Forging Spectre
From Qwiki
Ansuz Elhaz Othala Raidho Mannaz Isa Kanaz Uruz Thurisaz Perdhro Eihwaz Sowulo Teiwaz Wunjo Dagaz
Once all of the initial spells were cast, the runes forged, further spells cast and Spectre was actually forged of molten silver, there was still much to do to turn the shaped piece of metal into an object of power. Quorlan spent many hours filing, sanding, and polishing the ring, the whole time murmuring spells over it to strengthen it's bond to him as well as the Multiverse. When all was complete and Spectre had achieved it's final, highly polished state came time for the final spell.
The final spell which completed Spectre's bond to Quorlan and the Multiverse had to be cast. Quorlan reverently placed the ring upon the lab table which had been prepared for the occasion. There were 16 runes which would be used in turn through the five stages of the final spell.
Quorlan took the first two runes, the blank rune, symbolizing unlimited potential, and Ansuz, the rune of divine breath into his right hand. He held the closed fist over the ring. He concentrated on the blank rune and felt it begin to warm within his fist, which glowed with a soft white light. The light ran like water out of his clenched fist and dripped onto Spectre, which took on the white glow itself. Quorlan could feel that the rune was now gone from within his closed fist. Next, he chanted the name of the remaining rune, "Ansuz". It glowed with a bright blue hue and again, the light dripped from his fist onto Spectre. The white glow of the first rune combined with the blue glow of the second the give the ring a light, bluish-whitish glow. As the Quorlan's chant faded from the air, so too did the glow fade from the ring.
Quorlan waited for a moment, checked the moon's position in the sky and then picked up the next three runes. "Othala," he chanted softly, uttering the name of the rune representing one's homeland. It glowed green and dripped it's light into Spectre. "Raidho," he chanted the name of the rune for journeying, which dripped it's blue light on the ring. "Elhaz," his voice boomed the rune for protection which dripped a brighter shade of blue light onto Spectre. He waited until the sound left the air and the glow faded back to nothing.
He took the next five runes into his hand, and chanted each's name in turn while allowing each to drip, in the form of glowing light onto his creation. "Mannaz," meaning knowledge. "Isa," meaning power. "Kanaz," meaning light. "Uruz," meaning strength. "Thurisaz," meaning force.
Following those five, Quorlan paused for several minutes. Sweat formed on his brow as the effort and concentration required for a spell of such magnitude and complexity weighed on him. He was past the halfway point in the spellcasting, but the drain on his energy was beyond anything he could have prepared himself for. He took several deep breaths, steeling himself for the next phase of the spell, which would bind the powers of the Multiverse, the energies of the stars, the esoteric potency of secrets, a touch of the divine and the power of all things secret. Weilding these forces simultaneously had never before been achieved and it was critical to the proper energizing of the ring. Quorlan took a final, deep breath and continued.
"Perdhro," white light was absorbed by the ring. "Eihwaz," blue light fell into the ring. "Sowulo," a deep, royal blue light fell. "Teiwaz," very pale blue light dripped into the ring. "Wunjo," a deep, earthy brown light poured forth and was absorbed by the ring.
Quorlan staggered as he inhaled sharply. He was almost completely drained of energy and fought to hold onto consciousness long enough to bind the final rune of the spell into Spectre, completing it.
Grasping at the table top, he took the final rune into his hand and held it, wavering, over Spectre. The light from the previous phase of the spell was almost fully faded now.
"Dagaz!" he shouted with all the energy he could summon. He squeezed his fist tightly over the ring and watched as firey red light fell onto Spectre and was absorbed. The entire ring began to glow. First red, then blue, white, green, yellow, orange, purple. The colors fluctuated faster and faster until they began to blur into one another. A moment later they all merged into a brilliant, white light so bright he could no longer look upon it for fear of blinding himself. As he turned away, the last of his energy gave out and he fell to the floor of the laboratory, unconscious.
Several minutes later he awoke disoriented. He blinked the grogginess from his eyes. Spectre lay on the table, still glowing with a bright white light. Quorlan brushed himself off and rose to his feet. He stared at the ring for a long moment before finally reaching for it. He picked it up. The weight of it felt right in his hand. He took a deep breath and tried to control the trembling of his fingers. Slowly, reverently, he pushed the ring onto the middle finger of his right hand. When it cleared his second knuckle and came to rest another brilliant white flash of light lit up the room and then faded quickly back into a faint glow before fading completely. A burst of wild energy surged through Quorlan's entire body and he knew, without a doubt, that Spectre had not only been properly forged and the spells properly cast, but now, and forever, it was bound to his bloodline alone. No one not of his bloodline would ever be able to wield the ring. For anyone but blood members of his own family, the ring would never be anything but a shiny bauble. But for Quorlan and his descendants, the ring was the most powerful magical artifact ever created.
