Translation Test: Dungeons & Dragons — The Eight Schools of Magic

Source: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (Wizards of the Coast / Gary Gygax)

Status: Draft — DND-001 / DND-005

Purpose

The eight schools of magic in D&D are one of tabletop gaming's most enduring taxonomies — eight formally distinct academic disciplines, each with a different relationship to what magic does. As a translation target they provide a maximal vocabulary stress test: all eight concepts are precisely defined, closely related, and must be meaningfully distinct.

Primary tests:

Compound taxonomy construction — can Tonesu build eight distinct 3-root compounds that capture the real conceptual distinctions between the schools? The test fails if any two school names feel interchangeable or if the parse is ambiguous.
wi-ra-su as D&D magic — wi (will/intention) + ra (force/energy) + su (structure/order) = systematic discipline of directed force. This compound is not "magic" in a general fantasy sense but specifically the formal, school-based, academically codified magic of D&D: structured force under intentional control.
Right-branching parse clarity — all school compounds are 3-root. Each must parse cleanly right-branching without juncture marks. The key hazard: ra-ki = W038 (storm, kinetic-force discharge) — all compounds must avoid this parse.
/ bi-clausal parallel — S608 contrasts the polar schools (Evocation vs Illusion) using the parallel partition construction.
ne copula as academic definition — [school] ne wi-ra-su lo-[core] = "[school] is the magic of [core concept]." Tests copula as formal definitional claim across 8 disciplinary slots.

Secondary tests:

Structural parallel between Necromancy (de-zo-ki) and Transmutation (ge-ki): both are X-ki change compounds — the conceptual adjacency emerges compositionally.
Enchantment's relationship to fa-ki (W093, affect-shift/change of register): wi-fa-ki = willed-affect-shift = enchantment uses fa-ki as its head, with wi (intentionality) as the distinguishing modifier.
Cross-batch finding: wi-ra-su (magic as structured directed force) is the formal framework within which both the Jedi and Sith operate. The Force (ara, STW batch) is the substrate; the schools of magic are eight disciplines of directing it. The prior batch's philosophy and this batch's taxonomy are structurally continuous.

Vocabulary Framework

All eight school names follow the pattern: [domain-modifier]-[domain-modifier]-ki = the "change-art" of [domain]. The head throughout is ki (change/motion) — all eight schools are change practices, distinguished only by what they change on.

W#	Form	Written	Gloss	Construction
W179	`wi-ra-su`	wirasu	magic (systematic discipline of directed force)	`wi` (will) + `ra-su` (force-structure) = will of structured-force = the systematic intentional practice of directed power
W180	`ko-fe-ki`	kofeki	abjuration (containment-limit-change)	`ko` (containment) + `fe-ki` (limit-change) = containing the practice of limits = warding magic
W181	`pa-be-ki`	pabeki	conjuration (space-emergence-change)	`pa` (space) + `be-ki` (increase-change) = spatial manifestation art = summoning / teleportation
W182	`to-se-ki`	toseki	divination (pattern-perception-change)	`to` (pattern) + `se-ki` (detection-change) = knowledge through perceptual transformation = scrying / foresight
W183	`wi-fa-ki`	wifaki	enchantment (willed-affect-shift)	`wi` (will) + `fa-ki` (W093, affect-shift) = intentional affect-register manipulation = charming / domination
W184	`ra-be-ki`	rabeki	evocation (force-manifestation-change)	`ra` (force) + `be-ki` (increase-change) = force-of-manifestation = channeling raw energy
W185	`ge-se-ki`	geseki	illusion (quality-perception-change)	`ge` (quality/property) + `se-ki` (detection-change) = the art of altering how things appear to perception
W186	`de-zo-ki`	dezoki	necromancy (death-organism-change)	`de` (decrease/end) + `zo-ki` (organism-change) = change-art that operates across the death threshold
W187	`ge-ki`	geki	transmutation (quality-change)	`ge` (quality/property) + `ki` (change) = the fundamental art of altering properties

Construction note — the ra-ki hazard: ra-ki = W038 (storm, kinetic-force discharge). Any 3-root compound of the form X-ra-ki would right-branch as X-(ra-ki) = X-of-storm — wrong parse. This is why ra-be-ki (evocation) works: right-branching gives ra-(be-ki) = force-of-[manifestation-change], not (ra-ki) + be. ra modifies the be-ki head, bypassing the W038 parse entirely.

Construction note — wi-fa-ki and W093: fa-ki (W093) = affect shift / change of register. wi-fa-ki = willed-affect-shift — this is a composed compound where wi modifies the existing fa-ki head. Enchantment is the intentional deployment of affect-shifting on another being's substrate. The fact that fa-ki exists independently as "affect shift" makes wi-fa-ki more precise than if it were a purely new compound: enchantment is specifically what happens when someone else provides the wi to your fa-ki.

Construction note — ge-ki uniqueness: Transmutation gets the simplest school name — just 2 roots: ge (quality/attribute) + ki (change). This is compositionally significant: all the other schools need 3 roots to specify what kind of change and in what domain; Transmutation is pure quality-change, the most fundamental altering-of-nature with no additional structural constraint.

Source Text

The eight schools of magic as defined in D&D 5th Edition:

Abjuration — magic of protection, warding, blocking, and banishing harmful forces
Conjuration — magic of summoning, creating, and transporting through space
Divination — magic of revealing hidden information, foresight, and scrying
Enchantment — magic of influencing minds, charming, and dominating creatures
Evocation — magic of channeling raw energy (fire, lightning, cold, force, radiance) as destructive spells
Illusion — magic of deceiving the senses, creating false images and sounds
Necromancy — magic of manipulating life force, animating undead, controlling death
Transmutation — magic of transforming the properties of matter and creatures

Batch: DND-001 (S599–S608)

Framing: S599

S599 — "The magical arts form a systematic discipline of directed power." (DND-001-A)

wi-ra-su  ne  to-su  lo-wi-ra

Written: wirasu ne tosu lowira

Natural reading: Magic is a systematic discipline of directed power.

Notes: Establishes the D&D magic framework. wi-ra-su (W179, first attestation): wi-(ra-su) = will/intention of [force-structure] = the systematic, disciplined, school-organized practice of directed force. to-su = body of systematic knowledge (W028). lo-wi-ra = patient-marked wi-ra (W177, directed power). The sentence reads: "magic is organized knowledge of directed power" = the study and practice of controlling force through intentional structure. This captures D&D's academic/school-based magic specifically — distinct from raw force (ra) or general ara (universal energy). The schools that follow are all subdivisions of wi-ra-su.

School definitions: S600–S607

S600 — Abjuration (DND-001-B)

ko-fe-ki  ne  wi-ra-su  lo-ko-fe

Written: kofeki ne wirasu lokofe

Natural reading: Abjuration is the magic of containing limits.

Notes: ko-fe-ki (W180): ko-(fe-ki) = containment of [limit-change] = the practice of creating, reinforcing, and maintaining containing limits. Abjuration places ko (containment/enclosure) over fe-ki (the changing of limits/boundaries). The school is not "protection magic" in the abstract — it is the systematic containing of limits: warding circles, shields, and banishments are all manifestations of ko-fe. Note the asymmetry with Evocation (S604): where Evocation releases force outward (ra-be), Abjuration contains limits inward (ko-fe). The school name eliminates the misleading "absence" reading that "protection" might imply — Abjuration adds structure (ko-fe), it doesn't simply remove threat.

S601 — Conjuration (DND-001-C)

pa-be-ki  ne  wi-ra-su  lo-be-pa

Written: pabeki ne wirasu lobepa

Natural reading: Conjuration is the magic of spatial emergence.

Notes: pa-be-ki (W181): pa-(be-ki) = space of [increase-change] = the spatial art of making things emerge into presence. Conjuration works in the domain of pa (space/place) through be-ki (manifestation-change). The patient lo-be-pa = "spatial-emergence" = things appearing in new places. Reveals that conjuration is not creation from nothing — it is spatial transition: summoned creatures and called objects emerge into a location (be-pa). Teleportation is the same mechanism: the caster becomes the patient of be-pa, re-emerging in a new place. Note: ki-pa (W049, corridor/passage) and pa-ki (W087/W156, adrift/liberation) are existing compounds in this root territory; pa-be-ki avoids both by using be-ki as the head.

S602 — Divination (DND-001-D)

to-se-ki  ne  wi-ra-su  lo-so-to

Written: toseki ne wirasu losoto

Natural reading: Divination is the magic of perception-knowledge.

Notes: to-se-ki (W182): to-(se-ki) = pattern of [detection-change] = knowledge through transformed/extended perception. The school's activity: se-ki = detection-change = the transformation of what can be perceived; to frames this as a knowledge-practice. The patient lo-so-to = "perceptual knowledge" — knowledge (to) acquired through (so) extended sensing. Tonesu makes divination an active transformation: you do not passively peer into the unseen — you change your perceptual reach (se-ki) to acquire knowledge (to). Hidden information is not simply revealed; perception itself is restructured. This is a stronger claim than the D&D description implies.

S603 — Enchantment (DND-001-E)

wi-fa-ki  ne  wi-ra-su  lo-fa-wi

Written: wifaki ne wirasu lofawi

Natural reading: Enchantment is the magic of altering the affect-will.

Notes: wi-fa-ki (W183): wi-(fa-ki) = will/intention of [affect-shift (W093)] = the willed deployment of affect-register manipulation. Enchantment builds directly on fa-ki (W093, affect shift / change of register) by adding wi (intentionality): the caster deliberately (wi) produces an affect-shift (fa-ki) in the target. The patient lo-fa-wi = the combined affect-will substrate of the target = what enchantment acts on. Key distinction from illusion (S605): Illusion changes how things appear (ge-se); Enchantment changes how the target feels and intends (fa-wi). Enchantment is not "mind control" in a behavioural sense — it is reconfiguration of the affect-will register, which then produces changed behaviour as a downstream consequence.

S604 — Evocation (DND-001-F)

ra-be-ki  ne  wi-ra-su  lo-ra-be

Written: rabeki ne wirasu lorabe

Natural reading: Evocation is the magic of channeling raw force.

Notes: ra-be-ki (W184): ra-(be-ki) = force of [increase-change] = force-driven manifestation art. Right-branching parse: ra modifies be-ki (manifestation-change), bypassing ra-ki (W038, storm). The head is be-ki: evocation is a manifestation-change art whose character is ra (raw force). Patient lo-ra-be = "force-increase" = the thing evocation produces: escalating, outward-moving raw energy. Tonesu frames evocation as production not destruction: what the evoker does is generate ra-be (force-emergence) — the destructive effect is downstream. The mage summons fire (ra-be); the fire damages the target; but the school itself is an art of making force emerge, not of harming.

S605 — Illusion (DND-001-G)

ge-se-ki  ne  wi-ra-su  lo-ge-se

Written: geseki ne wirasu logese

Natural reading: Illusion is the magic of crafting how things appear.

Notes: ge-se-ki (W185): ge-(se-ki) = quality of [detection-change] = the qualitative art of altering perception. The school operates at the intersection of ge (quality/attribute) and se-ki (detection-change). Patient lo-ge-se = "quality-of-detection" = the apparent quality of sensory input. Insight: Tonesu does not frame illusion using to-fe-ka (W029, deliberate epistemic mislabeling = lie) even though illusions are deceptions. The distinction is important: to-fe-ka is an epistemic claim about classification — the Sith's "peace is a lie" (S593). Illusion operates at a lower level: it alters the quality of perception itself before any epistemic claim is made. An illusion doesn't lie about what something is; it changes how the thing appears to sense (ge-se). This makes ge-se-ki more neutral than to-fe-ka — an illusion wizard is not necessarily an epistemic fraudster; they are a craftsman of appearances.

S606 — Necromancy (DND-001-H)

de-zo-ki  ne  wi-ra-su  lo-de-zo

Written: dezoki ne wirasu lodezo

Natural reading: Necromancy is the magic of transformation through death.

Notes: de-zo-ki (W186): de-(zo-ki) = death/decrease of [organism-change] = the art of change that operates at and across the death threshold. Patient lo-de-zo = "dying/death" (W178, first attested STW-001/S592). Structural parallel: de-zo-ki and ge-ki (transmutation, W187) share the same -ki head. Both are change-arts; they differ only in their domain. Necromancy = organism-change constrained to the death boundary; Transmutation = property-change unconstrained. The parallel reveals that D&D treats necromancy not as morally distinct magic but as a species of transmutation operating in a specific domain (de-zo). The moral weight comes from the domain, not the operation type.

S607 — Transmutation (DND-001-I)

ge-ki  ne  wi-ra-su  lo-ge

Written: geki ne wirasu loge

Natural reading: Transmutation is the magic of altering fundamental properties.

Notes: ge-ki (W187): ge (quality/property) + ki (change) = quality-change. The simplest school name — 2 roots. This compositional parsimony is conceptually correct: transmutation is the most fundamental school because it addresses ge (the attribute/quality of things) directly, without specifying what kind of thing or what relational position. Where abjuration (ko-fe-ki) contains limits, conjuration (pa-be-ki) moves through space, and necromancy (de-zo-ki) works at death — transmutation simply changes what things are. The school name earns its concision.

Contrast: S608

S608 — Evocation vs Illusion (DND-001-J)

la-ra-be-ki  be  lo-ra  /  la-ge-se-ki  be  lo-ge-se

Written: larabeki be lora / lageseki be logese

Natural reading: Evocation generates real force; Illusion generates quality-of-perception.

Notes: Structural polarity between the two most often confused schools. Both use the same predicate frame (la-X be lo-Y = "X generates/produces Y"). The objects are maximally opposed: lo-ra = raw, unqualified force (ONE root — maximum simplicity) vs lo-ge-se = quality-of-detection (a compound — more complex, because appearances require construction). The structural asymmetry of the sentence mirrors the conceptual asymmetry: Evocation adds real substance to the world (ra); Illusion manufactures the appearance of substance (ge-se) without adding any. Note the implicit contrast with to-fe-ka (epistemic lie): an illusion is not a claim that something is real — it is a crafted ge-se that makes something seem real to the senses before any claim is processed. The distinction: to-fe-ka is an act of mislabeling; ge-se-ki is an act of crafting. Different tools for different kinds of deception.

DND-001 Batch Summary

Entry	Written form	School	Key finding
S599 (DND-001-A)	`wirasu ne tosu lowira`	Magic (frame)	Wi-ra-su = will-of-force-structure = academic D&D magic specifically
S600 (DND-001-B)	`kofeki ne wirasu lokofe`	Abjuration	Containing limits, not removing threat; adds structure
S601 (DND-001-C)	`pabeki ne wirasu lobepa`	Conjuration	Spatial emergence — transition not creation
S602 (DND-001-D)	`toseki ne wirasu losoto`	Divination	Active perception-transformation, not passive seeing
S603 (DND-001-E)	`wifaki ne wirasu lofawi`	Enchantment	Willed affect-shift; targets affect-will register, not behaviour directly
S604 (DND-001-F)	`rabeki ne wirasu lorabe`	Evocation	Force-production not destruction; `ra-(be-ki)` avoids W038
S605 (DND-001-G)	`geseki ne wirasu logese`	Illusion	Perception-quality crafting — not epistemic fraud (`to-fe-ka`)
S606 (DND-001-H)	`dezoki ne wirasu lodezo`	Necromancy	Structurally parallel to transmutation; domain is `de-zo`, not the operation
S607 (DND-001-I)	`geki ne wirasu loge`	Transmutation	Simplest school name (2 roots); most fundamental change-art
S608 (DND-001-J)	`larabeki be lora / lageseki be logese`	Evocation vs Illusion	Same frame (`be lo-X`); opposed objects (`ra` vs `ge-se`)

Cross-Batch Notes

Connection to STW batch (S588–S598):

The Star Wars batch established ara = a- + ra = universal energy / the Force. The D&D schools of magic are, viewed through Tonesu, eight ways of directing that underlying ra. wi-ra-su (magic) = the systematic discipline of directing ra through wi (intention) and organizing it as su (structure). The D&D tradition's Force-sensitive parallel: a wizard who masters all eight schools has achieved comprehensive wi-ra-su — the structured, intentional command of ra in every mode.

The moral contrast from the STW batch also applies here: the Sith Code's causal chain (ra → wi-ra → wi-du = strength → power → victory) is a sequence of evocation and enchantment steps — the Sith are essentially high-level evokers and enchanters. The Jedi Code's ne-no-ra ne / fa-su ne parallels abjuration and enchantment in their constructive mode — building force-free relations and structured affect rather than weaponizing them.

Can Tonesu Do Better Than The Eight Schools?

Yes. The existing D&D schools translate cleanly into Tonesu, but once they are translated their structural mismatch becomes hard to ignore.

The problem is that D&D's eight schools are not all operating at the same level:

Transmutation (ge-ki) is a general operation class: changing properties.
Necromancy (de-zo-ki) is a domain-restricted subcase of that same operation: organism-change at the death boundary.
Conjuration (pa-be-ki) and Evocation (ra-be-ki) are both manifestation arts that differ by domain.
Divination (to-se-ki) and Illusion (ge-se-ki) are both perception-linked arts that differ by purpose.
Abjuration and Enchantment remain relatively coherent single schools because they already name distinct kinds of intervention.

In other words: D&D mixes operation type and target domain in one flat list. Tonesu makes that visible because the compounds are compositional enough to show which distinctions are parallel and which are not.

The Tonesu-native redesign

The cleaner Tonesu answer is not another flat list of eight. It is a two-level system:

operator families — what the magic does
domain specializations — what the magic does it to

At the top level, the translated compounds naturally collapse into five better categories:

Tonesu-native family	Core pattern	Includes D&D schools	Why the grouping is cleaner
Boundary arts	`ko-fe-ki`	Abjuration	Boundary creation, containment, warding, blocking, banishment all belong to one limit-governing operator family
Manifestation arts	`X-be-ki`	Conjuration, Evocation	Both schools are emergence/manifestation practices; the difference is spatial (`pa`) vs energetic (`ra`) domain
Perception arts	`X-se-ki`	Divination, Illusion	Both manipulate the perception/knowledge interface; the difference is knowledge-reaching (`to`) vs appearance-crafting (`ge`)
Affect / will arts	`wi-fa-ki`	Enchantment	This school stays distinct because it targets the affect-will substrate rather than space, force, or perception
Alteration arts	`X-ki`	Transmutation, Necromancy	`ge-ki` is the general property-change art; `de-zo-ki` is a domain-specific subbranch operating at the life/death boundary

This is already a better taxonomy than the D&D list because the categories now line up at the same abstraction level.

What changes in practice

Under a Tonesu-native classification, Necromancy stops being a peer of Transmutation and becomes a specialized branch inside the alteration family. That is not a cosmetic change. It means the moral weight of necromancy is treated as coming from the domain (de-zo) rather than from a fundamentally different magical operation.

Likewise, Conjuration and Evocation stop pretending to be unrelated disciplines. Both are manifestation arts:

pa-be-ki = making presence emerge in space
ra-be-ki = making force emerge into action

And Divination and Illusion stop being opposites and become siblings:

to-se-ki = transforming perception in order to know more
ge-se-ki = transforming perception in order to alter appearance

The shared head se-ki is doing real taxonomic work here.

The strongest Tonesu insight

The best redesign is therefore not "replace eight bad names with eight better names." It is:

stop treating every magical discipline as a separate island, and instead classify magic by the operator family first and the affected domain second.

That yields a matrix rather than a flat list.

Operator family	Domain examples	Resulting disciplines
`X-ki` alteration	`ge`, `de-zo`	transmutation, necromancy
`X-be-ki` manifestation	`pa`, `ra`	conjuration, evocation
`X-se-ki` perception	`to`, `ge`	divination, illusion
`ko-fe-ki` boundary	`fe` as threshold / enclosure	abjuration
`wi-fa-ki` affect-will	`fa-wi` substrate	enchantment

In a mature Tonesu magical academy, that is probably what the curriculum would look like: five major colleges, with domain specializations under each, not eight legacy bins inherited from historical fantasy tradition.

Verdict on the redesign

So yes — Tonesu can produce better categories.

Not because it is more fantasy-themed than D&D, but because its compounds make it harder to hide when a taxonomy is mixing:

a general operator (ge-ki)
a domain-limited subcase (de-zo-ki)
two sibling manifestation forms (pa-be-ki, ra-be-ki)
and two sibling perception forms (to-se-ki, ge-se-ki)

The translated D&D schools are good names. The Tonesu-native redesign is a better classification system.

DND-005 — Tonesu-native Recategorization (S969-S975)

The prose redesign above is now formalized as a corpus follow-up batch. DND-005 does not coin replacement school names. It tests whether the already-translated school names sort more honestly once Tonesu is allowed to classify by shared head first and domain modifier second.

DND-005 Table

Entry	Tonesu	Written	Function
S969	`de-zo-ki ne ge-ki go-si de-zo`	`dezoki ne geki gosi dezo`	necromancy as death-domain transmutation
S970	`pa-be-ki ne be-ki go-si pa / ra-be-ki ne be-ki go-si ra`	`pabeki ne beki gosi pa / rabeki ne beki gosi ra`	conjuration and evocation as manifestation siblings
S971	`to-se-ki ne se-ki go-si to / ge-se-ki ne se-ki go-si ge`	`toseki ne seki gosi to / geseki ne seki gosi ge`	divination and illusion as perception siblings
S972	`ko-fe-ki ne fe-ki go-si ko`	`kofeki ne feki gosi ko`	abjuration as boundary art
S973	`wi-fa-ki ne fa-ki go-si wi`	`wifaki ne faki gosi wi`	enchantment as affect-will art
S974	`la-to-su lo-wi-ra-su ne no-su-to / ke, la-to-su lo-wi-ra-su no to-su-ki lo-to-fe {ki ; be ; se} ne {de-zo ; pa ; ra ; to ; ge}`	`latosu lowirasu ne nosuto / ke, latosu lowirasu no tosuki lotofe {ki ; be ; se} ne {dezo ; pa ; ra ; to ; ge}`	legacy taxonomy mixes operator and domain
S975	`la-to-su lo-wi-ra-su su-ka lo-pa ne lo-be-ki ; su-ka lo-ra ne lo-be-ki ; su-ka lo-to ne lo-se-ki ; su-ka lo-ge ne lo-se-ki ; su-ka lo-de-zo ne lo-ge-ki`	`latosu lowirasu suka lopa ne lobeki ; suka lora ne lobeki ; suka loto ne loseki ; suka loge ne loseki ; suka lodezo ne logeki`	operator-first curriculum grouping

What DND-005 confirms

1. Necromancy is not a peer of Transmutation

S969 turns the earlier observation into a direct claim: de-zo-ki is best read as ge-ki constrained by the death-domain. That is the cleanest proof that the D&D list mixes levels of abstraction.

2. Shared heads are doing the taxonomic work

S970 and S971 are the strongest pair in the batch.

pa-be-ki and ra-be-ki share be-ki
to-se-ki and ge-se-ki share se-ki

Once those heads are treated as the main classifier, the legacy eight-school flat list becomes harder to defend.

3. Two schools stay cleanly singular

S972 and S973 show why Abjuration and Enchantment survive the redesign mostly intact. They are already coherent operator families rather than obvious domain-restricted subcases of a broader sibling pair.

4. The better curriculum is operator first, domain second

S974 gives the negative verdict on the legacy list; S975 gives the positive repair. A Tonesu-native magical curriculum groups the arts by shared operator family, then nests domains beneath those families.

That is the real redesign: not eight new labels, but a cleaner hierarchy.

Colloquial Register Analysis

Form used	CLQ entry	Colloquial form	Notes
`wi-ra-su`	none	—	3-root above threshold; first attestation — no corpus pressure yet
`ko-fe-ki`	none	—	3-root above threshold; first attestation
`pa-be-ki`	none	—	3-root above threshold; first attestation
`to-se-ki`	none	—	3-root above threshold; first attestation
`wi-fa-ki`	none	—	3-root; `fa-ki` (W093) is the head — compression would target `wi-fa-ki` as a unit; no pressure yet
`ra-be-ki`	none	—	3-root above threshold; first attestation
`ge-se-ki`	none	—	3-root above threshold; first attestation
`de-zo-ki`	none	—	3-root above threshold; first attestation
`ge-ki`	none	—	2-root — below 3-morpheme contraction threshold

Verdict: irreducibly formal — all new compounds are first attestations; none meet the CLQ contraction corpus-pressure threshold. ge-ki (transmutation) is 2-root and structurally below threshold.

CLQ entries registered from this batch: none.