#cycle mind

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: The Elves

Celdos reveal, your grace.

In an age before the first of Men stepped through the long closed Gates into this world, the elves had lived and ruled and prospered. Just as humanity is split among many nations and tribes, so too were the elvish people.

Many of these peoples were lost in the Grey Doom that preceded mankind’s arrival. But five of the great nations remain in some form or another. Each centers one of the Cycle elements as keystone of their culture. In this way, they have become the nigh undisputed masters of that element.

The five nations are as follows: Kwaycha, the Mind elves; Tereshi, the Spirit elves; Magoean, the Body elves; Ulkan, the Grey elves; and Denosa, the Green elves.

The Kwaycha

The Mountain Elves, the Mind Elves, the Farseeing Elves – can be found in the northern mountain tops, in cities carved from the living stone slopes. The greatest of these is Huaca, the golden city of sunrise. Rope bridges cross the gaps of the treacherous heights, traversed by swift runners. In distant markets, they are known for their teas and the soft furs of their llamas.

Long have they been counted as the friends of the Hydrisian people, the wisdom to the Northman’s might. The greatest of their Mind mages is known as the Sapa Kwaycha, a figure renown for their wisdom both in the Pactlands and beyond.

The Tereshi

The Tower Elves, the High Elves, the Spirit Elves – dwell in mighty city-states surrounding Tortoise Lake. The twelve greatest of these cities lead the rest in an ancient federation known as the Dodecopolis. A cultured land of wine and olives, storied and proud.

More than any other elven nation, the Tereshi are skilled metalworkers, their soldiers covered in elegant suits of plate and scale. Spirit magic protections allow them to manipulate the searing metal in ways unheard of by lesser smiths. Combined with their talents for masonry, their competition with the dwarven people has been long and unending.

The Magoean

The Swamp Elves, the Enduring Elves, the Body Elves – live in the vast swamp lands that bear their name. There, they find the eternal balance between life and death which hones their skill in their magic. And death often seeks them – their cursed kin of the Ageless Court have long sought to subjugate them, but the Magoean are forever beyond their reach.

The Magoean dwell in large tribes hidden away in higher ground and drier spots of the great Swamp. Their arts in medicine are nearly unmatched, save for Luman’s temple, and even they make pilgrimages to the tribes to further their craft. Aside from this, the Magoean are content to adhere to their ways and do not seek the outside world.

The Ulkan

The Jungle Elves, the Lost Elves, the Grey Elves – once made their homes in vast cities perched upon jungle rivers and lakes. But the Grey Doom, born by their desperation, hit them the hardest. They taught their arts to those that found them, then folded space to hide their remaining civilization.

Occasionally, the Ulkan reappear to trade or speak with those that still dwell in the mundane world. Islands that shimmer into existence, cities that appear in reflections. But always they return to their hidden realm, safe and distant from those that would steal their secrets.

The Denosa

The Forest Elves, the Elves of the Longhouse, the Green Elves – who live in many towns and villages deep within their woodlands. They are bound together in a loose confederacy of tribes. At Old Woman Town, their elders and wise women meet in a grand council to decide the course that the Confederacy will take.

The Denosa are famed for their archery and skill at woodcraft, but most of all their weaving. It is said that their long-ago ancestors learned the art at the foot of the Spider God. If it is true, then it explains also their affinity for the giant spiders that share the forest with them. Alone of the peoples of the continent, they have learned how to consistently harvest and spin the webbing into the finest golden silk, prized across the continent for its beauty and wondrous properties.

Remember, your grace. The elves are an ancient people in a world that has long been dangerous. It is the height of foolishness to underestimate them.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (The Caravans)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

The will of the gods is seen to by their mortal servants, but not all the servants of the gods toil in temples. Indeed, some never stop in their travels. It should come as no surprise that Celdos’ faithful devote their lives to the road.

Known as the Celdorite Caravans, they are well known across the continent and beyond for their wanderings often take them to its distant corners. It is commonly believed that their travels are aimless, but in fact they plan their routes out quite carefully, with a single Caravan making circuitous routes across swathes of the continent.

They acquire goods and supplies as they move, though how they do so changes between Caravans. Fortune telling, circus performances, flea markets, acting troupes, musical shows, or even simply labor. As they pass through many lands, there is no one people that looks much at all like the Caravaneers, though they often favor many layers of flowing garb dyed in a myriad of hues.

The Caravans bring a spark of joy or at least intrigue wherever they go. They gather (and are quick to share) news and rumors, drawing both peasantry and nobility to their shrouded wagons. It is not uncommon for some to become so infatuated with the Caravans that they leave their old lives behind to join them.

As devotees of Celdos, their ranks hold many Mind mages. This is often used to enhance their performances, but also makes them a valuable source of knowledge. In many areas, the most powerful Mind mages will be found in the Caravans. Indeed, the Temple Knights of Celdos can often be found riding along with the wanderers.

Though, of course, in the dark days of the Empire’s fall they often had to make use of that Mind skill to evade desperate mobs searching for scapegoats.

Regardless, the Caravans remain a thread that ties distant places together. Not only through their traveling, but through the stories they tell about the places they have been.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (Temple Knights)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

The gods act in many ways. Rarely do they act directly.

Much more often, rather than shows of direct power, they rely upon the actions of their trusted servants and the day-to-day works of the faithful. For most purposes, this is sufficient.

But the world is seldom peaceful. Evil creeps into the hearts of men and dark powers toil against life itself. At times, a strong sword arm and a will of iron are needed to see the will of the Trine through.

For this, there are the Temple Knights.

Officially founded during the reign of Evander the Resolute, last of the Four Good Emperors, they are the militant arm of the Temples. Each of the Trine has their own force of Temple Knights. Neither Elak nor Dagwos have knights sworn to their service.

They all share a handful of duties – protecting holy sites, defending the priesthood, and championing the faithful. Beyond this, each order is focused on widely differing tasks as befits the deity that they are sworn to serve. Certain sects may arise with the orders focusing upon one specific duty above the others; most Temple Knights, however, can be seen as ‘generalists.’

First are the Temple Knights of Lumanox – the Hospitallers. Once the most numerous of the orders, they suffered greatly at the hands of Empress Soleil. Their primary monastery in Dulinor was destroyed by the Empress, along with a large share of their full members.

(edit: found the artist! @onaxart)

Blessed by the gods of life and death, the Hospitallers walk a fine line between the two. Luman tasks them with matters of healing. They are battlefield medics and traveling master surgeons. Nox tasks them foremost with putting the dead to rest, making them the continent's finest undead slayers.

Generally, their Truesilver blades are meant for the dead – with oaths to not harm the living – but a rare few professions are their eternal enemies. Necromancers are slain on sight by Hospitallers, and torturers are as likely to meet the same fate as not.

Next are the Temple Knights of Celdos – the Wayfarers. Most often seen in metropolitan cities or on the road, they are considered a lucky omen by any who travel.

(art by cremi draws on instantgram)

Their duties are the most eclectic of the Temple Knights. Primarily, they are charged with ensuring the safe travel of wanderers, scattering pirates and bandits, and protecting Celdorite Caravans. In addition, they find themselves as translators and scribes. Some are tasked with collecting rare or lost texts for libraries, or searching for long lost ruins.

There is no telling exactly what a given Wayfarer will be doing at any given time. But the grand majority of them spend their time traveling, with only a rare few being tasked to guard truly precious sites of knowledge.

Finally, the Temple Knights of Boucassan – the Arbiters.

(art by @redlerred7)

An uncommon sight in royal courts, the Arbiters ensure the just application of law and are often seen representing the weak against their masters. They investigate accusations of corruption and mediate disputes between rebels and lords. They are also charged with upholding the customs of war: they guarantee the safety of truces and ceasefires, oversee prisoner exchanges, and ensure treaties are upheld.

As the gods of justice also possess the power to dissolve oaths, lords who earn the Arbiters' ire often find their vassals and levee troops abandoning them.

Arbiters are the most heavily militaristic of the orders. Each wears the heaviest armor they have access to, often being covered head to toe in plate armor. Further, as masters of Spirit, their fury is unmatched in much of the continent.

Do not earn the ire of the Temple Knights just as you would not their masters.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (Celdos)

Celdos reveal, your grace. A particularly apt greeting for today’s subject. For now we turn our attention to the great gods Celdos.

We reach the end of the Five Who Are Ten. Already we have spoken of the four other pairs: Lumanox, gods of life and death. Boucassan, gods of justice above and below. Dagwos, the gods of nature. Elak, the gods of power.

Now we reflect upon the last and most complex of the gods – Celdos, the gods of wisdom and knowledge.

(art by @noanieactuallydrawingalot)

Celdos.

These gods are tied to Mind. The subtle shift of perspectives brought on by experience. The understanding granted by knowledge. The endless pull between teaching and learning, and how easily one can switch between them.

Unlike the other pairings, each half of Celdos bears the name Celdor. Indeed, some argue if there are two Celdor at all or if it is simply one god wearing two masks. In either case, each Celdor is known by their epitaph – Celdor the Storyteller, and Celdor the Traveler.

Celdor the Traveler, the Laughing One, Lady Luck, the Righteous Hedonist, Lord of the Forked Road - the deity of luck, travels, and experience. The Traveler lives up to their name and spends all waking moments searching for what lays beyond the horizon. They are the veins that bind distant places together, the joy of discovery and sharing.

Their temples are the crossroads and inns, their hymns the sound of foreign songs eagerly shared. They take on the form of any who ever walked beyond sight of their homes. And though the Traveler is fond of trickery and deceit, there is rarely malice to their mischief - though woe betide those who break sacred hospitality.

Celdor the Storyteller, the Smiling One, the Muse, the Sage, Lady of the Secret Chords - deity of knowledge, lore, and art. The Storyteller lives immersed in tales and art, always seeking to understand what the Traveler has found and bind together the gathered notes into one beautiful song. They the spark of sudden inspiration, and the dawning moment of clear revelation. Prayers to them come from many lips. Sages and artists. Strategists and minstrels.

The Storyteller is the joy of learning and creating. Their holy places lay in the scent of old tomes and a blank canvas. Their prayers are the sound of quill against parchment and chisel against stone. Though they bear a deep love of lore, the Storyteller knows some things are best left forgotten, and some knowledge comes at too great a price to gain.

As befits gods whose domain spans knowledge and travel, their priests can be found along the roads and deep within the great cities where they guard carefully collected lore. The Celdorite Caravans travel for love of it, often performing for the cities they visit.

In keeping with Celdos’s virtues, you have heard all that I have had to say upon the gods. Take pride in this, but just for a moment. Remember: There is always more to learn.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: Cultural Studies (The Felfolk)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

To the north and east lays a land caught between rolling mountains and the storm tossed sea. A place of gray skies and mist shrouded forests and endless flowing rivers and springs.

This place is known as the Fells, and its people are called the Fellish, or the Felfolk. Since time immemorial they have dwelt in that ancient land. Even their tales cannot give a name to any home they had before it.

In its last century of life, the Empire launched numerous wars against once-friends. The Year of Burning Boughs. The Siege of Long Winter. But first and most ferocious of all was the Conquest of the Fells. Though it was never complete, the claws of the Empire raked deep furrows into flesh and bark.

Historically, the Fells was made up of twenty four or so realms. The borders and names change. Some have kings. Others princes or chieftains. Some are confederacies of tribes pulled together by common bonds. These realms fought each other as much as any outsider.

Currently, a third of these realms are occupied in some way by Magnians. Some have been fully colonized; others are ruled by the Marcher Kings, formerly the lords of the Empire’s borders.

Culture varies wildly across such a space, but there are constants to the churning chaos. All Fellish realms recognize the bard and the druid as cultural touchstones. The terms may be foreign, but they describe something known.

Bards are Mind mages and keepers of lore and songs. It is said that poetry sings in Fellish blood like no other and bards are the greatest proof of this. They travel the Fells, bringing news to distant corners and being gladly fed and housed by all, from the lowest peasant to kingly halls.

Druids are Green mages who barter and bargain with Green spirits on behalf of the Fellish people. Any village worthy of the name has a druid to attend to it. Some watch over the beasts of the wilds; others ensure the health of a region. Their wisdom is considered sacrosanct, scorned only by fools.

Abroad, the Felfolk are known for the crafts of loom and woodcarving, most of all the latter. When a great tree falls, it is considered a solemn duty to ensure that none of its beauty leaves the world and so great care is given to ensure its wood is used in gorgeous words. Fellish lutes, harps, and flutes are some of the finest on the continent for this reason – as well as their great war bows.

We could spend a year and a day in study of the Fells, but the candle draws short now.

Celdos guide you

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: Object Counters

Celdos reveal, your grace.

We have discussed the core tenets of magic already, as well as each element in detail. Yet, it is known among the wise that magic does not exist solely as pure energy, but often settles into the world at large. All things are infused with magic to a greater or lesser extent, with many playing host to several elements at once.

Among the multitudes there are some objects so heavily infused with a single element that they become powerful channels of their element. These are known as the ‘Object Counters’, as their most frequent use is to foil the natural counter to their given element.

Five such Object Counters are well known across the continent and subsequently sought after for their unique properties.

(All art made by @ohsweetsweetie)

Green – Gloomwood Tree

The first sprout of the Gloomwood was said to have sprouted in the aftermath of the Grey Doom which nearly consumed the Elvish peoples in ages past. A remarkable tree, it is believed to be a gift from Dagma to heal lands ravaged by the Grey, consuming it from the land when all other life cannot abide it.

Yet this strange feeding has its effects upon the tree. Its bark is black as coal, and the wood is much the same but with a purplish gleam to it. Its fronds are much like a willows’ except that the leaves are bare skeletons of veins, white leaves that clatter like bones in the wind.

Being representative of Green’s adaptability, even in the face of its opposite, the Gloomwood thrums with Green power. Its lumber is often used to make strongboxes to hide its contents from seers and diviners. And into a forest of Gloomwoods, no magical vision can pierce.

Body – Unicorn Blood

Life force is carried by the vital essence of living things. For most creatures, this means their blood. Blood is a valuable tool against – and, for the less scrupulous, bartering currency with – the forces of the Grey.

Of all living creatures, there are none with so deep and powerful a well of life force than the mighty unicorn. The blood of a unicorn makes for an unmatched reagent when used as part of a summoning circle, banishing ritual, or exorcism. Even the worst Demon Lords and righteous Celestials would struggle to break a bond forged from unicorn’s blood.

Knowing this, and with their tremendous skill of healing, unicorns have been known to give of their blood freely in times of great need. Those that take the blood by force often find that unicorns are no easy prey and Body magic can as easily drain life as restore it.

Mind – Spidersilk

There exists in the lands spiders of unusual size and strength, infused by the Green. Their silk is of remarkable strength and holds a number of fantastic qualities, but the only people to have skill at weaving sufficient to the task of crafting it are the Green Elves of the Denosan Confederacy.

It is said that the Denosans learned the art of weaving at the foot of a spider god, one of Wose’s many Green spirit children. Regardless of the history, Denosan skill alone has produced this wondrous material.

Though it is made by those skilled in the Green and from monsters of the same, it is actually aligned with Mind. The weak fibers are woven together by unknown art into something tougher than even many metals, all while capturing the light with a golden hue.

The primary buyers of spidersilk are the Hydrisians. Being made of Mind, it is all but impervious to their Spirit magic and makes for sails of unmatched quality.

Grey – Meteorite Iron

In the cosmic dance of the heavens, it is known that occasionally stone may be cast from on high and crash upon the world. Having been so close to the Cosmic Infinity, these stones are deeply infused with the might of the Grey. Most numerous of these stones are lumps of what may have once been common iron.

Yet this iron takes to the forge with greater ease than its terrestrial kin, and its metal carries with it a sheen of blue, as though a shard of the skies had been folded by hammer and tongs.

Many unusual traits have been associated with tools forged of meteorite iron. It is known as the favored metal for dwarven Forge Sages, but no two objects are exactly alike in capabilities. The dwarves have more skill than most in imposing their will upon the unruly metal, but their arts are well guarded.

The universal trait of Meteorite Iron lays in its effectiveness against Green Spirits and most especially the Fae. Alone out of all the weapons on the world, Meteorite Iron can deal lasting injury to such creatures and thus they fear it terribly.

Spirit – Oughtn’t Glass

It is said that Boudicca, bitterly angry at continuing injustice in the world, vents her frustration by throwing bolts of lightning at unoccupied shores. One notable place is the Storm Wracked Isle east of Hydris, where only their most courageous sailors dare go.

This is one explanation offered for the material known as Oughtn’t Glass – also called Furyshards and Lightning Glass. What is known of it is that it is found on beaches after storms, most commonly on the Storm Wracked Isle. No process known is capable of replicating Oughtn’t Glass – only lightning striking sand can forge it.

Once formed, Oughtn’t Glass can be shaped with the careful application of flames conjured by Spirit – no mundane flame can manage it. Likewise, it is all but indestructible save by Spirit or contact with Gloomwood.

Many are the uses for an indestructible glass – but its use is heavily restricted. A weapon made of the stuff is phenomenally lethal. Not simply for having an unbreaking, sharp edge, but also because its inherent Spirit energy weakens any attempts to use Body magic to heal wounds caused by it.

[jarlshall]

Character Dossier: High Priest Telvant

(art by @ohsweetsweetie)

The temple of Luman and Nox do not have a strict hierarchy per se. Instead, they have bonds of respect and wisdom gained from seniority.

High Priests are the heads of temples and manage the day to day affairs of the holy grounds. They attend to ritual and see the tasks of Luman the Bare Foot King and Grandmother Nox are done in the mortal realm. Grander temples with greater flocks and placed close to great lords and nobles are looked to for leadership.

There is no greater temple in all the faith – or, indeed, any faith – than the Cathedral of Dawn Resplendent in Dulinor. There, Luman presided as priest in his mortal days. There, the ranking holy man is named the High Priest of the Sun and Moon.

In this benighted age, that position is filled by Telvant, an old man of tremendous skill and faith.

In his youth he mastered Body magic through the teachings of Luman and Magnian tradition. Then he sojourned in the Abyssal Swamps, learning from the medicine men of the Magoean tribes.

Through the combined wisdom of their peoples, he achieved a rare feat: Grandmastery of Body. The years that lay upon his body are no weight upon him. This he wears like a cloak, in utter command of his own life force.

High Priest Telvant is perhaps the greatest Body mage to be found upon the continent. If wound, sickness, or injury might be healed by mortal means, then through Telvant it can be done.

Kind yet stern, Telvant guides the Temple with hands calloused through a lifetime of mending, seeking the dawn at the end of this long night.

Nationality: Magnian (Dulinorite) Magic Specialty: - Grandmaster of Body - Expert of Mind - Expert of the Green

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage VII: On Magic (Mind)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

Once more we return to the Cycle Wheel. Here lies the turning point – two elements are behind us. First the Green, life force of the world. Then Body, the life of individuals. Now the wheel turns ever on and we come to the next element: Mind.

As smoke from flame, tangible Body turns to more ephemeral things. Thought and reason. Emotion and belief.

Mind is the magic of knowledge – both seeking, and guarding. It deals in divination, the uncovering of truths hidden from more mundane senses. It also deals in illusion, tricking the senses into perceiving what is not there.

Imparting knowledge and communication across distances falls under its purview. Dulling or altering emotion, the manipulation of dreams – these are

Being concerned with intangible truth, Mind is the least substantial of the elements. On its own, it is incapable of creating anything that can be felt or truly interacted with. It can only deceive the senses, not impact them.

Yet when one has nothing, there is much of it to go around. Mind magic does not weigh as heavily upon the caster as other elements, allowing for more heavy use of its powers compared to mages of other elements.

Positive Mind is used to gather and spread knowledge. Seeing distant places, sensing the history of an object, and communication across great distances falls under its purview. The greatest Mind mages can part the coils of time back many hundreds of years and send their gaze across continents.

Negative Mind conceals and deceives. Conjured images and phantom sounds. Altered emotions and the manipulation of dreams. These are powers negative Mind offers. True masters can hide cities and erase memory if need be.

The elements that react violently with Mind are Spirit and the Green.

As to the Green – “Tangled Roots Move Unseen.” Mind relies upon the logic and imagination of the mage. But the Green is vast, deep, and in constant flux. In addition, its mix of vitality and solidity makes it a fearsome counter to the intangible Mind.

As to Spirit – “Mist Evades the Blade.” Spirit is focused power, but a strike that cannot land is power wasted. Mind offers no target to hit. Further, Spirit exhausts its mages with alarming speed. A Mind mage can outlast their counterpart in Spirit while evading all its attacks.

Generals use positive Mind to send orders to their officers. Farmers use negative Mind to conjure illusions that scare off predators from their flocks. Sages, like myself, across the continent use their art to uncover lost history and fill books with their findings.

Mind finds its use across the continent, often in secluded hermits and traveling people. Even so, many cultures have grown a dedicated pursuit to the art. Most famous are the mountain-dwelling Kwaychan elves, friends of Hydris in the north. The Bards of the Fells and the Caravans of Celdos are known far and wide for their skill.

So ends our lesson for today. Meditate upon what you have learned here, and carry it with you.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage