Joyal (joy-ALL)

The Secret of Huxoth Magic

"I wouldn't be able to use your Magic without your permission," Liche explained, emptying the teapot into Vasco's cup.
Vasco picked up the cup and took a sip. "But you could use it? Even though it's bound?"
For once, Liche actually smiled at him. "Well, it's only bound for you."

The joyal is a magical connection allowing the Huxoth people to communicate mind to mind. Joyal tend to encompass an entire Huxoth village, though the Huxoth can also use it to speak with individuals. It is useful for communicating across large distances, such as the Great Northern Desert and provides individuals with an ability to tap into others' magical gifts.

History

"So how would I give you permission?"
"Well, we'd start by connecting mind to mind."
"Wait, you mean like talking to each other? The Huxoth can mind-speak?" Vasco had seen a lot of things since coming to Copperridge, but this sounded like fantasy. And yet, for Liche, it was clearly commonplace.
With a shrug, she rose from the table and carried the teapot to the sink. "The desert's a big place. We needed a way to communicate. If you get lost out there.... well, by the time someone realizes they need to look for you, you could already be dead."

It is unclear how old the joyal is, though it probably dates back to the 8th century, if not before. The Huxoth themselves say it was the primary method of communication used by the hawks from which they believe they are descended. Whatever its origins, it was developed to connect people across the desert expanse. Leaders would communicate to all the members of a village using the joyal on a regular basis, and anyone from that village could connect to their people, even when they were physically distant. The joyal also facilitated travel in the desert. An injured or lost traveler could quickly alert someone to their predicament, allowing rescuers to initaite a search hours or even days before they would have otherwise. Over time, the joyal developed a wider variety of uses. Today, joyals are used for everything from town hall meetings to private messages between lovers. Most Huxoth are part of at least 2 joyal, but there is no limit on how many one can join.

by Artbreeder

Joyal vs. Magical Bindings

There is some documentation of a joyal functioning despite a Magical Binding, most famously with Vasco Painter and Liche Shigod, but this is limited because the Huxoth have historically made little use of binding and Warding magic. Instead, Huxoth are taught as children to release magic into the community pool when they feel themselves losing control, and draw it back in when they have regained control. Nevertheless, most Huxoth are confident that the joyal will regularly work around bindings, and that blocking one would likely require a pattern which targeted the joyal specifically.

Mechanics

"Teach me." The prospect of learning this new magic was as exciting as learning illusions from Rosemary. And yet part of him was convinced the tea had gone to his head.
Liche washed and rinsed the teapot, then paused a moment longer, still holding it. "I don't think I can," she finally admitted.
Something sank in Vasco's stomach. "Because I'm an outsider?" He should have known there would be a problem.
"No, it's not that. It's just..." She put the teapot in the rack and turned, leaning against the sink. "I haven't been part of a joyal for nine years. I don't know if I remember how."

The magic of the joyal is related to Dream Magic or that used for mind healing, and requires a high amount of trust to work properly. When children struggle to join their first joyal, they are encouraged to share their fears and secrets with the people around them. This level of vulnerability helps a person's mind drop the barriers than normally protect it from invasion. Once familiar with a joyal, a person can come and go within this connection as desired. If trust is lost, however, they will be disconnected, though the connection can potentially be re-established. Unfortunately, such disconnections are most common when members of a community are outcasted for other reasons, such as being touched by death.

Joyal and Huxoth Culture

"My mother used to say that without the joyal, the Huxoth would crumble into the desert sands." She examined her hands, as if reading her own palms. Then she said something in Huxoth.
Vasco downed the last of his tea and prepared to leave. "It's okay," he told Liche, holding up a tattooed wrist, "I couldn't do it anyway. My magic is bound."
"As if that's stopped you before." Liche was smiling again. "I don't know if it will work, but if you really want to learn, I'm willing to try."

The joyal is deeply woven into Huxoth culture. Anthropologists believe the use of the joyal is what has kept music, food, clothing, and even the Huxoth language relatively consistant over both the expanse of the desert and the expanse of time. The Huxoth have also used the joyal to defend themselves from invaders because it not only allowed for quick communication between different Huxoth cities, but also meant that Huxoth rebellions could organize under the invaders' noses.

As a tool for magic use, the joyal allows members to utilize magic from a community pool, breaking down potential barriers between magic users and non-magic users. Because everyone has access to the community pool, everyone is considered a magic user, whether or not they have an in-born gift. The community pool can also be accessed by people with limited mobility as an aid for moving themselves or objects during day to day life. While it is unclear which came first, this aligns with the Huxoth values of equity and their use of other magical and non-magical accessibility aids. Unfortunately, outsiders who don't understand how the joyal works have spread rumors that the Huxoth access others' magic through theft, rather than consent.

In truth, consent is important in all areas of life among the Huxoth. Both physical and mental touch occur only through an invitation. Children are frequently invited to be part of adult decisions, and people are generally expected to be honest and emotionally vulnerable with one another. It is likely that these values developed alongside the joyal, which would not function without them. It is also likely that the joyal is not seen in other cultures because they do not necessarily honor the same values.