Gramarye, also called Drycraft, is the umbrella term used for all the magical arts practiced by Humans, though it is not uncommon for Draconics and Fae to learn the arts.

What are practicioners of Drycraft called?

Drymann is the most common term employed.  Children of Gramarye is the preferred poetic phrase.  It is not uncommon for words like Wizard, Sorcerer, or (Spell) Weaver to be used, but they are not as common as drymann.  Adepts who focus on specific arts are often called after their art: invokers, diviners, secret keepers, enchanters, but these are all specialist terms.

Can a Drymann become famous for their acumen?

Yes, but it is not easy.  Since every Sith Thyrsa is a drymann, the adept must show an extraordinary level of skill to gain renown for their prowess with the arts alone.

Most often, famous/legendary drymann are known for their actions.

Are there risks and rewards for the practice of Gramarye?

This is harder to answer, because most drymann practice what are called the mundane arts.  For these there is little risk involved, and the reward is simply an accomplished goal.

Divination is a known risky behavior.  The trances, potions, and arts required to peer into the future bring a euphoria with them that can be addictive.  The art can also be debilitating if the practitioner becomes preoccupied with knowing the outcome of their actions before they act.

Shape shifting carried its own risks.  A botched attempt can deform the adept in unexpected ways.  Repeated transformations into the same animal can cause the individual to start retailing certain characteristics of the creature when they return to their native form.  Nerius notably gained renown as a shape shifter, but he practiced the art so often, he forgot his natural form, and eventually became unable to maintain any form for an extended period of time.

Weather control is outlawed by more nation because of the ripple effects it has on the climate.

The more powerful the spell, rite, or invocation, the more risk associated with it.

Are drymann good or evil?

While the Sith Thyrsa teach a rigid morality, that has not ensured the virtue of every adept.  The scimanhyra are the most famous dark wizards in history, and their name has been used by various groups throughout history.

There are few if any arts that are classified as Black Magic or Dark Arts.  The same art that gives pleasure can be used to inflict pain.  Healing arts can be used to kill.  They are two uses of the same art.  In common parlance, black magic or dark art are terms applied to dead arts that exist only in written form.

How does a drymann attain their powers?

Initiation are the most common way a drymann attains power.  Sometimes called empowerments or endowments, these rituals connect or imbue the recipient with a power than must then be honed through learning and practicing the associated craft.

Arednes is the first initiation a drymann receives.  Like a Christian baptism, Arednes takes place within 8 days of birth, and the child is welcomed into the covenant with the Giants, and becomes Sith Thyrsa.  This rite allowed them to see and be recognized my the barriers that separate the wrecca and drymann worlds.

Some initiations are passed down exclusively through families, schools, professions, and guilds.  These are generally conditional, and can be revoked if one leaves the company, or is exiled for the family, guild, or school.

There are even some initiations that the drymann can perform on themselves through the invocation of certain spirits.

The Behat is a common form of empowerment, comprised of a ritualized agreement on the part of multiple parties.  It is used by children in much the same way wrecca use "blood brothers," but is often used in business to seal deals of importance.

What can Gramarye do?

Most anything the adept has the empowerment for and the imagination to make happen.  Gramarye operates under 3 general laws:

1. Will, passion, desire, fear, and regret are vital forces that can be focused through concentration and symbols to achieve an end.
2. Subtle energies can be accessed through initiation and manipulated through proper use of the arts.
3. Sympathetic connections exist between items of like nature.  What is done to the one will affect the other.

Last updated on August 4, 2011 by Eric Dorsett