Glamour

Standard Glamor

''Glamour is the trick of the mind when you see extraordinary animals as ordinary. You may see an elf that looks like a human, or a gremlin that looks like an oversized fruit bat, or in some regions a flying fox. I will later tell you how to have it lifted, but for now, I must tell you how I believe it works. I once believed it was a sort of aura that affects the human eye, but I quickly discarded this idea as cameras still show it as a normal animal. Now I believe it must be something covering the skin of the creature, causing almost anything to fall for the trick. Cats, however, can see the creature, not its glamorous form. For a human or animal to see through glamor, I will tell of numerous ways to see glamorous creatures. To see one naturally, you must be the seventh son of a seventh son, see through a hole in a rowan tree, which, sadly, faeries avoid, to stand in a fairy ring, or to follow a fairy path to a fairy domicile. However, one who blocks a fairy path may be stricken with illness, as the faeries poison the water and air with “elfshot” which really has nothing to do with elves. Also, touching a landvaettir will do the trick, as well as touching one who has the Sight. Seeing through a sone with a hole eroded through it by water that a faerie has swam or waded in. Other ways are by taking an ointment by eye; combined with St. John’s Wort, Amaranth, and Hawthorne and water, that will permanently give you the sight. Faeries also may give you the sight on their own. At dusk and dawn you may catch a glance of the real animal, but by the time it becomes full day or full night, they will change to a known animal again. Many mythologies describe a different world where the glamorous creatures live. The Arabians call it Djinnestan, the Norse may relate it to the nine realms, the Greeks, as I gather, call it Mount Olympus, the Irish call it Tir na nOg, the English call it the Otherworld, the Celts called it Annwn and the Scots call it Elfhame. I am sorry if I left out something, that’s all I know. Here’s a warning. The people with sight have been accused of witches and dark magicians, and even today it is believed to be black magic, but I object, it is nature! Beings and beasts that are particularly unfriendly may try to kill you or gouge out your eyes so that you cannot see them. So be armed whenever you are entering regions that dangerous creatures dwell in. The Norse call woods with evil creatures in it “Ironwood forests”. The name glamor was originally used the way I am explaining, but today it is used in the way you most likely know it. Now, moving on.''

Shapeshifting

''Shapeshifting is an advanced form of glamour, making a creature not just look like a normal animal, but actually become an animal. Some can turn into many, some can only change into one, but those that turn into many must see or touch the creature they change into. Some dragons can turn into creatures they see, which they usually kill to quit suspicion. Berserkers can turn into one animal from birth, but they must be wearing the animal’s hide, then they can change into the animal fully.''

Changelings

''Changelings are young faeries that are swapped with human children, and have a kind of glamour that makes them grow looking like humans; however, they do have a couple characteristics of their glamorous family. The Unseelie court of faeries, or the less helpful or friendly ones may use their swapped human children as slaves, while some in the Seelie court simply do it to get new human children, as faerie children are known for being quite ill-disciplined. Despite their excuses, I highly disagree with the ways of changeling parents, for changelings may not fit in in their new home, and they may even forget they are faeries! More civilized and less mischievous faeries and glamorous brutes and beings may not switch human and their children, but instead raise them as most humans and animals do.''

Glamour is described much in the encyclopedia's introduction, and that description was added to The Battle for the North's introduction as well. It was later discovered by Dr. Evgeni that natural orichalcum, found only in Atlantis and Lake Superior, is glamorous creature's makeup, just as carbon is any other animal's. There is one kind of glamour that was not mentioned in the intro, and that is pure invisibility. It allows creatures that are too big or extraordinary for standard glamour to slip by unseen. Many creatures actually do not have glamour, such as chimeras and giants. These do not have orichalcum buildup.