Where do the dragons enter in, if at all? And what is the “force” the Sartan spoke of in his last statement to me? “The force that opposes us is ancient and powerful.” The force that “cannot be fought, cannot be placated.” And finally, what happened to the Sartan? Where did they go?
It is possible, of course, that they didn’t go anywhere, that they are still living on the other “stars” of Pryan. But I don’t believe that is the case, My Lord. Just as their grand project on Arianus failed, so their grand project on Pryan came to nothing. The “stars” shine for a decade or so, then their power supply becomes depleted and their light grows dimmer and dimmer and fades out altogether. Some, perhaps, never recover. Others, after a period of years, slowly gather more energy, and gradually the “star” is reborn, sparkling in a “heaven” that is in reality nothing but ground. Might this not, My Lord, be an analogy for the Sartan?
Of course, there exist two other worlds left for us to explore. And we know that one Sartan—at least—still lives. Alfred, too, seeks his people. I begin to wonder if our quest may be similar to that of the tytans. Perhaps we are searching for an answer that doesn’t exist to a question that no one remembers.
I have just now reread what I have written. Forgive these ramblings, My Lord. The time hangs heavily on my hands. But, speaking of the tytans, I venture to add one important observation before I close.
If a way can be discovered to control these creatures—and I am certain. My Lord, that you with your vast power and skill could easily do just that—then you will have an army that is powerful, effective, and completely amoral. In other words, invincible. No force, not even one that is “ancient and powerful” could oppose you.
I see only one danger to our plans, My Lord. The possibility of this danger is so minuscule that I hesitate to mention it. I am mindful, however, of your desire to be completely informed on the situation in Pryan, and so I present the following for consideration:
If the mensch could ever find their way back inside the citadels, they might—by working together—be able to learn to operate the “stars.” If you will remember, My Lord, the Gegs on Arianus were quite adept at running the Kicksey-winsey. The human child named Bane was intelligent enough to figure out the machine’s true purpose.
The Sartan, in their infinite wisdom, have left lying about innumerable books written in human, dwarven, and elven. The books I saw dealt mainly with the history of the races, going dear back to the ancient world before the Sundering. There were, however, too many to peruse closely and so it may be, among the tomes, that the Sartan left information relevant to the “stars,” to their true purpose, and to the fact that other worlds besides Pryan exist. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the mensch might even find information regarding Death’s Gate.
However, from what I observed, the likelihood of the mensch discovering such information and using it appears extremely remote. The gates of the citadel are dosed and, unless the mensch come up with some sort of “savior” I predict that these gates will remain sealed shut to them forever.
I remain. My Lord, respectfully devoted to your service.
Patryn Runes and the Variability of Magic
Transcription Note: The Sartan have always found the Patryn approach to rune magic far too dry and clinical for their liking. The Patryn, on the other hand, have always sniffed at the Sartan’s rather mystical and philosophical approach to what they see as a mixture of art and power. This passage on magic was certainly scribed by a Patryn. It may yet be considered abrasive to many who read it. For example, the use of the term object, or objects, in this text is not limited to inanimate things but is applied to people as easily as to a chair. The Patryns, who consider it their destiny to order all creation under their rule, make no distinction between the two.
To manipulate an object you must understand it. This basic principle is at the heart of all Patryn rune magic. It is the key to our destiny of order. We who see and understand an object for what it truly is—in all its aspects—have control over it. That quality and power that we use as magic is actually the manipulation of the power of existence. We are but minds that observe the full truth of the world around us. Magic is the recognition of the fire burning behind us when all else see only their own shadow on the wall. Rune magic defines in symbols the true quality of all things that might exist.
Patryns altering any part of the world about them, first attempt to “name” an object fully. An object’s true name is far more than a convenient description. In Patryn magic, an object’s name defines precisely the state of the object relative to the underlying Wave of Possibility. Naming an object completely is critical to the level of success that the Patryn will have in later “renaming” the object into an alternate state or form.
Runes provide a set of symbols by which we can name (understand) and rename (change) any object. The student of Patryn magic is a student of the rune, for it is only through the runes that an object can be most fully named.
Theory and Concept
Runes give formal structure to our magic. Our runes generally form magic in the following ways:
1. Naming of the object. Any rune of power first identifies the object being changed to its true extent—in other words, names the original object fully. 2. Calling on the Sympathetic Name. In this, we build (1) the power runes required to alter the state of the present object and (2) state-of-being runes that define the position on the Wave of Probability where such a state would be expressed. These two combined—power and position—form the Sympathetic Name. 3. The object is renamed. By applying the Sympathetic Name to the object, the object’s state changes and the object is renamed. This new name becomes the object’s name for as long as the magic dictates. Powerful Sympathetic Names can be permanent, while those that are not so powerful may last only a moment.
The laws of Rethis
While the principles of rune magic had been known many epochs before the Sundering of Worlds, abnormalities and inconsistencies still existed in the shaping of magic. One of the great thrusts in magical research was the defining of these abnormalities. However, in our Year of Exile 1391, Sage Rethis of the Vortex[33] structured several basic laws of rune magic, which endeavored to encompass the anomalies that had been experienced since time began. Although his works were initially greeted with such skepticism as to result in his eventual death at the decree of the Lords in Exile, they were later accepted by that supreme body and are now the standard foundation of our understanding of magic.
The balance in all nature. Rethis began with the understanding that all things must have balance to exist. The full name of an object has balance for it defines the state of harmonious existence in the Wave of Possibility. While this principle was well known among rune magicians, Rethis placed it as the foundation of his reasoning—and thus the First Law of Rethis: An Object’s Name Has Balance
Equilibrium factor. One of the greatest puzzles in magic was its tendency to occasionally go awry. The precise intent of the wizard’s rune structure would work to specifications on any number of similar objects only to suddenly, and for no obvious reason, behave differently on an object that was for all intents and purposes identical to those previously renamed. This effect, noted Rethis, is similar to those seen constantly in apprentices who are first learning to master the runes and often structure runes that are not balanced. Such unbalanced runes still functioned but often with bizarre results.
33
The Fifth Realm—often called Limbo or simply the Nexus by those who are unfamiliar with its structure—is divided into three concentric regions. The outermost region is called the Nexus and is the place where the Deathgates of all realms converge. Four of the Deathgates lead to the Elemental Realms while the fifth gate leads into the Labyrinth. Beyond the Labyrinth lies the Vortex. It was in this place that the Sartan originally imprisoned the Patryns. After three millennia, the Patryns managed to escape the Vortex through the Labyrinth and gain control over the Nexus and all of its Deathgates.