Chalk and Magic Chalk

“To summon a Laraan, start by drawing a heptagram on the floor with magic chalk. Then, draw a banishing circle around it, for protection.”
-Khelbara ay Baburia, mage, modern

Chalk is popular among scholars, miners, and criminals. Scholars write notes with chalk on slate boards as they ponder various scientific problems, and young pupils practice writing their first letters with chalk. Miners and traveling adventurers mark their way on the walls of twisting labyrinths or tunnels. Thieves and rogues mark houses similarly, but they use secret signs that indicate lucrative targets or delineate gang territory. The simplest way to obtain chalk is to use a piece of raw chalk limestone. However, raw chalk tends to damage surfaces, so most scholars prefer writing chalk. To make refined chalk, crush the raw stone, strain it through a sieve, add liquid to the resulting powder, press the pulp into forms, and let them dry.

Mages and alchemists use magic chalk to draw ritual circles and magical symbols for activities such as invocations and banishment.