Pendulum - Revision history

Chobbs at 14:03, 16 February 2011

2011-02-16T14:03:56Z

Chobbs at 14:02, 16 February 2011

2011-02-16T14:02:18Z

Chobbs at 14:02, 16 February 2011

2011-02-16T14:02:01Z

Chobbs: Created page with " See Also: STRATA, PERISTRATA, DOWSING, STRATA CRYSTALS, ATTUNEMENT The strati..."

2011-02-16T14:01:22Z

Created page with "<helpfile> See Also: STRATA, PERISTRATA, DOWSING, STRATA CRYSTALS, ATTUNEMENT The strati..."

New page

<helpfile>
See Also: [[Strata|STRATA]], [[Peristrata|PERISTRATA]], [[Spell:Dowsing|DOWSING]], [[Strata Crystals|STRATA CRYSTALS]], [[Spell:Attunement|ATTUNEMENT]]

The stratiscopic pendulum is an instrument that measures the alignment of
the local equipotenials of the reality-orthogonal-distance to a specific
stratum, through a process called "dowsing". These useful devices can only be
constructed from the crystallized mana shards that are occasionally found
in nature. Each stratiscopic pendulum is tuned to one specific stratum. The
stratum is determined by the type of shard used to make the pendulum. See
"help sidhe charms" for the correspondence between shard appearance and
stratum.

The other vital component of the pendulum is a properly thaumatically
insulated chain with a clasp. Any competent mage knows how to construct
one of these, there's no need to go into the details here.

Dowsing can only be performed by a skilled mage. Assuming that the reader is
such a person, instructions follow. To dowse, simply let a (properly
constructed) stratiscopic pendulum swing freely while practicing
either the first or third meditation forms to damp out your own thaumatic
fields. Note that you must take care to dispel from yourself any spells
of the stratum being dowsed, or their interference will mask the actual
results. The magical fields around powerful extraplanar entities can also
foul up the readings. (If you are yourself a powerful extraplanar entity,
I recommend contacting Orkhis at the Mages' Guild in Bal Harbor to hire one
of our many fine practitioners of the arts to perform the dowsing for you -
you won't be able to do it yourself on this plane.)

Below is a catalogue of the possible results of dowsing:

1. pendulum refuses to swing
This occurs only when you have found the peristratum that you seek.
Congratulations!

2. pendulum swings in a circle
This is the default state of the pendulum, that is, a null reading. This
behavior might indicate several things: you could be extremely distant from
the peristratum, for example on a different continent; in that case the
field gradients are so minute that the pendulum won't produce a
detectable reading. Or, your pendulum might be defective, or burned out.
If the shard you're using is crumbly and black, then it's time to make a
new pendulum. The process of dowsing puts quite a bit of stress on the
shard, so this can be expected to occur from time to time.

3. pendulum swings in an ellipse with its major axis aligned north-south
The equipotenial plane is east-west/up-down, meaning that the peristratum
lies either north or south of your current position.

4. pendulum swings in an ellipse with its major axis aligned east-west
The equipotenial plane is north-south/up-down, meaning that the peristratum
lies either east or west of your current position.

5. pendulum bobs up and down
The equipotenial plane is north-south/east-west, meaning that the
peristratum lies either above or below your current position.

6. pendulum jumps around chaotically
Either the equipotentials are chaotic, or there's some sort of interference.
The latter case is the easier to deal with: find and remove the source of
the interference. It's either a spell on somebody in the room or a
disruptively powerful creature in the room. If the creature cannot easily
be removed, try bypassing the room and getting an idea of the local
equipotentials by taking readings in the surrounding rooms.

If you have eliminated all sources of interference and the pendulum is
still acting like this, that means the peristratum of the stratum being
measured is spatially sequestered, and you aren't in the same disjoint
space that it is. There's no easy way to remedy this; you will just have
to explore all of the disjoint spaces on the present continent until you
get a good reading.

Addendum: there are various guides to dowsing about in the land which
record the practices of hedge wizards. One of the more reliable ones is
in the form of a manual bound in witch hazel bark.
</helpfile>
[[Category:Help Files|Pendulum]]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 in nature.  Each stratiscopic pendulum is tuned to one specific stratum.  The
 stratum is determined by the type of shard used to make the pendulum.  See
-"help sidhe charms" for the correspondence between shard appearance and
+"help strata crystals" for the correspondence between shard appearance and
 stratum.
 The other vital component of the pendulum is a properly thaumatically
 insulated chain with a clasp.  Any competent mage knows how to construct
-one of these, there's no need to go into the details here.
+one of these; there's no need to go into the details here.
 </helpfile>
 [[Category:Help Files|Pendulum]]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 See Also:     [[Strata|STRATA]], [[Peristrata|PERISTRATA]], [[Spell:Dowsing|DOWSING]], [[Strata Crystals|STRATA CRYSTALS]], [[Spell:Attunement|ATTUNEMENT]]
-The {{WikEQ|name=stratiscopic pendulum|keywords=pendulum}} is an instrument that measures the alignment of
+The {{WikEQ|name=stratiscopic pendulum|keywords=pendulum chain}} is an instrument that measures the alignment of
 the local equipotenials of the reality-orthogonal-distance to a specific
 stratum, through a process called "dowsing".  These useful devices can only be

Pendulum - Revision history

*Chobbs* at 14:03, 16 February 2011

*Chobbs* at 14:02, 16 February 2011

*Chobbs* at 14:02, 16 February 2011

*Chobbs*: Created page with " See Also: STRATA, PERISTRATA, DOWSING, STRATA CRYSTALS, ATTUNEMENT The strati..."

Chobbs at 14:03, 16 February 2011

Chobbs at 14:02, 16 February 2011

Chobbs at 14:02, 16 February 2011

Chobbs: Created page with " See Also: STRATA, PERISTRATA, DOWSING, STRATA CRYSTALS, ATTUNEMENT The strati..."