A magical scroll
Magical scrolls are scrolls that have been inscribed with magical spells for later use by a wizard. Any spellcaster who is able to use the type of magic to which the spell belongs can cast the spell from the scroll, with no chance of miscasting. Once the spell has been cast, the scroll crumbles to dust.[1a]
Creation[]
Enchanted scrolls are sometimes created by wizards and other practitioners of magic. These artefacts bind the energies of a particular spell within letters, sigils and designs etched onto a piece of parchment or vellum.[2a]
Scrolls can be used by other wizards, who speak an incantation written on the scroll to release the spell. Scrolls are one of the few ways in which a Human wizard from one of the Imperial Colleges of Magic can cast a spell taught by the wizards of another order with (slightly) less risk -- unless they're caught doing so, that is.[2a]
Like other magical items, the creation of a scroll is an arduous process, known to senior wizards only. In order to create a scroll an arcane design along with words of incantation must be carefully copied onto the parchment and then the required spell cast over the scroll.[2a]
Any mistakes made in its creation will mean the scroll fails to absorb the spell, and this can be dangerous for folks nearby if the magic is destructive in nature. Finally the scroll is sealed with a wax sigil bearing the mark of the appropriate Order of Magic, designed to keep the energies within from leaking out. It's an arduous process and most senior wizards would much rather spend their time taking in a play or hobnobbing with the aristocracy, so scrolls are only very rarely made in order to meet a particular need.[2a][2b]
A magical scroll does not include the full instructions for casting a spell, it just contains the instructions for releasing the magical energy with which it has been charged. Therefore, a wizard may not learn a spell from a scroll in the same way they might from a grimoire or from training and practice with a senior wizard.[2b]
Scrolls that draw upon Dark Magic in their spells, such as the lores of sorcery or necromancy, can corrupt those that utilise them.[3b]
Using a Scroll[]
To activate the spell within the scroll, all a wizard needs to do is break the seal and read the incantation written on the parchment. However, a scroll only contains the magical energy for a single casting of a spell. Once the spell is cast, or if it is miscast or squandered in any other way, the power of the scroll is used up, and it is nothing than a parchment decorated with arcane symbols and writing.[2b]
Scrolls and Non-Magic-Users[]
It may seem possible that someone who does not use magic could just open a scroll and use it. After all one don't need to be a wizard to read an incantation. However, because they lack the witchsight and experience with the Winds of Magic, such a reading is incredibly perilous for non-magic-users to attempt. Such a reading may result in all manner of mishaps and corruption.[2b]
To prevent such disasters from occurring, master wizards often seal the scroll with a magical sigil that renders the scroll useless unless the person who breaks the seal utilises magic when doing so. This helps to ensure that only true magic-users are able to use magical scrolls.[2b]
If a non-magic-user is intended to use a scroll, for example an Elector Count of the Empire that has tasked their court wizard to procure them a way to cast a specific spell, most wizards resort to encoding the spell by phonetically spelling it out in another mundane language, such as Classical.[3b]