#escudo

As I mentioned in my first post on the topic, the Legendary Ore Escudo is a mineral created by pure Volition, or Will, and it is the only material that can be made into an evolving item or magical weapon. I have also asserted that all magical items created by a Contract of Volition contain Escudo—this would include any magical item or weapon wielded by mahō shōjo.

Escudo was introduced in Magic Knight Rayearth when Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu begin their journey in Cephiro. Presea, the master artisan, sends the girls to the Spring of Eterna to obtain Escudo for their weapons. As Magic Knights, they require powerful magical weapons that only they can wield and Escudo is the only material suitable.

Aside from these points, there is not much information from the source material about the nature of Escudo and how it is formed. But since Cephiro is the Land of Will, we can assume it is created from some high concentration of powerful Volition.

If you seek to create a magical tool that evolves or transforms based on your Volition, there are a few ways to go about it—depending on how you plan to use said tool.

If you plan to exclusively use your magical tool on the astral or some sort of plane besides the physical, I definitely recommend journeying to the Spring of Eterna yourself to obtain your Escudo. This can be done through a guided visualization meditation, astral projection, or lucid dreaming.

The Spring of Eterna is located in Cephiro and can only be reached through the Forest of Silence, where magic cannot be used. Arm your astral self accordingly because beasts formed from people’s fears and insecurities live in the forest and are prone to violence. When you reach the spring, it will only appear as a thin line of blue light from the side: from above, however, it is revealed to be a deep pool. You must enter the spring and let yourself sink into its depths. Do not worry about being able to breathe underwater—while the water is certainly real, the spring will envelop you in a strong illusion that places you somewhere outside of time and space. In this illusion, you will have to contend with the image of what you hold most dear. This is intended to be a test of Volition. If you cannot realize the true nature of the illusion, you will be unable to obtain your Escudo and possibly even leave the spring. If you do emerge victorious, you will obtain the legendary ore and be able to forge your magical tool or weapon.

If you also want to be able to use your magical tool in the physical world, you must obtain a vessel to house your Escudo. This can be in the form of a gem or decorative bead, whatever calls to you and can be affixed to your tool. You must still find a way to obtain the ore, utilizing the methods I mentioned earlier, and perform a ritual to infuse your earthly material with that of the astral. Visualization is a great technique to use in this scenario: while holding or concentrating on your earthly materials, visualize your Escudo floating above and in front of you. Once the image is strong in your mind’s eye, will the Escudo to merge with your physical materials. Once they are combined, you can assemble your magical tool and use it for work.