Into the Abyss

Jenn sighed and put her diary down. What a day, at least it was over, for the moment. She’d just finished writing up the day’s events in her diary after returning from Alvea’s quarters. The poor girl was still practically catatonic over the loss of Rex, even now. Jenn herself was just numb. So far the shields continued to hold out, but for how much longer? Old Ugly had destroyed the offensive attack on the wards, all by himself. Actually rather impressive; killing three type two demons, a type three, a fairly powerful wizard and somewhere around twenty to thirty soldiers in less than fifteen minutes, overall not to be scorned. In fact, it just made Jenn all the more nervous about the thing. Monsters that powerful shouldn’t be allowed to wander around freely as much as Lenamare seemed inclined to let them.

Speaking of demon conjuring, she hoped Master Hortwell was all right. Everyone knew by now that he had been the one to go out and conjure the demon, but he’d never returned. No one knew what happened to him, and Lenamare wouldn’t risk any wizards capable of teleporting out to try and find him. They had shifted the wards at the prearranged times for him to reenter, but he never had. She knew the masters were quite worried about it.

Oh well, no use thinking too much on it, it really wasn’t worth it; she was powerless to do anything. All she could hope, as she slowly changed into her nightgown, was that if worst came to worst, she might be able to smuggle of few of the children out, before Exador had his way with them all.

∼

“Come on son, time for your bed now,” the soldier patted the boy on the head. While starting his nightly round about the top of the wall, Herchlion, one of Lenamare’s men at arms ran across the small boy, leaning between two merlons, arms folded on the stone, with his head resting on his arms and gazing intently down at the battlefield where the C.o.D had made the giant hole in the earth.

“Up with you now,” Herchlion said again as the boy was slow to move. The child slowly pulled back and gazed up at him with a slightly disappointed frown, as if the boy knew Herchlion was all too right, but yet hating to have to leave. “Come lad, it’s too late for you to see anything tonight. If there’s no fighting, mayhaps you can come back another time.” Herchlion smiled knowingly down on the boy. He knew what it was to gaze out on a battle field, dreaming of the glory. As a lad, he himself had been much the same way. Staring in awe at any soldiers he saw, wishing that he too could fight beside them.

∼

The boy got up slowly and made his way hesitantly to the top of the stairs. He hated to go back to the “Nursery” as he called it. However, the guard was correct, he certainly couldn’t see anything anymore. The glowing of the wards lit up the courtyard and the small perimeter outside the wall; however, since it was dark outside of the dome, the glow of the dome prevented him from seeing out. He could no longer see where the demon had fought its battle. If only he’d been allowed to see it. But no, kids weren’t allowed on the battlements during action. So he’d had to rely on second hand reports of the mighty exploits of the demon. He’d hurried up there as soon as the soldiers would let him, hoping to catch a glimpse of where the demon had cast the Cloud of Disintegration on the enemy; he’d seen it, but barely. The fading sunlight and the distortion of the wards had made it unclear, but there was no mistaking a heavy battleground and the troughs dug by the demons. Maybe next time, he thought, maybe then I’ll get to see him in action.

Wizardry

Curriculum Vitae: College of Wizardry

University of the Council States

Wizardry is the science of mana manipulation.

Wizards are scientists and engineers who have codified the complex relationship between Animus and Mana into a set of rules for consistent and uniform behavior. The Laws of Wizardry are in essence, the language of “Magic.” At least magic as it is viewed by the layman. Language in all forms, including written in the form of Runes, spoken Invocations and action in the form of Gestures are powerful tools to focus and concentrate the mind and thus manipulate the forces of nature. Further, certain material objects and constructs have natural or man-made affinities to natural forces that helps in channeling these forces. Taken all together, Runes, Invocations, Gestures and Catalysts are tools that allow Wizards to control the very world in which the live.

Wizards “cast” spells, which are actually complex formulas for the manipulation of the elemental forces of nature through the application of both Animus and Mana. As discussed in the section on Mana, there is significant interplay between Mana and the elemental forces. Properly trained, a mage can utilize his own Animus to accumulate, contain and manipulate Mana in order to control elemental forces.

Schools of Wizardry