To Lady Juliet, Royal Witch of Calatini
Royal Palace
Ormas
Merrilea

Dear Lady Juliet,

Sorry for my delay in writing back. I’ve been very busy with my studies recently. Thank you for explaining about flying carpets in your previous letter. It is a curious coincidence that we both have acquaintances with flying carpets. However, the duchy of Oakmoor is know for its artisans, so quite a few witches specialize in flying carpets here.

Since I last wrote, I’ve begun studying wards. Could you tell me more about them?

Thanks again,

Mordred Thyme
Upper Warden
Oakmoor

---

To Mordred Thyme
Upper Warden
Oakmoor

Dear Mr. Thyme,

I’m relieved you finally wrote back—you’ve written weekly since sending me the transport box nine months ago, so I’d begun to worry that something terrible had happened to you. But I understand becoming engrossed in your studies. Magic is fascinating, isn’t it? Yet if you ever need my assistance for more than information, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’d be glad to help you however I can.

As to wards (sometimes called ward spells), they are defense spells used to guard places, individuals, or objects against magical attack. Particularly strong wards can also protect against physical attack or prevent people from approaching. ‘Tis easiest to set wards along a physical boundary such as walls. When setting wards, it helps to cleanse the area beforehand. Setting wards can be as simple as lighting a candle and walking the perimeter of the room while chanting “difehndera.” However, powerful and intricate wards are much more difficult to set, sometimes taking hours.

Once wards are set, they require a power source to maintain them and must be periodically recharged. A common power source is sunlight, and most wards must be recharged weekly. However, the more intricate, powerful, larger, or busier the ward, the more often they must be recharged. (By busier, I mean those with more traffic passing through them. Each time someone crosses a ward, it takes a bit of the ward’s energy.) Wards must also be renewed, usually every three to six months.

Breaking wards is often easier to do from inside the ward because wards are designed to repel magical attacks. However, it is possible to break them from outside—it just takes more power. When you do break them, the witch who created, set, or renewed them can sense it. Wards are weakest at areas with more traffic, so it’s best to attack them there. You can attempt to overload the ward with power, unravel it, or create an opening through it. Creating an opening is my preferred method because you can do that without alerting the witches associated with the ward if you do it carefully.

Please write back soon about whether this information helped you or not. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Sincerely,

Lady Juliet, Royal Witch of Calatini
Royal Palace
Ormas
Merrilea