Souls in Modern Praxography - A commentary on temporary conjuration theory
Phinis Gestor and Sergius Turrianus, College of Winterhold, 4E 200
Vanus's Galerion stratification of magic into the six classical schools formed the theoretical groundwork for all subsequent magical research - a latticework on which to hang ideas, theories and discoveries. Howered and counterintuitively, recent advances in magickal theory have not increased ability but hampered practitioner and student develepmont by providing yet further contradictory information to be memorised. For from its esoteric roots, mainstream conjuration presently comprises an inelegant body of mutually exclusive theories, approximations and exceptions which empede and restrict development of intuitive understanding of conjuration to the academically inclined, despite the fact this does not always coincide with magical talent.
The result is that while formal students of most magical schools possess a breadth of knowledge they are often outclassed in understanding by informal practitioners such as daedra worshippers or even independent enthusiasts. This calls for a paradigm shift in the teaching and execution of magical theory in magical institutions. Such a paradigm shift within the school of conjuration at least could be elicited by streamlining soul theory, which has become infamous for its increasing incomprehensibility as new observations are clumped together without underlying thesis.
Soul trapping was of the main strategies used to stem the Daedra hordes during Oblivion Crisis of 3E 433. Banishment was only a temporary measure but so long as a soul gem remains intact the Animus cannot be reincarnated by its prince. The widespread practice lead to a renaissance in the understanding and the theory of soul-trapping magic and enormous expansion of the literature. The obsolete school of Mysticism was retaxonomised and is now recognised as the subpart of Conjuration dealing with enchantments placed upon a caster's own soul (as opposed to other's) and is now a term with little practical meaning.
While this distinction is still recognised in modern Praxography (the Focal Principle of the late Olyn Seran), the two foci are no longer seen as fundaments of two different schools as envisioned by Galerion any more than the elements of fire and frost for two different types of destruction. Only with the dissolution of the archaic Mage's Guild, whose greatest turbulence was the outlawing of necromancy amongst its members, was this revolutionary heresy recognized. A similar amendment of soul theory, which underpins the entire school of Conjuration, could be brought about by investing in various research directions.
It is common knowledge that the soul of a body can be trapped all at once or not at all or not at all upon death - success depends only upon the skill of the pracpractitioner versus the magnitude of the soul. If the soul is not trapped upon death then reanimation gives a second opportunity. However, a cropse whose soul has been trapped and the soul spent can still be reanimated. It is therefore noted that reanimating energies do not manipulate the soul, which begs whether living mortals are piloted by the soul and whether they possess such discrete entity at all.
One theory is that the energy that soul trapping spells caputre is infact the residual, unspent magicka concentrated in the body which usually dissipated upon death. Concordantly it is noted that more powerful practitioners have more potent souls requiring larger gems, although his may be conflating several variables. Therefore to investigate this magicka residue hypothesis it will be necessary to determine whether damage magicka potions administered before death allow souls to be captured by smaller gems than their normal and magically fortified counterparts. The results of such studies may shake the majority of Tamriellic religions to their core and necessitate thorough reevaluation and reinterpretation of key scriptures as well as create an unwelcome theoretical schism between theologians and mages.
Pending the result of research on the magicka residue hypothesis, the corollary avenue of research involves pinpointing the locus of the soul/ magicka reservoir in the body, if it exists. If a limb is severed before death, is part of the soul countained separately in the limb or not? If casting soul trap before or after dismemberment affects the magnitude of the soul this would suggest that a portion of the soul does exist within the limb and that a being's essence is, evenly or unevently, distributed through the body. This notion is already accepted by healers and practitioners of restoration, who manipulate magicka along bodily pathways referred to as Meridian Lines to elicit various effects. If however soul trapping before or after deismemberment does not affect the magnitude of the soul, this implies that it either relegates to or exists at a specific locus.
The findings of such studies would unify soul theory into a single consistent area and open new avenues of research both withing conjuration and avenues of collaboration with other schools. We encourage Researchers, Arch-Magisters and independent summoners alike to now question those aspects of Galerionic doctrine increasingly impedent and adopt a more integrated approach to magical learning with an eye towards unification and collaboration.
Disclaimer: I do not own a single word of this text for it is used in Immersive College mod for Skyrim. All credits go to the author and to anyone who provided him with this text.
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