Arcanae Altahrerum

Know this, that all things that exist within the world hold some measure of That-Which-Is, for all things are but shadows and reflections of the true Reality which lies beyond the crude and simple shapes of space and time. And the degree to which each thing shares in the Reality of That-Which-Is defines in no small part what kind of thing it is. A breath of wind holds almost no share whatsoever in that nature which is the true substance, whereas, relatively speaking, the buffet of a storm is filled to bursting with it. But even the strongest of winds is but a faint and insubstantial shadow of Reality when compared to those things which we see as solid and firm; the oak, the mountain, the torrid rush of the flood. But of all things that exist on the face of Creation, it is to the self-willed creatures, the sentient Races, that the greatest share of Reality's divine nature is granted. And this uplifts the sentient Races above all other things and makes them different not only in degree but in kind as well.

And just as the divine essence sets the sentient Races apart from all other creatures, it also sets each sentient Race apart from every other sentient Race. And the mark of that essence, that particular nature that defines the condition of all sentient beings, is that shape which each Race wears.

And so we come to the Arcanae Altahrerum, the magics of transformation.

As you are well aware, there are many magicks in the land. The Arcanae Ocularum - the magic of illusion; the Arcanae Trismagerum - the magic of the elements; the Arcanae Chymiaerum - the magic of transmutation. Some are relatively simple to master, while others hold mysteries that are nearly unfathomable. And each magic holds a degree of danger for they who would seek to wield them. Of them all though, the most difficult and the most dangerous is the Arcanae Altahrerum. For the power to transform a thing is the power to tamper with that thing's divine essence. So great is this power that fear of it would make the world tremble and the gods wail if not for the fact that the magic is bounded by the Law which emanates from the invisible world of That-Which-Is.

Indeed, all magic is bounded by the Eternal Law. And none may break the Law or its immutable decrees for they are woven into the very fabric of this shadow world in which we live. To even attempt to do so would bring about either madness or destruction. Or both.

from the Teachings of Abhim dali'Quei.....

We are just a shadow of something that is Real. I have spoken of this before. The world, the skies, the oceans, the trees, birds and animals, and every Race that walks and speaks and creates; all of it is but a dream, a reflection, a shadow cast by the true Reality. That-Which-Is.

And it is our shape that is the mark of how Real we are. For it is the shape of each thing that binds it to the Reality of That-Which-Is, and it is the essence of that Reality which defines each thing's shape. A fundamental truth of the cosmos is that form and essence are inextricably linked. Change one and you affect the other.

from a lecture at the University Haldstadt, Verboten, by Professor Peter von Cushing.....

And so ends my discourse on the subject of the School of Transmutation. So then, let us move on to the School of Transformation. Now unlike transmutation, which as I said deals with the ability to alter the nature of inanimate matter and those creatures and living things which are of the lower echelons of life, the magical domain of the School of Transformation is concerned with the alteration of higher beings.

The arte of transformation is divided into two basic disciplines - Transmorphosis and Metamorphosis.

Transmorphosis allows a skilled mage to alter the form of a higher being into any of the forms given to the lower creatures and things of the world. It allows one for instance to change a man into a frog or a tree or a pillar of salt.

Metamorphosis on the other hand gives a mage the ability to shift the form of a higher being into that of a different kind of higher being. Changing a Man into an Elf, for instance.

The former power is great indeed, if it can be mastered. And few are the mages that have done so. In fact, for over five hundred years no practitioner of this arte has been seen in our lands. And, if the White Hand has its way, none ever shall.

The latter power is even more rare, for it is an arte which cannot be taught or learned. One is born with the power. But as this magic is so powerful, and some even go so far as to say that it is reserved for the Gods themselves, no child of Humanity has ever been born with it. Indeed, of all the magical Races of the world only one is known to have practiced this arte; Dragonkind. And I am not referring to the few lingwyrms that still haunt our lands in odd, desolate places. I mean the ancient ones, the Great Dragons, which, I am happy to say, finally met with their extinction over seven hundred years ago.

Now, while it is obvious that the power of metamorphosis is now just an academic curiosity, I believe it is still worthwhile to understand its basic qualities. It allowed a dragon to change the very nature of its being. It could metamorph itself into the form of a man for example. In effect, it would actually become a man. This gave the dragons great power for this change was no trick conjured up from the School of Illusion. Illusions can be detected and protected against. But a metamorphic change is completely undetectable. The only known limit to this power was the fact that each dragon was only able to alter its own self. It could not affect others.

A famous example of this is presented in the Curwen Manuscript...

from the Black Book of Friedrich Von Junzt.....

Be not everythynge in the world reale? Tis true, perhaps. But some thynges be more Reale then others for the shadowe of the First Ones touches eache thynge in differ'ng degrees. And the shadowe fills up oure shaypes in manner most fitt'ng to oure station. Bound we be to the shadowe by oure shaypes, as the shaype we owne is bounded by the shadowe.

Hark ye now for fair warn'g I saye to ye-- feare the shaypechangers, the First Ones mark theye accursed. Theye be shadowes of shadowes and blasted be theyre soules. Not Reale be theye, but a thynge unclean and fylled with madness. For theye not be Reale but for'truth be UnReale.

from the Red Book of the Living Pyramid.....

Deep did the Dragon Minestus delve into ancient and time-lost lore. Deep did the Dragon drink of age old wisdom. Deep did the Dragon hold court with unseen whispers.

And of the fruits of its labor the greatest was the discovery of the Crystallic. And long did the Dragon pore over the weirdings of that bygone relic. And the Dragon did in time discern some manner of use and mighty indeed became the Dragon's design.

The Dragon's ambition was to shake the Foundations of the World and reshape it in its own image. But the Dragon was wary of the invisible worlds and knew well the Eternal Law that guarded the mortal lands. It would have to be cunning and patient.

When the Dragon discovered a traitor in its midst, the one called Synizn, in its wrath Minestus did use its newfound power to trap its enemy in a manner most novel. Synizn had come to Minestus in the form of a Man, for Dragons are bestowed with the gift of changeability. This gift is an outcome of the fact that, unlike all other Races, the skein which ties a Dragon's form with its essence is like running water, not fixed but ever changing although ever the same. But Minestus reached out and touched that bond and twisted it, trapping Synizn in the real though false form of a Man. And so the Eternal Law was bent.

Such a feat was impossible and dark and unnatural, but Minestus' power had waxed over the years and its understanding of the Crystallic had grown apace. Still, this was not the full extent of Minestus' desire. Great though its triumph was - the Dragon had impressed its will into the bond between divine essence and mortal shape - it but taunted Minestus with how far from its goal it still remained. Yes, it had proved that the divine skein could be twisted, but this left Minestus more troubled then heartened for the Dragon knew that the skein of Dragonkinde was by its very nature soft and malleable. The true test of Minestus' power would only come when the Dragon attempted to tamper with the living essence of the other Races of the World. Those who's ties with the invisible world was unyielding and unbreakable. And even Minestus trembled at the thought of this sacrilege.

But it did not stop the Dragon. After its victory over Synizn, Minestus' efforts only became even more frantic. Failure upon failure piled up within the Dragon's bloody chambers and the echoes of screams resounded through its cold, stone halls.

And then, one day, Minestus succeeded where it had always failed. And the grim Dragon smiled in the red glow of the darkness within its lair. And so the Eternal Law was broken.

The Dragon was now ready to set in motion its long dreamed of plans. For by breaking the bond between form and essence, by metamorphing one Race into another as was not meant to be, Minestus had changed the very fabric of Reality. A small change certainly, but a change nonetheless. And with patience and cunning Minestus knew that it could change everything.

And then Minestus died in mortal combat with the Dragon Malachi.

But the Crystallic still exists and many are those who hunt for it. And Reality has suffered and suffers still for those who's living essence was unbound from the eternal skein are alien to the World and an affront to the forces of Nature. In a way, they are like a void in the Universe - they exist but they do not exist for they are not Real. They are UnReal. And woe be to them for the Universe abhors a void.

1. Back in Synizn's underground lair...
2. As for Fred and Astra and Synizn...

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree