Acknowledging the forces behind the power.
I have been thinking some lately about the use of magic in warfare, and the appropriateness of treating magic as a weapon. I have used magic in combat in the past; I could not have done otherwise if we were to fight at all, for with such great power as mine I could not but use it to protect my people. (A regrettable turn of phrase; these people should surely be considered no more mine than any other people of the world-- the Runes only take sides in war by accident of who bears them, and True Earth considers the people of the Grasslands no less worthy of protection than the people of Harmonia. Hopefully at least you will understand what I mean by it.) But I do not think the battlefield is the place for magic. Not just because we should not be on the battlefield at all, but for a further reason.
Most combat situations are not conducive to using magic as I believe it ought to be used, and not just in the respect that they further violence. Magic is not a convenience, a mere projectile weapon with the advantage of being summonable at will. Magic is not something one should just use as if it came from nowhere at all, as if it were not a gift. Magic is a relationship, a two-way interaction, a communion; it is a giving of oneself as a vessel and a receipt of wonder in return; it is a dance, a passionate embrace, an intimacy with creation, something that should be spurred by love, not hate. Above all, it is something in which one should never forget that the other party is also a living thing. There may be situations where one has no choice but to use magic without thought; if I am threatened, I will instantly reinforce my shields. But these times of desperation are no different to shouting to a friend, "Cover me!" --normally one would not demand, but when the situation is dire, everyone involved understands that there is no time for pleasantry. I believe that in any circumstance where it is possible, magic should be done in a space where one is mentally and physically capable of acknowledging the value of that relationship; even if it is a simple feeling of effusion, a sentiment of love and thanks sent through the bond between the two, an internal acknowledgement of how wonderful it is to be able to do what you're doing-- that is enough. And there are certainly people who dedicate themselves to battle enough that when they go into combat with their Runes, they do feel as if they are working alongside teammates, do acknowledge that union subconsciously in everything they do. But to simply fling off spells as if one is wielding nothing more metaphysical than a gun, for the most part, does not allow for any real reflection, any real communion. The Rune becomes a tool, not a companion.
I wonder if, for all that the subject fascinates me, I really would be content with the idea of a large-scale Rune-powered electrical system in Harmonia. It would seem to me, I believe, too depersonalising of the Runes, if they would even agree to such. In our homes in Crystal Valley there are devices powered by Rune shards-- they provide us with heat, light, clean water-- but it is on a small, personal scale; a household owns a Rune-powered lamp as they might own a pet, a cat who catches bugs and disposes of them, and is also well-thought-of as a friend. When the entities responsible for that power are taken out of the home and placed into a generic infrastructure through which one cannot directly relate to them, I think that is too exploitative of the forces involved. The Runes aren't machines; they're alive. Individual generators I could condone, but I do not think I would agree with using them as sources of power on a large scale.
Most combat situations are not conducive to using magic as I believe it ought to be used, and not just in the respect that they further violence. Magic is not a convenience, a mere projectile weapon with the advantage of being summonable at will. Magic is not something one should just use as if it came from nowhere at all, as if it were not a gift. Magic is a relationship, a two-way interaction, a communion; it is a giving of oneself as a vessel and a receipt of wonder in return; it is a dance, a passionate embrace, an intimacy with creation, something that should be spurred by love, not hate. Above all, it is something in which one should never forget that the other party is also a living thing. There may be situations where one has no choice but to use magic without thought; if I am threatened, I will instantly reinforce my shields. But these times of desperation are no different to shouting to a friend, "Cover me!" --normally one would not demand, but when the situation is dire, everyone involved understands that there is no time for pleasantry. I believe that in any circumstance where it is possible, magic should be done in a space where one is mentally and physically capable of acknowledging the value of that relationship; even if it is a simple feeling of effusion, a sentiment of love and thanks sent through the bond between the two, an internal acknowledgement of how wonderful it is to be able to do what you're doing-- that is enough. And there are certainly people who dedicate themselves to battle enough that when they go into combat with their Runes, they do feel as if they are working alongside teammates, do acknowledge that union subconsciously in everything they do. But to simply fling off spells as if one is wielding nothing more metaphysical than a gun, for the most part, does not allow for any real reflection, any real communion. The Rune becomes a tool, not a companion.
I wonder if, for all that the subject fascinates me, I really would be content with the idea of a large-scale Rune-powered electrical system in Harmonia. It would seem to me, I believe, too depersonalising of the Runes, if they would even agree to such. In our homes in Crystal Valley there are devices powered by Rune shards-- they provide us with heat, light, clean water-- but it is on a small, personal scale; a household owns a Rune-powered lamp as they might own a pet, a cat who catches bugs and disposes of them, and is also well-thought-of as a friend. When the entities responsible for that power are taken out of the home and placed into a generic infrastructure through which one cannot directly relate to them, I think that is too exploitative of the forces involved. The Runes aren't machines; they're alive. Individual generators I could condone, but I do not think I would agree with using them as sources of power on a large scale.