This is an excerpt from a document I'm going to be giving one of the characters in my game who is specializing in Summoning and Binding. She comes from a family of Wizards that are decidedly gray.
On The Summoning and Binding of Otherwordly BeingsListen and heed well, Apprentice, for what you are about to learn will save your life. Practice of The Art is fraught with peril, but none more so than traffic with the Other Worlds. You risk not only your body and mind, but your immortal soul, questing beyond the Veil. If you are one who would risk naught, perhaps the study of Warding would be more suited to your temperament. If you are one who would risk all, though, the rewards are power beyond any seen in this world.
Remember the Seventh Law …
NEVER SEEK KNOWLEDGE AND POWER
FROM BEYOND THE OUTER GATES
You have been warned.
The key to being a successful summoner, that is one whose life and mind are still intact, is preparation, and the first step one must accomplish is to prepare to accept death and worse. The smallest mistake, the tiniest detail, can mean the difference between successfully summoning a creature from beyond the Veil and having one’s entrails removed by a ravening horror.
Never treat a summoning lightly, always know that failure will result in a fate much worse than death.Respect the power you hold, but remember that respect is not fear. In reaching beyond the Veil you will face horrors that would break lesser minds and you will master them. You will see wonders that would make saints weep and you will resist their temptation. You will find within yourself the lightnings of conviction and the iron discipline that are the mark of a True Magus and you will wear them proudly.
Bow not your head to fear or weakness for none but your Will is your Master.On the Construction of the Circle of Summoning
In the course of your studies in The Art you will have learned the power and significance of boundaries. Rivers, seashores, mountains, and other such natural boundaries limit and direct the natural flows of magic. The threshold boundary that springs up around a home protects the home from negative energies. This principle is what the summoner uses in the construction of a Circle of Summoning.
A properly constructed Circle creates a space that is set apart from the world as we know it. This division creates Sympathy with the Other Worlds, which is what allows the summoner to call forth their denizens. The sigils marking the perimeter should ideally be customized for every type of being summoned, but it is most crucial that the circle is unmarred by imperfection or interruption. Any opening in the Circle will allow the summoned being to escape the confines. A well constructed Circle also helps amplify the will of the summoner, making it easier to bind a summoned entity.
Containment circles can be constructed to contain almost anything, though each construct will only be keyed toward a specific type of being. A Circle meant to contain a spiritual entity will be as solid as air to a physical being. Be careful that you know exactly what you are trying to contain.
Before you attempt to summon anything, have your Master test your Circle for strength.
