Discern Elven Influence

The priest who casts this spell must hold an object once touched or owned by an elf or half-elf. The caster then concentrates on the area in question to determine whether elves have influenced the area in the recent past (one month per level of the caster). “Influence” could mean that a group of elves had passed through the area, elves or half-elves are present at the time of casting, or elven magic has shaped or affected the area. The spell would not normally detect a single elf or half-elf who moved through the area recently unless the individual did something dramatic while there (killed someone, cast a powerful spell, built a house, etc.).

The caster does not learn the nature of the elves' activity in the area in question. He knows only that elves have been or are currently present. The sensation can vary in strength depending on the activity (it may be especially strong, for example, if a large battle had been fought there).

The priest can probe multiple areas within the spell duration. Successfully probing an area takes a minimum of one round. Thus, a 1st level priest can probe as many as 11 areas if working quickly.

When humans first battled elves in the forests of Cerilia, many of the gods granted human priests the ability to detect elven influence wherever they went. Since the Battle of Mount Deismaar and the destruction of the old gods, this spell has helped many tribes of humans steer clear of elven territory or attack it in response to the ghealle sidhe.

The spell requires an elven object.