Ceruleans view magic as a tool, a path towards enlightenment, and a source of constant wonder. Many of the things that make the Cerulean Isles so strong and prosperous (the great works of engineering and infrastructure, flourishing crops and ecosystems, clean and well-maintained communities, and strength and maintenance of the Cerulean navy, among others) depend upon the skill and power of Cerulean mages, and magic is seen as a pillar of the nation’s function and success. From a more personal perspective, spellcraft and ritual lore are seen as just another path towards Arete, and the flawless execution of a spell or ritual is viewed with the same kind of awe and appreciation for excellence that a perfect musical performance or victory in a debate are. They also see magic as an expression of Thaumios, an outpouring of the wonder of the world and one of the best means available to better understand how the world works.
Like any tool or knowledge, magic can be misused, and the Ceruleans aren’t blind to the dangers posed by its abuse. However, they tend to focus entirely on how magic is used, looking at the ethics and morality of actions and consequences rather than caring about whether a particular type of magic is “evil” in and of itself. In their view, a holy spell used to empower a murderer is evil because of the purpose it was put to, while a spell that cuts apart a soul can be a good thing if it is used to save a life. The Schola that teach magic require their students to spend quite a bit of time debating the ethics of various situations (hypothetical and historical) that a mage might find themselves in, and what the “most morally correct” path might be.
Most Cerulean rituals are quiet and orderly affairs. Many involve some form of moving meditation and magical mantras, with a steady flow through small movements and a soft chant invoking whatever powers are involved in the ritual. Most such rituals end with a sharp rise in volume and speed, as the last few seconds of the ritual bring all of the gathered magic together into a single shouted command to do the ritualists’ bidding.
Understanding themselves and the world around them is one of the goals that every Cerulean shares, and so divination rituals are highly regarded in Cerulean society. Pythians are the epitome of this elevation of the Auguria rituals over the rest, but they do not hold a monopoly over divination rituals. It’s very common for dedicated Cerulean ritualists to learn at least one of the Gods’ Auguria rituals, no matter what other purpose they may be focused on for their primary ritual practice. This is one of the reasons why the Cerulean League is able to so rapidly and easily perform large-scale divination rituals: there are so many mages who know enough to contribute to such an endeavor that on the rare occasions when the Dendron Mysterion needs more rituatists to perform a particularly large ritual it has ample options to choose from.
The basic techniques of Astromancy were in use by many cultures throughout the first two millennia after the Godswar, but the Ceruleans believe that they were the ones who truly mastered the art of channeling the power of the stars into their magics. Following in the footsteps of the Great Sage, Hoshi of Byoshu, they have observed the passage of the stars and the shifting of the constellations and stellar winds, learning more with each generation how to fine-tune their Astromantic spells and rituals.
In modern times, Astromancy is highly regarded amongst Cerulean mages, especially amongst Pythians and other diviners. The Isle of Byoshu in particular is a hub of Astromantic study, with the Astrologia and Hoshi Caverns beneath Tegai playing host to a dozen large and decorated Schola dedicated to the study of the stars. Many Cerulean mages carry the classic tool of a deck of Astromantic cards to perform their divinations, while others prefer more natural materials such as seashells marked with the symbols of the constellations and their corresponding Arcana.
Dendromancy is a common tradition amongst Cerulean mages, especially Zodions and Daidalons. Though Cerulean Dendromancers use the standard Dendromantic runes, for many of their spells and rituals they use a uniquely Cerulean version of the magical tradition, called Origamos. This involves drawing the tree-rune for a spell or ritual upon a piece of paper or papyrus (it must be a plant-based material, so parchment and other animal-based materials won’t work) and then folding it into a shape that mimics a plant or animal. These origami talismans are then used as foci for the magic, the runes contained within them shaping the magic into the desired effect. Many rituals that make use of Origamos magic incorporate the act of writing the runes and folding the paper into the ritual performance, alongside soft chants to invoke the magic within the talisman.
Hydromancy is a core pillar of the Cerulean magical traditions, and is used by many Cerulean battle-mages as well as by ritualists who have to deal with naval travel or warfare. Quite a few Cerulean ritualists who specialize in Factoria and Strategos rituals also favor Hydromancy, regardless of how much or how little they deal with the ocean itself. The Ceruleans have their own alternate set of the seven Hydromantic Spirits, calling upon the native water Spirits of the Cerulean Isles rather than the Spirits of the Seven Seas.
The Cerulean take on the art of Logomancy is almost entirely based on logic rather than contracts or other more charisma-based applications of that tradition. Using uncompromising logic, proofs, and mastery of nuanced argument, Cerulean Rhetors can shape the world around them. Though Rhetors don’t appear on the battlefield very often, they are well-respected for being able to “smite” an enemy by uttering proof that they don’t exist, or convincing a patient that they’re not actually wounded. Logomantic ritualists build strong cases to convince the winds to change direction, place blessings upon businesses by proving that their efficiency has gone up, and curse their enemies by convincing them that their strengths are really their weaknesses. A duel between Cerulean Logomancers is as much a debate as it is an arcane battle, and it’s not uncommon for such displays to be incredibly popular entertainment amongst the Cerulean populace.
The Cerulean version of Spellsinging is quite distinct from that of other nations. Rather than using lyrics or theatrical performances to cast their magic, Cerulean Spellsingers tend to use purely instrumental performances, evoking magic through mathematically-calculated patterns of notes. Most Cerulean Spellsingers are primarily ritualists, as such instrumental performances tend to take both a lot of concentration and time to actually achieve a result, and compressing them down into a few notes for use in a spell can be difficult or utterly impossible. Many use the physical trappings of Dendromancy or Hydromancy in their rituals, setting up a ritual circle with the symbols for the appropriate sacred trees or phials of holy water to generate an influx of power, which is then “tuned” and manipulated into its final form via the progression of musical notes.