Part 39: Regarding Nodes of Magic

Regarding Nodes of Magic

In various places about the worlds there exist points where magic enters a world from beyond. These points have been called nodes of magic, and in ancient days they were prized by the wizards of the Confederation. In any node of magic, the power pools and acts upon the world, whether harnessed by a wizard or no. The power flowing into the world from a node renders acts of magic not in tune with the power itself difficult, and many such acts might fail when performed at a node of magic. Further, the power of the node of magic will reshape terrain and bring new creatures of magic into the world, even without a wizard to cause an act of magic.

A node of nature will see the land grow in fertility, becoming a forest bursting with every form of life. Trees, undergrowth, and beasts all thrive, and the fruits and berries of the wild trees match even the produce of orchards. Such places have been written of as places of great beauty by many of the ancient authorities, and the report of those who have seen the node of nature at the south of Dvergursheim holds that it is indeed a wood of marvellous beauty.

A node of sorcery will form a pool like a mirror at its heart, undisturbed despite the winds that ever flow about the node. Shimmering colors can be seen in the air at the corner of vision, and faint noises like unto a glass bell in the far distance can be heard about the node. The plains round about the pool are ever well-watered by rain.

A node of chaos will bring up fire and molten stone from the depths of the world, piling it over the years until it becomes a great mountain of stone created as the melt cools. Foul fumes and a great heat hang in the air round about the mountain.

Any of these sorts of nodes of magic might be tamed by the art of a wizard, and the power delivered unto the wizard from afar for use in their own work. As such, in the days of the Confederation, nodes were the jealously-guarded property of their masters. With the power tamed and drawn off, new creatures of magic do not appear in the node of magic of their own accord, although the power still leaves its mark upon the land. Regardless of the power as it enters the world at the node, it may be reshaped according to the will of a wizard, and used to perform acts of any form of magic whatsoever.