A Primer on Magic: The Passive Arts – Enchanting

This is the 1st part of a 3 part series that aims to describe and expand on the magic of enchanting, rituals, and inscriptions (scroll-making).

Part 2: A Primer on Magic: The Passive Arts – Ritualization

[An excerpt from a textbook that introduces novice mages to the fundamentals of magic found in the College of Winterhold]

####II. The Passive Arts

When most aspiring mages envision the word “magic”, they think of a battlemage slinging great fireballs to dispatch their foes. However, that is not all that magic is and has to offer, and the power of the passive arts is just as considerable. While not quite as direct and flashy as destruction magic, the arts of enchanting, ritualization, and inscription are equally valuable when used in conjunction with spells.

#####Enchanting

Enchanting is the process of imbuing a physical item with magical processes. Items that are typically enchanted are jewelry, armor, and weapons, and although theoretically any item can be enchanted to a degree, metal is the preferred medium as it is the most affordable material that best retains magicka.

The magicka of a mortal being’s soul is used to power an enchantment, and the size of a soul determines the potency of an enchantment with petty souls creating the weakest, and grand souls creating the strongest. A soul gem and its soul are destroyed when an enchantment is applied to an item, and an enchantment can be charged by transferring a soul’s energy that is stored in a soul gem to it.

The process of applying an enchantment to an item involves the item, an enchantment altar, and knowledge of the desired enchantment and its effects either from memory or in scroll form. An enchantment altar should be available in any major magical institution, including our own College of Winterhold.

To enchant an item, place the item in the center of the altar and the soul gem directly north of it. If the effect is in the form of a scroll, place it directly south of the item. Then, clear and focus your mind and recall the desired enchantment and its effects with clarity and accuracy. Finally, recite one of the accepted incantations to begin applying the enchantment to the item. Meanwhile, focus your will until the process is complete to ensure the enchantment is applied correctly.

Normally, only one enchantment is applied to an item. However, a maximum of two enchantments can be applied depending on the skill of the enchanter. Beyond that, the magicka drain and interference becomes too great and the potency of the effects begin degrading too much for further enchantments to be worth the cost.

An enchantment is applied directly onto an item, fundamentally changing the item's makeup, which is the reason why applying more than one enchantment onto an item is so difficult. Once an enchantment is applied, it is applied permanently and cannot be replaced or extracted, although more than a few historical sources have mentioned a method of enchantment that allows an item's enchantment to be replaced. However, unfortunately, that knowledge has been buried by the sands of time.

Enchantments themselves can be split into two main categories: active and passive. Active enchantments have potent effects that are either activated at certain intervals or when a certain event is satisfied, like when a sword strikes something. Passive enchantments, on the other hand, have weaker effects that are perpetually activated.

Both types of enchantments make use of the magicka stored in their applied items. However, the retained magicka is rarely sufficient to feed an enchantment completely to a workable potency. Therefore, it is not unusual for an enchantment to partially draw magicka from the user of the item to supplement its own magicka.

Active enchantments consume a user’s magicka in bursts when their effects are activated. An example is a flame enchantment applied to a sword that burns foes when it strikes. Passive enchantments sip the user’s magicka as long as the user is in possession of the item. An example is a stamina enchantment that increases the user’s vigor. Wielding too strong an enchantment for a user’s magical prowess can result in weariness and fatigue; know and heed your limits.

The type of an item also influences what type of enchantment it should hold. For example, Jewelry is rarely imbued with active enchantments because it usually can’t sustain the bursts of magicka required without drawing significant amounts from the user. And weapons are rarely imbued with passive enchantments because they would not be utilizing the weapon’s full potential.

The varieties of enchantments and applications for them are endless. From a warrior who needs a flaming axe to cleave his enemies in half to the cunning trader who needs a boost to his wit to seal the deal, enchantments are a powerful and accessible form of magic with endless possibilities that anyone can benefit from.

This section is inspired and partially based on this post: How magic, spells and enchanting might work: Some musings

Edit: Changed the sections about the 2 types of enchantment processes and decreased the maximum possible enchantments for an item from 2-3 to 2.