Magic: Q & A

Magic: Q & A

AradellSilver: How did elves think of mages back in the time of their old elven empires? Were they highly regarded, or did they have to prove themselves? I know the elven mages were the ones who did many things like create the curse upon mankind that destroyed the Ardan Kingdom, and created the minotaurs. Did this make them respected among elves, or feared?

Meridian: Elves thought of Magi as the highest kind of artist or craftsman - They hold a high position within society, but I expect there were professional rivalries like one sees in modern academia. Few Magi, I expect, would truly trust each other, but all of them will wear very nice masks of compassion and fair regard. If you want to see a glimpse of what High Elvish culture might look like, think Dangerous Liaisons and mix in a heady dose of Melnibone from Moorcock's Elric books.

A: How did humans learn magic, especially after the time under elven rule when humans were affected by the curse? Did the elves teach them, or did they steal the secrets of magic?

M: Humans learned magic from the Nameless Titan - he was born being able to do it. All of the original magical knowledge in Ardan was lost with the Blood Curse (and said Nameless Titan). Humans picked up a lots of magical secrets during their captivity, and reinvented magic for themselves after they escapred slavery. That's why you'll see so many diciplines described as new arts or Human arts.

A: How did conclaves of mages handle the wars between humans and elves? Did they always have both races working together, or did they exist as the Church did, with seperate conclaves for the races? And how do Irekei fit in with these groups?

M: Initially, I envision the Human and Elvish conclave traditions as bneing bitterly opposed. The War of the Scourge forced Human and Elvish wizards to work together, and fostered a pretty neutral stance thereafter - although in some places the two races never got along.
The Irekei don't fit this framework - they stand apart, deliberately.

A: Is there some supreme conclave of wizards, or do different groups tend to keep seperate? And did the Turning change this?

M: I figure there is some kind of over Conclave, that may or may not actually be in charge of all wizards everywhere. Local assemblies pay lip service to it, and usually follow its orders, but it's never really tired to push its will all that far. It's very subtle, very elusive, and has tried to stay withdrawn for the tide of history since the end of the War of the Scourge.

A: How were mages thought of by the High Kingdom of Cambruin? Were they feared and persecuted as elf-lovers, treated with respect as powerful allies, or did they seperate themselves from the conflict? Was Zaeristan treated like all mages, or does he act differently from the conclaves? And how did mages react to the destruction of the Great Library by Cambruin's Army?

M: In the High Kingdom, Mages tended to be regarded with suspicion. Charges of witchcraft nearly wrecked the royal court when levelled against the queen. I expect most of the Champions regarded Zeristan with a mixture of awe and fear. Magi are aloof, distant, and difficult to get a hold of, not to mention dangerous if you anger them. Zeristan is deeply respected by the Conclave, but does not control it.

A: Do mages and Furies respect each other, or let the dispute between Amazons and most others override any possibilities of friendship? Would a Fury join a Conclave?

M: I expect the Furies, who claim that their magical tradition is far 'purer' than wizardry and nearly as old, would keep away from the Conclave, jealously guarding their secrets. How Magi regard them depends on the Mage to a great degree - some dismiss them as flawed Channelers, others as charlatans or primitive power mongers, others as genuine magi who use a curious art. I expect there are many Magi who hope to learn their secrets, but the Furies aren't talking.

A: Are there other mages like Zaeristan who are seemingly immortal? And is his teacher, Almeus the Young, still alive and affecting history?

M: There are lots of magi who claim to be really old. If Almeus is still around, he hasn't been seen since before the war with Chaos...

A: What are the relations between Conclaves and the Church like? Do they just avoid each other, does the Church despise the Conclaves as whole, or do they treat each other on an individual and guild level? And how do the arts of Animating and, more importantly, Summoning affect these. Especially summoning Demons, Archons, and Conjuring. And how do other groups, like the Druids, think of magic?

M: The Holy Church and the Conclaves are very neutral to each other. The Temple doesn't like them much at all. The Druids respect their power, but think that too often Wizards only seek their own gain, and that tampering with the base forces of the universe can be really dangerous.

A: And to my most important question about relations: What would the average person living in Aerynth, who has no idea of how magic works, think of mages? As remote and powerful hermits you do not want to cross, or as something like a Knight that uses fireballs instead of swords?

M: Again there really isn't an "average" person in the world of Shadowbane - the Turning forced many superstitious folk to depend on wizards and learn to trust them, while in some places the locals blamed the Turning on meddling mages and burned them at the stake. Elves see them as artists, Humans as geniuses, Irekei as divinely inspired prophets. Some intellectuals reduce their power to a very nuts and bolts scientific kind of aptitude, while the Northmen simply distrust it. Warlocks think they're demigods. Furies sort of do too... Every Mage probably looks at his powers in a slightly different way.

A: Are the forces that mages use the same as what the All Father used, except on a smaller scale?

M: The All-Father's power is divine - he wrote the code of the universe. Magi are just wise and clever people who know how to exploit bugs or have learned the odd cheat code.

A: What exactly are the Elemental Hierarchs that are mentioned in the Priest and Channeler Lores?

M: The Hierarchs are really powerful elementals.

A: And do the five elements exist only in Aerynth, or do they exist throughout the Void? And what exactly is the Void from a mage's perspective?

M: The elements (and, by extension, the threads of the Tapestry) do not extend into the Void. The Void is that which is beyond the bounds of the World. Parts of it are very dark, parts filled with Chaos. The Void is the really scary place the Gods and Demons came from.