Editing Stand Still Stay Silent: The RPG (section)

=== Icelandic Magic ===
Icelandic mages are all trained at the the Academy of Seiður in Reykjavik. Because of their long-standing alliance, Norwegians can also train at the academy. If you are educated there, your profession is Mage, and you are proficient in both Seidr and Galdrastafur. These Mages' powers are drawn from the Norse gods Odin and Freya, both gods of war, of knowledge and of love. The magic of the Icelandic Mages is mainly used for protective spells, charms and most importantly receiving prophetic visions and supernatural foresight. What follows is a description of the two schools of magic used by the Icelanders.

Seidr

Seidr or Seiður is the ancient ritualistic magic of the Vanir. According to mythos, the Vanir Freya brought it to Asgard from her homelands of Vanaheim when her, her brother Frey and their father Nord were given to the Asir as part of a peace treaty between the two divine nations. Odin the Alfather convinced Freya to teach him the ways of Seidr, even though the magic was traditionally reserved for women. Later, Loke the Trickster spied on Freya as she conducted her rituals and learned some of it as well.

In ancient times, Seidr was mainly practiced by the wise women of Norse tribes. Some men learned it, but they were seen as androgynous and stripped of their manhood for indulging in the practice.

In modern times most Icelandic Mages are female, though men are fully permitted to be educated at the Academy in Reykjavik.
The practices of Seidr is based on the belief that through a trance, a person can will her soul to leave her body and perform different tasks, like making livestock sick or scaring away evil spirits.It once consisted of many different rituals, but today it has been largely stripped down to the most important ability of its practitioners: The prophetic visions received through dreams. Experienced Mages are able to go into a trance to search for knowledge of the future. They are also granted a supernatural foresight which allows them to know when danger is ahead and the like.

Galdrastafur

The runic magic of the Icelanders is the result of an assimiliation between the Icelandic art of Galdrastafur (or spellstaves) and the traditional rune-magic used by the Norse and the gods alike. A magical rune is created when an object is inscribed with a prayer, asking the gods for a favor. For example, a Mage could inscribe a Galdr (or spell) into the hilt of a weapon, asking Odin to let it always strike true.

 Traditionally, runes were used by the ancient Norse for all sorts of prayers, and by the gods for invoking magical effects. 
A ship would be inscribed with a rune asking Nord to grant it safe fare; a shield would be inscribed with a rune asking Tyr or Odin to never let it break beneath the weight of enemies; and a field would have an inscribed pole standing in it, asking Frey to never let the crops whither.
 Any student of the Academy in Reykjavik is able to inscribe a certain number of Galdrastafur. 
The strength of the rune depends on the skill of the Mage, and whether it is inscribed in wood, stone or just drawn with chalk.

''Strike True''

This rune is usually carved in the hilt of a weapon or inscribed in the shell casing of a bullet. It is a prayer to Odin asking for your weapon to always strike its target in his name.

''Resist''

A prayer to Thor asking for his strength in keeping an object undamaged. It can be inscribed in anything from a shield to body armor, from a knot to an engine. Some mages are known to have inscribed the rune in their own bodies, though the effects of this are untested.

''Quicken''

A very old rune, usually inscribed in the soles of a courier or scouts' shoes to make him even lighter on his feet. It is a prayer to Loki, asking for his aid in escaping your enemy.

''Hide/Ward''

Another prayer to Loki, this rune is carved in a stave and placed in the laces of a boot to reduce the chance of discovery when hiding. Otherwise, it can be carved in trees surrounding a campsite and help keep it from being discovered by malicious spirits.