Spell Tome: Clairvoyance

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

If you are reading this book, it can only mean that you have read and understood my first book about fury, can cast basic Illusion, and are ready to move on. If not, go read Spell Tome: Fury before going any further, as I will not be reiterating what I laid out in that lesson.

Now that you know how to cast Illusion, it is pertinent that you disregard everything I wrote in my last book for the purpose of this lesson. Indeed, there will always be exceptions to rules, and clairvoyance is one such exception. You see, Illusion magic is actually organised into two categories: The Offensive, or cast on others, and The Passive, or cast on self. Clairvoyance fits into the latter category, and is truly passive. It is used by the caster on the caster, and will not have a direct effect on anyone else.

Because clairvoyance is a self spell, it is one of the few Illusion spells that you, the caster, must feel in your mind whilst casting. There is more to it than that, however. You see, clairvoyance, as you might have divined from the name, is a spell that can, under the correct circumstances, show you the way to that which you seek. In order to correctly use this spell, you must have a good idea as to what you are looking for, or a physical object that is connected to it. The latter of these two techniques is vastly more accurate and clear, though having a correct map of your surroundings will help immensely if you have no way of acquiring something physical.

If used correctly, clairvoyance should appear to the caster as a light blue mist on the ground in front of him, leading from him to his destination. Ideal conditions for the casting of this spell are flat ground, preferably a road, for the caster to have an object that is connected to the destination, and for the caster to have a large enough pool of magicka to hold the spell. Sometimes there will be no direct route from caster to target, and the spell will fail. It is still possible to successfully cast even if all ideal conditions are not met.

Casting clairvoyance is similar to other schools, as I mentioned earlier, in that you must know it within yourself prior to casting. As with all Illusion spells, there must remain a constant connection between the caster and the spell, though for clairvoyance, this is more direct. This spell in particular requires a constant stream of magicka be put into it, and if it loses its supply, it will stop.

And of course, it is recommended that you seek out a teacher to help guide you through the process of casting and maintaining clairvoyance. For further instruction, seek out the final tome in my series of entry level Illusion spells, Courage. And if you still have not done so after reading through this book, seek out Fury as well, for you will not understand courage without it.