Chapter Two: The Art of Talismans

In the Ever-Song Forest, the trees stood tall and proud, their golden leaves swaying gently in the breeze. Arcane spirit-dragons—a wondrous type of arcane creature—floated lazily through the air, at times fading in and out among the golden leaves. Arcane particles suffused the atmosphere, drifting everywhere under the radiant influence of the Sunwell. The arcane power basked in the Sunwell’s light could be absorbed at will, but that intoxicating sense of fullness could easily sway an arcanist’s mind.

After the Sunwell was corrupted, the blood elves teetered on the brink of extinction as their energy source dwindled. Unless the elves found alternative sources of magical power, suppressed their hunger for magic with other powers—such as Light corrupted by the arcane—or simply withstood their devouring need, they would inevitably become the mindless, hollowed ones.

Cabolon Family Mage Tower Library

Patrick enjoyed the privileges of his lineage. Each day, after completing his duties, he would retreat into his father’s mage tower library to study. A mage’s advancement was never as simple as merely thinking up new spells or, as in games, leveling up by completing quests. It required diligent reading of magical tomes and conducting experiments, each demanding a great wealth of magical materials and knowledge.

“Identity scan: Patrick Cabolon. Identity confirmed. You may enter,” intoned the arcane sentinel at the tower’s entrance.

Patrick entered the reading room, at its center a desk prepared with arcane and rune transcription paper. The magical lights shone brightly but softly. The room was enchanted with constant temperature and noise reduction spells to ensure an ideal environment for study.

“Retrieve from Arcane Section, B-12: ‘Intermediate Runic Studies’ and ‘Magolinguistics and the Flow of Arcane Energy,’” Patrick commanded the arcane arm.

Knowledge is power. It enriches the mind and sharpens intellect. By gaining knowledge and reflecting on it, we can resolve problems once unknown to us—herein lies the true might of knowledge.

Ort Rune: General-purpose rune.
Sol Rune: General-purpose rune.

Patrick fetched a mundane item—a simple white helm. Channeling magical power through his hands, arcane lines glimmered into existence on its surface. Carefully maintaining the flow, he projected the engraving beam. As he attempted to carve the third arcane circuit, a slight deviation caused the circuit’s path to stray from its intended course.

It was, nonetheless, a worthwhile experiment. Runes composed of magical circuits and trajectories could enhance equipment, though Patrick had yet to fully master the technique.

“It’s perfectly normal to fail on a first attempt,” Patrick thought. “A few more tries and I’ll get it right.”

After a month’s effort, he finally completed his first work: the “Engraved? Novice Mage’s Cap of Insight.” He used the Ort and Sol runes, their combination seamless, comprised of twenty-one arcane nodes and two hundred fifty-two magical circuits, designed to enhance intelligence and spell efficacy.

The Ort and Sol runes themselves were not particularly difficult. Patrick was grateful for his early studies in geometry and trigonometry, which made drawing magical patterns easier than expected. The challenge lay in controlling the engraving beam with mental force—a process demanding precise, ever-shifting control of magical energy, both in size and density. With his current reserves, Patrick could only muster enough power to create a single rune per attempt.

For a mage, magical reserves are the most direct measure of their prowess. It is the source from which all spellcasting flows.

It seemed he needed to further train his mind.

He began to model his mental strength, simulating physical actions—lifting “Magolinguistics and the Flow of Arcane Energy,” turning its pages with imaginary hands, guiding a magic pen to copy passages onto paper. Magic streamed from him like a gentle current, steadily draining his reserves. The fatigue from this mental exertion was unlike bodily exhaustion—it was a deep need for rest, for sleep.

As his magical energy dwindled, the desire to absorb more magic grew ever stronger. Patrick resisted the urge to draw freely from the Sunwell. The bitter lessons of later generations of blood elves remained vivid in his memory—the mindless ones wandering Silvermoon’s ruins, lost to arcane intoxication. He dared not surrender to that seductive fullness.

Time seemed to slip by. By the time Patrick left the reading room, it was already late; his family would have begun their dinner, sharing stories of the day and plans for tomorrow.

The table was laden with exquisite dishes: charcoal-grilled meat cubes with rosemary sauce, hazelnut caramel cake, traditional beef stew with rye bread, Arathi silverhead salmon with vegetable salad. Laughter and warmth filled the air. If not for the calamity of the Scourge that would one day come, the elves’ life might always have remained so abundant and serene.

“My apologies for being late,” Patrick said, his expression a shade stiff. Family dinners were a cherished tradition—after a day’s work, they would gather to discuss their achievements and hopes for the next day. This was the first time in years Patrick had missed the start.

“Take your seat,” said Phil Cabolon. “I hear from Patterson you’ve been studying mental energy and runic theory lately. Are you considering ascending to the halls of supreme arcana?” His father’s voice was low and measured.

For years, the Cabolon family had produced no masters—only middling clansmen, never admitted to the core of Silvermoon’s council, relegated to overseeing logistics and supplies, excluded from Quel’Thalas’s true aristocracy.

“In this past month, I fused the Ort and Sol runes—successfully engraving a rune of insight onto an apprentice’s cap,” Patrick replied, touching his cheek. “It was only an attempt; the arcane circuits and energy flow are still highly unstable.”

Phil Cabolon nodded, saying nothing more. The most crucial parameter in arcane constructcraft was stability. Only when safety was assured could further research be justified—no one wished to carry a ticking bomb.

As for his magical studies, Patrick continued to explore this wondrous, supernatural force. Coming from a world governed by science, his understanding of magic was still limited. Broadly, magic could be divided by its source: “divine” and “arcane.” Divine practitioners included druids, shamans, priests, and paladins. Arcane practitioners were mages, warlocks, and death knights.

Arcane energy was the lifeblood of Quel’Thalas and the high elven kingdom. Whether runic studies, magical dynamics, arcane research, magical engraving or enchanting, or mage training, all magical disciplines rested upon arcane fundamentals. Everything, in the end, derived from arcane energy.