Source of Magic: The Kindred

Like the Academy and the Order, members of all races join the Kindred and commune with the spirits of nature, but its membership is overwhelmingly made up of alfar, and politically they are anything but neutral. In the Bay, they are viewed by many as focused on their own affairs and agendas, not caring for the well-being of the people if it interferes with their goals.

Primal Magic

Nature spirits are everywhere, inhabiting every rock and every tree, every ant and fish, the rivers and the mountains. Communication with these spirits is not, however, a simple matter, and requires coming to terms with yourself and your place within the world as a whole. While the Academy looks outward at the workings of the universe, the Kindred looks inward at the self, and only those who can do so gain power from the spirits.

Classes from 4th Edition D&D whose power originates from the Kindred’s teachings include: the druid, shaman, seeker, and warden. The barbarian is only somewhat connected to the Kindred, and their particular teachings are considered to be misguided, at best, and an abuse of the spirits at worst. Druids allow the spirits of animals to enter and transform them, and the others work in conjunction with spirits. Barbarians learn instead to emulate the spirits’ rage without the aid of the spirits themselves; learning this involves capturing spirits and imprisoning them within the barbarian and allowing the rage to take control. Over time the barbarian no longer needs the spirit to enter this wrathful state and it is released, but still the process angers many in the Kindred, and so barbarians often hide themselves from the more orthodox.

Structure of the Kindred

While the Kindred is treated as a single entity by most of the people of Butter Bay, it is really several, having an individual overall leader who represents their political interests. There are actually five Kindreds, each teaching a different path to power through the spirits; druids form one Kindred, shaman another, and the same for wardens, seekers, and barbarians. The Barbarian Kindred, however, is at odds with the others over their treatment of the spirits as mere means to an end rather than beings to be respected and revered. As a result, the Barbarian Kindred is not officially recognized by the others as being a member of the greater whole; on the other hand, the others have not actively tried to end the barbarians’ practices, but the consensus is that they simply have their hands full with one war. It is believed by many in the Kindred that they will put an end to the barbarians once they’ve won the war and are done destroying the Academy.

The political leader of the Kindred is the Seer, who holds their seat on the Belltower Council, but each Kindred has its own leadership as well. The druids are led by a heredity council of 3 Arch-Druids; tremendous pressure is put on the children of Arch-Druids to become a druid and measure up to their parents’ expectations. The seekers and wardens each have tournaments every 5 years to determine who is the most powerful in their ranks, and those becomes their leaders, the Arch-Seeker and the Arch-Warden. The shamans elect their Arch-Shaman every 7 years, each shaman having to come to agreement with their spirit companion before casting their vote. Finally, the barbarians, ever outside the realm of process and protocol have taken a cue from the varkers; those that have the strength to take power have, in their eyes, earned it, being known by the title of Grand Fury. The current Seer, Olwen vo Nayer is also the current Arch-Seeker, and is the nephew of the eldest of the Arch-Druids, Graeden vo Nayer, and cousin of the youngest, Floras vo Nayer, Graeden’s daughter.

Joining the Kindred

Becoming a member of the one of the Kindreds begins with expressing and interest. There is no school to attend, no study of books or memorizing of scripture, you seek out a willing teacher and learn to commune with the spirits. As simple as that sounds, it usually takes a long time, and many who try give up in frustration. The truth is that there is no one thing that you can really do to force it to happen, the spirits will not speak to you until they deem you ready, and the vast majority of people never will be. As with so much about the Kindred, the process depends on which Kindred's teachings you pursue.

Seekers and wardens have much in common, and most seekers choose a warden to be their spouse, and vice versa. They focus primarily on meditation, exploring your inner self to reach an understanding and tranquillity that the spirits will respect. Meditation is supplemented with learning martial skills, such as the proper use of weapons. Once contact is eventually made with the spirits, the true work begins; the prospective seeker or warden must earn the trust of the spirits and learn to direct them, using a weapon as a conduit for the spirits’ power. Those who choose to fight from a distance become seekers, and those who fight up close become wardens. The two styles complement one another, and having a seeker and a warden together proves extremely potent.

For shamans it is not about reaching a goal, a point when one can wield the spirits power like a hammer, rather it is all about the journey, forming a relationship with one particular spirit. Shamans often use mind-altering herbs and mushrooms to aid the exploration of the spirit world and the self. A prospective shaman will spent many long hours simply wandering within their own mind, searching the spirit world for that one spirit that is their match. In a way, the process is almost like dating, as student and spirit get to know each other before deciding that there is a match or isn’t. Once the shaman has found his or her spirit companion the two are inseparable, learning absolutely all there is to know about the other. Perhaps ironically, shamans are usually single, very few engaging in romance with other mortals, in effect they are married to their spirit companion; it is even said by some that when a shaman dies their spirit companion passes on with him. Though rare, occasionally a shaman will do something to damage the bond with their companion and the spirit will choose to leave. Because a shaman’s power is derived from the bond with his companion, in these cases the shaman must seek a new companion, or attempt to reconcile with their original.

When learning the ways of the spirits, druids often journey into the wilderness alone. They do this to better observe nature without the interference of civilization and industry. They meditate, study the weather, they study the trees and animals, sometimes they even stalk animals or live among them. The end result is a deep understanding of the creatures and forces of nature, which allows them to will the spirits into aiding them. Druid are often considered the most reasonable of all the Kindred, often considering and weighing all the factors before making a decision. Once that decision is made, however, they will defend it to the last, no matter what new evidence comes to light.

Finally, the practices of the barbarians have already been discussed. Many that become barbarians are students of the other Kindreds who found themselves unable to reach the spirits, unable to succeed in their goal, and so they choose to take an easier route to power; if the spirits will not give their power then it must be taken from them. Barbarians are usually fairly short-sighted, even a danger to themselves when in a state of rage. They are incredibly protective of their own, however, and view an insult to one barbarian as an insult to all.

Friday: The Human Race

Source of Magic: The Academy

As a school of the arcane, the Academy has had to face a certain amount of adversity during the time of the Freeze. Its primary detractors are those who associate arcane magic with Bishal, a claim that, though unproven, they use to undermine the Academy’s support and keep it out of the Belltower council.

Arcane Magic

Whereas divine magic springs from the gods and their institutions, and primal magic is derived from the natural spirits of the world, arcane magic is more abstract. The arcane arts generally involve learning about the way the world works, and then altering the balance; manipulating reality to achieve specific effects. Some have to work long and hard to be able to do this, others are simply born gifted, and others still gain their abilities through dangerous bargains with sinister beings.

Classes from 4th Edition D&D that would be associated with the Academy include: the wizard, swordmage, artificer, and bard. While the sorcerer and warlock are arcane classes, you would most likely not have attended the Academy if you belong to those classes. Because sorcerers usually have an inborn talent for magic they would not require, or usually desire, further education on the subject. Warlocks, instead of learning the arcane arts through hard work and study, gain their power from a pact with some greater power. Depending on who their pact is with, a warlock may need to hide the source of their power, which might ultimately lead them to attend the Academy as a cover.

Structure of the Academy

The Academy is both an organization made up of people who have attended and graduated from the institution, and the name of the institution itself. The Academy grounds, in the elben capitol Garstang, houses the marble-walled buildings for the various Schools of magic. Each School covers a different area of study, but students are not restricted to education in any specific school unless they wish to be. The Schools are led by a member of the Academy that is given the title of Grandmaster and is well versed in the ins and outs of that specific area. Most of the actual teaching is done by simple Masters, who spend time with the students, often one-on-one.

The leadership of the Academy as a whole is twofold; first there is the Academy Board that makes the major decisions as a group by vote, second is the Headmaster who serves as the public face of the Academy and sets the tone and direction of the administration. Both the members of the board, called Boardmasters, and the Headmaster are elected by the general membership of the Academy, ie. past graduates. Once elected to a position, the elected individual holds that post until death or resignation. The leadership structure of the Academy was originally based largely on that of the Order.

Attending & Joining the Academy

The first thing that needs to be mentioned is the nature of the Academy. It can most easily be described as a university or college for magic. It is not, however, Hogwarts; students are not seen throwing magic at one another casually or using enchanted quills to write papers. Magic is considered serious business. In light of that, getting a place at the Academy is no easy matter; though there is not a set limit on the quantity of students, there is a definite limit on the quality of students. Students who do not live up to the high standards of conduct are ejected from the Academy, either temporarily or permanently, depending on the severity of their transgression.

The first step in attending the Academy is to be tested for you aptitude. A master from the Academy will administer the test, which is a combination of pure knowledge, potential for understanding the complexities of the workings of the universe, physical strength and dexterity, and many other smaller topics. Each section of the test adds to your overall score, and though you need not score high in all areas, a certain score is required to be accepted as a student. Students who score too low on the test are rejected outright, while those who score in a certain grace zone are allowed to study privately with a Master for a year before being re-evaluated for admittance; a potential candidate who fails the test a second time is rejected and not allowed to test again.

Like many universities and colleges, the Academy’s usual program is four years long, though students of exceptional talent and potential are allowed to study for longer if they wish. How you scored on the various sections of the aptitude test will determine the topics of instruction for your first six months, and your master for those lessons persists as you Advisor for the rest of your time at the Academy. After this initial period, you are allowed to choose the topics that interest you most, assuming there is an available Master willing to take you as a student. Study is long and hard, and students are expected to work every day except Volands, when they are allowed time to rest and attend service at the kirkhall. Your personal experience at the Academy will depend largely on your topic of study, and the personality of the Masters teaching you.

At the end of you fourth year at the Academy you are considered fit for graduation. In a ceremony with little fanfare you are awarded the title of Master yourself, and you become a full-fledged member of the Academy. Many students may develop a strong bond with their Advisor, and it is not uncommon for a the Advisor to give a graduation gift to the student, often a signet ring made from a deep purple alloy called hepatizon. The exceptional graduates who wish to continue their studies are given the additional title of Adept and allowed to remain as students. Even those Masters who do not continue to study under another often conduct magical research and experiments of their own.

Friday: Population & Demographics

Source of Magic: The Order

Of the governments and organizations in the Bay, only one holds near-universal reverence and respect. The Order is the church of the people of the Bay, tending to their spiritual needs and attempting to bring the different races together.

Divine Magic

Magic related to the gods, primarily Voland (and Orich), is mostly the domain of the Order. Students are usually taught how to use the holy light to heal, but it is also possible to use divine power to strike your enemies.

Classes from 4th Edition D&D that would fall under the purview of the Order include: the cleric, paladin, invoker, runepriest, and to a lesser degree the monk and avenger. Being a monk might mean you have gone to the Silver Keep or an abbey, but have only just begun your training, or perhaps that you have chosen to focus your contemplation inward upon yourself rather than outward on the gods and the world at large. An avenger would most likely be an attendant of an abbey and has been schooled in the specific dogma of that institution rather than the Order.

Structure of the Order

Internally, the Order is divided into six sects, each serving a different portion of the population of the Bay. Each sect is indentified with a colour that also corresponds to the people or nation it primarily serves: red for the uruks, blue for the elben, green for the alfar, yellow for the humans, purple for the hodekin, and white for the yadekin. Leading the sects are the High Keepers, two for each, generally a man and a woman (though obviously this isn’t the case for the Purple and White Sects). A High Keeper is usually elected to the position by the other Keepers of their sect, and in turn the High Keepers elect the Deacon, who leads the Order as a whole.

The Silver Keep, in the human town of Dunstable, is the headquarters of the Order. It is the permanent home of the Deacon, and is also the primary residence of many High Keepers. Part of the Silver Keep is the priory where new Keepers are educated. Master Keepers from each sect teach their new inductees the ways of the Order.

In addition to the Silver Keep, there are a number of smaller abbeys scattered around the Bay that may teach slightly differing versions of the faith. While most of these are at least acknowledged by the Order as valid, the Blackwood Abbey on Perry Island is an exception. The Order has officially rescinded the membership of any Keeper, Brother, or Sister associated with Blackwood Abbey, but that does not prevent them from continuing to use their titles and preaching their own hateful form of the faith.

Joining the Order

The choice to enter the Order is not one to be taken lightly as it usually defines your life from that point onward. Generally, a prospective student would first attend personal lessons with his or her local Keeper learning the Libram, their holy text, in great detail. Going to the priory at the Silver Keep can only be done on the recommendation of a Keeper, so the Keeper teaching you the Libram decides when and if you are ready to take that next step.

If you are accepted into the priory, you journey to Dunstable and begin your real training. As a student, you are granted the title of Ember; you are recognized as a member of the Order, but you are not granted all the rights and responsibilities of a full Keeper. Ember training lasts for a minimum of three years, but can last longer if your teachers, the Master Keepers, do not deem you yet ready. Lessons taught include healing, defence, deeper understanding of the scripture, as well as lessons in how to counsel others in times of crisis.

When it is time for your full ordination, there is a ceremony performed on the first day of the new year, the day after Nighsend. Each Ember vows to remain devoted to the Order and to Voland (or Orich), to defend and protect the innocent from harm, and to use the holy power and their knowledge for the benefit of the people. Part of the vow of devotion to the Order and Voland (or Orich) is agreement not to marry or become romantically involved with others. In addition, a small sacrifice of blood is required of each Ember. The blood is mixed together with that of a rabbit and then used to mark a circle (the symbol of the Order) on the Embers’ foreheads. Finally, at the end of the ceremony, as each Ember is granted the title of Keeper, they are given a pendant of a silver circle, called an annulus, which serves as a reminder of their vows.

If you join an abbey instead of attending the priory at the Silver Keep, your experience may differ from the norm. Most who join abbeys do eventually attend the priory as well, but not all. Those who never attend the priory, but are still acknowledged by the Order, are granted the title of Brother or Sister. The vow of a Brother or Sister varies from abbey to abbey, and some may even allow marriage or romantic relationships. Non-Keepers, however, are never granted many of the rights of the Order, such as performing marriages, and also never receive an annulus, but may wear a silver ring on their right ring finger.

Friday: The Hallows Festival