"Special Magecraft"

"Special Magecraft" was a euphemism for the horrific practice of Algarvian, Unkerlanter, and Gyongyosian armies in the Derlavaian War of performing mass executions of human beings and channeling the life energy released from them into destructive energy targeted at enemy forces. Algarvian mages first committed this atrocity in Unkerlant, where they used Forthwegian Kaunians. They would later employ the tactic against Kuusaman and Lagoan armies in eastern Algarve, and also used it against the Kuusaman capital city of Yliharma (thus provoking Kuusamo to enter the war). King Swemmel of Unkerlant ordered Adanz, his reluctant archmage, to reverse-engineer the Algarvian spells and respond in kind using condemned prisoners and Unkerlanter peasants who were limited in their ability to contribute to the war effort. Though the tactic was anathema to the Gyongyosian warrior spirit, Gyongyos was forced to adapt it out of desperation. Gyongyosian victims were taken from among soldiers who had volunteered for the duty. Gyongyosian prisoners of war used "special magecraft" to attack a Kuusaman prisoner of war camp from within.

Kuusamo and Lagoas were never forced to resort to "special magecraft," as they were able to follow the cleaner and more promising possibilities offered by uniting the Law of Similarity with the Law of Contagion.