Places and magic in Glence
Nov. 24th, 2011 07:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
notafirewithinThe University-Court
The first sight of the High Wizard’s Court of Glence is staggering. It hits the viewer upside the head with all the glamour and glory and menacing might of a hundred generations of wizards. Contained within that floating city, court, and university, are the most powerful wizards of Glence and the brightest minds and innovative casters. Hundreds of teachers, each the best in their field. Thousands of students, almost all of which are from a noble family, hailing from even the farthest domain of the lands of Glence. And servants, so many, more than all the people living within the bounds of Breliven. It’s the very beating heart, brain, and bitter soul of Glence, all rolled up into one tight wad of magic.
Far from Glence, the word has spread from mouth to mouth, ear to ear, that the mighty wizards of Glence, for all of their brutal civil wars, have never been defeated by an outside foe. Their floating castle has never been taken, can never, even, be taken, by force or magic frontal attack. It requires skill to gain entry to such a place, noble blood to contend for the throne, and magical ability above all else, in order to be respected by the myriad of wizards that rule the land of Glence.
Let those other countries pretend that their armies might protect them. Let those far and distant nations and monarchies and theocracies and chaotic city states, let them imagine for a moment or even a life time, that they might, should a war ever brew, stand a chance of shattering the alliance of mages that constitute Glence. And then let them come here, if they can find it. Let them come and look and feel, and shudder in horror at their own impertinence to dare to believe that such a place can be taken.
And let them flee, before the mages that occupy those high seats, who rule their lands with ruthless control and freedom in the broadest understanding of the term, with powers that defy the very laws of reality, look down from their positions of power, and notice.
Loradon
This province is a rather well known one, with many famous High Wizards, including Lisbet the Lapis. They are renowned for their fire magic and for producing powerful war wizards. The Wizards are almost completely segregated from the common population, and a feudalistic society functions across the land, with wizards ruling over different sections. They have an active military, and every unit is equipped with battle wizards.
The terrain is mostly mountains covered with dense forests, and rolling hills of farmland. The general wealth level is low and most commoners will never travel farther than the nearest town and will take on the job of their family. Wealth is highly concentrated in the hands of the wizards, though in recent generations, there have been significant increases in tradespeople and crafters.
The darkfire wars have been particularly devastating in Loradon, both because of pressures on the borders and because of the Wizard using the mountains as a base. There are roving bands of darkfire soldiers razing villages and attacking anyone and anything that comes within reach. Many are starving, more are homeless, and the military spends as much of its time keeping order as it does battling enemies. They have resorted to hiring mercenaries and anyone who will volunteer.
Breliven
The Breliven Province is just east of Loradon, nestled in high mountains. The entire providence lies within a single large, low valley. It tends towards colder weather and the soil is not particularly fertile, resulting in mostly shepherding among the commoners. The primary source of income that the province acquires is through visiting wizards come to experience the peace and healing air of the valley. There is very little socioeconomic difference between the wizards and the commoners, and even the poorest members of the Breliven society have enough to live comfortably. This is largely due to an unnaturally low birthrate, as every aspect of life in the valley is controlled by the matriarch of the Breliven family.
Bloodline and family status is very important in Glence, but in the Breliven Province, it takes on a completely different level of family identification. Instead of jealously guarding the bloodline from contamination and using purity of blood to define status, in Breliven everyone is part of the family. The bulk of the population can trace themselves back to the royal family, and immigrants quickly intermarry. To be a citizen of Breliven is to be a member of the family. The low population, low birthrates, and long life-spans, make it so that everyone knows everyone else, maybe not very well, but everyone is connected. Being around other Brelivens creates a comforting and empowering sensation. Even if two Brelivens encounter each other who have never met before, they feel an intrinsic identification, a slight up-beat in the energy of the world and themselves.
Family veneration is a large component of what it means to be Breliven. It is an expression of the solidarity of the family, a solidarity that runs vertically through the generations as well as horizontally among members of the same age. Refusing to participate in the communal life is considered the most shameful and selfish action a Breliven can do, and individualistic behavior that runs counter to family interests are targeted at an early age with punishments designed to shame and degrade the deviant into proper community.
The Breliven “up-click”
Brelivens can immediately identify each other, as coming into contact with someone else who shares their particular brand of Life magic causes a slight improvement in the very feel of the world around them. I like to call this the Breliven up-click, but they would refer to it as their peace, or the Breliven Presence. There has been so much of it in the land of Breliven that it flows over and sinks into the land, creating a powerful resonance that can impact anyone who goes there, giving the land a reputation as a place of healing and rest.
Even a spark of Life magic is enough to guarantee a long life, should nature be allowed to run its course without violent interruption. Sickness, in all its myriad of forms, is reduced to a minor incontinence, to be over come and not to be feared. Miss-carriages and fatal accidents are rare in a land populated by Brelivens, as if their strange aura of calming extends even to the errors of every day living, to defy the forces of entropy and chaos that would interrupt the order of a body, a community, a nation. Even when war reaches the border of Brelivin, that invisible line so easily seen, it resolves with astounding speed, as if the land itself, and the air and the water, rejects the unwelcome interruption.
The excited heart is quieted. The anxious soul finds rest. The nervous hand finds peace. All the whirls and swirls and shakiness, that trembles out of order and rushes through the days, is confronted by the palpable attitude of the rocks of Breliven, and the determined and tenacious gray-green grass. It whispers, underneath the surface, ‘don’t you want to join us? Don’t you want this peace, want it to envelope your heart and shield you from every tension and life-defying anguish?’ The Brelivens sigh as they cross into their domain, and they breath deeply and without fear for the peace of their homeland, striking an inner chord on an instrument that only they can feel. And the stranger finds easing, at first, until they realize that the whisper is not for them.
Foreigners do not stay for long, in Breliven. After a week, a month, a year, they all flee, eventually, back to what ever land spawned them. This valley is not for them, but for those of the blood, born of the earth and stinking of life. And Breliven can not stay away for long.
Explanation of the Magical System
Magic in Glence is strictly inheritable. If you are not borne with the potential flowing in your veins than all the study and knowledge in all the universe is useless, and worse than useless, taunting a soul with what is possible but beyond his or her reach. The blood will tell, as each bloodline donates to the wizardry of Glence its own unique offering and manifestation. And as the lines mix, new possibilities blossom and bloom into entirely new fields of understanding and wonder.
Wizards tend to separate types of magic into two broad categories: War Magic and Supportive Magic. War magics tend to be abjuration, evocation, conjuration, necromancy, and elemental. Supportive magics can be those in weaker levels, but most Healing and protecting magics count. High status magic tends to be flashy and lethal. Outside of unique provinces like Breliven, Healing, while necessary, is not prestigious.
There are ways, subtle and secret, and vastly deadly, to steal the magic from another. Of all the variety of ways and forms of treachery that the High Wizards amuse themselves with, that is one that will not be borne nor tolerated in any size. For stealing the magic of another wizard mandates the magic user’s death, as the essence of their being is ripped asunder and taken in by a foreign body. Like blood spilt, the source of power lies in the hearts-blood, the deepest inner most being. And one who has taken that once will never be satisfied with any lower crime; pure murder is not as stigmatized.
Religion in Glence (because how can I resist interacting on this topic?)
There is no established religion in the lands of Glence, and while the common masses may put their faith in a deity, among the Wizards such a weakness would be contemptible. Whether or not gods exist, the noble Wizards of Glence would not lower themselves to the point of worshiping one. Those who depend on an external force for power and salvation do so because they are incapable to trusting their own power and force. The Wizards worship power alone, and see themselves as striding ever toward greater and greater levels of power and control.
The Wizards do not believe in an afterlife. They hold that there is such a thing as a soul, because necromancers have revived bodies and found them lacking that critical persona of the original life, but the general belief is that upon death the soul is destroyed, unless otherwise preserved in a magical construct or spell; and whether that is a strict elimination or a blending into the world is up for debate in certain circles. It is enough for the wizards to hold that all that they lay claim to lies within this life.
There is no eternal damnation or salvation, no forgiveness that needs to be begged from some all powerful intangible entity. All rewards and punishments come in this life, and stem either from what one can do to his or her self or can do to someone else. There is no need to fear a deity; only the more powerful wizards. There is no religious basis for preservation of life, treating others with kindness, charity, justice or mercy. Any such stance must be upheld through logical arguments or practical implications, else be mocked by other wizards as an emotional based weakness of those unable to be ruthless enough to take what they want without concern for others.
The first sight of the High Wizard’s Court of Glence is staggering. It hits the viewer upside the head with all the glamour and glory and menacing might of a hundred generations of wizards. Contained within that floating city, court, and university, are the most powerful wizards of Glence and the brightest minds and innovative casters. Hundreds of teachers, each the best in their field. Thousands of students, almost all of which are from a noble family, hailing from even the farthest domain of the lands of Glence. And servants, so many, more than all the people living within the bounds of Breliven. It’s the very beating heart, brain, and bitter soul of Glence, all rolled up into one tight wad of magic.
Far from Glence, the word has spread from mouth to mouth, ear to ear, that the mighty wizards of Glence, for all of their brutal civil wars, have never been defeated by an outside foe. Their floating castle has never been taken, can never, even, be taken, by force or magic frontal attack. It requires skill to gain entry to such a place, noble blood to contend for the throne, and magical ability above all else, in order to be respected by the myriad of wizards that rule the land of Glence.
Let those other countries pretend that their armies might protect them. Let those far and distant nations and monarchies and theocracies and chaotic city states, let them imagine for a moment or even a life time, that they might, should a war ever brew, stand a chance of shattering the alliance of mages that constitute Glence. And then let them come here, if they can find it. Let them come and look and feel, and shudder in horror at their own impertinence to dare to believe that such a place can be taken.
And let them flee, before the mages that occupy those high seats, who rule their lands with ruthless control and freedom in the broadest understanding of the term, with powers that defy the very laws of reality, look down from their positions of power, and notice.
Loradon
This province is a rather well known one, with many famous High Wizards, including Lisbet the Lapis. They are renowned for their fire magic and for producing powerful war wizards. The Wizards are almost completely segregated from the common population, and a feudalistic society functions across the land, with wizards ruling over different sections. They have an active military, and every unit is equipped with battle wizards.
The terrain is mostly mountains covered with dense forests, and rolling hills of farmland. The general wealth level is low and most commoners will never travel farther than the nearest town and will take on the job of their family. Wealth is highly concentrated in the hands of the wizards, though in recent generations, there have been significant increases in tradespeople and crafters.
The darkfire wars have been particularly devastating in Loradon, both because of pressures on the borders and because of the Wizard using the mountains as a base. There are roving bands of darkfire soldiers razing villages and attacking anyone and anything that comes within reach. Many are starving, more are homeless, and the military spends as much of its time keeping order as it does battling enemies. They have resorted to hiring mercenaries and anyone who will volunteer.
Breliven
The Breliven Province is just east of Loradon, nestled in high mountains. The entire providence lies within a single large, low valley. It tends towards colder weather and the soil is not particularly fertile, resulting in mostly shepherding among the commoners. The primary source of income that the province acquires is through visiting wizards come to experience the peace and healing air of the valley. There is very little socioeconomic difference between the wizards and the commoners, and even the poorest members of the Breliven society have enough to live comfortably. This is largely due to an unnaturally low birthrate, as every aspect of life in the valley is controlled by the matriarch of the Breliven family.
Bloodline and family status is very important in Glence, but in the Breliven Province, it takes on a completely different level of family identification. Instead of jealously guarding the bloodline from contamination and using purity of blood to define status, in Breliven everyone is part of the family. The bulk of the population can trace themselves back to the royal family, and immigrants quickly intermarry. To be a citizen of Breliven is to be a member of the family. The low population, low birthrates, and long life-spans, make it so that everyone knows everyone else, maybe not very well, but everyone is connected. Being around other Brelivens creates a comforting and empowering sensation. Even if two Brelivens encounter each other who have never met before, they feel an intrinsic identification, a slight up-beat in the energy of the world and themselves.
Family veneration is a large component of what it means to be Breliven. It is an expression of the solidarity of the family, a solidarity that runs vertically through the generations as well as horizontally among members of the same age. Refusing to participate in the communal life is considered the most shameful and selfish action a Breliven can do, and individualistic behavior that runs counter to family interests are targeted at an early age with punishments designed to shame and degrade the deviant into proper community.
The Breliven “up-click”
Brelivens can immediately identify each other, as coming into contact with someone else who shares their particular brand of Life magic causes a slight improvement in the very feel of the world around them. I like to call this the Breliven up-click, but they would refer to it as their peace, or the Breliven Presence. There has been so much of it in the land of Breliven that it flows over and sinks into the land, creating a powerful resonance that can impact anyone who goes there, giving the land a reputation as a place of healing and rest.
Even a spark of Life magic is enough to guarantee a long life, should nature be allowed to run its course without violent interruption. Sickness, in all its myriad of forms, is reduced to a minor incontinence, to be over come and not to be feared. Miss-carriages and fatal accidents are rare in a land populated by Brelivens, as if their strange aura of calming extends even to the errors of every day living, to defy the forces of entropy and chaos that would interrupt the order of a body, a community, a nation. Even when war reaches the border of Brelivin, that invisible line so easily seen, it resolves with astounding speed, as if the land itself, and the air and the water, rejects the unwelcome interruption.
The excited heart is quieted. The anxious soul finds rest. The nervous hand finds peace. All the whirls and swirls and shakiness, that trembles out of order and rushes through the days, is confronted by the palpable attitude of the rocks of Breliven, and the determined and tenacious gray-green grass. It whispers, underneath the surface, ‘don’t you want to join us? Don’t you want this peace, want it to envelope your heart and shield you from every tension and life-defying anguish?’ The Brelivens sigh as they cross into their domain, and they breath deeply and without fear for the peace of their homeland, striking an inner chord on an instrument that only they can feel. And the stranger finds easing, at first, until they realize that the whisper is not for them.
Foreigners do not stay for long, in Breliven. After a week, a month, a year, they all flee, eventually, back to what ever land spawned them. This valley is not for them, but for those of the blood, born of the earth and stinking of life. And Breliven can not stay away for long.
Explanation of the Magical System
Magic in Glence is strictly inheritable. If you are not borne with the potential flowing in your veins than all the study and knowledge in all the universe is useless, and worse than useless, taunting a soul with what is possible but beyond his or her reach. The blood will tell, as each bloodline donates to the wizardry of Glence its own unique offering and manifestation. And as the lines mix, new possibilities blossom and bloom into entirely new fields of understanding and wonder.
Wizards tend to separate types of magic into two broad categories: War Magic and Supportive Magic. War magics tend to be abjuration, evocation, conjuration, necromancy, and elemental. Supportive magics can be those in weaker levels, but most Healing and protecting magics count. High status magic tends to be flashy and lethal. Outside of unique provinces like Breliven, Healing, while necessary, is not prestigious.
There are ways, subtle and secret, and vastly deadly, to steal the magic from another. Of all the variety of ways and forms of treachery that the High Wizards amuse themselves with, that is one that will not be borne nor tolerated in any size. For stealing the magic of another wizard mandates the magic user’s death, as the essence of their being is ripped asunder and taken in by a foreign body. Like blood spilt, the source of power lies in the hearts-blood, the deepest inner most being. And one who has taken that once will never be satisfied with any lower crime; pure murder is not as stigmatized.
Religion in Glence (because how can I resist interacting on this topic?)
There is no established religion in the lands of Glence, and while the common masses may put their faith in a deity, among the Wizards such a weakness would be contemptible. Whether or not gods exist, the noble Wizards of Glence would not lower themselves to the point of worshiping one. Those who depend on an external force for power and salvation do so because they are incapable to trusting their own power and force. The Wizards worship power alone, and see themselves as striding ever toward greater and greater levels of power and control.
The Wizards do not believe in an afterlife. They hold that there is such a thing as a soul, because necromancers have revived bodies and found them lacking that critical persona of the original life, but the general belief is that upon death the soul is destroyed, unless otherwise preserved in a magical construct or spell; and whether that is a strict elimination or a blending into the world is up for debate in certain circles. It is enough for the wizards to hold that all that they lay claim to lies within this life.
There is no eternal damnation or salvation, no forgiveness that needs to be begged from some all powerful intangible entity. All rewards and punishments come in this life, and stem either from what one can do to his or her self or can do to someone else. There is no need to fear a deity; only the more powerful wizards. There is no religious basis for preservation of life, treating others with kindness, charity, justice or mercy. Any such stance must be upheld through logical arguments or practical implications, else be mocked by other wizards as an emotional based weakness of those unable to be ruthless enough to take what they want without concern for others.