Establishment

Establishment is the magic of the position, the upkeep and the nailing of definitions to reality. In short the power of precedent.

Specifics

Essentially the power of precedent and what is already decided. Things that already have a foundation in the wider cultural understanding of humanity and practitioners.

Things lacking precedent can be weak such as technomancy.

Can also mean the 'way things are' those tied to establishment means they lose power and postion by overturning it.<ref>“Few others could have or would have done what you did, because they either lacked the power, or they had the power but they were tied to establishment. Having those men fall in the way they did was not my intention. Had I been around, I would have steered you in different directions.” - Excerpt from Summer Break 13.6</ref>

Examples

The right establishment means that Demesne can stay even if the original practitioner is deceased or unavailable.<ref>“This demesne goes unclaimed, belonging to none by right or establishment…” - Excerpt from Judgment 16.12 </ref>

Family can also be seen as a type of establishment.

<ref>Pattern, Power, and Establishment are key principles that drive practice. Over generations, multiple practitioners using the same runes to evoke the same effects creates the repetition needed to create a pattern. They put power of some sort into it, whether blood, energy, or something symbolic, and over time, runes, diagrams, and many other approaches to practice can become established. Spellbooks and families help carry on these traditions.

These principles are behind a wide variety of practices. A practitioner lineage may make a point of creating dolls with a ritualized process, ingredients with power and meaning, and make their desired results (living dolls) clear to the spirits and the spirits will oblige. Over time, as this process gets more set in stone, the dolls become more effective and consistent. - PACT DICE</ref>

ogres, mages and otherwise, are tied into the patterns and rhymes of the world; thus they also need to mind establishment.<ref>[Ogres] are often simple, prone to rhythms and patterns in keeping with their nature. These rhythms and patterns can be exploited.”
[...]
“The gifts we gave weren’t sufficient. The Ogre Magi refused on principle, and told us to depart by noon the next day.” “What the heck kind of principles are those?”

“The principle of establishment. If they allowed such meager gifts to merit their help and support, the next guest might come with less.” - Excerpt from Summer Break 13.10</ref>

A Law Magus will work with such establishment too when dealing with peculiarities of practice.<ref>“You said you wouldn’t delay me further,” Musser said. “You do know Rexroad and Chaucon?”

“We are aware of the precedents established elsewhere.”

“Circumstances were unforseen, I withdraw my claim as a result. Gainsaying me while I’m in hostile territory would lead to my potential demise. If this is established as pattern, it discourages attempts to make Lordship seats, which contravenes the wording of the Seal. You must facilitate, not discourage.”
[...]
“And, as established by Lucy Ellingson, you’ve abandoned claims, there is room for interpretation that you’re playing a game with the rules. Nothing in the Chaucon or Rexroad disputes influence the duration of the claim. We intend to gainsay you for twenty-one days. The time of that gainsaying would count from when you’ve found safe ground.”

“Nonsense. Three days is the precedent, I speak as a student of claim, backed by the Musser establishment, with no less than two hundred and twenty rituals pertaining to claim under my belt. Three. I must insist.”

“This is what you wish to stress, with all of that?”

Musser shook his head. “It is only its own establishment. We have worked with the rules, we know the rules, we, Musser, in no small part, are the rules of claim. We are internationally known and can sway interpretations and influence results. Three. [...] It is [Abe Musser] prerogative, by right of establishment,” the Aurum Coil said, coiling some at his high spot by the window.

“So the powerful get to interpret the rules? And get more powerful?”

“Or less weak,” Avery said. - Excerpt from Wild Abandon 18.1</ref>

Terms and categorization

Main article: Labels

The 'established' descriptions of certain Others take on a power of their own<ref name=SB13.2>She could have left it be, let them sort it out with their own judgment, but in the doing, it would be the loudest, the most established, and the strongest who would win in all things.

She still licked wounds from recent decades, watching Man establish. Watching Man grow in strength. Watching Man win by its own strength. Even now, Man brought slaves here. Invaders conquered, fought, and exchanged bitter plague and sickness with those people who had been here since before she had manifested, well before she had taken this throne.

Goblins of the European countries met and mingled with the little people of the wilderness here, as did a grouping of dwarves. The ferocious mingled with goblins, and the canny mingled with dwarves. Another sort of establishment. - Excerpt from Summer Break 13.2</ref> letting the appropriate practice work on them.<ref>“Don’t know, doesn’t exactly matter,” Milly replied. “Basil would be better at explaining this.”

“Would I?” Basil asked.

“Labels, Others, old Others, constraints and confinement.”

“Ah. Yeah. Some say that we invent labels and constrain Others by those definitions and ideas tied to the label. We categorize Fae and then Fae are obliged to act a certain way. That because these categories exist, when a new Other comes around, they tend to go in a bucket. Or mostly in a bucket. Pretty relevant to what I do, because I deal with a lot of Others who are pretty nebulous up until they bucket themselves.” - Excerpt from Wild Abandon 18.9</ref>

This also applies to practitioners.

Important Rituals

Main article: Defining Rituals

As important as they are in part because of the firm precedent backing them, numerous variations and combinations that also exist are weaker because they are not backed by establishment, precedence and pattern.

Trivia

This is also a pact dice term, it is used in almost every sense of the word.

References