Peredhil Posted October 24, 2001 Report Posted October 24, 2001 Originally posted on Archmage Conservatory Stories. I A short suggestion on how Land in Archmage might work. In Eons past, the world was bound and strictured by Order, championed by Science. In the fullness of Time, Entropy lifted Her eternally dying hand, and grasping Chaos, thrust Him back into the Heart of Terra. Magic burst along forgotten Lei Lines, ripping asunder the Orderly plates riding the molten magma. Atomic Strong Forces and Weak Forces began to shift and fluctuate. Lands began to move, live, and gain a primal spiritual Self-Awareness. Power attracts Power, and man adapts to environment so-as to adapt environment to himself. In these latter times, Mages arose. The Mages possess the innate capabilities to bind lands together, to soul-bind the creatures to themselves and the lands, protecting them from the randomizing Chaos effects. Acres are not large, the kingdoms of today wouldn't be considered much compared to the Cities of Order. But when you consider that each acre is ferreted out of it's quantum hiding, tamed and bound to the Mage's life, a new perspective opens. Implicit corollaries quickly spring to mind. It is easier to absorb already tamed land, such as that of another Mage. A large number of soul-bound warriors invading the lands of another Mage assist in the Unseen battle – the struggle to strip a Mage of their hard-one lands. For this purpose, the Land-Absorption, any type of creature will do, whether sheep, starving peasant, or Dragon. It is the quantity of the soul-bound that rips loose the land-bindings, not the quality. But the bindings cannot be broken until after the battle is won – quality does matter there! Of course, battle summoned creatures and an Allied Mages’ creatures won’t help in the Land-Absorption – they are not soul-bound to the attacking mage. Another obvious point – the living lands float and whirl like leaves in a sea of World Chaos. The Wilderlands have a primitive aversion to being found; they whisk and twirl away. Once found, they must be bound to the Mage, a process that literally enlarges his soul, providing a strange exhaustion. Finding and binding creatures is also time and power-consuming. Each Mage’s land performs this stately whirling dance as well, shifting and moving in arcane patterns along the Lei Lines of Power. The neighbor of today may be gone tomorrow. Powerful Mages can influence the paths of their land, like a navigator at the helm of a large unwieldy ship, to seek out other specific Mage’s lands. The linking and passage of soul-bound troops leaves a living Signature that even the dullest Mage can trace back for a limited time, allowing for Counter-attacks. Fortunately, a fragile Order still remains, embodied in the Counsel. It does what it can to impose Protection and Justice to all, but wars with the Chaos imbued nature of the Mages themselves. Who can protect the Mages from themselves? Entropy laughs… II A reply to a question about Order and Chaos. The Mage who balances Order and Chaos stands poised in a satori experience, able to flow flexibly into any path, to act on Life and Power rather than reacting. Balanced in the doorway of enlightenment, they converse with Dieties and become the Favored One. Bringing the Light of Understanding back into the world, they are cursed by the foolish as Promethian, and sought by the wise for the koans and parables they speak III The Thread-killing Whimsical Final post. The Holy Writings have come down to us from the Cities of Order in fragments. Some proverbs, such as "Gyre and Gimble in the Wabe" are obvious prophetic utterances referring to Moderators and other Immortals. But what of others? Thanks to the Holographic iMagery techniques of the Blue Phantasm divisions, Azule and Cerulean, we have pieced together some of these ancient wisdoms. For example, the ancient Bards told us "The Words of the Prophets are written on the Subway walls." Research has linked Subways with the Earl of Sandwich, a relative of the Duke of Earl and the Beef of Wellington. Where's the Beef? A further scrap of twisted parchment elaborates: There once was an Emperor of France, Who directed his stacks to advance. He ordered well-done, the Beef Wellington, But ended with blood on his pants. We reverently approach that we may learn wisdom, hesitant to tip the vessel of knowledge. Many phrases possess obscure meaning that is disengages the Logical Mind and frees the Creative Mage Mind to comprehend. Consider: There once was a man from Nantucket, Who kept his wisdom in a bucket, He wished for a flute - Or rather a lute! Nirvana sounds should he pluck it. Deep wisdoms containing the seeds of history. Prophetic utterances whose full meaning remains dark even to the Ascendant among us. Could this refer to Canid? Fenrir? There was a wolf from Rome who whelped warriors on her throne Fed on wine and thighs they grew to be wise And in Legions roamed far from home. We are humbled before these ancient Bards. But rather than being defeated by obscurity, we must consider the implication for our present! Consider the Unbound, those whose Mages have died. The plight of the Starving Peasant, the Mercenary warriors. We all know and witness the greed of the Priest! The price of donations! What Bounty Hunter would not charge high prices for his services, knowing the cost of admission to a Temple, in hopes of Godly acceptance and promotion to Knight Templar? Consider in our Power-wracked world, for just a moment if you will, consider the horror of Not Belonging to a Mage? Of hiding in the Tavern, having no control over the roaming lands outside. Of being hired by callous mages, housed in barracks with Lichs or Zombies! Wouldn't you save money to buy training, to find a home, a Mage willing to accept you into his soul? Always questions. I have no answers.
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