AST and roleplaying

[Raikai]

So, I was reading the Encyclopedia and it provides an amazing source of material for divinatory magick when possibly roleplaying an AST.

But then, I come to the question on how to actually roleplay an Astrologian when it comes to adventuring and more specifically combat?

The other spellcasters are bound to shape their aether (or the surrounding's) into destructive elemental magicks, or healing ones...

But when it comes to AST, how, let's say, the malefic spell can be represented?

It is a star cluster conjured by attuning your own aether to the constellation? How the cards get into this mix? ... Or it would be you inducing a "malefic" fate to your foe using a drawn card, so it would, for example, trip and break their neck when trying to hit you?

The game itself represents it by simply conjuring stars and such, but the lore never makes it very clear on how it happens.

[Iscah]

It's worthwhile to read through the AST quest scripts - or at least Fortune Favours the Bole, where Leveva give you your hasty first introduction to astromancy. There are things scattered across other quests, but that covers the basics.

At its simplest, Benefic/Malefic are not related to the cards or fortune-telling, but are similar to the other spellcasters - shaping aether into magicks, as you say.

LEVEVA
Now listen carefully, for we haven't much time. The star globe which you hold is both your sword and shield. It will grant you strength, as well as protection. But most important of all, it will grant you insight into the current location of the stars, enabling you to channel the heavens' aether into your body for use in all manner of magicks.
The better attuned you become with the heavens and their “malefic” and “benefic” bodies, the better that aether might be manipulated to bring succor...or pain.

[Raikai]

Oh, thanks! That clarifies a lot of things.

How you would say that the cards themselves work in a combat situation? Regarding the buffs they give, or the offensive aspect? (as in the dmg minor arcana).

[Iscah]

If you follow the link (click on the 'Lore' tab then 'Dialogue') you can read the rest of the explanation that explains how the cards are supposed to work. (I did copy the whole thing initially, but it went over the post size limit and I was in a hurry.)

It's probably worth looking at the closing lines of the other quests as that is when you normally learn a new spell and they give some lore information about what it's supposed to involve.

Also worth noting: crafting ingredients for star globes call for the same "enchanted ink" used for arcanist grimoires, which gets explained in the alchemy questline as being an aetherial conductor. (Though not clear if you use it on the globe itself or for making the cards - or indeed whether you get new cards with each new star globe or keep your old deck - though personally I'd think you would keep it.)

I can't get quotes right now but will find it later.