Stolen Voice

Carcelli, Parchment Background by Zeta Gardner

-Carcelli the Arcane Priestess

"Stolen Voice is a spell intended to neutralize enemy spell-casters. Some spell-casters have put time and effort into learning to cast spells quietly without verbal components, but not many, so forcing a spell-caster to be silent will handicap them.   Some view this an ineffectual because it doesn't stop someone from talking entirely, and a victim of the spell can still cast spells with verbal components. They don't understand the use of this spell. The point isn't to make speaking impossible, the point is to make speaking exhausting, creating a war of personal attrition for a spell-casters duel.

  The spell can also be used in social situations, but whether you are in a noble's cotillion or a peasant's tavern, this act is utterly humiliating and will create an enemy for life.   The spell has also been used by spies and thieves to make it harder for enemies to shout a warning, but this spell is so tempermental, that's a high risk. I heard it's been used on prisoners too, but that's just barbaric.   Either execute your prisoners, or treat them nicely before letting them go, torture serves no purpose."