The Councils of Magic in The Relics of War

Magic is in the air this week, and since it’s nearly Halloween, I felt it was the appropriate time to bring up the topic. Specifically, I want to discuss the two Councils of Magic featured in The Relics of War (the magic in The Caein Legacy and The Mage War Chronicles is a different beast altogether, and I’ll talk about that in a future post.)

In the lore of this series, no one knows exactly which council appeared first, and neither was dedicated to a god or goddess in the beginning. They formed based on the needs of those born with the Ability, as places to learn their magical craft and hone their skills.

The Council of Auras

The Council of Auras is made up of five distinct Sects, each identified by a color. The council’s leader is called the Radiant, and is not only a figure of magical prowess, but a political and ideological leader as well. Fully trained members of this council identify as wizards, while those in training are apprentices. The council’s headquarters is in the city of Dar Daelad, within the Shining Tower.

As apprentices progress through their studies, they are given the opportunity to test for a position within one of the Sects. While the choice of Sect is often left to the apprentice alone, their innate aptitudes in various aspects of magic play an important role in their decisions. The Sects are as follows:

• White: The council’s historians and lore-seekers. They are often responsible for the initial training and guidance of apprentices.
• Yellow: These are the tinkerers of the council. They specialize in the study of ancient magical relics and the creation of new ones.
• Green: They are healers, and often travel rather than remain confined within the Shining Tower since their skills are in high demand. The Greens are typically responsible for the recruitment of new apprentices, due to their presence abroad.
• Gray: The warrior-wizards, if you will. They specialize in offensive magic and tactics, and often train in the use of conventional weapons as well.
• Blue: They specialize in defensive magics, and are often seen in the company of Grays. They are the protectors of the council.

The Council of Enlightened (also known as the Shadow Council)

This council was once of a similar mindset to the Council of Auras, though over time, its leaders fell under the influence of the Nameless god and its ideals were twisted into a more sinister purpose. Those outside this council refer to it as the Shadow Council.

In the current era, this council is headed by the five Soulless, who drive its members into warfare and conquest. Many of their “recruits” are conscripted or blackmailed into service against their will. Fully trained members are referred to as Enlightened. The headquarters of this council are located in the barren Wasted Land, near a vast chasm, and leagues from the nearest civilization. Though most Enlightened are human, their headquarters lies between the Murkor lands to the north, and the Scorpion Men’s desert homeland to the south.

The Council of Enlightened does not believe in compartmentalizing its members. The Enlightened are allowed to train on any magics they wish, so long as it furthers the aims of the Soulless and the Nameless god they serve. Oftentimes, those who defy their orders or attempt to break free from the Soulless are killed to serve as an example to the rest.

The Soulless are the chosen of the Nameless god, and have given up their souls in exchange for further power and their position at the head of their council. Each was chosen for a specific purpose:

• Dranamir: She was the first and the strongest in terms of magical power. She was chosen for her ruthlessness and cruelty, as well.
• Alyra: She was chosen for her outstanding ability to craft unique relics for use in war.
• Jannyn: The Nameless’ reasons for choosing Jannyn are unclear to the others of his kind, and I’m afraid I can’t elaborate without giving away a fairly major spoiler from book 3.
• Garin: He was chosen for his zealous devotion to the Nameless god. When his soul was bound, he became the earthly conduit of the Nameless’ orders. Only Dranamir outmatches him in raw magical power, but due to his unique connection to their deity, even she refrains from drawing his ire.
• Kama: He was chosen for his aptitude for strategy, and has been elected as the leader of the Soulless’ army.

The Primary Magic Users in The Relics of War

There are three unique point of view characters who wield magic in the series.

The first readers will be introduced to is Tavesin. He’s a fourteen year old apprentice with the Council of Auras, who also has an aptitude for Aethereal magic. (The Aethereum is a magical realm that mirrors the physical world, but has its own oddities. Few humans are born with the gift for Aethereal magic, but it is more common amongst Drakkon mages.) You can read more about Tavesin here.

The second is Dranamir (mentioned above). She is one of the Soulless, and probably the worst villain my brain has ever conjured up. I’ll be releasing an official character profile for Dranamir to my website at the end of this month.

The final mage is Ravin. He is a lone wolf, and has chosen not to affiliate with either council of magic. He was once Enlightened, before the council was overrun by the Nameless’ minions, but was powerful enough to elude the god’s grasp and the Soulless’ schemes. Ravin’s character profile will release to my website at the end of November.

Of course, there are a number of other magic users in the series, but none have point of view chapters. They are side characters, and might feature in a future blog… or they might not.

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Thanks for reading this week’s post! For more information on The Relics of War, check out my series page, here.