however, you are willing and able to learn difficult lessons, if you wish to influence the minds of others, if you are savvy and subtle, and if you are competent, Illusion may be the school for you.

The school of Illusion is not a simple one. There is no cast and forget like other schools. You must have the willpower and strength of mind to influence your opponents' thoughts for more than a few mere seconds. This has turned many away from Illusion, those who weren't capable of or willing to put in the time and effort required to train their minds. That is what Illusion is all about: the mind.

There will be no preliminary spellcasting lessons in my books. If, for some reason, you do not already know how to formulate and cast a spell, you will not be able to grasp the advanced techniques required for Illusion. Instead, I will focus on your mind. The Illusion mage must remain calm and emotionless during casting, otherwise he risks falling victim to his own spells. This is something that is entirely possible. I have seen inexperienced Illusionists fumble their spells and go into a rage, run screaming, or worse still, break their own minds. If you can't control your emotions, you can't control others'.

Illusion differs from other schools in that you as the caster do not want to feel the effects of your spell within yourself before you use it on your opponent. This has caused a great deal of confusion in mages experienced in other schools. To feel an Illusion spell is to lose control. Instead, you must bring out those feelings in your opponents' minds. Powerful Illusion mages can hold these facades over multiple minds for extended periods of time. Indeed, Illusion is incredibly subtle, yet incredibly powerful. It has the power to change not only the course of a battle, but the course of entire empires.

Before you are able to control an entire kingdom, however, you must learn those most simple Illusion spells. We will start with fury. Just as the name suggests, fury will enrage your target, and cause them to attack anyone nearby, be they friend or foe. You, as the caster, are responsible for highlighting the anger in your opponents' minds, while also dulling other feelings, such as fear, empathy, or love. This is done in a similar way to other schools in that you must have the correct intent. However, it is not enough to simply want your opponent to be angry; you must make it happen. To do this, ready the spell in your body, extend your arm, and let it flow from you to your target.

Because practice dummies do not have brains, you must use live targets in order to practice Illusion spells. It is usually best to practice on chickens, cattle, or other animals in your early stages, as they do not have particularly powerful minds, yet still feel emotion. It is a different matter casting Illusion spells on men and mer, chiefly due to the fact that their minds are stronger that animals' minds.

Lastly, this book, while very well written, is no substitute for having in instructor guide you through the process. It is simply meant as a supplement. If you haven't a teacher, you are urged to seek one out. If you are serious about Illusion, it is also highly recommended that you purchase my other tomes on entry-level Illusion spells, Clairvoyance, and Courage.