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+--- Thread: Lore/Magic Application - What if I taught frogs how to use Galdr? (/showthread.php?tid=11225)
Lore/Magic Application - What if I taught frogs how to use Galdr? - Vivi - 06-16-2024
Hey. It's ya' girl Vivi with a lore question and a request for an application of galdr, depending on your answer. I apologise if this sounds like it has a lot of moving parts, because it does, but I'll do my best to break it down.
This application is also extremely goofy. There are zero hard feelings if this gets denied at any step.
Applicable BYOND Key - Violet Hearts.
Character Name - Beatrice de' Foscarina.
Request Type - Magical Application + Lore Query.
Request Details - Query regarding the use of magic/magical abilities in non-humans, and a potential application of it.
Specific Request -
As a bit of context; as part of the Meiaquarise Bard College in Korvara I have been running a light-hearted quest chain I have affectionately called Frog Quest along with the help of Filia as our EM. The contents of the questline are jovial with a focus on a mild but mostly forgotten application of galdr. It involves a charming effect on small animals, like being able to more accurately guide a carrier pigeon to deliver letters to a specific location it has not been trained to fly to, or to calm a panicked horse in a moment of danger. It is, broadly, meant to be a weaker and more specific use of certain Bard/Performer abilities like Pied Piper or Bewitching Melody, which allow you to charm or completely convert a target to your cause. I apologise if this might have required an application all on its own, but I thought since these effects work on dangerous, terrifying monsters and people, that it working on dogs, birds, or frogs was not much of a stretch. After some attempts it has worked, albeit with some kinks that still need to be worked out.
This application was born out of a wonder of how this could be applied, especially in regards to certain Watcher events moving into Meiaquar. This application doesn't require any knowledge of them, or any oversight on Karidan's part to answer questions, but it does form a small root of why I am making this application.
I'm going to break up the elements of this into individual questions, and applications, for ease of understanding.
1. Do non-humans, namely animals like frogs, songbirds, etc, have any potential to wield magic or magic-like abilities?
There are clearly non-humans in the setting which wield unnatural abilities. Monsters cause earthquakes, throw fireballs, and shoot laser beams. However, is there any possibility for normal, mundane animals to wield any of these things if successfully taught?
My focus is primarily on galdr, and on certain animals well known for vocalisations and noise, like songbirds and frogs, which I imagine would be slightly better at it than other animals. This application does not need to be strong in any capacity, I really just want to know if it is fundamentally possible. I am not expecting a tree frog the size of my thumb to summon lightning and I am not looking to produce a bunch of fireball-spewing guard dogs, but perhaps frogs could be taught to croak and ribbit or birds taught to sing in a certain way that influences mood is still within the realms of reason. On its own it could be so mild it is totally unfelt but in unison with other animals it might produce a small, localised effect.
This mood improvement properties are an important crux of where I am going with this, so in terms of direct application, I am only interested in very subtle results out of this.
2. Can this charm effect be long-lasting and persist without a great deal of direct input on behalf of the user?
Basically, if using this galdr to charm or convert a small animal, would it reasonably require a constant input of orders or focus to maintain? I am likening it in this case to a hex, a curse, or a blessing of some sort, where the effect is simply applied to the target and then can be safely left alone while the magic maintains an effect. Charm and confusion effects, mechanically, do not require a constant input or use of FP to maintain, but they do often have a duration before they expire. Similarly, most spells that enhance your abilities are cast once with an upfront cost, then maintain for a set duration. In terms of lore and roleplay, a witch cursing someone with ill fortune is a classic trope for fantasy and magic, and does not require constant effort on part of the user to maintain. When it does, these kinds of things are usually much more powerful, and tie the two people together intensely.
Say we use the carrier pigeon example from earlier, where this kind of galdr could be used to guide them not to a location they've been trained to visit, but a similar, more precise location nearby. If this effect was only able to last for a short period of time, once expired presumably the natural instinct and behaviour of the animal would be to go toward the location or thing they have been formally trained to go to. Once departed, the user of galdr is no longer present to reapply the effect, rendering it broadly pointless. It would need some degree of longevity to be useful.
Similarly, say this property was used to calm a horse that was skittish around dogs. Would this kind of property have to be reapplied regularly, like every single exposure to a dog, or would it help to soothe them over a long period of time with multiple encounters?
If the answer to the main question is yes, it stands to reason that this might also be used to teach behaviours to several animals at once, where if it requires constant effort and focus, it would no doubt be exhausting to maintain on several targets for an extended period of time.
3. Finally, if the answer is yes to both: can this be used to slowly train local wildlife to use an extremely low-level, passive amount of galdr?
I mentioned the Watcher earlier. It is a threat that wields negative emotions as a weapon, and so positivity is ultimately its bane. Galdr, as an innately emotional and personal style of magic that often deals with emotions, mood, and morale, seems uniquely fit to counter this kind of enemy. Kari said they liked the idea of this if I can get proper GM approval, so here it goes:
Bluntly, I want to teach wild animals like frogs and songbirds to use an extremely rudimentary amount of galdr to produce a ward that pushes back on the Watcher's worst effects.
Duyuei has some magic emplacements that do this, we can have a bunch of stupid wild animals. This kind of ward would have almost no effect on the people of Meiaquar, or Korvara as a whole, and I am not even sure it has a broader application beyond this eventline. It is just meant to be a gentle, passive push against its effects by stifling negative emotions and promoting positive ones. The intent is meant to be passive, and while not permanent, it is something that can be done to a small group of animals and then does not need to be tended to for a while. For example, Beatrice and any others helping can visit a lake and use this galdr to gently shift things like the tone, rhythm, and regularity of the cries of a local frog population. Then they would subtly produce an extremely weak amount of galdr, having a tangible effect due to quantity of "singers" rather than quality and focus, and help contribute to this ward.
Presumably it would have to be reinforced after a set period of time. Not immediately but perhaps after a few days, or a week, or maybe several if you are going to be really generous. Without regular content it will dwindle out, returning them back to their natural behaviours, but if maintained it will have a benefit for this event exclusively. Maybe there are broader applications, like warding off galdr to some degree, but I have no major plans for that sort of thing at this stage.
Reason why you are making this request (if applicable) - I want to be a frog witch.
RE: Lore/Magic Application - What if I taught frogs how to use Galdr? - zericosmic - 08-10-2024
1.I'd say yeah, to cast magic requires focus and all living beings possess focus, while animals that can use magic are rare, i'd say it's not impossible.. In terms of galdr.. I'd argue it'd be possible to do to animals that are predisposed towards making noise.
2. Yes but it would run out, i'd say it'd be something that would need to be reapplied every once in a while and the technique would likely need to be something new-ish in terms of lore, as i'd say that charms for now (at least the accessible kind) do not last a meaningful amount of time.
3. I wouldn't say no to this, but as the post says, I think the training would need to be 'reinforced' every week or so, so that it doesn't stray from it's original goal, I would argue that if it left untended for too long it could potentially have dangerous (and fun c: ) consequences.