‘How much energy does a mage need to hold an object in air? The answer is simple. It depends.’ ~ unknown wise man
Good morning. Magic is dangerous – that’s what your parents have probably told you at least once in your life. And they had good reasons to do so. While skilled mages usually know how to avoid accidents, many young students had difficulties properly executing their spells, which sometimes led to dangerous or simply weird situations. Let us begin, and you shall see for yourselves…
***
Cerbane, year 88 of Era II
Emperor Rayoh was famous for his controversial and unpredictable behavior – no wonder he became known as the Crazy. Even so, the story of his death remains largely a mystery. In the year 88, 12 years into his reign, he was spending his day in his residence outside the capital, as he had no business to attend to. He presumably wanted to use the time to work on his spells and find novel ways to use his magical abilities – as he had done multiple times before, which is proven by his writings, which are still an important position for those studying spells or the history of magic. However, for reasons still unknown, his experiments on that day went horribly wrong.
The citizens were alarmed by a loud bang and a pillar of smoke rising outside the walls. The guards from the city rushed to check what had happened, but when they arrived at the residence, the destruction was too heavy to control – the mansion resembled a burning stack of hay and extinguishing it was not possible, at least not without magic, which nobody but Rayoh could control that well. It was only three days later that soldiers were able to enter the remains and officially announce the emperor’s death.
Grinnoed, year 730 of Era II
Some mages seeked attention to an unhealthy extent. This was certainly the case for Tassi Haenad. He was, beyond doubt, the greatest mage of his times, and a role model for many students. Nevertheless, what was supposed to be his greatest feat and a magnificent display of the power of magic in the right hands turned into the doom of him and many of his fellows.
One day, he announced in the city that in a month’s time he would organize the greatest show the world had ever seen. The details were uncovered slowly, and most would be revealed on the crucial day. A few thousand people gathered outside the city to watch the display of power. Many cauldrons of boiling water were prepared to provide the brave mage with enough power. He entered the field with confidence, sure that his plan would work. He intended to launch a large boulder into the air, hold it above the crowd, and then throw it over a mile away. Once on the stage, he gave a short speech and began to cast spells. Unfortunately, he had miscalculated the amount of energy required to move the boulder due to very poor estimation of its mass – even though he got it flying, he was not able to continue. He was unlucky enough to release the boulder right above his own head. The rock dropped with might, turning the mage and one of his assistants into a bloody puddle. The spectators tried to run away in panic, causing further casualties.
The event caused deep distrust in magic among the people of the province. All mages in the area were subjected to persecution and prejudice, and magical practice was banned locally, forcing all of them to migrate, sometimes to distant locations – some of them even joined the Academy of Annyeohan.
By now, there should be no doubt that magic, even if useful, would be used with great care, and most importantly, without recklessness. That’s all, thank you.
Aedilër 