The Fae
"... If everyone would lower their voice please, so i can start with the first lecture. Yes?...
...Thank you. As many of you might have assumed because of my skincolor, I am Magistra Ashar Nirudi, First Sentinel of Caldaven and Headmistress of the Tower of Amn.
I can still hear some giggles, thank you... I would prefer if you would carefully listen, and try to understand. I am here to make an offer to... most of you.... And I want you to think about it.
Very, very hard.
The reason i always take it up to myself to start the first lecture is, that most of you don't have the slightest idea what you got yourself into.
You might have heard that wizards are rare. Some lucky few of you might have met one in your life once... or probably twice. I AM a witch. A witch that has been educated and trained in the far away tower of Eridu, as you can see here..."
The dark skinned Oromi lifted her hand and showed its inside to the boys and girls who had come here from all over Caldaven, and even further away places like the Summer isles. The Summer girls, Chu-Aira Kaaro and Evlin Sur, had arrived 3 weeks ago and had been the source of the giggles. Now they were listening.
Ashar had talked to both of them already and kept a close eye on them. She had learned that they were friends, and from the impression she got during the last weeks, very close ones at that. One of them had talent. Too much talent, sadly, and of the kind that took away any say about your future. The other... only had determination, and lots of it. The choice Ashar was going to offer was only for the latter. Choice had been taken of the other girl, the moment her talent showed. That's why Ashar had to change her standard speech this year. It was a choice for most of them... not for all. Ashar was just hoping that the fate of one would not drive the other to foolishness.
Ashar continued...
"...by the branding in the inside of my hand. Thus, what i will tell you now, you know to be true.
You grew up on stories about the powers wizards wield, and probably one of those stories brought you here. Some of you are here, because of your parents, because you are the third or fourth son or daughter of a baron or other noble with no realistic hope to inherit a title... but with the hope for an arcanists salary... and the respect the position brings.
However... there is a reason wizards and witches are so rare. In this tower only one of 30 Students manages to pass the exam. Not because they fail. No.... Most don't even get there. But regardless if you fail or if you aren't even admitted to take the exam... a fate worse than death awaits you.
Those who fail... their minds, their souls, the very essence of their being... become demons, trapped in the vast reaches of the counterrealm that surrounds our world like a shell, forever yearning to return to our world. Their bodies however become an abomination, a plaguefiend. A terrible weapon, possessed by another inhabitant of said counterrealm, a creature that has to be put down, before it can spread the Plague.
We cannot let this happen. Therefore we must decide who is allowed to take the exam. But make no mistake about it.... not being admitted to take the test however is almost just as bad.
Because once you cast you first spell, once you channel true magic for the first time, you become a conduit, a pathway for a thing which lurks in the counterrealm, waiting for you to slip up, waiting for a weakness of mind, so it can take you over. We call this thing a Nemesis Fiend. It's a thing made from your hidden wishes and suppressed desires, which seep over into the counterrealm from the very first day you tapped into magic.
Now you might say, why not put down any mage who cannot take the exam and be done with it, but that does not work either. Because in death the pathway loses its most powerful defender: you. And while there is no living body to possess anymore, the result is almost just as bad. What comes out of this we call a plaguewraith, a form of ghost, a spirit, which is often even harder to exorcise than an abomination.
Therefore we close the gate ahead of time. Those, who are deemed unable to pass the exam will lose their ego through mind curbing, turning their bodies into little more than aimless husks, which cannot motivate themselves to do anything except the things they are told to.
This is the deal you commit to, once you cast your first spell. You either pass... or face a fate worse than death. I want you to think hard if you really want to do this. Those of you however, who have done this step already, by accident and sheer magical talent..."
Ashar's gaze cought Evlin's and Shura's, They were pale. There was no giggle anymore.
"...rest assured that in this place no one is left alone with this. My teachers and me will move heaven and earth to make sure you have what it takes to at least give it a shot. But first things first. To understand why all this is inevitable you must understand what magic is and where it comes from.
It all begins with the Fae..."
The Fae
The Fae, sometimes also called the Lifeforce, is an energyform produced by all living beings on Ardu. Everything that lives, creates it, be it fauna or flora. At the same time, the Fae furthers life, or at least the procreation and continuous development of it. And the Fae reacts, to the wishes of those who create it. This enables Faebirth.
Every being on Ardu can bend its own "personal Fae", which is that part the Fae Energy, that its own body produced, and use this energypool for effects, which, when trained, can become quite impressive. During faebirth procreation, and also during some of the instinctive "magical" effects which some creatures can produce, this utilisation of the personal fae happens almost subconsciously. This makes the "magical" effects look and feel natural, despite "being Fae" in nature. Monks of several monastic orders all over Ardu, despite their differences in using it, have found a common name for the personal Fae. They call it the Qi, or Ki, and the reason why their magic seems so organic is that their abilities rely entirely on this kind of Fae. Their magic is harmless.
However with the capability for conscious thought comes the ability to not only form the personal fae, but extend one's will also onto the massive pool of energy that is the collective fae of the world of Ardu.
This is the source of magic, and magic does exactly that. By conscious agenda one can deliberately reform the collective local Fae in a specific way, such that a desired effect happens. Mages call this a spell, or, if it is more involved, a curse.
Because the "collective" Fae consists of the personal Fae of countless other lifeforms, it resists this kind of manipulation though, and this is why magic of an arcane spellcaster inherently feels unnatural, and why, to cast a spell succesfully, one does either need a special kind of mental training, or be one of the, depending on perspective, lucky or cursed few chosen, who have developed or inherited an instinctual talent to reform Fae that does not originally belong to them.
The dichotomy of Fae and Life goes even further though. Once a fae construct has exceeded a certain amount of complexity, regardless if it was created by a conscious mind or if it developed on its own, it gains life. Complex Fae creatures, called spirits, even gather an intellect and a form of self awareness, and often times it is hard to say if a spirit sprung from local veneration or if it came to existence on its own and became venerated later. Furthermore, these Fae creatures, albeit made from Fae, still possess and produce their own personal Fae, making the borders of real and alive blurry.
Most spirits don't come into existence on Ardu however, but behind the the Veil which separates Ardu from entire worlds "inside" the Fae. Most notably the Counterrealm, a realm which surrounds Ardu like a shell, and whose spirits yearn for reality on Ardu and are called demons. Spirits which inhabit further removed "Fae Realms" are commonly called fey or faeries. Those Spirits which do inhabit Ardu are called "natural spirits" albeit the consensus if they are truly natural differs. Members of the Church for example argue that such spirits do not exist, and that they and the Faeborn races actually originate from behind the veil. Natural spirits on Ardu usually do have have a physical body, but are not required to.
The word "Fae" can be found in old elvish legendstones, in human texts that go almost back to the cataclysm, and in undergelf folklore. Whereas humans only consider the Fae as a form of magical energy, Norn elves, Sitha elves and and many uppergelf also call the Veil, all Fae realms behind it, and the state of mind used to travel there, by this name. Literally translated, the only human word that comes even close to describe what the word "Fae" means in elvish and gelf , would be "the Dream", which has baffled many sages.
This is because elves and gelf are known to not sleep or dream at all, but rather to transfer their mind into a state of deep meditation in order to recover, with dreams being mere mind exercise. At the same time both Norn elves and Sitha elves attribute a consciousness to the fae which has formed there, which they call Kaaeya (Gaea with the Western Norn) and argue that she is the mothergoddess who gave birth to all life, while at the same time all life gives form to her, with the Fae (the Dream) being her body.
Coinciding with the Western Norn word for this goddess, Wolven and Orcs, have given the name Gaea to the Fae in its entirety, and consider her the Goddess of Life. Yet although she is one of their deities, she is nevertheless not worshipped directly. Wolven and orcs consider her too powerful, consider her the god of the gods, who wouldn't answer anyhow.This casts a shadow of doubt or at least some discomfort over all those who handle "her stuff" directly, like shamans, or druids (called gaeodes with the wolven), although they are otherwise hugely respected. It is the wolven and orcish "wizards" (actually sorcerors usually, as both cultures have no concept of codified training of arcane spellcasters) which, In contrast to them, are met with disdain, and which almost never achieve power or respect with their brethren, except by force. This is because wolven as well as orcs believe that these casters steal the power from Gaea, and will eventually have to face her wrath, which, considering the nature of the Fae and the Nemesis Fiend is not too far from the truth.
Arcane Magic
"..So you now know you learned what the Fae is for many weeks, learned to influence it subtly through controlling your emotions and will, but what a spell is, still escapes your grasp.
"A spell is a combination of vocal, somatic and material components, which reforms the fae in a certain way, which in reaction to this, reforms the world accordingly, and thus produces a desired effect."
Ashar Nirudi gave a scornful snort
"That's what a spell is, to those who understand nothing but the words on a page, or in a lorestone. Yes... It is a lot easier to cast a ball of fire, if you have some dry batshit in your hands! Or a spirit of high degree. The presence of something incendiary alone bends the local collective Fae by its potential, . But it does so through YOU. For most of all, it helps you convince yourself. There is something to burn... so burn it shall. So make no mistake. Speaking the words, doing the gestures and sacrificing the components is not what it takes to bend the Fae. But it helps your mind to bend, for it provides structure to hold on. The magic words worked thousand times... why shouldn't it now?
Each of this parts can be omitted however. Material components can be replaced with a focus, so it is bound to you, and even that Focus is just a tool. Words can be left unspoken and even unthought, gestures can be subtle or not present at all. But omitting any of them makes the magic harder to cast and uphold. For your magic takes what the Fae sees as real and changes it, and things do not like to be changed. There is always opposition.
You hear that? My voice just resounds much louder through the room, for i did cast a spell. You didn't notice me speak. You didn't see my hands move. But now i have beads of sweat on my head.
Casting is one of the hardest things a mind can do, and we need every bit of relieve we can get. So use a focus, use the words, use the rites, use the gestures we teach you. In the end however, the real thing... the one thing that works the magic, is YOUR unshakable conviction that the world ought to be different. In order to convince the Fae that it has to change, you have to remember the effect as if it happened, even though it didn't yet! And only then... it will. It needs both wisdom and folly at the same time to do this. The wisdom and knowledge to recognize the world as what it is and why it is such at any given moment, and the folly and ego to think one can demand it to be different. Hence you must know WHY the world works as it works, understand the mundane and the magic, the science AND the wonder. You must accept the world and think it different.
Not many people can do this. They are called arcanists, mages, sorcerors, warlocks, wizards or witches. There are countless of names, each culture has its own. They are called wise men or women, shamans bards and druids. Words or way of magic and gestures and focus may differ, but they are just another lever, and at its core it is this mental gymnastics which creates the effect. But those who can do it... are rare. And actually... that is a blessing...
Arcane magic manipulates the Fae directly by the mind of the caster. The technic to do that is "remembering" the magic into existence, supported by gestures, words or sacrifice, or sometimes a focus to replace any of the three, albeit any of these can be omitted, with the respective magic becoming harder to do. All Arcane casters do that. Not all who use magic however need to do it. Those who do it through a patron, be it now a divine deity like clerics or priests, or some otherworldly creature from beyond with whom the caster has a pact, gain their power from another entity, which "casts" for him. Thus their spells never touches their minds, and leave them blissfully unaware of the dangers of The Counterrealm and the Fae Worlds, at least if his pact did not involve one of its demons.
Albeit being arcane casters like the mages and wizards, most druids or shamans insist that their magic must contain acts of balance to pacify the Fae. This makes their spells seem less flashy and more natural and oftentimes very much aligned with Nature. In the end however they still have to convince the Fae much like Arcane casters do. They are just more subtle in their approach.
Arcane casters leave a trace in the Fae. Once their mind opens to it for the first time, their secret wishes and hidden desires manifest a demon called "The Nemesis Fiend", who lives in the Counterrealm and tries to manipulate the caster. It does so, so it can finally pass over into the real world, possess the caster and throw his old soul out and banish it to the Counterrealm instead, where it is doomed to becomes yet another demon who yearns to return to the world proper. This inevitably turns the casters physical form into a so called abomination and the creature that results into a so called Plaguefiend.
One of the things every arcane caster thus has to succeed in is to finish the training before the Nemesis Fiend" can do that, travel to the counterrealm and banish it (which is always temporarily, as a new, albeit weaker one begins to form immediately), and then continue to do so regularly for the rest of his life, best in intervals which do not allow the Nemesis to return to full strength. Some forms of magic, most often those of druidic tradition, also allow for the Nemesis fiend (they call it the Sibling or the Reflection at times) to be pacified and convinced, that striving to become real is detrimental to both it and the caster, which has to repeted on an even more regular basis. Yet as it leaves the Nemesis at full strength it is a manner of deep trust and friendship which is not always warranted, and once it fails the results are terrifying.
Divine Magic and Patronized Magic (Subsidiary Magic)
"So... divine magic is harmless?"
"Yes. And it is not magic. The priest works the wonders through the Creator, who keeps the souls of his followers pristine. It is almost as if the Creator would take it up to himself personally to protect us. Oh and the other... "deities..." well... they can cast too, but that's just... humbug and window dressing. I mean... believing in something that just exists because you believe in it... what if you don't anymore? Will all the wonders worked in it's name go away? Better trust in the Creator i say "
The dark haired priest, clad in the white robes which were bearing the red circle of the Father aspect, uttered a disdainful snort.
"So... no Nemesis?"
"No nemesis fiend. The Maker protects."
"Ok... but what about the nemesis fiend of the Maker?"
The priest almost choked on his bread and stared into the distance, his face slightly more pale.
"Thats... heresy. Such a thing does not exist..."
Divine Magic is often represented as a benevolent kind of magic, and, provided it is used by benevolent people and comes from a benevolent deity, it might even be. Patronized Magic on the contrary is often looked down upon, as it requires the caster to make a pact with either a demon (a being from the counterrealm), or a Fey (a being from Fae realms beyond the Counterrealm). As no one can guarantee for the morals or intentions of these beings, and most demons intend nothing more than to become real, often to the detriment of their former pact-bound, this caution is often warranted. Patronized magic is hence forbidden almost everywhere.
Be that as it may be, Neither divine nor patronized magic provoke the formation of a nemesis fiend in the counterrealm, because the energyflow is different. Both divine casters and casters who follow a less divine patron (oftentimes called warlocks or witches, much to the detriment of female wizards who call themself similar) pray or ask for the help of their divine (or not so divine) patrons, and are granted or denied. The difference between clerics and warlocks might only be the level of trust their patron puts in them.
Clerics and priests, the most common divine casters, at least with humans, get a "trust loan" by receiving the power for working their spells (they call them "miracles") every time they wake from sleep after they prayed in the evening, Then they can "cast" them at will. They prefer the term "work miracles" rather than "cast spells" however, as it is not them who actually does the casting, but the divine being they serve. Divine casters who do not follow the teachings of their gods may very well fall from grace, but are usually informed about this, and be it by sensing that the deity they serve did not grant them the power they requested.
Warlocks (Patronized casters), on the other hand, get them when they need them... no trust involved, thank you. If the warlock ever falls from grace of his patron, then the patron can decide to just stop the flow, no strings attached. There is no need to inform the warlock even, he will figure it out anyway. Unlike more divine casters their power is more like a bank account with allowance from which they can withdraw, but of which they know only by experience how much is usually on it.
Minor (Natural) Magic
Not all magic is cast from external fae. Monks are specialized in this kind of magic and use only personal Fae, which they call qi or ki. They are aware of the limits and are trained in how to best best make use of it. Other natural casters however may not even be aware of the distinction between personal fae and collective (or external) fae at all. These are the natural casters, so called arcane disciples, whose powers are rarely exceptional, but who also face no threat from a Nemesis Fiend. These casters come in the form a magical smiths for example, who exploit minor fire spells or rangers and hunters who can speak to beasts to name just two. The plethora of possible minor casters and their magic is however boundless, and their magic is sometimes even seen as a secret of their profession, whatever that may be.
Type
Metaphysical, Arcane
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