Timothy Ferguson does an occasional podcast, Games from Folktales, and in one of them he gives a good analysis of the Art of Aquam and the qualities of water, so as to derive what "Slightly unnatural water" is. From the (rather useful, as it allows text searching) transcript, at timothyferguson.files.wordpress ... 0/gff2.pdf:
"Water is a solvent. It is adherent and coherent. This creates capillary action. Water forms ice. Water is great at
trapping heat and has a high heat of vaporization. Water is heavy and it does not compress. These features, taken to an
extreme, are defining characteristics of slightly unnatural water."
To these qualities, I submit that water is also reflective, transparent, slightly blue (thus the color of many large bodies of water, although possibly not in the medieval-magical paradigm), and quenching of both fire and thirst.
I can certainly see practical and interesting magical applications for all of these (except perhaps blueness).
Is fluid.
Dissolves things.
Sticks to itself and other wet things.
Is slippery.
Forms ice when cold enough.
Turns to vapor when hot enough.
Absorbs heat well.
Is heavy.
Does not compress well.
Is is reflective like a mirror.
Can be seen through.
Puts out fires.
Is slightly blue.
Water is also diamagnetic - it is repelled by magnetic force, but I doubt it is in the medieval paradigm, and even if it is, and even if there is such a thing as a magnetic field, I don't know that magicians would have noted it.
Water is also, in the real world, excellent at absorbing radiation. This is far out of paradigm, unless someone wants to assert that water is good at absorbing vis.
The natural quality of water to be slick is more powerful when it is ice - ice is extremely slick, especially when wet. Interesting case of a natural quality manifesting differently in different Forms, or at least in different states.
Yes, this episode of the podcast made me want a grimoire of the MuAq spells used in Timothy's own campaign. From the sound of it, his players have really made some hay out of this particular guideline.
