Part 74: Regarding that which Failed in the First Casting of the Spell of Mastery

Regarding That Which Failed in the First Casting of the Spell of Mastery

When Harglak, the Red Sorcerer, first devised and cast the Spell of Mastery, it failed, with results that are clear to all to see. The dark age that followed was a time of suffering and fear for all people. Still, the theory behind the Spell of Mastery was sound- so why then did it fail?

What has become clear is that Harglak treated all five forms of magic as if they were fundamental magics, requiring their own yokes to his will, and so set up structures in the spell intended to intercept the powers of Bright and Dark magic even as Sorcery, Nature, and Chaos were harnessed. Where he failed in understanding is that although Sorcery, Nature, and Chaos are indeed fundamental magics, existing elemental and unalloyed with any other force, Bright and Dark magic are not fundamental magics. To intercept all power of Sorcery, Nature, and Chaos inherently would cut off the power sources of Bright and Dark, for Bright is woven of Sorcery and Nature and Dark of Sorcery and Chaos. In constructing his effort to trap Bright and Dark power themselves, he unwittingly overloaded the power of the nodes of magic that are the wellspring of all the magic of the worlds, concentrating unstable power in them until it broke free.

With the wild power of the nodes surging, magic acted freely on both worlds, and the force of magic burned every wizard of the Confederation to their deaths. Through treating only Sorcery, Nature, and Chaos as fundamental, this error may be avoided, and the Spell of Mastery may be cast safely. With the Spell of Mastery under my own control, I can ensure the safety and freedom of our kingdom perpetually. We can look forward to an age of wonders undreamed of, and glory not even the Confederation achieved.