Ward
A Ward is a magical protective charm, usually applied to a specific area, building, or person. The effect is linked to a specific symbol, incantation, or object, and usually, it is a passive enchantment that only takes effect when triggered by specific conditions established by the caster. Wards can be individual and singular, or connected to a network or a "web".
The details of the workings of wards are almost always closely guarded secrets. The Great Houses don't tend to share them with each other, and some don't even share them with others in their House or family. The reason for this is, of course, the real threat that anyone could be drafted into The Undead Horde in a given Word War, and thus, endanger House security.
Effect
Ward effects can vary broadly. Essentially, a Ward represents a delayed magical effect that only activates under specific conditions as set by the caster at the time of casting. Possibilities are effectively unlimited except by the Literomantic Power required to invoke the effects in question, but here are some examples:
Queen Sable Aradia is famous for her anti-undead wards. The ward simply prevents undead from entering an area or object (such as a train). It seems to have no other effect than to deny entry. Any undead being trying to enter an area that is warded in this way is prevented by what is perceived as some sort of invisible force field. This effect activates regardless of the means of entry into the protected area.
Prince Galakrond routinely uses wards in the form of summoning circles to prevent the beings he calls upon from running rampant until some agreement or other means of control is established. These circles both call the being from its native realm into the realm he is in, and prevent them from leaving or acting through the bounds of the circle. This is a complex and exacting use of warding, and it is easy to make mistakes that cause malfunctions.
Windy Willows is protected by a ward network or web, the details of which are known only to the House Leadership and Brocktrees. It is not a passive ward — when triggered, it will cause damage. This is generally understood by anyone who knows the wards exist, but what effect that might have specifically remains a mystery.
The Cavern is protected by a variant anti-undead ward that will activate the "Chompers," which are stalagmites and stalactites that animate and try to crush the invaders.
Wards on The Warren prevent anyone from teleporting into it. It is also impossible to teleport objects into it. Paper Airplane Messages must be redirected to a special receptacle as a result. Some people seem to have a means to get around this, however, by Queen Sable's specific permission.
Side/Secondary Effects
Permanent magical effects always have a higher cost than temporary ones in literomantic power. However, wards seem to mitigate this somewhat, perhaps because the effect is only triggered under certain conditions. Risk of Magic Drain is medium to high, depending on the "power" of the accompanying effect and its established limitations.
Manifestation
When triggered, a ward, whether in the form of a symbol, an incantation, or an object, will glow in an appropriate associated colour. It almost always makes a shimmery ringing sound as well. Clever abjurers hide their wards where these manifestations are unlikely to be seen or heard.
Source
Sources may vary. Certainly there is always a degree of personal literomantic power involved which must come from the caster or casters. However, other sources of magic may also be incorporated, depending on the nature of the ward (such as power "donated" by an elemental.) Cooperative rituals to establish ward networks are common.
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Material Components
A ward must be tied to a physical object or physically written text. Warding a computer against tampering, for example, would require a symbol, or similar, painted or etched on to the computer, the ethernet cable or router, or even its physical hard drive or the desk it is sitting on, rather than written into the software coding. This would not preclude a protective incantation of another kind being woven into the software coding, but it will not function the same way a ward does, and likely would not have the same kind of permanence.
As a result, it is not uncommon for Literomancers to carve their wards into wood or stone in order to preserve them for longer periods.
Also of note, a ward may be "edited." Changing the symbolism used, or erasing parts of the ward, may cause malfunctions or even negate the effectiveness of the ward altogether — another reason they are often concealed.
Gestures & Ritual
Wards usually draw upon existing traditions of magical symbolism to create magical "short-cuts" for complex meanings, which is one of the oldest forms of literomancy. Examples might include bindrunes, summoning circles, incantations, glyphs, angel or demon names, astrological signs, pictograms, etc.
Effect Duration
Usually permanent until triggered, although some wards may have limited durations. Some wards require "resetting" once they have been triggered, while others continue to activate under the specified conditions until destroyed.
Effect Casting Time
Varies. The ward obviously cannot be completed until the physical element is inscribed. Networks, of course, take much longer to establish than a single symbol.
Range
A ward is keyed to one specific entity or location. This is usually defined in the casting by the name that describes it: ie: "The Warren," "The Black Forest," "Sable Aradia"
Level
Medium to Advanced
Applied Restriction
Wards must generally be applied to the object, location, or being they are protecting. For personal wards, jewellery, amulets or Magic Tattoos are not uncommon.
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