#staves

Here's the ones I could remember above,

From what Marcille says here staffs are important for aiming

Her explosion spell scatters instead of hitting a single point when she casts it without Ambrosia

She does manage to use a twig when she loses Ambrosia in the Barometz chapter, and Thistle uses a flute or other music instruments (and a wooden mallet) to cast magic every now and then so I think the quality of the Staff has more to do with how much they can take and the quality of the aim rather than the power of the magic? The twig probably cant quite aim the explosion attack and even the stun seems to have came out not quite aimed properly thru the twig

The twig also burns away after

(2025 backlog)

This lovely, elegant book provides a discussion and translation of a magical text "compiled by the priest, academic, and folklore collector Jónas Jónasson" in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Disclaimer: I'm neither an expert in Icelandic magic, nor am I Icelandic in any way.

The descriptions and essays around the manuscript translation are pretty slim, but useful and well-written. Pálsson and Sottotetti provide interesting context, insights, and considerations without forcing any issues or distracting from their goal of platforming this piece of magical history.

This publication would be useful for anyone interested in learning more about — or even experimenting with — Icelandic staves; but it is also a fun read and light enough to pick up casually, even if only to gather a few tips. I jotted down a handful of the staves, which I look forward to trying out after I've learned a little more about Icelandic magic. In that regard, I don't think that this book provides enough practical advice to serve as a full or sole resource that will take you from knowing nothing about Icelandic magic to a point of practicing a cohesive system of Icelandic magic. Nor is that its goal. I think it is better suited to readers who already have some experience in that field and want another resource to draw from, or to readers who are simply curious and want to explore the subject lightly.

From the very little learning I have around Icelandic magic, and what I've heard experts in the subject speaking about, this book seems to cover a good deal of the 'hot topics' and pain points that arise around Icelandic traditions, (again) without getting overly distracted from the manuscript.