General Spell Culture

General Spells quickly spread thanks to the development of Tools.
Spells permeated every aspect of daily life
and the people developed an entire culture around them.
Here, we’ll take a closer look at
some of the Tools used in daily activities.
The ones that appear in the game were specifically made for Diggers and Sentries.
But Tools play a key role in General Spell Culture.

[ Added 06/10/21 ]

Tools as Pseudo-Quells

Tools were originally developed as imitation Quells in the days of the Hahn Empire. Later on, when the Southern Continent came into power, newly developed Tools began to be used as substitutes for Quells. Afterwards, Tools rapidly spread throughout the land as a component of General Spell Theory and in present times are used in everyday life and as weapons in combat.

Tools are made from wood, stone, animal bones, and other natural objects, with the raw materials functioning as Anima Symbols. Basically, they’re used in the same manner as normal tools, but Spells can be incorporated to improve performance and efficiency. Anima is drawn from the Tool when this happens and when all the Anima is expended, the Tool breaks into Chips.

〜Accessories〜

Accessories are used as supplementary equipment for Diggers in the game, but they are also commonly used as decorations. However, they are more expensive than Tools intended for daily use.

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Structure of General Spells

♦ Tools for General Spells (Fig. 1)

Tools are used as a guide for Anima Control when casting General Spells. The raw material of the Tool is recognized as a Symbol and aids in the process of Anima Perception > Symbol Image > Control > Result. One could say that they’re “Tools for Spells”. They can still be used as ordinary tools or as a source of Anima for the normal method of casting Spells. Since the intent is to use Spells to improve the performance of a Tool, the result is the same regardless of Anima type.

♦ Incorporation of Spells (Fig. 2)

The effects of Symbol Spells can be incorporated into actions utilizing Tools. This can be seen when using abilities such as [Wood Staff] or [Stone Axe]. Complex Anima manipulation is required at the same time as performing the actions, but this can be applied to daily activities and even the average person seems to have mastered these techniques.

♦ Advanced Combinations (Fig. 3)

If the above method is expanded upon, even more complex effects can be created by drawing Anima from another Tool. This is an advanced technique where 2 Anima are Controlled independently, then combined into a single result. This method allows each Anima to be used for separate effects while still incorporating the Spells into the action.

Tool Production

Tools are made from processed natural materials. Many use multiple types of materials, in which case the main material featured in the design represents the Spell Symbol. In terms of improving performance, if the base Tool was already of high quality, very little Spell power is needed to produce the intended effect. However, the amount of Anima contained within decreases as the material is processed. Basically, Anima is reduced with each addition made to the Tool and a considerable amount of craftsmanship and knowledge of Spells is necessary to minimize this loss.

Resonant stones are embedded in Tools, serving as mediums for accessing Anima in the raw materials. These stones amplify the resonance between Anima and people use them as lenses to Perceive Anima within the Tool.

Chips are used as Tool fastenings and for repairs. Tools that have reached the limits of their use break and turn into Chips, which are granules with faint traces of Anima. These granules are then kneaded into a type of clay and is mainly used to strengthen materials and reduce the amount of Anima lost in the Tool creation process.

Materials

Basically, materials such as wood and stone are harvested, then artisans pick out the ones with the strongest Anima. Bones and other parts from large animals can also be used. These materials are then crafted into the most popular types of Tools containing Symbols for Tree, Stone, and Beast Anima. Then, how are Tools with Flame and Water Anima created? Igneous rock and materials harvested from underwater are used in these cases. Trees and stones which have been exposed to fire or water for many years are thought to contain Flame or Water Anima. Other substances may posses a different type of Anima than appearances would suggest, too, since coral and crystals are associated with Water Anima.

Clothing is made from cotton and other plant fibers. The base materials contain Tree Anima, but the type of Anima can be changed by adding Accessories made from other materials.

♦♦ Materials and their Value ♦♦

Tree

Wood is an inexpensive resource which is plentiful and easily harvested and processed. It is used as the main material for many Tools thanks to its relatively light weight and high durability.

Stone

Limestone and granite are the most commonly used stones. Though available in abundance, stone is harder to process and more expensive than wood. The sturdy weight makes it an ideal material for cutting implements and construction tools.

Beast

Animal bones, pelts, and the like. Bones, horns, and fangs are used for amulets and hunting gear. Bones from wild animals and monsters are especially prized.

Water

Trees and rocks which have been submerged in water are harvested from lakes and oceans. These materials are difficult to find and process, making them very expensive.

Tone

Gold and silver are the primary materials, but some Tone Tools are made from wood, stone, or bone. The manufacturing process is relatively new, so scarcity alone drives up the prices.

Flame

Igneous rock is commonly used, but a difficult resource to find. Red stones such as ruby are also used. Many Flame Tools are rare and expensive.

〜Weapons〜

Travelers carry weapons as a means of defending themselves against bandits and monsters. Diggers and the like intentionally purchase expensive weapons.

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〜Armor〜

Armor is mainly worn by those participating in combat. Sometimes ordinary citizens purchase and wear armor for fashion. There really isn’t a fine line between form and function, especially when it comes to clothing.

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Tools for Daily Life

General Spells have spread among the populace. Ordinary citizens even use Tools in their daily activities. It must have been difficult using Tools when they first began circulating, but nowadays people have mastered the techniques and make use of them without conscious thought.

So, what kind of Tools do people use? Let’s take a closer look with the following explanations and illustrations.

♦ The Use of Tools by the General Public

Tools are commonplace, but aren’t necessarily used in every aspect of daily life. Ordinary tools will suffice for acting as temporary containers or for simple tasks that don’t require the use of Spells. Where Tools really shine is when they can be used to enhance performance. For example, when slicing meat with a kitchen knife, using Spells can help achieve smoother, better looking cuts. When this happens, the material of the knife doesn’t matter since the desired Spell effect is to “enhance the blade’s sharpness”.

♦ Developing Common Tools

People who were able to use Tools with minimal conscious thought created new techniques that drew on the Anima within a Tool for simple Spell effects. These appear in the game as abilities attached to certain weapons, such as [ Wood Staff], [ Stone Axe], and [ Flame Sword]. Such abilities also have practical applications in everyday life, which was the original purpose for the development of these Tools.

Say, for example, that we have a serving plate. If food is simply to be set down, no Spells in particular are necessary. A little ingenuity can turn it into more than just an ordinary plate, however. If it had Flame Anima, the plate could keep food at a certain temperature even after being arranged, or Water Anima could be used to keep certain foodstuffs cold over long periods of time——certainly useful for transportation and the like.

Tools can be used in this manner for a wide rage of purposes based on the raw materials and the user’s skill level. The illustrations below expand on the example just described, showing a range of possibilities for common items. Just because a Tool is capable of improving performance doesn’t mean that the effect automatically happens, of course. As mentioned previously, people with average skill can unconsciously manipulate Tools and implement the effect. In addition, Anima is controlled in a specific direction to achieve the desired results. As one would expect, these techniques require a certain amount of proficiency with both Spells and the base Tool itself, and in present times are utilized by professionals in their trade, like housekeepers and chefs.

In this way, new Tools continued to be developed for various functions. Then in the 1300s, metal goods (steel) began to circulate the markets. Perhaps the next generation of Tools, which could combine the use of metals and natural materials, is not far off from being developed.

Tableware / Cooking Utensils

Heating, cooling, cutting, stirring——cooking utensils can be used for all types of actions. This might be the most diverse type of Tool.

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Lighting Implements

Candles and alcohol lamps are the primary implements for illumination, but some buildings like bars have light fixtures utilizing resonant stones or cheap Quells.

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Clothing / Laundry Items

Very few garments are directly fitted with resonant stones. They’re often used simply for decoration.

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Heated Implements / Tools

Tools that generate heat are in high demand. They can be temporarily lit via Spells instead of open flames, which greatly reduces the chances of starting unintentional fires.

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