Another fast-paced chapter, Bill! Is there some background info on the magic he's using that would help me understand it a bit better? It's my first time reading any of your stories.
Max has two different kinds of magic--Norse runic magic and druidic magic.
Both of these have roots in real-world traditions, though we don't know much about either in terms of what a real vitki or a real druid might have done in ancient times. We have a little information about runes being used for divination and an indication that they were used for spellcasting. We have even less on druids, so what's in my stories is based partly on modern practitioners and partly on my own imagination.
In the context of my books, runic spellcasting involves channeling energy through the runes. These can be drawn, or, in the case of powerful casters, simply visualized. The effects depend on the intent of the caster and the nature of the rune.
For instance, Thurisaz is a rune related to strength, among other things. Max can use it to increase his physical strength. When used merkstave (reversed), it can be used to weaken opponents (or, as you saw in this chapter, stone floors). Sowilo, a sun rune, is used to project sunlight against vampires. (Each rune's general affinities are mentioned when it first comes up, though that's easy to miss.)
Runic magic can be supplemented by the seidr trance, which enables the practitioner's mind to travel out-of-body, among other things. It's especially important for divination and spying. Used in that way, it's similar to astral projection.
Druidic magic (in my books akin to faerie magic), draws on natural forces more directly (though it can also use Ogham, the Celtic tree alphabet, as a focus). It can also draw upon the power inherent in various runes, as you will see. It's especially good for filling in gaps in runic magic--areas where there really is no rune related to the power one needs to invoke.
Max's magical ability is partly hereditary and partly acquired. One of his ancestors is Mab (or Maeve), the faerie queen of Connacht. His faerie magic remains dormant until an encounter with some friends of his that you'll meet later. In our world, magical ability often lies dormant until such an encounter because the mortal plane is not as supportive of magic as some other planes of existence.
Max gets some magic training from Merlin's ghost and access to Merlin's grimoire (which he doesn't have in this adventure as it wasn't with him when he was captured). Later, he completes his training under Morfesa, one of the four druids of Tír na nÓg (the Celtic Otherworld).
In a later adventure, Max tracks Adreanna (whom you'll meet later), who has been kidnapped, to the Norse plane. I'll avoid spoilerish details as much as possible, but once there, he is tricked into a corrupted version of the ritual whereby Odin mastered the runes. He gets superior runic knowledge and power from that ritual, but because the ritual was infected by the venom of the dragon, Nidhogg, Max gets infected as well. This is the origin of Nidhoggson, the dark alter ego who lives in his head and tries to take over. In this case, as you've seen, Nidhoggson helps Max, because if Max dies, Nidhoggson also dies.
During the same adventure, Adreanna's magic is forcibly activated by the former Norse love goddess, Freya. (Adreanna has ancestors among the fata--Italian fairies.) Because of the nature of that activation, Adreanna's power tends toward love magic (emotional influence), though she has learned to repurpose it for things like defense.
Max also gets the staff you've seen as a gift from Freya. The duergar actually fashioned it for her use originally. It was carved from the wood of Yggdrasil, the world tree, and Freya has painted the runes on it in her own blood. It is thus a valuable recharger and amplifier of the power Max already has.
Another fast-paced chapter, Bill! Is there some background info on the magic he's using that would help me understand it a bit better? It's my first time reading any of your stories.
Max has two different kinds of magic--Norse runic magic and druidic magic.
Both of these have roots in real-world traditions, though we don't know much about either in terms of what a real vitki or a real druid might have done in ancient times. We have a little information about runes being used for divination and an indication that they were used for spellcasting. We have even less on druids, so what's in my stories is based partly on modern practitioners and partly on my own imagination.
In the context of my books, runic spellcasting involves channeling energy through the runes. These can be drawn, or, in the case of powerful casters, simply visualized. The effects depend on the intent of the caster and the nature of the rune.
For instance, Thurisaz is a rune related to strength, among other things. Max can use it to increase his physical strength. When used merkstave (reversed), it can be used to weaken opponents (or, as you saw in this chapter, stone floors). Sowilo, a sun rune, is used to project sunlight against vampires. (Each rune's general affinities are mentioned when it first comes up, though that's easy to miss.)
Runic magic can be supplemented by the seidr trance, which enables the practitioner's mind to travel out-of-body, among other things. It's especially important for divination and spying. Used in that way, it's similar to astral projection.
Druidic magic (in my books akin to faerie magic), draws on natural forces more directly (though it can also use Ogham, the Celtic tree alphabet, as a focus). It can also draw upon the power inherent in various runes, as you will see. It's especially good for filling in gaps in runic magic--areas where there really is no rune related to the power one needs to invoke.
Max's magical ability is partly hereditary and partly acquired. One of his ancestors is Mab (or Maeve), the faerie queen of Connacht. His faerie magic remains dormant until an encounter with some friends of his that you'll meet later. In our world, magical ability often lies dormant until such an encounter because the mortal plane is not as supportive of magic as some other planes of existence.
Max gets some magic training from Merlin's ghost and access to Merlin's grimoire (which he doesn't have in this adventure as it wasn't with him when he was captured). Later, he completes his training under Morfesa, one of the four druids of Tír na nÓg (the Celtic Otherworld).
In a later adventure, Max tracks Adreanna (whom you'll meet later), who has been kidnapped, to the Norse plane. I'll avoid spoilerish details as much as possible, but once there, he is tricked into a corrupted version of the ritual whereby Odin mastered the runes. He gets superior runic knowledge and power from that ritual, but because the ritual was infected by the venom of the dragon, Nidhogg, Max gets infected as well. This is the origin of Nidhoggson, the dark alter ego who lives in his head and tries to take over. In this case, as you've seen, Nidhoggson helps Max, because if Max dies, Nidhoggson also dies.
During the same adventure, Adreanna's magic is forcibly activated by the former Norse love goddess, Freya. (Adreanna has ancestors among the fata--Italian fairies.) Because of the nature of that activation, Adreanna's power tends toward love magic (emotional influence), though she has learned to repurpose it for things like defense.
Max also gets the staff you've seen as a gift from Freya. The duergar actually fashioned it for her use originally. It was carved from the wood of Yggdrasil, the world tree, and Freya has painted the runes on it in her own blood. It is thus a valuable recharger and amplifier of the power Max already has.
Does that make sense?
That's a lot to take in, but a big help! I'll refer to this as I go, thanks 👍🏻