The Magnus Order

[Artorius]

The Magnus Order
By Ardeus Risauk'n, student and follower of Farallis

~Day 214, in the Year 633
A personal research and compendious draft overview

Few precise details can be found about this clandestine group of mages. And for those who delved too deeply to learn of their identities or of their ways have never been seen again. I can only pray and hope that this brief summary I put to ink and paper, from the little resources I could find, does not put me among the missing.

The Magnus Order’s details, membership, specific aims and operations have always been secret since the day they were founded, their existence however and their service to the Emperor and to the Empire is known to all. But I will not dare to even surmise on the services they have done and do provide or of their activities, for I do cherish, not so much for my body, but for my very mind and soul.

Before the taming of the east, some historians claim that the Magnus Order was founded over three centuries ago in the eastern lands of the Empire. And even then they were described as a mysterious group, though their numbers were more abundant then than they are today. Among their numbers were mostly human and some elf, but it is believed that some within the group were planetouched; those having the bloodline and characteristics of demons. That itself could account to why the Order is so secretive and holds such power. But it is more likely that these were nothing more than fairytales and stories told to children to eat their porridge.

Now the question to what has happened to their numbers during these last five decades is yet another mystery. One resource believes that the Order was at odds with another secretive group. That the fighting between these two enigmatic groups seriously decreased the Magnus Order’s numbers. But this is another “tale” that cannot be proved or that this “other” group even existed. Maybe their numbers are not diminished as we believe or as we are meant to believe. After all they are a society shrouded in mystery. Their numbers could walk among us daily and we would not know.

~Day 214, in the Year 633
A discovery!

Today at the Great Library, I found an odd piece of parchment located within one of the many history books I’ve gone through over and over before. It is strange that I have never noticed it until now. The parchment was in an appalling condition. It looked as if someone had dragged it through the dirt and it was stained what I believe could have been blood. The only words legible were The Eye, The Ear, The Voice, and The Mask. The rest I could not make out. Something tells me I should be rid of it, but I’m quite inquisitive to what these words mean. I just hope that curiosity will not get the better of this “cat”.


~Day 216, in the Year 633
Trepidation

I fear what began as a personal research summary has turned into a journal in which I will scribe my last words. The fear I feel is tremendous. I sense as if there are eyes always boring into me from the shadows, that the walls are listening waiting to hear my last breath, and the low whispers at every turn of a corner…where do they come from and who is it that speaks.

I’ve arranged to leave the city this night. I will attempt to get as far away as possible. I pray to Farallis that I live to see the next day.

[Wired]

And I gazed out over the city and wept, for I saw that in triumphing over the foe mankind had remade itself in his image, and in their victory they had become that which they sort to defeat…”

Excerpt from the discredited ‘Pallisum's “A Concise Transcriptions of the Booke of Dayes with Annotations”’ – suppressed by imperial degree.

Consider for a moment that rarest of divine gifts, the act of prophesy. Whilst most every man has a tale of a man or woman who has been touched by prophesy I would wager that few can speak of such an event first hand.

For the gift of prophecy carries with it a harsh price, a price that even the gods are loathe to shoulder. For once spoken a true prophesy cannot be unsaid and even the gods are bound to follow its path wither they will it or nought.

Fragment of Valerlain’s “On the gods” found in the ruins of Dasar – suppressed by church decree

In those days the men and the woman of the land walked free and tall, and the gods laid their many blessings upon them, and most beloved was Jyhana of the silver hair and her sisters. Such was their beauty and wisdom that even the blessed servants of the gods sought their company, and Jyhana and her sisters lay with them, and in time many children in which divine blood flowed were born to them.

But Iaosia grew jealous, for these blessed offspring showed her own creations for the tawdry works they were. So she set a black thorn in the heart of the man Erasmas and Erasmas walked the land speaking of balance and the men he spoke to grew fearful of Jyhana’s children who were hawks to their lambs. Then Erasmas spoke of the favour that would fall on these that did Iaosia’s work and the hearts of men where filled with greed and they rose up against Jyhana and her sisters and much blood was split, and Jyhana was forced to flee into the dark woods.

In vain she cried for aid, for Iaosia had invoked the law of balance, and forbade her bothers and sisters to walk upon the weave of the world.
Thus began the darkest of days.


Excerpt from Flaviem's "Ji-Lyn Creation Story: A study of Eastern Supersition"

And there came among the people one named Magnus, a man of singular and unusual demeanour.


And he stood upon the steps of the temple and spake, saying, “I am but the messenger, the one who follows me shall raise you up and free you from the yoke you labour under”.


And the people mocked him and cast stones and he fled into the east and was not seen again.

Excerpts from Canite Gospel, the book of Therateus - - suppressed by Imperial and church order

We give thanks to Magnus, the teacher of the path of the true,
Praise be his name.
We give thanks to Jyhana, she who rules eternal
Praise be her name.

Fragment of a Ji-Lyn prayer

And from the horse lord there fell a seed. For a time I ignored it, for the bush that grew from it was stunted and thorny in appearance and bore no fruit, and so I gazed upon other matters of great import, but in time I felt my vision drawn back to it and was sore amazed, for the light of Rel had fallen upon it and it had put forth fruit, and each berry shone with an azure light, and lo I saw that entwined within its leaves was a silvered crown.

Possible fragment of the book of Dayes found in the library of Kerns, New Varana

The people of the deep forest call themselves the Ji-Lyn. Though they are a backwards people they alone appear able to the see the benefits of kneeling to the empire. Centuries of oppression by their more advanced neighbours have left them hankering for revenge. I go this day to meet their queen, a woman child named Jiharna.

Excerpt from a letter to Emperor Siliron I from Gracis Abeloxos of the seventh legion in the year 163 (Imperial reckoning)

And when the light of the false one is blinded forever, the Lord will come before the sons of man and bring retribution to those who disbelieved, and his victory will be a light everlasting from which no dawn will ever come.

Possible fragment of the book of Dayes found in a temple to Coloth in the city of Dasar, Dasaria

Last to stand was Setylon, the Preferatus of New Varana. He spoke thus, “As it is the will of Lochwar that we, his faithful priests, should stand ever over mankind and direct them to the righteous path, surely it is his will that our faithful brothers the Magnus should have dominion over the halfblood outsiders, for who else, but those who carry his divine bloode, shall have the strength to stand against them?
He spoke with great passion and fevour, and I could see upon the face of the emperor that he found great pleasure in Setylon’s words.

I know not what to make of this, for my heart is filled with misgiving. Can this truly be the will of our lord? Tonight I will go to the emperor and speak of my misgivings.

Reputed final entry from the diary of Preferatus Balizo of Duseric, who died from a fall during the conclave of Londes, in 234 (Imperial reckoning) - Suppressed by church decree

In summary I find that we are faced with several significant constraints that have yet to be overcome:

Primus: The amount of power required to instantaneously translocate an object is such that few mages possess the necessary strength of will to translocate even the simplest of objects. This cost increases rapidly depending on the consciousness of the subject; thus a sword is easier than a dead body, which in turn is easier than a thinking soldier. At this time mass transport appears impractical.

Secundus: Visualisation of the point of transfer must be meticulous; as such to date we remain limited by line of sight. Experiments with scrying the point of transfer have been consistent in the loss of the subject from mortal ken.

Tertius: disorientation of the subject remains an issue. Tests with a range of subjects have shown that mankind is ill suited for translocation. The disorientation and sickness that follows can incapacitate the strongest man, without some form of protection translocation can be expected to leave the subject defenceless upon arrival.

I recommend an immediate cessation of investigation into translocation by the academy and I am forced to conclude that, at this time, the use translocation in military operations firmly remains the purview of the Magnus Order for the foreseeable future.

Closing statements from the Archmage Cotsadis to the Academy on the practical use of translocation or teleportation as a military tool in 467 (Imperial reckoning) shortly before his ill-fated expedition to investigate eastern teleportation portals.

It is rumoured they now seek an alliance with the barbaric demon worshipers of the eastern lands. I shudder to guess why. I am reluctant to do so, but I wonder if contact should be made with our fallen brethern. If any still live........

Fragment of a diary of Baron Meuloric II. Died in 507 in a fire. No remains found.

My heart quails that we see the agents of the enemy moving openly in your cities and court. Agents of the Ear and Eye of the Magnus fill the retinues of these western advisors, and where they go it can only be a matter of time until the assassins of the Mask follow. I once again beseech your Majesty to reconsider the decision to put your trust in these foreigners.

Exert from a letter to Queen Sabrina of Dasaria by the Harper Lord Ba-Jiricek shortly before the outlawing of the order – 509 (Imperial reckoning)

And when he was finished speaking Captian Antaios had the guard put up their weapons, and the woman Gehana was ushered into the presence of divine Alkgroth by the Magnus. And what they spoke of I know not, but I observed that the woman went away looking most satisfied and I heard some days later that she had taken ship to the east.

Entry in the diary of Velasco Del’Aznaro, Groom of the Robes to emperor Jain II, 511 (Imperial reckoning)

Then the woman Magnus called out into the darkness, saying “I know you bastards are out there. We’ll hunt you down. The day is come, the bloodline of Siril ends tonight”.
What she might have said next I know not for an arrow from the darkness ended her life. In the confusion as we all sought cover the male Magnus, Ceen, must have become separated from us. We found him staked out in a nearby clearing at dawn, dead. In his chest was cut the shape of a kinnor, like the horsemen of Dars use.

Report by Talon Scout Kadar, following an ambush in the Dasar Forest, 570 (Imperial reckoning)

I sense a change on the winds. The Ji Lyn are growing in power. Not only the power to summon greater demons and fiends, but in their personal power within the realms of witchcraft and swordplay as well. I must......

...an alliance between the Ji Lyn and these unknown figures from the west. I will make it my charge to find.....

....Magnus Order.........this prophecy which they speak of.......

Fragments from the burnt remains of a journal. Unknown Author.

Ladies and Gentlemen of our fighting nation,

Something horrible occured yestereve. I'm sure the citizenry has already known the toll of it. The lives of innocent children of Dasaria have been taken by the Ji Lyn.

It all began the night previous when two Shai witchdoctors came to ask for the aid of our nation. Apparently, they claimed the Ji Lyn had laid siege to their camp and taken their babies. Myself, Sylatria, Niles, Rock Philips and Den had answered the call to come to their aid.

Following the advice of Llarinael, we investigated the Ji Lyn hut in the swamps for answers. Far below, we came across an army of priestesses, leading a vanguard of warped, twisted children who uttered Ji Lyn's tongue. They cast spell after spell at us and though we tried, dearly we tried to spare our weapons and tried not to harm them, we had little to no choice. Even those we did not harm with our weapons fell prey to death...

They cursed us as they fell, speaking in tongues unlike that of youths. They were corrupted, almost as if demonically. The Witch Queen Jyhana taunted us, saying that the way of Dasaria's doom would be through the slaughter of its children. Jyhana will probably continue this mad approach.

The Ji Lyn cannot be forgiven for this. If we must bleed them from our lands, if we must run them through, we will. We cannot allow this to continue!

I know not what other words to offer, other than my love and best wishes for our nation and its people. I seek to inform you all of this, so that it will never happen again. Long live our country, long live the Queen and long live Dasaria.

With our might, we will protect our children and prevent this from ever repeating itself.

Sincerely,
Shalandra Velvax

Document recovered from the Royal Archives of Dasar

Many times dey come. Each time dey says, “We is stronger than youse”, and each time de people kick der arse back to the man land. Den dey gets sneaky. Dey says, “Lets be friends, together we kick de man’s out of Shai lands. All youse have to do is give us da Mask of Storms den wes be friends foreva”.
But Kra-toork da shamen he knows better, ‘cause he can smell da evil on dem, an he says, “Youse may fink youse is hard, but if you come round here anymore we will show youse squishies what hard really is!”
Den de one who all da others call “Da Voice” looks at Kra-toork and she says, “Youse have made a fatal error today”.
But Kra-toork spat in her shadow, so evraone nos there aren’t no curse gona stick from dat one.

Excerpt from Flavien's "Shai legends"

And though it be a terrible fight,
Brave Cirran put witchqueen to flight,
Beneath the shattered halls.

Her power broken,
Her crown his token,
He quietened terrible storm.

Then spake he loud,
But ne’er proud,
Of how the daye was won.

The queen put down,
beneath the ground,
Her evil daye now done.

From the scarlet skald’s “The laye of Silverwind” – suppressed by church degree

You will offer every assistance to the woman Ellandral and her Magnus associates for much depends upon them.

Fragment of the orders issues to the commander of the 4th legion prior to the of Daris in the year 583 (Imperial reckoning)

Then the Magnus raised his hand and called upon Lochwar and a terrabul lite filled the alley and I cried out wyth fear for I could not see and when my eyes had cleered agan the halfblood demon was dead and the Magnus was gon.

Statement by guardman Arnulf of the Morrell town guard – 596 (Imperial reckoning)