this is what it is, to be an abhorsen

Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen by Garth Nix

*tries another search*

*and yet another*

Right, so I’ve met Garth Nix a few times now and there is a specific reason you cannot find a list of charter spells and marks.

This specific question was asked as “will you ever produce a book about the charter marks showing us all what each one means?”

The answer was immediately “no”. The reason was very interesting and honestly key to why I enjoy the books so much. He basically said “no” because he doesn’t want us to know every tiny detail about the world. Good worldbuilding in his eyes is giving enough information that we can start joining the dots together ourselves, start making assumptions and start filling out the gaps left with our own imagination. He said he believes this makes the worlds more believable and realistic feeling rather than something like Tolkien where it is all written down for you in painstaking detail (not to say this is a bad method).

And he’s totally right! The worldbuilding in the old kingdom series is some of the best ever written because it feels like it’s in such depth, when actually it is just strategically placed gaps that make our imaginations kick in.

And also, it’s very realistic because we don’t know everything about the world we currently live in and we do the same gap filling irl.

*tries another search*

*and yet another*

The only named Charter marks in the entire series are Anet, Calew, and Ferhan. These three when used in that order cause a number of silver blades to fly from the caster’s fingers at the target.

Other less-specific spells that have been mentioned:

Diamond of Protection - A four-mark spell that takes some time to cast. One mark is laid on the ground in each of the cardinal directions. When complete, will provide shielding. Also functions as a warning system if one is in Death, as the caster will immediately know if the diamond is disturbed. Size is variable, though difficulty increases as size does. Can be nested to create multiple layers of protection.

Increasing weapon durability and granting resistance to rust, or to cause increased damage against the Dead or other Free Magic creatures.

Enchanting arrows, granting increased damage against the dead or other Free Magic creatures. An average mage can create about a dozen before becoming exhausted. A Charter mark is required to use them.

A rain shield to keep the rain off the target

An arrow ward, which causes arrows that hit it to disappear

A perception filter, or “spell of unseeing” - others will not notice those under the spell’s umbrella unless spoken to or run into. Works even on those who are aware of the spell, causing them to see strangers who are difficult to keep looking at.

Creating Charter sendings - Can be in the shape of a person or animal, as needed by the caster. Can be solid when fully manifested, along with any equipment they have (weapons, keys, etc). When solid, can be “attacked, torn apart, broken up,” and properly made ones can be put back together. Some can even reform themselves.

Message-hawks can be created which can hold short messages in their memories, to be recited in the senders voice to the recipient upon arrival. They are bred from Charter-spelled eggs. In the Goldenhand era, only Mistress Finney in Belisaere raises them. They are fitted with ankle bracelets to indicate where they are coming from.

Items can be spelled to act as keys to grant passage to magically locked doors

Charter skins - A constructed item which allows a user to change into a specific animal when worn. A charter skin takes a long time to create and is fragile. It must be put on carefully, as you are essentially squishing your body into a smaller body. Lirael once described it as like putting on a too-small sock, but your foot keeps shrinking as you put it on. When worn, the skin will begin to fray and unravel after too long. Wearing a Charter skin often causes temporary unusual side-effects after use, like a craving for fish for several hours/days after wearing a bear skin, or a sensitivity to light after wearing an owl. In the Skin of a Lyon is a rare book which teaches the creation and use of Charter skins.

Some additional info on Charter magic:

Master Marks - An extremely powerful Charter mark. Often used as a binding mark to tie many other marks together, and/or provide a significant power boost. There are not many of these, compared to the thousands of regular marks. These require a significant amount of skill/power to use, with mages practicing and working up to them slowly. An unskilled mage using a master mark will likely be injured in some way, such as burning of the throat/mouth as the power leaves them.

Charter Marks, when placed upon an item, move and shimmer, but will slow or even freeze for a few moments when looked at directly. You can’t see Charter marks if you aren’t baptized.

Thistle is often used to banish/disrupt/harm Free Magic creatures

In the time of Clariel, Charter Magic is considered something for the low-born. The rich hire others to do it for them, and rarely know it themselves. In turn, the Abhorsen are considered akin to rat-catchers, due to the relative safety and low Dead/Free Magic creature activity in the kingdom during this time

Marks can be sketched in the air with fingers, written, spoken, and can be used via whistling sometimes (esp. common in weatherworking, e.g. wind manipulation for use with paperwings). The use of written/sketched marks in spells seems to be unnecessary all the time, but makes it easier to visualize and pull the marks from the Charter. One must also be specifically connected to the Charter (through baptism, and a mark on the forehead) in order to use it. The farther one is from a viable Charter Stone, the harder it is to access it. Proximity to a broken stone also causes difficulty. 

Finally, some notes on Free Magic:

Can create effects such as “Swift travel, unseen passage, impenetrable armor, unbreakable weapons…” 

Largely based on will over technique. No need to memorize Charter marks or any sort of connection to the Charter (i.e. baptism), just raw willpower. Hypothetically anyone could use Free Magic.

Often used to dominate other beings through will alone, allowing one to break through their defenses and control them.

A Charter mage who begins to dabble in Free Magic will experience sharp pains in their baptismal Charter mark, which will eventually give way to scarification and the mark dissipating. Use of Free Magic will result in the Charter weakening in yourself, eventually leading to a complete and permanent disconnection. With assistance from a first-rank Charter mage, healing spells or touching a Charter stone can remove small amounts of taint.

Free Magic sorcerers are known as witches and shamans north of the Old Kingdom. They are rarely free-willed, being enslaved by others with chain and collar. Wind-raisers/wind-eaters are sub-classes of weather-workers.

Spirit-glass - Pieces of volcanic glass which contain trapped Free Magic spirits, found only in the Empty Lands north of the Great Rift.

Spirit-glass Arrow - A special, rare type of one-use arrow made with a spirit-glass shard. Can be used to kill necromancers and Free Magic creatures. Can also be used to start a fire that will burn for a day with no fuel, but may draw other Free Magic creatures and has poisonous smoke.

The touch of a Free Magic creature is corrosive to human skin. A wound, when combined with unconstrained Free Magic, can fester in a unique way, causing the inflicted to change, turn into something else.

Warmup sketch for tonight before I jump into working on ornament designs.

Day 23: BFTbookchallenge: It's Alright Cause I'm Saved By ____

“Did my hound scare you, little brother?”