Warding Pattern
Ancient Technology, Re-imagined
CW: violence, abuse
Warding patterns are a form of Magical Binding that prevent the use of magic in a given space. Like all magical bindings, they wards use different patterns which have been found to block magic use to varying degrees. There are two types of such patterns: binding patterns, which block the use of magic altogether, and training patterns, which allow for the use of some magic, while still blocking larger magical workings.
The same patterns are used to create both wards and bindings. The difference is that while bindings are created to block the use of magic by a specific person, wards are created to block the use of magic by anyone in a given area. Unlike bindings, which are activated as soon as the two ends are joined, warding patterns are usually slightly more complicated to provide for a way to raise and lower the wards, usually with a verbal command. Early room wards utilized the simpler method of raising and lowering the ward by creating a break, usually via a door. But this method if now seen as outdated, and usually only found in older buildings.
The earliest instances of wards are in the The Rings of Auras and in early Nefrale where large amounts of wizard rope were sometimes used to encircle an area as a temporary ward. Today, warding patterns are most commonly seen indoors, where they are painted around the walls of the room, typically near the ceiling. Sometimes, when people do not want their wards to be obvious, or if they feel the pattern is ugly, they will hire artists to make designer wards, in which the pattern is incoporated into a larger piece of art. This hides the pattern to most people who are not experts.
Warding patterns are most commonly found in prisons, hospitals, and schools, though can be found in a variety of other places. No patterns are fallible and any can be broken by a very determined person. Therefore, prisons usually use the highest level binding patterns to ensure the lowest probability they are broken. Hospitals primarily use lower-level binding patterns because they are secure enough to prevent most stray magic caused by stress, illness, or drug reactions. They may have one or two rooms with higher level wards for the rare emergency case. Schools almost-exclusively use training wards, as their goal is for students to contain any large-scale mistakes students make before they have full control over their own abilities.
Warding patterns are also still used outdoors, especially for magic showcases and tournaments. These are more commonly temporary wards, although some places, like Amira Park have permanant wards built in. For outdoor wards, wizard rope can still be used, or they can be painted, chalked, or drawn with another material. In the cases of small wards, some people stitch them into blankets or weave them into rugs, which can then be rolled up and transported.
In 1907, Warding Paint was invented, which better facilitated the warding of large areas. This paint is designed to last for a given period of time, and then to wear away with the wind and the rain. It comes in a variety of colors, including some that will fade from view wthin 24 hours, allowing the wards to be active, but unseen.
Like personal bindings, wards are controversial. Many people believe they are more humane and that they put people on more equal footing. For example, there are documented cases of prison guards using magic to abuse prisoners who were unable to defend themselves, which would not happen in a warded area. Others insist that a ward requires people to stay in a specific location, sometimes for an extended period of time, personal bindings allow people the freedom to move about. There is some research that shows wards are more effective than bindings, but further studies are required before any definitive claim can be made.
Parent Technologies
I like the controversy. I think I lean more towards wards rather than personal bindings, especially in places like schools and prisons. I do love the idea that some people think the wards are ugly so they incorporate them into art instead. :D
They definitely both have their place. There are some people in Nideon who struggle to control their magic for parts of their lives, and for them it's binding bracelets or living in a warded area for an unspecified amount of time (though they're usually wearing training cuffs.) The designer patterns are even more common with bindings like this because people don't necessarily want others to know they're having problems with their magic.