The Warlocks of Aarehk

Amongst the countless mystical institutions throughout the history of Az, there are several stand-out figures which exemplify their particular brand of arcane study. The order of Vrenidi high-priestesses with their scorching solar magic, the Grim-hat Troupe with their bejeweled staffs, and more recently The Scion-Students, whose efforts to ascertain the true nature behind all magic on Az has made them the greatest order of mages on the planet to date.   Yet an institution of such gifted individuals that is less widely acclaimed than its contemporaries is the group of wise men that has endured for several millennia on the northern Yddian islands that make of the region of Aarehk. These so called warlocks were a group established some time in the middle of the Mythic Era, a collection of local sorcerers and displaced mages from further afield on the continent who escaped the ire of the Vrenidi priestesses and decided to band together for safety.  

Hierarchy

  As such, their order is comprised solely of male mages, with little in the way of a strict hierarchy between members, save for a select few elders who are respected by the majority of the group. They adhere to several disciplines of magic linked to religions and practices which were almost wiped out by the Vrenidi expansion. Amongst these practices is the Warlock's ability to direct so called spirits (in most cases manifestations of local myths), incantations of various esoteric faiths and their iconic use of wands to channel magic effectively, with the belief that different materials yield unique effects. For example, wands of wood are believed to empower spells of healing and plant-life, stone linked to manipulating the elements of the earth and, rather infamously, bone wands conferring mastery over the creature it was hewn from, both in life and in death.   It is this direct manipulation of other entities which has enabled several schisms to form within the ranks of these warlocks, with so many differing views on the sanctity of life proving to be a poor mix when the individuals in question are capable of killing each other with a word. What follows is a strenuous history of internal strife between the Warlocks of Aarehk, with several break-away elements forming over the many centuries that they have endured. Often these elements form from a small group who wish to exert greater control over the wider populace, a concept at odds with the more prevalent ideology within the warlocks of mastering themselves and leading a more monastic lifestyle.  

Conflict and Controversy

  This results in conflict, with the disruptive mages being ousted from the order proper, forced to settle in isolated areas around Yddian, often to the detriment of the local populations, who are forced into servitude or worse. One harrowing account is that of the Aproshan usurpers, a group of reviled magicians who attempted to overthrow the governing body of the Warlocks. After failing in the attempt, the vestiges of this rebellion fled to the region of Tozaj, where after enslaving several villages began horrific experiments on the populace, creating a variety of grotesque monstrosities that were to serve as the basis for an army. These experiments were so harrowing that the Warlocks of Aarehk felt it necessary to descend from their academy of Huahbayt and destroy the Aproshan completely. After a lengthy confrontation between the two, it would appear that the Aproshan were destroyed, though this would prove false, for the master-mind behind these events, Vanu and his apprentice Ko, escaped to continue their repugnant work once more, slowly building up a coven of dark magicians on the island within the heart of the Contender's Ocean, the Raven's Nest.   Due to instances such as these, the Warlocks of Aarehk have garnered a poor reputation amongst various communities on Yddian and further afield, often misunderstood to be haughty and inclined to abusing those with lesser magic than their own. There is also the delicate issue of these warlocks repeated attempts at communing with the spirits of the deceased, with matters related to necromancy and raising the dead stigmatized in the vast majority of communities, which does not help endear the Aarehkan Warlocks to the wider world.  

Goals and Current Situation

  In spite of this, The Warlocks of Aarehk are ultimately a coalition of mages who are set on improving the world, with various members traveling around the Yddian continent after the fall of the Vrenidi empire, educating various communities on local cultural magics that would have been forgotten throughout the ages. Further cementing this is the extremely healthy relationship between The Warlocks and the Order of the Scion-students, who after claiming The Raven's Nest from the two Aproshan renegades Vanu and Ko, aided the grateful Aarehkans in catching the last remnants of the accursed mage's cabal. To this day, the two orders happily inter-mingle, with Scion-students going to Aarehk to study various Yddian disciplines, and many Warlocks visiting Raven's Nest to widen their perspective on magic. This is reminiscent of how White-raven and the elder-warlock Tafarik both spent extended periods of time leaning from each other, becoming steadfast companions and holding honored positions within the other's order.   In the current day, the Warlocks of Aarehk are still around and doing quite well for themselves, having not seen any major controversy on the scale of the Aproshan renegades since. Though difficult to see, the reputation of the Warlocks has been on the mend for various communities on Yddian, with many starting to trust these mages more openly. One of the major efforts the Warlocks of Aarehk have been recently involved with is preserving the endemic wildlife found within the secluded country of Pararongo, such as the Ghillie Beast, which are captured by many poachers.