Dustwink's Lexicon Arcanum - Rules and Guidelines of Best Arcane Practice Part 1

[ZDavidMan]

Dear reader,

The following principles and advisories were painstakingly edited to ensure the highest chance of scholastic success for any shrewd wizard with the sheer force of will required to follow them religiously on a daily basis, without exception, and without fail.

1. Do not perform complex binding rituals on a full stomach, for no man is impervious to the insubordination of his bowels.

2. Complete your studies before bed or suffer tomorrow's wrath; value the lessons of yesterday or suffer to repeat them.

3. Pay heed to the mistakes of your predecessors; elsewise suffer endarkened curses only dreamt of in fables.

4. Time is an arrow from the past to the future, but that arrow has been bent into a Wheel, and it is NOT laminated.

5. Never break the Laws of Magic without an escape plan.

6. NEVER ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE LAWS OF MAGIC.

7. By referencing an exact moment in the past, you invite an exactness which is skewed by your own perspective. Beware the observed shackles of time.

8. Remain faithful to your chosen school of magic at all times, lest your adultery be known to the shame of your peers.

9. Do not waste invaluable moments in pointless meetings that could have been communicated more efficiently by raven.

10. When a puzzling arcane phenomenon cannot be understood by the ways in which it manifests itself, seek instead the source.

11. Just as the great warrior can fall on his sword, so must the great wizard take extra care not to fall on his books.

12. Do not seek success out of the fear that you may fail.

13. Do not engage in the classless and unscholarly act of plagiarism.

14. Covet newfound research over that of your competition unless it leads to newfound research.

15. Keep your scrolls and trinkets in separate drawers to avoid losing both. Keep said drawers in separate dressers to avoid losing everything.

16. Activate the proper wards while engaging in pyromancy if you wish your beard a long and healthy life.

17. If your neighbor is an Astrologian, engage in small chatter at least once a week but elsewise leave them to the cosmos.

18. Foster healthy relations with your local herbalist to ensure the best prices.

19. If you don't know where to look, keep your nose in the book.

20. A well-placed cantrip is more powerful than a poorly aimed fireball.

21. Never sacrifice the merit of your research for the sake of personal or political gain.

22. Here-To-There and Then-To-Now are the pathways through which our work is done. The shrewd conjurer who understands how to find hidden doors along these unmapped tunnels is also capable of opening them.

23. Conversely, the act of summoning is not unlike the act of fishing...

24. Beware the temptations of what lies beyond your senses, and do not invite faraway madness into your home.

25. It is sometimes better to evoke feelings than it is to evoke magic, but mostly this is not the case.

26. Safeguard dangerous knowledge better kept in secret than in the open.

27. Source your reagents responsibly to ensure high quality products for your experiments.

28. For obvious reasons, declare your last will and testimony prior to every duel.

29. Sweating profusely during ritualistic activities is a sign of poor health and preparation and should be criticized accordingly.

30. Do not covet your fellow wizard's staff.

31. He who claims unproven theories as undisputable truth shall not be called a scholar, but an irredeemable quack.

32. The wise wizard must always remember that the bigger fish is not always the better fish.

33. Do not seek to resolve every worldly problem with arcane solutions.

34. Your duty as a summoner is to serve as a guide across metaphysical pathways. Do not conduct yourself as if a gaoler, and do not condemn your conjurations to undue stress beyond what is reasonable in the eyes of Izdu.

35. Under no circumstances shall you ever agree to written or verbal contracts with faraway entities, no matter how benign they may appear.

36. Abstain from the cups during scholarly activities.

37. Do not conjure magic above the 2nd Circle as a party trick.

38. Keep your competitors close and your Lexicon Arcanum closer.

39. Consult an accredited Astrologian to ensure the ideal levels of cosmic alignment prior to ritual activities.

40. Hold sacred that if your failures lead to new knowledge, then you will always succeed in Izdu's eyes.

41. It remains a much wiser decision to succeed than it is to fail in nearly every context.

42. When your beakers stop producing steam, add water.

43. The taller your tower, the harder your fall.

44. Do not rely solely on Thaumaturgical Counter-currents to ward off deadly spells.

45. DO NOT BROOK WITH NEBULOUS ENTITIES THAT EXIST IN A METAPHYSICAL STATE OF BEING YOUR WORLDLY SENSES COULD NOT EVEN BEGIN TO COMPREHEND.

46. Always be punctual, for the wise wizard knows that the best ability is availability.

47. Know the difference between doing the right thing and doing things right.

48. Feed your familiar at least twice per day.

49. Keep your papers in order.

50. If you aren't absolutely sure where it came from, it is not for your consumption. Refrain from conjuring meals unless your survival depends on it.