Brand’s NotesTaken from the Compendium of Prang, part 1

Editors note: Much of this is vastly out of date and therefore has been left unreferenced, and these notes are best used for insight into Brand himself. - Number One

Contents:

The Tomes
On the construction of the Tomes
On the books of light and dark
Concerning the Colour Mages
On the Immortal Patterns
Of the Dark Years
On the Summoning of Demons
Concerning Vampires
On Gargoyles & Golems
Werewolves and Other Were-Creatures

Brand's Notes

25th day of April 1095 - The enigma
The cataclysm is the enigma I mull over is the greatest of upheavals natural or unnatural. The basic cause could be one of many things, the abuse of magic by the elves during the war of sundering, the over use of magic by the empire or is it some strange natural disaster that occurs by sum shifting in the will of the dragon. I cannot tell the only ones who could are either addled or too grand to be seen by one such as I (Curse Floris llias) the thing that worries me the most is the possible that it may occur again. How will we cope what could we do to stop the flow of magic against us? All I can do is search Norhault and any other source of lore that I can find.

19th day of June 1095
I have the last weeks building a construct of sorts the ancient tome in the darkest recesses of the great library of magic calls the thing a homunculus the creature is imbued with the void and is capable of travelling unseen over vast distances at great speed. My reasons I must explain. The corridors of Norhault are always watched, only the most trusted are allowed to wander alone. The great readers and that addled fool Scullion are very careful. But with practice one may make the scribes part with more than they intend.

So one day I found myself party to a viewing of a map dating from the earliest age of the empire. One symbol stood out. That of Norhault, for is not the wellspring the greatest circle in the known world. But the symbol was repeated in the northern most regions of the map. Noting this information I immediately headed for the transport circle and attempted to transfer to this unknown circle but could not, it was deactivated.

So I built the homunculus to travel there and send by mental power the image of the place it is truly amazing such a wealth that I cannot describe but I think the solution is there I intend to travel there as soon as business allows.

On Atan Al Rashish

I have recently been studying the works of the mage and ritualist Atan Al Rashish. I have taken the time to study the work in the library of Norhault. It is to my knowledge the only original copy left in existence though translated many times this copy was in the original language

The work is detailed yet flawed Rahish had only understanding of the four manifest elements not all of them. I consider myself a ritualist of power but to have half the power this Rahish had (if he can be believed) was beyond the ken of any mortal mage that I have ever seen the possibilities he opens up are remarkable there is a good chance that he was a time mage of remarkable power even able to move between worlds. But his lack of understanding of the ethereal and ideological elements of existence, flaws his work to such and extent that the tome is overlooked by most of the great minds of our time. But it contains many truths about magic in the natural order, the primary fact it makes is that magic is the natural order of Erdreja.

One of the most interesting points discussed are the experimentations on the direction of dimensional travel. He names the simplicity and the complexity. The theory goes as follows, if you study the pattern of a ritual circle carefully you may be able with significant use of ritual magic to change that pattern. By either making it more complex or more simple. If the pattern is made more complex then according to Rashish the wielder of the power will be transported to a realm like the starting one but less magically sound with higher degrees of technology. If the pattern is made less complex then the traveller is moved to a simpler but more magically sound realm with less complex and advanced creatures inside its natural order.

The Intriguing thing is that as he moved in the direction of simplicity the realms became more magically sound until he found himself in realms made purely of the four manifest elements. He saw creatures made of one element alone and understood the nature of the realms that the elementals came from. But then he made his grand mistake and travelled no further considered his work complete the greatest flaws in all his works.

On the world

The earliest of cartographers knew the world was rounded in some way. But the truth is all the more strange. Our world is roughly the shape of a huge egg. This may account for the differing lengths of day between the north and south as to the reasons for the apparent lack of magic in the far south I cannot tell. Maybe sunlight bears some connection with the flow of magic but I doubt it.

My next point derives from the way that magic flows, any mage worth his salt will tell you that magic comes from the void. If the void is as many claim the great expanse that surrounds our world why do the sinkholes and circles channel the magic downwards towards the ground.

Does the surface of Erdreja have some strange earthing effect on the warp and weft of magic? Or is a stranger thing true, does the void exist on the inside of the egg as well? I am at a loss to understand this. But the thing that confuses me the most on this issue are the famous pyramids of Aegyptus, they channel the power of the void upwards and into the sky. I must make a logical study and compare one of the pyramids with the wellspring.

Floris

Floris llias is a conundrum. So much power and understanding. Why does he allow himself to be bound to that useless form? This to me indicates that he has weaknesses and weaknesses can be used to change the flow of fate maybe I could win his place and lead mages into the place where they should be ruling the heartlands.

The Tomes

Centuries ago, the Four Tomes of Magic Earth, Air, Fire and Water, were constructed by the Elves of old. At the height of their power, the Lore of the Elves was such that they were able to fashion these living books as guardians of the world’s power. Yet it is plain to me that such mortal creatures could not have created these powerful items alone. The Tomes are records of all magic that has ever been, and act to calm the fluxing power that filters into the world from beyond. They are the cornerstones on which the stable nature of Erdreja is based, and act to anchor the world, in the turbulent seas of power that beset the void.

The Tomes filter the magic of the void into the world, distilling it into the basic four elemental patterns from which our world is constructed. Without such cornerstones, these patterns retain no template, and will gradually unravel themselves, jeopardising our very existence.

The Elemental templates serve as the basis of codifying all forms of magical power. They permit certain expressions of magic, and limit others. To be able to manipulate the laws of the elements is the key to understanding the fundamental principles of magic. To learn to combine and weave them together is to attain it proficiency.

To go beyond them, is to achieve its mastery.

In essence the Tomes remain both a blessing and a curse to the understanding of power. Without them, the magic would remain a truly wild creature, unattainable by all save the most foolhardy, or courageous. Yet, at the apex of such understanding as they might grant, lies the truth that they serve to limit true expression of power. Without them, one might never have achieved an ability of magic, with them, one might never attain its complete understanding.

Other forms of Power in relation to the Tomes

Incanting

There are other forms of power within this world, yet still fewer truly understand them. The powers of Faith and Belief have in their time served to shackle, bind and constrict the possibilities of power as much as the curse of the Tomes has done. These believers hold such a blinkered and blind truth in their ideals, that they serve to make them possible. Each harkens back to one amongst their number who has passed into death, yet served life and die by the ideals they follow. When expressing their power, these believers often shout the name of the one they choose to follow, naming it an Ancestor.

The belief and number of their followers limit the power of such Ancestors. As the filtered strands of power pass beyond our world, so this shared faith serves to shape and sustain an Icon of Power. The greater the magnitude of such faith, the stronger that this Icon might be.

In the abysses of the Void, and of the planes, there is an eternal war between champions of belief, as they seek to capture the ethereal patterned remnants of those who have passed from this world. This raw power is also a source of harsher sustenance to them. Indeed for all their moral platitudes, these planes are often little more than carrion grounds for spiritual vultures; preying upon the feeble patterns of the weak.

The expressions of power gained by believers of faith depend upon the gifts that are granted to them for their belief. In truth, I believe the Elder did the world a favour when they found a means to prevent the use of such power. We have enough close minded people within the world already.

Healing

In their shaping of the land, the Elder races left many paths and expressions of talent. Some remain within this world that are so attuned to its existence that they might serve to preserve it. We know their lore as the Healing magic. These Healers serve as guardians of the weave, their task to maintain its precious patterns. These chosen draw their powers from an ancient place, known as the plane of life. In ancient times, those who first fashioned our world, did so invoking the essence of the plane of life. The Oldest of legends tells of a place of magic somewhere within the world, where essence of the plane still touches our own. The Chosen speak of this place as the Source of Life.

These Chosen are amongst the weakest of our kind. Bound by their patterns as they are to the existence of this world, so they too are doomed to suffer its sickness and eventual destruction.

Their opposites lurk amongst the nether reaches of the land. By the laws of existence, both separate and a full part of the dictates of the Tomes, so all things must die and end within the weave. There are rumours of creatures who exist beyond our world, and of ancient patterns living millennia without end, yet the laws of our existence demand that life be a finite spark, and so it that all who choose to live on Erdreja will eventually succumb to death.

Mordred introducing the Element of Time is the cause of this, see The Story of Lolthiriel - Number One

Yet there are some that have chosen to fight against this law. For differing causes, some noble and others selfish, they seek to preserve their existence beyond the allotted years that are granted to them. Somehow, in their greed they believe their own arrogance will be enough to defy the law of life itself. This of course is not the case. In the end, all these wretched fools serve to do is destroy what they truly are, becoming aberrations of themselves, and remnants of what they once were. Some even become twisted enough to attempt to enforce this corrupted life upon others, and become Necromancers.

This also goes for Corruptors too - Number One

The power of a Necromancer is the most costly form of magic that exists. Indeed to begin upon the path of such an evil power, serves only to corrupt the poor fool who has chosen to make such a journey. In the end, the goals of such a creature might aspire to will not be achieved, all they will serve to do is cause pain and suffering to themselves, and to those around them. The magic of Necromancy is drawn from the Nether planes, where the laws of the weave still exist at their weakest. In these darkest and dank planes all that have suffered the corruption of this foul power gather and seek to live some semblance of the lives they once had.

In truth, all these paths are to be pitied for they pale in comparison to that of the magic. Only the magic has the potential power to work beyond the framework of our reality. Yet all paths lead back to the limits that have been placed upon our existence.

Unless you have the key to unlocking what lies beyond.

The keys to such a working lie somewhere within the lands themselves. It is my belief that the Elder races did not construct these items without a means of focussing such power first. Such a device might well require as much effort to construct as the Elemental receptacle itself. Nevertheless it must be achieved first. In current times there is no knowledge left of the location of such devices. I think the Mages Guild themselves have taken a hand in this. To remove the knowledge of powerful items is an affront to their principles, however the perceived danger of letting the untrained exploit such devices that are not clearly understood by the Grandmaster himself, might explain why they have jealously guarded the secret locations. I believe Floris llias knows where they are, and will likely reveal such secrets to no one.

A device fashioned to create an Elemental receptacle would need to be almost as powerful as the receptacle itself. This is because such a device would have to contain the powers that would be harnessed and tapped for a time, and so would need to be enduring.

It is my belief that the central ritual circle of the Imperial Capital Malkarn was such a device. Fashioned to tap energies from the void itself it is also my belief that the Ritual attempted by the College wizards that caused the cataclysm [of water, 397AF] activated this device, and triggered an earthquake that was to destroy a vast continent. If such a device had not existed beneath the circle, then I think we would not have seen such devastation no matter what the wizards had been trying to attempt. However, such is the arrogance of Mages that they must obtain more power. It was this greed that led to their undoing.

It is my belief that the Colleges participating in the ritual where unaware of the presence of the device. However I do not believe everyone was unaware of it. There are records kept at the Great Library of Norhault that tell of the Knights of the Dragon of the Empire. These small elite units were formed at the behest of Tebron himself, and were stationed to guard the Ritual Circle at Malkarn. By the time the Empire fell, I believe that the duties of these knights had become ceremonial, and that the lore of their founding had been lost.

It is my considered opinion that the Knights of the Dragon were kept at the circle to ensure that the Elder device was kept dormant, and that it did not interfere with the rituals of the Colleges. However, such was the power of the final ritual, and such was the ineptitude of the last of these knights, that the device was activated, and annihilated to surrounding lands with a magical pulse so powerful it rent the very earth.

In my exploration of texts and journeys across these lands. I have heard tales and rumours of other such ancient orders Knights. Many have proved false rumours, but others have seemed to be genuine when compared to the scant documentation of the Malkarn Order. Never numbering more than a dozen, adept at magic as well as understanding of the Blade, these knights were rigorously and secretly trained. I cannot fathom how little or how much they knew but I do believe that their incompetence caused the Cataclysm.

I believe that other such Guardians must have existed in other places so as to prevent the use of the devices. These guardians would have been distinctly different depending on where they were asked to make their homes. The need was for them to blend in, as if part of the region itself.

Other clues as to the location of such devices lie in the land itself. Whilst it is clear that the masters of such artefacts would have found some way to render them dormant, the innate magic they posses must have leaked out in some way. Thus anomalies with the lands might provide evidence to suggest location of such power.
Some distance past the Norscan Border the law of Lord Wolf ends. In these lands a scattering of peoples attempt to survive amid the harshest and coldest climes known to man, yet amongst all of these vagrants and wretched individuals I have heard of tales of a pleasant green valley that exists amidst the arid tundra. None seemed to know of its location, since otherwise they would live there themselves.

During my travels I was unable to find the valley that was spoken of. Yet I also heard strange tales of an ancient creature, made of Ice, that would walk the lands. Such a tale had become the stuff of a children's story. Yet often the simplest of truths are passed down in this way.

To the south of the Kingdoms of Arabia there is a great place known only as Doom. It is said that this place is a magical swirling storm of sands that never ends. Within it's midst, the Wizards of the South claim it holds great sand daemons of the world. No one knows who constructed it, nor where it came from, yet all fear to approach it

Further to the east there lies the capital of the once proud Southern Empire, whose name is lost in time. In the last days a great battle was fought between the sons of Tebron, and the rulers of the South. During that time atrocious magics were unleashed, blighting the land for centuries to come. The Arabian peoples named the ruined city that now remains Al Quiafiar - city of the dead.

Concerning Vampires

The powers of the Unliving are varied, and often potent. Yet, as I have made plain before, they rely on a magic that is doomed to fail, Necromancy is a fool's wizardry. It only offers immediate powers of violence owing to fewer restrictions imposed upon its teachings.

The powers of Vampires are a prime example of this. It is said that in the earliest days of the Empire, these creatures were bred to serve as generals amongst some of the Legions of Teutonia. Substantial evidence has been gathered by others and myself with a similar interest to suggest that the Teutonian kingdoms were something of an exploration ground of many who would be practitioners of this magic. Experiments were made on all levels, until such time as other more Orthodox followers of the Imperial codes sought to wipe them out.

It is during this period of the middle years of Empire that the first of these creatures seem to have been created, though it is possible that some amongst the Elder Races, found such powers long before. If they did, they would be unlikely to reveal them.

Whoever did first construct these creatures, then a tribute must go to the elegance of their work. The corruption of Vampirism is complete, warping the pattern to suit the needs of the creator. The hierarchical structure of such creatures, becoming more powerful as they age is also the work of a brilliant mind, much like the creation of the disease Lycanthropy.

However, such a route to achieve power is doomed to failure. The boundaries imposed on such creatures is immediately exposed, and the nature of their patterns renders them weak and exposed to the machinations of other Necromancers, as well as the depredation of those who practice the forgotten magics of Incantation, men such as Schadel of Khatoum.

However, if one seeks a servant of moderate power then a Vampire can prove to be a valuable tool. Intelligent, and powerful, they serve as admirable lieutenants, apart from their obvious weakness in daylight.

On the Summoning of Demons

The use of extra-planar creatures (heretofore referred to as 'demons') for personal gain is an undertaking that should be approached with a great deal of caution and only when one has made sufficient researches into the nature of the beings one intends to contact.

Many think of demons as universally evil, this is simply not the case. While many are self-serving at best, if not downright dedicated to the active pursuit of evil for its own sake, an equal number are quite the opposite. Only diligent research will allow the summoner to comprehend the nature of that which is being summoned.

The actual process of summoning can be approached in two ways: Binding or Bargaining.

Binding is the most dangerous of the two but can be the most profitable in terms of power gained. By use of research and a strong ritual group one can force a weak demon to do your will absolutely, in effect, one can enslave it. Clearly most demons will attempt to resist this form of summoning and the penalties for failure in even the smallest respect are high. Most gruesome tales of summoning gone wrong stem from a failed attempt to bind the subject. The benefits are that for as long as one holds the means of controlling the demon, it is bound absolutely to one's service in theory this servitude can extend indefinitely, in practice it tends not to.

Bargaining, on the other hand, is a relatively straightforward process that carries only minimal risk so long as one's research is accurate and diligently undertaken. In this ritual one simply needs to create safeguards against the demon's refusal rather than a means of binding it and then offer the correct inducement in return for a service performed. Although the results of this form of ritual tend to be of shorter duration than a binding, this is offset by the advantage of being relatively safe and simple to perform. In addition, it is also far less likely to awake the enmity of an entire class of demons, a fate to be studiously avoided.

Of what may be requested, there are but three forms: possession either of a being or an item, imbuing of power or a service.

To permit a demon, whether bound or bargained to possess oneself is the height of foolishness and will inevitably end badly for the poor fool who allows such a thing to come to pass. However, this is a most potent means of power and if the consequences are of little matter to the subject, such a ritual may be worth performing. It is far safer, although less powerful to have the demon possess an item, although few demons will willingly accede to this form of servitude without significant inducement and a finite duration. Even a demon bound into a non-living object will be contained for a shorter period than one bound into a living being.
The imbuing of power is a simple transference of an ability from one being to another. This can be straightforward but equally, if one demands a power dear to the demon, can be difficult to achieve without a great deal of risk or expense since, for the duration bargain or binding, the demon loses the power given to the subject.

Of the three requests, service is probably the most equitable to both demon and ritualist The exact nature of the servitude must be specified with great care though since should a demon decide it no longer wishes to carry out the service it will often attempt to twist the intent within the letter of the command, and thus escape its obligations.

Whether summoning or binding a demon, there are three things that one must first know. The creature's name (note that this does not need to be its True Name, the name that it commonly uses should be sufficient), a weapon to coerce or payment the demon will find apt, this is the most skilful part of the ritual, since weapon or payment must be tailored very specifically or it will fail. Often the True Name of the demon is sufficient to bind it in servitude for a year, but only the very foolish will rely upon this as an inducement Demons will not suffer one who knows their true name to live too long. Lastly the Ritualist will need a defence should anything go awry. Again this should be carefully considered although defences need to be of a more general nature than the inducement, in the event that something other than that which was intended is summoned.

Once a demon has acquiesced to the ministrations of the Summoner, it should be stated that the contest of wills is not over. Many creatures will look to find a loophole or missed phrase within a Bargain, whilst those Bound, will always seek to exploit the weaknesses of their new masters.

However, the profit of such a servant can be immense. The properties of creatures from other worlds, and even of those who have great power can be varied and vast Often they can perform the most difficult of tasks with relative ease, and can become far more useful than any conventional minion.

Of the Dark Years

Centuries have passed since the fall of Empire and apart from the time of the Pendragon it has taken many years to achieve anything approaching a lasting peace in the Heartlands.

One thing does disturb me; the tendency of the current Factions to glorify the era of their pasts. In the annals of Albion there exist records of all the descendants of Pendragon, and how they became kings of his realm. What the records do not state is the lawlessness of the times. The Lord Generals of Heartlands founded their kingdoms in blood and can claim no true righteous high ground over the petty criminals they might choose to hang. In the days immediately after the Cataclysm, the wars and atrocities committed were unrivalled even in the days of the Race Wars. With non but the cheapest of magic to offer support, Humans devised for themselves many interesting ways to maim and torture each other in the misguided belief that they were doing the right thing.
Within this chaos, the strongest tyrants eventually rose to the surface, and established the nations that exist today. Yet it perplexes me that the opportunity to reform the lands was not taken by the Mages Guild of the time.

Whilst it is plain that Merlin played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Lions as a Faction, and in founding Albion as a kingdom, there were nearly three hundred years in which the Guild seemed to have remained inactive. It seemed to do very little to involve itself in the politics of the Heartland nations, and was almost conspicuous in its absence in the affairs of Erdreja. It is conceivable that the Grandmasters of the time felt some form of guilt for the machinations of their predecessors, or that their efforts were completely ineffectual.

Or that something else was going on entirely.

In current times, the Mages Guild has made substantial claims as to being the Guardians of all the ritual circles in Erdreja. Yet at no time has it ever been explained how it achieved the knowledge of discovering these circles. I surmise that these discoveries have occurred some time ago as the Guild has maintained their active status for years.
It is my belief that the centuries after that cataclysm were, spent by the Mages Guild in developing the prowess of the Guild Guard and making extensive forays into unexplored regions of the world, so as to map out all the ritual circles. These journeys were undertaken for the most part in secret, as the Guild had no Emperor to answer to, and saw no need to invoke the weak nations that absorbed in destroying one another. The records of these expeditions are also not available in the Library, and so were kept from the rest of the Guild. It is my belief that the reason for this was that the Guild had already perpetuated the fact that it controlled or had ownership of all circles in Erdreja. Rather than have this obvious lie revealed, they chose instead to attempt to make it truthful. Some evidence within the Great Library does suggest that the Guild held a contract with the Empire to maintain all known ritual circles in existence. By the existence of such a document reveals the conceit of both organisations to be colossal.

Whatever the truth is, it is known that this was the period in which the mages Guild Guard established itself. Originally believed to have been a detachment assigned to the Guild by the order of the Emperor, after the Cataclysm, the Guard found itself to be the largest and best trained single fighting force in the Heartlands. It seems curious that the Grandmaster of the time did not attempt to use it in a least some small way to pacify the lawless lands. Yet it seems the price of human lives in the Dark Years was of no consequence to him.

On Gargoyles & Golems

For a time during the years of the Dark Ages it is said that the Colour Mages rediscovered the Ancient Lore on the creation of creatures. The first Gargoyles were created back in the ancient days of the Elemental Collage of Earth, and served the decadent wizards who led its ruling council.

In latter days, the College's reliance on such constructs to perform its will proved to be its undoing. Some imperfection or perfection in the workings of the wizards allowed the creatures to develop an intelligence of their own. As the Mages relaxed their guard, so the Gargoyles were less controlled.
Eventually it is said that many of the Earth Colleges fell owing to the neglect of their members, as other mages were able to simply trap and subvert such creatures.

The key with Gargoyles lies in their name. This remains true today as it was then.

Anyone who knows the true name of a Gargoyle may command its absolute obedience.

The Gargoyle will obey them to the letter and without question.

The weakness of such creature lies when they are kept in groups. If the name of one Gargoyles is known, it is easy to swiftly obtain the others, if one is clever. It requires the slip of only one stone tongue to gain the obedience of many.

However the profit of commanding such creatures is limited. Gargoyles are not highly intelligent creatures, and prove an ineffectual army. They best serve as messengers or wardens, using their abilities to brave moderate dangers to achieve the aims of their master.

The construction of a Golem is somewhat different. For the most part these creatures are less intelligent and more open to command. However, the lore of their construction, and of commanding them has been lost to us. However, should one be obtained it is possible for to cause substantial damage with such creatures. All but impervious to the effects of non-magical attack, one of such creatures is enough to defeat entire armies.

Golems are typically made of the base Elements. However, the variety of their construction is usually quite considerable in comparison to Gargoyles, who are mainly made of stone. It is plain that the arts of magic used in these efforts were refined considerably in later years.

Nevertheless neither type of creature appeals to me as useful. Such minions have already proven to be unreliable unless given constant attention, and remain limited in their interpretations of orders.

Werewolves and Other Were-Creatures

I have never understood the fascination that the populous holds with werewolves, and other were-creatures. It is a big enough hindrance in life to be a mongrel to be the product of a union between different species, to be persecuted by both races, such that there is no on race that one can calls one's own. Being hindered by the weaknesses of both races, rarely compensated by the combination of the strengths of the races - all too often I believe that we are defined far more by our weaknesses than our strengths.

But what of the were-creatures, taking one form by day and another by night, when the moon is full and bright, what a sight. Surely this is the preferred for producing hybrids? The most well-known of these is without a doubt the werewolf, but were-rats are surprisingly common, merely much harder to locate. Other were-creatures are also to be found, however during the daytime it can be very difficult to distinguish them from the mundanes.

However, why does one go to the trouble of creating a werewolf? Forget all that talk of them being natural creatures. I never did find one that was not artificially created, either by ritual, or by contamination by an existing werewolf. Let us make not quibble over minutiae, Lycanthropy (as we should be correctly referring to this affliction) is a disease, induced by artificial means. Where the inspiration for their original creation came from I do not know - I have heard tell over the years of rogue surgeons who have created hybrid creatures by physical means, perhaps a human wolf hybrid was tried and found to be a successful match?

Make no bones about it though, Lycanthropy is a disease, admittedly difficult to acquire accidentally, but still a disease. I have not heard of Healers airing it, but then I have noticed that people do not look upon it as the infection that it truly is. They are proud of the werewolves in their midst, despite the fact that when the moon is full these creatures can go on a rampage the like of which is rarely seen. Fools.

I have oft considered the form of Healing that might cure a creature with Lycanthropy. I am told that when a person is healed by a Grand Master Healer, that they have the essence of the Plane of Life channelled into them in such a pure and concentrated form that they are cured of all ailments that they are suffering, perhaps this might cure a lycanthrope? Even if it did not cure them, the mere attempt to cure them of this disorder, which is intrinsically linked to their pattern, would surely cause excruciating pain, no bad thing in my book. Perhaps this treatment might need to be combined with High Countermagic to fully cure the Lycanthropy. Perhaps some experimentation, in the cause of medical science, might be called for.

Concerning the Colour Mages

It is interesting to note that Floris Ilias once offered me the position of Colour Mage. This was an offer I turned down flat. I have no wish to be a part of his little charade, and have no stomach for the parlour tricks practised by such wizards as he had assembled around him.

In uniting the Mages Guild, Every Grandmaster since the days of Thomas the Wise has sought to obscure the power of our histories. When the Guild did not exist, the Elemental Colleges were able to explore the Aspects of Magic in their truest and purest form. The work of the Grandmaster's has been to hide these paths from the practice of each generation of apprentices, so that they might control their talents, and impose their doctrine upon all practitioners of magic.

In this little theatre, the Colour Mages stand forth as the Master's chief puppeteers. What they clamed to represent had no true power, and as such was merely a mask for their true study. These fools who would believe that we are convinced by their lies have laughed at each generation, and have taught the cheapest of tricks to any who would be blinded by their power and seek to follow them.

Is it any wonder that my exploration of the sentience of the Library of Magic show that several hundred years worth of research and study have been removed? All volumes pertaining to the codified principles of the Empire Mages no longer exist within the Libraries records, or memories. These principles were a seasoned system of Mathematics that explained the craft of magic. Ultimately, this system was flawed, as the Cataclysm clearly demonstrates, nevertheless they should prove a useful aid to anyone who would elect to learn of their own talents. But of course they no longer exist.

Beyond this plane exists a place known only to the Grandmaster and his chosen followers. It is in this place that all texts and tomes pertaining to Erdreja's magical past exist. The Library of magic has a living presence in this place, but cannot obtain access to much of its treasure owing to the arrogance and paranoia of the Grandmaster Magician.

There is only one way to this location. Only those who have been there may go there again. They are required to be invited by others. This is how the Grandmaster has managed to preserve his position, by seducing prominent wizards with the promise of access to the writings that lie beyond the reach of the Library. Yet even they have no comprehension of exactly how far his deceit stretches. Wondrous items and Artefacts created when the world was young rest within this place. Thomas the Wise fastidiously gathered the works of the Elder Races that were lost, so that the Guild might prevent any rival from standing against it, in its days of infancy.

Of course there are some Mages who had the sense to refuse the offers of the Grandmaster. What records there are demonstrate how the Colour mages have also been used as assassins to eliminate any potential rivals who might exist. In the days before Ilias' ascension, it is said there was another more talented wizard who might have proved Merlin's worthy successor. He was named Jovian. No-one knows what became of this man, yet his name still appears in the annals of the Guild in matters of theoretical excellence. It is my assumption that he was in some way done away with by Ilias on his ascendance.

The Colour Mages themselves claim to each be hundreds of years old. Whilst this might be true for those who are not human, it is less likely for the others, unless they have resorted to drastic measures so that they might continue their studies. Such a means of extended life-span can be achieved my making with bargains with Demons, or worse. Yet such is their arrogance and all consuming hunger for this petty lore, they will accept any terms on which they might remain.

Those who have managed to keep their dignity, or have not survived the despotic tasks set for them by their master have been replaced over time. However, these replacements have not been through the traditional promotion of members of the Guild. Instead elaborate efforts have been made to preserve the idea that the most powerful members of the Guild are in some way immortal. To this end, appearances have been altered or marred so as to have ordinary folk believe that the Mages have not died. The reason for this it is said, is that the Grandmaster wishes to preserve the sense of the Guild's all powerfulness that he has tried so hard to create. It is believed by many in the Guild that this illusion is necessary to maintain ordinary folks' trust in the Guild as the Caretakers of magic, and wisest of Councillors.

On the Immortal Patterns

The lore of Erdreja pertaining to the physical manifestations of the great patterns is nonsense. During my studies I have spent long hours attempting to argue the matter, by I find little evidence to suggest that such creatures should exist. For a pattern to represent an aspect of the universe so directly, that pattern would have to be of the purest form. Such a creation could not, and will not, exist within any part of the weave.

I have examined much of the lore concerning the Grandmaster Magician Floris Ilias. Whilst I acknowledge the man's tremendous power, and longevity, I refuse to believe the dogma and mysticism that he has chosen to surround himself with. Such charlatanism belongs to the practice of false wizards, and the worst of the Elder Races. To surround oneself with such obvious lies is to inhibit the growth of others in the magics. I can only surmise that such a carefully crafted web of deceit has been put in place owing to the Grandmaster's fear of rivals.

However I do believe the aspects exist in their purest form. The tomes themselves are examples of this. But as I have said before, even they are not pure or perfect. Such works would cease to exist should they achieve perfection. For anything to exist in itself it must contain a flaw. Such are the rules of our existence.

It is conceivable by this line of inquiry, that the Grandmaster might represent a different aspect of equal power to the tomes. However, such an idea is I think naïve. For Floris Ilias to have achieved mastery of an aspect of the weave he would have had to have spent countless centuries at study. Whilst the man is long lived, clear records of his birth date back to less than two hundred years ago. In the life span of wizards this is a long time, but in the age of magic, it is but a small breath.

There are rumours that circulate of other creatures that represent aspects of the powers of the world. It is my belief that these legends are a concocted heresy perpetuated by the Guild of Mages to explain this existence of itinerant powerful members who have refused to swallow the lies of their Grandmaster. The mysteries that have surrounded the legends of the Pendragon are an example to name. Whilst there can he no question that the man was a powerful warrior and king, his efforts to bring peace to Albion in the Dark Years after the Empire should be commended. However, to suggest he was anything more than a great king is foolish in the extreme. It is my considered opinion that the machinations of Corvus, Floris Ilias and the descendants of the House Karlennon have concocted the web of myths surrounding his existence. Their demonisation of the man referred to as Mordred is much the same. After all, parents must always find a reason as to why a child might disagree with them.

My second reason for believing the Grandmaster lacking is that my own studies I believe can rival his. Since rejecting the teachings of the Guild, I have found much that they do not understand. My only weakness now lies in the fact that I cannot obtain access to the Tomes themselves. Still, this is not a complete loss. Without them I am forced to compensate and to search other periapts that might grant power to my work.

In the end, for the magic to become free, the Tomes themselves must be unmade and forged anew. It is said in the darkest of writings that the Books were created by the Elves in the eldest of days. Yet in these times our understanding of the magic is so much greater. If the Tomes were destroyed then an opportunity might arise to remake them in a manner better attuned to the magic itself.

My studies on achieving this proceed a pace. I have discovered a means of obtaining the artefacts, but my means in doing so must be subtle. The weave placed upon them by the Grandmaster is strong, no less strong than the defences I have placed around my own dwelling places. Yet, some concentration upon their weaknesses, and upon the flaw that he must place in such a work may yet reveal a means of destroying him.

As for the Tomes themselves, to unmake them will require tremendous magics indeed. As I understand them, each tome is built to be the exact opposite of its counter element. Fire verses water, Air verses Earth. In this case, no water magic may destroy a Fire Tome and visa versa. Instead every effort must be made to overload the receptacle, and thus exploiting its flaw. This must also be the means of remaking such a device. To fashion a working from pure Air magic might remake such a receptacle, but a flaw must be placed within such a weave to grant it form, Therefore a magical creation of Air, might be formed of the physical matter of Earth, etc.

To you the eternal judge, I commend my scribbles, whilst enduring the torture that you have condemned me to share with the lowest forms of existence. Like a Phoenix; I yearn to fly once more, and to regain the truth of my eternal birth, and yet as languish within this fragile and foolish mortal form I know I am cursed to live within its confines and limits of endurance.

From all my investigations, I have been able to ascertain much about the inalienable truth of this world that I am condemned and shackled to exist within.

Within this land, there is a flame that burns brighter than any mortal might see or comprehend. It burns so bright, it is black, burns so hot it is cold, and feed from all that it touches.

That flame is magic.

In this land there are creatures known as moths, drawn to seductive light of a candle. In many ways, I am but a moth to the magic. I am not alone in being able to see its shimmering light, yet I am alone in understanding truly what it means.

The magic burns brightly in Erdreja. Not as brightly as it once did, yet bright enough still to suit my purpose. Once in years long past it was much brighter, those were the days of the Elder, when the races understood that the magic was part of them, as much a part of nature as their right to live and breathe. Yet in their marvelling of their existence, they lost sight of the possibility of their birthright, and so lost much of the magic they once had.

The magic remains writhing and howling within our world, yet most have lost the ability to hear its sweet screams. It is an unpredictable beast, untameable, and uncontrollable at times, yet docile and servile in others. The magic has no purpose but its own, and will accept no master, but one who would choose to share its truth, its quest.

The weaving strands of magic twist and turn throughout existence, trailing far away in the void and beyond to other worlds, some like and some not so like our own. Yet unlike other worlds, the Magic of Erdreja is somewhat docile in nature, biddable and willing, though still surprising powerful. The reason for this lies at the heart of my discoveries and remains the chief goal of my first quest.

On the construction of the Tomes

I have been rethinking the matter of the flaw that is required to hold the form of a Tome. My initial research suggested such an imperfection must consist of matter that is the antithesis of the element to be contained, such as water to fire. However, now that I have a tome in my possession, no amount of scrutiny reveals any evidence of a flaw, it appears constructed entirely of its own matrix. How this could be so when my studies prove such things cannot continue existence in the weave perplexed me for a long while.

However, I believe I now have the answer. It is known that the ritual circles have much more potential than the mundane uses they are mostly employed for. By changing their pattern they can be tuned to realms of more or less magic, depending on the simplification: or complication of the pattern. This is the key to a tomes construction, I believe the flaw is the receptacle itself, made of the most inert, non-magical matter of the tome's own element, collected from the non-magical extremities, of those realms like ours. This is why it cannot be seen, nor hinders the flow of magic. It is as a sinkhole when the tome is not used, and a well when the tome is tapped.

Though no mortal would survive in the extremities, though I would test my senses far beyond the limits Rahish gave himself, it is possible to pull raw substance through a ritual circle, pure material and pure magic, the one to contain the other. The artefacts beneath ritual circles must be used to bind these together, drawing and focussing the magic whilst the matter is given form. I believe this could be a trigger for the cataclysm, if the magic was drawn through without an appropriate receptacle to contain it. However, I still speculate on the precise method the Elders used to fashion the form of a Tome and what other forms may be fashioned.

I continue to consider performing the feat of building new Tomes myself, to tap those elements not yet manifest in our realm, but it concerns me that creating a single tome will tip the balance of our realm too severely. It is my considered option that the only way to bring such new items into our realm is to first destroy all the tomes and simultaneously recreate those required to maintain the balance, else tap some form of counter magic at the same time, but where such power would then be dissipated to I cannot fathom, certainly not to another circle, nor back the void, the feedback would be too much. Perhaps into the ritualist creating the Tome, though the risks of such a feat would be immense, failure would be a fate worse than oblivion.

On the books of light and dark

During my exhaustive studies I have found evidence of a Fifth Tome of Magic, though only a select few know of its existence, if it has ever truly existed in our realm at all. I state this as none of my studies have I found what this Tome contains, but indicate it consists of three parts, and no library contains the knowledge whether these parts were ever whole. It appears that the Tome exists in potential, rather than reality. However, I believe I have located the vessels that are the three parts, being the books of Dark and the book of Light.
Of the location of the book of Light I can only speculate, I find no evidence of its continued presence in our realm, it is my considered opinion that Floris Ilias knows only too well the potential of this book and has it concealed, with so many other artefacts, in that place beyond, where only he and his chosen followers may enter. That there is only one book I am certain, no matter how much darkness exists in the void, it takes but one single spark for it to be diminished. Such is the nature of magic, and such is the nature of light.

However, the books of the Dark, are a different matter. Having studied both, I find that although each stands complete on its own, containing all that is sustained 'by the darkness of reality, these books are indeed fragments of some greater whole. Indeed, the darkness contained within each book changes over time, passing from one book to the other, even as the pages turn. I have found, in theory at least, these books will bind to each other, though only a fool would undertake such an task. However, it does indicate the nature of the binding that would occur were these books ever to embrace to the book of light.

It is my considered option that were such an event to occur the books would totally annihilate each other, leaving something altogether different in their place. I can only speculate as to the nature of the Tome created, but I believe that it would become a Tome of Void, and hold all the mysteries that are contained within. I also firmly believe this is why the Tome was never completed, even the Elves where afraid what may happen, were such a Tome to gain a hold in our realm.