Inverted Invocations
I have come to believe that – save for a small number of perfectly symmetrical spells* – every spell possesses an inverse. My theory is simple: if there is magic to light a flame, there must be magic to snuff it. Nature, after all, abhors imbalance.
Furthermore, I posit that these inversions are not theoretical constructs awaiting a clever mage to invent them. Cosmic balance demands that they already exist.
Some of these reversals are already well known. Cure Wounds and Inflict Wounds are classic examples of magical mirroring. Others are obscure, often because they are niche, impractical, or discovered by a mage with the good sense to immediately put them back where they found them.
This work is, in no small part, a response to Professor Greymüter of the Arcanum of Respectable Magic, whose recent critique suggested that many of the spells predicted by this theory “do not, and could not, exist.” Given his institution’s distinct lack of appreciation for unusual spellcraft (my previous book is banned from campus after a single incident) his scepticism is perhaps understandable.
While I cannot claim to have found every spell's inverse form, I think you'll agree this work presents a compelling pattern.
– Professor Ezrin Quale
* A spell is “symmetrical” if its inverse would be identical to itself. Misty Step is a common example. Spell symmetry is a well-established (if previously uninteresting) arcane principle. See: Thamior's Treatise on Arcane Parity.
Under the text is scribbled several handwritten student notes.
- Didn’t Thamior already predict this? – Rowan
- No, he insisted most inversions were “theoretical curiosities”, not actual spells. – Kaz
- Bet he regrets that now. – A.A.
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