The Haan Study, What is Numbrina?

These pages feature chapter one of ‘’The Haan Study’’, a collection of chapters talking about the series’ magic system in greater detail then the information given in the main chapters found in the back of the volumes of The Eferian Day series. One chapter is given out per volume and a complete work of The Haan Study is planned to be created in the future featuring all chapters alongside more text and artwork of spell characters and more. Chapter one has been given out for free for promotion of the series.

This chapter is subjected to change until The Eferian Dawn volume one: Together We Once Held Up Heaven and Sky is fully published.

Latest edit done: 2024-10-19

The Eighth Scroll: What is Numbrina?

Numbrina is a broad term in Haan. Though it has many different meanings, Numbrina normally refers to subjects having to do with animals, creatures and plant life. When characters use the term Numbrina, they could just be referring to the nature in general and not the practice of Haan overall. Alchemy is also a subsection in the term.

Usually, Numbrina potions refers to potion brewing using plant life and other items found within the nature of Sagen, whose properties have been influenced or changed from the Haan elements. Though not all plant life has the influence of Haan elements in them. There are no continental standards for the term. Just like in Dast Casting: writing styles and Numbrina characters depend on the person, culture, and practices it is being used in. This Includes the ways the Numbrina potion characters are written in.

There are no standards or rules.

This makes it extremely difficult to define what a ‘’Numbrina potion’’ is. To illustrate this problem: one can imagine the differences between a magical potion and a cup of tea. Contextually: there is no difference between them. This is especially the case if one imagines all potion brewing to be is boiling magical ingredients together in a pot. If this is what potion brewing is, then there isn’t a difference between potions and teas since the practice are identical to each other. Alternately—which is the most seen throughout Fantasy worlds—there needs to be a verbal spell and/or ritual going into the making of the brewing process for the brew to turn magical. The problem with this method is that these types of magic concepts can’t exist in Sagen. Since Haan do not function by verbal spellcasting nor ritual components to form magical abilities due to the natural state of the Haan elements.

Because of this, labelling what is and isn’t alchemy in the Sagen world becomes a very difficult thing to do. Numbrina potions then function by extracting the Haan elements who have influenced the plants’ properties using various methods. This means that one plant can be used for a cup of tea without it having a major effect on the person drinking it. But if the same plant goes through the methods used to extract the Haan within it, does it gain the abilities of said elements for the person drinking it. These methods include forced extraction by syphoning the plants through high heats or pressure. Or mixing other plants whose properties help with the extraction process, among other methods.

Technically speaking, Numbrina is the term used when referring to nature-related subjects which have some sort of Haan-related influence. But since Haan have had large influences on the Sagen world the people of Sagen think of Numbrina as being the same as just nature overall. The study of Numbrina has its roots in the beginning of the new life who were given Sagen from C’alorus and the original Yulis. And Numbrina have been the established term used by the people of Sagen since then. Just like how science in the Real World evolves with new discoveries, so does Numbrina. The beliefs and thoughts of the first generation of the new Sagen life have gradually changed and/or disappeared with the discoveries of how the Haan elements’ function and how they naturally behave. The subject of Numbrina is something which have been affected in a major way since the inception of the new Sagen life.

This is due to the plant life and Sagen’s creatures’ nature being in constant discovery throughout the time the people of the Sagen have practiced Numbrina and Haan alchemy. It is much harder for the people of Sagen to know as much about Numbrina then they know about Dast Casting. This is because Dast Casting is a practice which have an active presence among the people. The same cannot be said about Numbrina, where there always must be an active will to test and experiment with Sagen’s plant life for new discoveries to be made. Throughout the history of Sagen: the will to do this have not been of high demand. This is due to the Elven species’ view on Sagen’s nature to keep it as pure as possible. This means experimentation among the Numbrina plant life have been of continuance opposition from it being a practice which goes against the natural state of the Sagen’s nature.

However—just like us as humans—there isn’t an overall belief amongst every Elven person within Sagen and the need and will to bring Numbrina potions to light have been of constant development since the beginning of the Numbrina discoveries.