That’s a way better question than the one I asked.
“Yes,” Conway responded, “In that case, you most likely could. Some of the so-called ‘unique’ characteristics of each attunement can be achieved in that way, but there may be exceptions. Some combinations of multiple attunements are so rare that we have not been able to prove if they can be combined at all.”
I scratched my chin, wondering which combinations were the rarest — and how I might obtain some of them in the future. Would it be possible to get four attunements with completely different mana types and cover all the types of mana? I’d never heard of anyone with that many attunements... aside from the visages, of course. And possibly Keras?
I still had no idea how Keras was as powerful as he seemed to be.
“I’ve already mentioned that the Guardian’s most unique characteristic is our ability to control our shroud immediately. Today, we’ll go over the mana types and characteristics for each attunement. This will be a brief overview of each type. More details can be found in your books.”
Conway rubbed his forehead and sighed, then pushed himself out of the chair and walked over to the chalk board. I was glad to see him up and moving again, at least, even if he did look exhausted.
He drew the Elementalist Attunement symbol first.
“As Master Cadence mentioned, the Elementalist commands fire and air mana. Their unique characteristic is the ability to combine these two types of mana to form lightning, which is often considered the most formidable form of attack magic. While fire spells are often popular for being able to cover large areas with a single spell, lightning is generally preferable in duels. It’s too fast for most attuned to defend against it.”
Unless you’re Marissa, I remembered with a grin. She was amazing.
“Next is the Diviner.” He drew another symbol.
“They primarily use mental mana and focus on information gathering spells. Their secondary mana type is enhancement, which in their case is usually used to improve concentration, retain memories, and empower spells to break through anti-divination defenses. Diviners are unique in their ability to create memory crystals, objects that can store a copy of someone’s memories. These are extraordinarily useful for both investigation and communication.”
Huh. Those did sound useful.
“Diviners are commonly confused with similar attunements from other regions. Diviners tend to focus on learning and preserving raw information. The Analyst Attunement, found among our allies in Caelford, is focused more on enhancing the senses and digging deeper into existing knowledge. The Seer Attunement from Dalenos is focused on remotely viewing distant locations, something only the most experienced Diviners can even attempt.”
I loved hearing about the analogues to our attunements in other cultures. I knew there were similar attunements in other kingdoms, but I didn’t know exactly how close they were. I resolved to pick up a book on the subject sometime in the second semester when I had a bit more free time.
“Next, the Shaper.”
He drew an all-too-familiar symbol representing the attunement I’d always wanted.
I was starting to work through my bitterness about it. I was actually enjoying learning about enchanting, but there was a part of me that still wondered if I had failed by not earning the attunement my father wanted me to.
“The Shaper’s primary mana type is earth, and their secondary type is transference. While they are best known for being able to manipulate existing spells and reshape mana, this is not actually their unique capability. It is merely a consequence of their capable use of transference mana. Instead, their unique ability is to spontaneously construct and manipulate objects made out of mana.”
“While attunements from other kingdoms with earth mana can create solid objects, they lack the Shaper’s flexibility to create, move, and reshape such an object instantly. Since Shapers practice this process so frequently, they are also generally the best at reshaping and altering other spells by using their transference mana. This makes Shapers devastating in mage against mage combat.”
The professor continued with another drawing.
“Next, the Shadow. They are the only local attunement capable of using umbral mana — more commonly just called ‘shadow mana’. This is used for concealment, as well as dampening the senses of others. Their secondary mana type is enhancement, which they use in conjunction with their umbral mana to enhance their physical characteristics and senses. This unique pairing of mana types allows the Shadow to create solid illusions, making the Shadow more dangerous than most illusion-focused attunements.”
He turned back toward the class. “It’s worth being aware that a good deal of our testing at this school requires illusions. While most of these are made by Shadows, we also employ a number of Illusionists. Illusionists are Dalenos’ answer to our Shadows. They are capable of creating much more sophisticated effects. For example, they are much better at concealing wide areas of terrain.”
“Edria and Caelford have attunements that alter the mind, rather than simply creating visible images. Edrian Mesmers can alter emotions and perceptions. They often use this to lure others into trusting them. They are also capable of making others ignore their presence by tricking our minds into believing they are a harmless part of the background.”
Conway took a breath. “Caelford’s equivalents are Controllers. We have a few Controllers on campus for specific tests. Controllers typically can only affect one person at a time, but they are capable of directly influencing someone else’s behavior. For this reason, Controllers are commonly employed for trials and interrogation. In your second year, you will work with Controllers to learn how to resist magical compulsion.”
That sounded like an interesting exercise… and an attunement I never wanted to go up against.
Conway drew another symbol.