Focuses

by

Krystalis Gillhaven

The assumption that magickal focuses somehow generate power themselves is a mistake that has led to countless disappointing purchases of “genuine magickal artifacts” from suspiciously grinning merchants.

A focus is no more a source of power than a funnel is a source of water. It simply channels and directs what’s already flowing through you from your divine patron.

Types of Focuses

• Wands: Compact and convenient, a wand’s portability makes them favorites among traveling practitioners.
• Staffs: For sustained workings staffs remain unmatched. Their larger size accommodates more complex focusing elements and provides stability during lengthy invocations.
• Amulets and Pendants: For practitioners who need free hands or prefer disguising their magickal capabilities, body-worn focuses offer compelling advantages.
• Orbs and Crystals: Practitioners focusing on divination, scrying, or complex magickal manipulations often prefer crystalline focuses. These multifaceted tools excel at refracting divine energy into more complex patterns than their counterparts.

Not every effective focus comes in standard packaging. I’ve encountered practitioners using everything from musical instruments to cooking implements with remarkable success. A battlefield healer I met near Cliadell used a seemingly ordinary bronze bell as his focus. When rung with proper invocation, it amplified his healing magick throughout a remarkable radius. “Nobody expects a bell in combat, so no one really thinks to target it.”

Note to travellers: When using a focus appropriate to your casting, 5s as well as 6s may be counted as successes on Power rolls.

Construction & Materials

While wands and other focuses can be purchased, they’re often crafted with specific patrons in mind. While traveling through Bairora, I observed a renowned focus-crafter select materials based on extensive interviews with her clients. “A focus serves as bridge between mortal and divine. The materials must resonate with both ends of that connection.”

I've compiled common material correspondences based on observation and probably reliable hearsay:

God	Wood	Stone	Metal	Binding Material
Āldiēr	Birch	Limestone	Silver	Leather
Alȳrā	Cherry	Rose quartz	Copper	Red Silk
Denēlia	Elder	Moonstone	Iron	Silk
Dhȳrōs	Blackthorn	Quartz	Lead	[[Ārdan]] hair
Dōhāra	Hazel	Lodestone	Silver	Herb-Dyed Thread
Exphīra	Vine	Jade	Copper	Vines
Idrāsil	Cedar	Amber	Gold	Leather
Ilhdeinir	Cedar	Amethyst	Silver	Leather
Illyāna	Rosewood	Opal	Steel	Silk
Irākstl	Pine	Carnelian	Brass	Leather
Lādīka	Driftwood	Jade	Quicksilver	Leather
Lūdthār	Ebony	Hematite	Steel	Umbilical Cord
Mārdōna	Yew	Malachite	Pewter	Gut String
Ōhgūs	Maple	Peridot	Bronze	Wheat Straw
Ōphīa	Yew	Jet	Silver	Leather
Osnitan	Walnut	Tiger’s Eye	Steel	Braided Leather
Ōvlīan	Aspen	Azurite	Tin	Parchment Strips
Rāvehnswhenh	Pine	Agate	Copper	Leather
Reīnstīel	Hawthorn	Onyx	Copper	Leather
Rīōnne	Willow	Lapis Lazuli	Silver	Leather
Rūdār	Rowan	Selenite	Bronze	Lamb’s Wool
Sāhren	Oak	Amber	Bronze	Leather
Shūjāō	Holly	Yellow Topaz	Iron	Leather
Temrūs	Oak	Garnet	Bronze	Leather
Valfǫðr	Ash	Bloodstone	Iron	Leather
Vōldāll	Ash	Ruby	Steel	Sinew
Yāerōnās	Willow	Aquamarine	Silver	Leather
Ytīa	Driftwood	Obsidian	Iron	Burial Shroud Fragments

Loss & Replacement

Despite our best efforts, focuses occasionally meet unfortunate ends: broken in combat, stolen by rivals, etc. The loss of a long-used focus can be traumatic for practitioners, often resulting in temporarily diminished magickal capabilities. A spellweaver I met in central Hanneau spent three days in meditation after her focus of twenty years was destroyed in a duel. “It's like losing a limb,” she explained once she’d recovered enough to speak.

Recovery typically involves crafting a new focus using fragments of the original when possible. This maintains a thread of continuity in the practitioner’s divine connection while establishing a new channel. I’ve noted that second focuses often reflect more thoughtful design choices; practitioners having learned from experience which elements truly matter and which were merely decorative.

Materials & Procurement

The following compilation represents years of observation regarding where the sacred materials mentioned above might be found. While not exhaustive, these notes should prove useful for any practitioner seeking to craft a focus worthy of their patron's attention.

Wood Materials

• Ash - Hills, Plains, Mountains
• Aspen - Hills, Mountains, Tundra
• Birch - Hills, Tundra, Mountains
• Blackthorn - Hills, Swamp, Plains
• Cedar - Mountains, Hills, Coastal
• Cherry - Plains, Hills
• Driftwood - Coastal, Islands
• Ebony - Swamp, Coastal, Desert
• Elder - Swamp, Hills, Plains
• Hawthorn - Hills, Plains, Mountains
• Hazel - Hills, Plains, Swamp
• Holly - Hills, Mountains, Plains
• Maple - Hills, Plains, Mountains
• Oak - Hills, Plains, Mountains
• Pine - Mountains, Hills, Tundra
• Rosewood - Swamp, Coastal, Desert
• Rowan - Mountains, Hills, Tundra
• Vine - Swamp, Hills, Plains
• Walnut - Hills, Plains, Mountains
• Willow - Swamp, Plains, Hills
• Yew - Hills, Mountains, Plains

Stone Materials

• Agate - Mountains, Hills, Desert
• Amber - Coastal, Swamp, Plains
• Amethyst - Mountains, Hills, Volcanic
• Aquamarine - Coastal, Mountains, Hills
• Azurite - Mountains, Hills, Desert
• Bloodstone - Mountains, Volcanic, Hills
• Carnelian - Desert, Mountains, Volcanic
• Garnet - Mountains, Hills, Volcanic
• Hematite - Mountains, Hills, Desert
• Jade - Mountains, Hills, Swamp
• Jet - Coastal, Swamp, Mountains
• Lapis Lazuli - Mountains, Hills, Desert
• Limestone - Hills, Plains, Mountains
• Lodestone - Mountains, Volcanic, Hills
• Malachite - Mountains, Hills, Swamp
• Moonstone - Mountains, Hills, Desert
• Obsidian - Volcanic, Mountains, Ash Wastes
• Onyx - Mountains, Hills, Desert
• Opal - Desert, Mountains, Hills
• Peridot - Volcanic, Mountains, Desert
• Quartz - Mountains, Hills, Plains
• Rose quartz - Mountains, Hills, Plains
• Ruby - Mountains, Hills, Volcanic
• Selenite - Desert, Mountains, Hills
• Tiger's Eye - Desert, Mountains, Hills
• Yellow Topaz - Mountains, Hills, Desert

Metal Materials

• Brass - Plains, Hills, Mountains
• Bronze - Plains, Hills, Mountains
• Copper - Mountains, Hills, Volcanic
• Gold - Mountains, Hills, Desert
• Iron - Mountains, Hills, Plains
• Lead - Mountains, Hills, Swamp
• Pewter - Plains, Hills, Mountains
• Quicksilver - Mountains, Volcanic, Hills
• Silver - Mountains, Hills, Plains
• Steel - Plains, Hills, Mountains
• Tin - Mountains, Hills, Coastal

Binding Materials

• Braided leather - Plains, Hills, Mountains
• Burial shroud fragments - Cemeteries, Ōphian Temples
• Herb-dyed thread - Plains, Hills, Swamp
• Lamb’s wool - Plains, Hills, Mountains
• Leather - Plains, Hills, Mountains
• Parchment strips - Plains, Hills, Mountains
• Red silk - Plains, Hills, Desert
• Silk - Plains, Hills, Desert
• Vines - Swamp, Hills, Plains
• Wheat straw - Plains, Hills