Union of Defiance - Prologue SPOILER

8/9/2019 Union of Defiance - Prologue *SPOILER*

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Union of Defiance: Pieces of Magic - Part I

Prologue


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There was a frantic flurry of knocking on Urwicks office door. The dark elf

assistant dean of Magic University glanced up from his paperwork at the sudden

disturbance, his silver eyes narrowing in annoyance..Master Urwick! Master Urwick! You have to come and see this, quickly! A

strange woman in white robes, bearing some sort of fancy crest, just portalled into the

courtyard! She has a man with her, and he looks dead! Hes dressed in Jadoran clothing,or so some of the others told me! a young voice yelped through the door.

The Jadorans were assassins who wore specialized black stealth gear during their

raids on tentative victims. They would attack in cells, small groups of four that wereselected and trained to work in unison, playing off each others strengths. Their presence

was not welcome on the university campus, considering the number of deaths there for

which they had already been responsible.

Urwick got up and approached the entrance to his office, pushing his moonlightcoloured curls away from his face. When he opened the door, he found a freckle-faced

boy, likely thirteen or fourteen years in age, standing breathlessly in the hallway. It was

Annas newest novice, Urwick was pretty certain of that much, although he could not

recall the youngsters name.Jadoran? Thats what they are saying? Are you sure? the dark elf asked the

excited youth sternly. They havent bothered us in several months.The boy nodded vigorously.

Mistress Lilly agreed with the others that it was one of them, and I heard some of

the Templars suggesting that they should make sure that the menace was good and dead.

With a frown, the assistant dean stepped into the corridor and followed the noviceinto the university courtyard. Lilly, a gnomish wizard, was one of the most

knowledgeable mages on faculty. If Lilly and the Templars had confirmed that it was a

Jadoran, then Urwick had little doubt.The dark elf was puzzled. He might expect to see a Jadoran appear in the

courtyard for the purpose of attacking the University, as they had done so in the past, but

it would never have been a solitary assassin, and he would not be accompanied by anyoneother than his kind. Why someone would portal onto campus with a dead Jadoran,

Urwick could not possibly fathom.

A small crowd of onlookers had gathered around the edges of the courtyard,mostly novices and apprentices, and they were gawking at the newcomers with great

interest. None of them had actually had the nerve to approach the white-robed woman in

question, crouched by a prone black-clad man just as the boy had described. The woman

clutched at her head with both hands, her eyes closed. This was the familiar display ofsomeone who was suffering from the strain caused by concentrating on too many difficult

spells in succession. She was clearly a Master mage, Urwick deduced, and one who had

over-extended herself.The dark elf also paused at the edge of the courtyard before approaching the

uninvited and unidentified couple. There was always the possibility that this could be

some strange sort of Jadoran trap.Urwick examined the pair the best that he could manage from where he stood.

While the assistant dean did not recognize the flaxen blond woman within the robes, he

was aware of the significance of the blue and gold insignia clearly embroidered on her

chest. That display was the royal coat of arms of Seaforest. If that truly was where these


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strangers had come from, then they had travelled a long, long way to get to the

University. From the way she wavered and threatened to collapse into the dirt, Urwick

assumed that she had spanned that great distance in several carefully calculated stretches,without taking the proper amount of time to rest between portal spells. She must have

had good cause to be making such haste.

As the woman sat back on the ground, taking a deep breath and looking somewhatdazed, Urwick decided that he had confirmed sufficiently that this was no trap, and

jogged over to her.

Did Prince Emrys send you? he asked her, as he crouched to her level.The prince regent of Seaforest was known to the assistant dean. In fact, Urwick

had recently sent a letter and a gift back to the kingdom along with the young man

currently serving as its monarch.

The last time Urwick had seen Emrys, and it had not been that long ago, theprince regent had come to the nearby town of Anthis to fetch diplomatic envoys from the

Academy of Blended Magic there, specifically two of their instructors, a Renegade

named Clayton and a Master named Logan. While Magic University offered only

training in a style of magic known as Master magic, the Academy offered training in bothMaster and Renegade magic. Renegade magic was considered to be a less disciplined,

and therefore more dangerous, type of magic compared to Master magic. For that reason,it had been outlawed in Seaforest, and the prince regent had been striving to have this law

banning Renegade magic overthrown. He had fetched the envoys from the Academy

hoping that they could help his bid to strike down the law, by proving to the Council that

there was a way to assure that Renegades could exist and practice their magic in aresponsible manner. With the letter from the University, who had a strong alliance with

the Academy, he had aspired to convince the Council members that Renegade magic

could be safe with the proper controls in place. There had been no word yet as towhether or not Prince Emryss efforts had succeeded.

The court mage from Seaforest nodded, unable to find her voice just yet. Urwick

had experienced that kind of pain before, like a terrible migraine that seared throughones brain, and he did not try to press her. After a few seconds, he continued.

This man, the dark elf said, gesturing towards the stealth gear-clad stranger,

prone on the ground. He was poisoned?Now that he was close enough, Urwick could see that the man was not dead, but

merely unconscious, with his lips slightly blue and his breathing quite shallow. The

assistant dean could not help but wonder why a victim of a Jadoran attack would be

dressed as one of his aggressors. Perhaps the prince regent had attempted to infiltrate thebrotherhood of assassins and his spy had been discovered. Urwick noted the bloody slash

along the fallen mans ribs. The cut was not deep, but with Jadoran poison, that did not

matter.Ill also assume that this fellows been treated with the near-antidote? the dark

elf stated. If he had not, there was little chance that he would have lived through the

short period of time required to portal him to the University from Seaforest, when thewizard casting the spells was making as great haste as this one had made.

The Seaforest wizard nodded again, but this time she also managed a breathy

yes, the pain in her head beginning to subside.


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Im Urwick, the assistant dean here. I want you to tell me everything you can

regarding this mans circumstances, including the events that led to his poisoning. Id

also like word of anything else of importance currently going on in Seaforest. I realizenow is probably not the best time to ask for this, and Ill give you a chance to recuperate

while your charge here is seen to, but I want you to consider everything that might help

me to understand why you are here.The blond woman glanced up at him, a little less disoriented.

Urwick? I remember you, and that other University wizard, from Valour Flynns

trial.She gazed around at the courtyard, searching for the golden skinned man who had

also been involved in the trial, but she did not see him there..

I, was hoping I could make it here okay. I didnt train here, but I did come here

for my testing, and Ive made the trip several times with others, so I wasnt portallingblind, she said.

Thats right. I helped defend Valour in the trial. And I wouldnt expect anyone

with Master training to be foolish enough to portal blind.

Urwick made regular trips to Seaforest, serving as the University liaison withtheir allies and other parties of interest. He had travelled to the far off kingdom with

another Master mage, Ebon, in order to help their mutual friend, Snyder of the Fifes,known to the authorities as Valour Flynn. Snyder was a Renegade mage who had been

accused of arson and murder in Seaforest, on top of the crime of Renegade magic. To

complicate matters, Snyder also happened to be Prince Emryss step-father, married now

to Nia, the princes Renegade mother. They had raised the young prince regent inanother village, Ashwood, which was located much closer to Anthis than to Seaforest,

hiding his existence from the Seaforest monarchy for as long as they had been able.

Urwick looked at them both with concern, realizing that he could not just leavethem sprawled in the middle of the courtyard.

We need to get you somewhere more comfortable, but from what I know of

Jadoran poison, the less we move this man, the better. Let me think a moment it wouldhardly be hospitable of the University to leave a charge sent by Prince Emrys for healing

lying out here in the dirt, the dark elf sighed.

Urwick eyed the buildings surrounding them, but the only one seeming theslightest bit acceptable for the ailing stranger was the Templar barracks. That did not

bode well for the distressed pair. Considering the hatred that the knights of Oron bore the

diametrically opposed Jadoran assassins, this man would not receive a warm reception

with the way that he was dressed - a true Jadoran or not.The assistant dean was aware that he would have to leave the poisoned man in the

barracks, along with the wizard from Seaforest, while he went to summon the dwarf who

was the only person capable of neutralizing the toxin. Shetland no longer remained oncampus, since the Jadoran raids on the University had seemingly ceased several months

ago. The dwarf had allowed them a magical means of contacting him, if necessary,

however. Urwick would have to have Ebon fetch him at a pre-determined area that theMaster mage had studied for portal purposes, so that the dwarf could bring the artefact

required for the cure, the Sunstone, back to the University.

The Templars had been not as quick to leave campus as the dwarf, and had left a

single unit behind, just in case. They suspected that the Jadorans were not actually done


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with the University, and that when everyone had let their guard down, they would spring

a surprise raid on the unsuspecting Master mages. The leader of the Jadorans, an avatar

by the name of Lady Finesse, had several outstanding issues with the University thatremained unresolved, and while the assassins had ceased their hostilities on campus

without warning, they were equally capable of beginning them again at any time, also

without warning.The University had once had an informant within the ranks of the Jadorans, but he

had been slain during a bloody confrontation between his cell and a merchants caravan,

on the southern outskirts of Anthis. Since then, the Master mages had been unable togain any knowledge as to the inner workings of the group of assassins or any of their

plans for the future.

The dark elf approached two members of the Templar unit who had been

observing the latest occurrences in the courtyard. One of them was visibly tense at thesight of someone in Jadoran stealth gear. The ash blond Templar, Brianna, was eying the

newcomers with a fierce scowl. It was clear that the wiry woman, who was much

stronger than appearances would suggest, was not happy about the current situation. The

other Templar, Magda, a tall brawny woman with chestnut brown hair, watched withmore curiosity than distrust, newer to the unit and the Templar way of life. She had

originated far to the north, from Karima, and was not all that familiar with the variouscomplex interactions between the University, the Academy, the Jadorans and the

Templars.

Unlike the veteran, Brianna, Magda had only had a couple of run-ins with the

Jadorans, and had not seen any of her sister Templars fall before their weapons or theirpoison. Brianna, on the other hand, had lost several of her sisters, including her two best

friends, to the assassins raids one, Shandra, had been slain by a Jadoran woman, and

the other, Dee, had been disabled beyond the option of return.The second case had been a greater blow to the battle-weary woman. She had felt

as though the woman in question, Dee, had turned against her sisters after her fall, by

having direct dealings with the Jadorans. She had even managed to supply the Universitywith a sample of the Jadoran toxins near-antidote, which suggested that the ex-Templar

had been in deeper than just a brief association. The University had succeeded in

replicating the near-antidote, which had saved lives, it was true, but it was rumoured thatDees involvement with the assassins had led to the bloodbath on the South Road,

another thing that Brianna considered unforgivable.

I need some assistance getting this man into the barracks. Its the best place for

him to rest until I can fetch Shetland, Urwick informed them. The less that we have tomove him, the better.

Brianna crossed her arms, her refusal clear, but unspoken. Magda, however,

immediately followed the dark elf to the centre of the courtyard. The muscular womanwould have no problem carrying the slight man in black into the Templars space,

especially with Urwicks help. The wizard from Seaforest rose to her feet and followed

them.Once the poisoned stranger had been lowered gently into one of the bunks,

Urwick walked over to the female mage who had accompanied him there.

Im going to get Ebon, and well eventually be back with Shetland, and the

Sunstone. I would appreciate it if you would wait here for my return, ah


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The assistant dean suddenly realized that he did not yet know the blond womans

name.

Miranda, she told him, stepping back nervously.Miranda, the dark elf repeated with a smile. He gave her an acknowledging nod

and then disappeared through the door.

The dishevelled woman sat back on the bunk and exhaled softly, looking over ather charge. She would never have volunteered to help a Renegade, especially one

playing at being a Jadoran, but she was there on Prince Emryss orders, and therefore it

was her duty.She glanced up at the large dark-haired woman who had done most of the

carrying of the unconscious man. Magda was standing beside the bunk staring at the pair

of them, somewhat bewildered by the whole affair. She offered Miranda her hand.

Im Magda, the husky Templar said as the wizard shook the offered appendage.Wow, Ive never seen a Jadoran up close before.

Hes not a Jadoran, despite appearances, Miranda assured her, eying her charge

again. The guard said his name is Clarke, and from what Ive been told, hes a

Renegade mage, but other than that, theres not much that I can tell you. Like, why hesdressed like this in the first place.

A Renegade mage in Jadoran stealth gear, but not actually a Jadoran? Thatsquite an enigma, indeed. It certainly makes you wondered what exactly he got himself

tangled up in. Magda responded.

It certainly does, Miranda said with a nod, and then settled back to ponder the

possibilities and to wait for Urwicks return.

* - * - *

Lord Alistair Silverwood, Lord Vargas Quintain and Countess Medina Galloway

were all headed east from Seaforest with a small entourage of guards, supposedly on their

way to attend to diplomatic affairs and trading in the north-eastern city of Karima, andthe city state that surrounded it. The other members of the Council of law-makers in

Seaforest considered their sudden departure evidence of their shame shame that their

attempts to prevent the repealing of the law against Renegade magic in Seaforest hadfloundered and failed.

Rumour was already spreading that Lord Silverwood had left because he was too

embarrassed to show his face in Council. This was no surprise, considering that it was

believed that it was his efforts to attempt to malign the diplomatic envoys from Anthisthat had turned the tide against his own collective. Many of the Council members had

been outraged when the callous man had thrust flames in the face of the already suffering

Renegade representative from the Magic Academy, afflicted by illness-like symptomsthat were the result of a precognitive talent.

Alistair had been anticipating a much different reaction than the one that he had

gotten from Clayton. He had believed the lanky man to be a fire bug, a mage naturallyinclined to fire, and one whom would be drawn to the flames. Instead, Clayton had

recoiled in horror and distress, throwing up his arm to shield his face, and crying out.

Clearly, Alistairs sources had misinformed him, and as a result, he had lost face before

the Council.


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Others had suggested that the threesome were merely disgruntled over the

outcome of the vote, and wanted to put some distance between them and the other

members of Council until cooler heads prevailed. The average person in Seaforest did notassume that the battle had come to an end without some riposte on the part of Lord

Silverwood and his cronies. The general assumption was that they would return from

their travels refreshed, with some new ammunition in order to appeal the Councils latestdecision.

That was not their plan.

If everything went as they were anticipating that it would, there would be no needto have the law against Renegade magic restored. If they succeeded, there would be no

Renegade magic. In fact, if they achieved their current objective, the Cleansing, then

there would be no magic other than priestly magic in Seaforest - or in the rest of the

world for that matter.All it would take would be three or four small pieces of a certain embodiment to

add to their growing collection. One of these pieces, the Weavecharm, still rested in the

hands of the Renegades of Seaforest, or so the trio of nobility believed. They had failed

to retrieve that section on their first attempt, but just because they had backed off for nowdid not mean that they had given up. They would be back for that later.

The second piece was still undiscovered, but they hoped that the next step in theirplan of action would help to guide them in the right direction to find it. The third piece

was kept securely under magical lock and key at Magic University. And that was the end

point of their current undertaking but they would not be going there alone. The fourth

piece, the second living piece, was possibly only a legend. It was something that theystill needed to investigate

Medina approached Alistair, urging her mount closer to his. Her auburn hair

wisped delicately around her face in the mid-afternoon breeze and she somehow managedto appear graceful despite the jerky movements of her steed. The older man who bore a

striking mature and dignified look, turned her way.

We leave these guards in Anthis and then proceed up along the North Road?she asked quietly. What sort of excuse will we be giving them to have them stay

behind? Wont they be insisting on accompanying us?

Ill be sending them to Robbs Harbour to meet a ship coming in with tradegoods for Seaforest while we take our leave at Anthis. He informed her. His mount was

much larger than hers, and he stared down at her, an older man who had been handsome

once before age had greyed his hair and etched deep lines into his face.We will pause in

the town for a sojourn, begging fatigue and the need for rest, and we will instruct them tofetch the goods on our behalf. There will be delays I have already arranged for that.

By the time they return from this side mission, we will have supposedly left for Karima

without them. We have deadlines to meet, after all and we will not be able to wait forthem when they do not return as scheduled. I will leave directions for them to remain in

Anthis and await our return. They should have no idea that we will only be travelling as

far as the Rainbow Caverns. We meet the other Scourge, the mercenaries and theJadorans there, to prepare for the attack on the University. We will have the advantage of

numbers working for us, not to mention poison, divine spells and skilled swords-people.

Those sad Master mages and their sparse grouping of Templars wont have a chance.

The third piece will be ours to claim in no time.


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And you are sure that that is the piece that we need...the Rod, the one purported

to locate the other remaining pieces? I still have the Lotus in my possession and you the

Sync. Those were the two pieces that best serve our purposes, I thought. That was whyyou had us seek them out first, Medina whispered, batting her eyelashes coyly.

The Sync is the defensive part of the embodiment. It gives me protection I need

to best proceed with our endeavour. The Lotus is the essence that draws in all of theother pieces. As long as we possess it, we can bring all of the pieces together, once they

are in our possession. It is very important and that is why I gave it specifically to you.

Next is the heart of it, the Node.Medina did not like the patronizing way Alistair always spoke to her, but one of

her talents lay in understanding personality traits and using them to her benefit. She

knew that Lord Silverwood needed to feel more significant and knowledgeable than

others around him, so she did not challenge him on this. She smiled and nodded. Heproceeded.

I know you are asking, why are we seeking the Rod then? It is simple. We do

not know where the Node is located. There are two ways to find the Node, since

traditional means have failed us. The Rod is the first way and Ive got solid proof thatthat piece was last seen in the Universitys possession. The other means is unavailable to

us. Alistair said slyly.You mean the second living piece, that we could supposedly control using the

Lotus, Medina laughed. It was a soft laugh that pealed seductively.

If the opportunity ever presents itself, my dear. Thats why I left it in your

capable hands. You would be the most worthy of seizing such an opportunity. If we canconfirm the existence of that piece, we will need to posses it as much as all of the others.

I like to think of myself as an opportunist, she purred. I pride myself on the

possession of others.Vargas, not wanting to be left out of the conversation, also urged his horse over to

where the pair had secluded themselves. He caught the tail end of their particular

discussion as he neared them.As do I, Medina, he said with a smile. Its unfortunate that we had to leave

Feltrey without the Weavecharm, but we had not anticipated finding it in the hands of the

rebels in the first place. Those Renegades seemed to have a new miracle hidden aroundevery corner. Once we have the other pieces secured, however, and access to their

powers, it will be much easier to bring them down, even if they do have the support of

royalty. Besides, while were away, theyll likely let down their guard and stop watching

for us. When we get back, well catch them by surprise, with greater might behind ourefforts. Our loss with the Council will seem insignificant. In fact, theyll grow

complacent when they no longer have to remain in hiding. The latest occurrences may

prove to work to our benefit, for a change.When we reach the North Road, Finesse will be expecting us. She is as eager to

see the University fall as any member of the Scourge. She has been gathering her forces,

just as we have been gathering ours, Lord Silverwood assured his Seconds. He waslooking forward to finally getting a glimpse of the sultry avatar of Jadora in person. Her

reputation preceded her, and from what he understood, the leader of the assassins guild

would make the lovely Medina pale in comparison, but with a temper that matched her

beauty.


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She has refrained from attacking them in the last few months, strengthening her

people purposefully for our allied strike, and building up the reserves of their various

poisons.What about the Jadoran Renegades, Medina pointed out. If we have mages on

our side it will go against our own doctrines. We had made some exceptions in Feltrey,

but I thought that we had agreed that we were done with those kinds of compromises?Theyll be bringing no such spell-casters this time Alistair insisted. She

understands the nature of our agreement and she is willing to make the necessary

sacrifices, including any Renegades in her ranks. The only magic that we will bebringing to the battlefield will be the divine magic of the Scourge. Apparently, she has

had bad luck with the Renegades found within the brethren, a particularly public

bloodbath south of Anthis being a prime example, over the last couple of years. She is

willing to forego their talents for the sake of the alliance.Speaking of alliances, what of the Academys alliance with the University?

Wont that pose an additional threat, Vargas added.

The younger man, who also happened to be brawnier than Lord Silverwood,

pushed a few damp strands of dark-brown hair from his face as he spoke. It was a warmday and all three nobles were finding the travel taxing.

Along with the fact that they are short-handed at the moment, because they awaitthe return of their envoys, they were not overly powerful to begin with. They have only a

fraction of the faculty found at the University. They barely add to the threat that the

University has to offer. Im not concerned in the slightest. The odds will be in our

favour, hands down. It will be a righteous massacre, and the patron god of the Scourgewill likely be pleased with the sacrifice that we will be making in his honour, the older

man remarked with a stalwart grin, his steely eyes also reflecting his confidence.

Vargas twitched uncomfortably in his seat at this talk. The Scourge god had onlyever been a notion proposed by the less than stable people who had originally created the

group; a group that was now viewed as something of a cult within religious circles,

unsupported by a proper priesthood or by temples. The young Lord Quintain, who wasnot convinced of any such divine being, considered Alistairs mention of those things

little better than the ranting of a madman. He would much rather focus on the concrete

the true benefits of eliminating Renegade and Master magic from their world. Or betteryet, on the Cleansing itself.

What better way to rid ourselves of that wretched hybrid prince...an

abomination, Vargas muttered under his breath. The Cleansing would supposedly

eliminate all of those whose blood was tainted by innate magic, the Prince Regentincluded. It had even been suggested that it would eliminate anyone of Seaforest royal

blood who would be close in line for the throne, enchanted as they were. Not one of the

three was anywhere near that position.Vargas was invigorated by the idea of the Cleansing. It would give them the

chance to clean house and put their own people into power in Feltrey, possibly starting

with Lord Silverwood.Would serve him right too, for messing with things that he should have just let

be, the embittered man grumbled, thinking aloud.

History, Vargas. That spoilt and tainted upstart is destroying pieces of Seaforest

history. Hes trampling our identity as a nation. No good can come from that, Alistair


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argued. What we are doing now? Its our way of stealing that identity back from him

again. Youll see.

They were not debating principles, but rather details and processes. They had thesame objectives at heart, Vargas was aware of that.

Are you sure that the Jadorans will hold up their end of the bargain? he asked

his mentor. They arent known for their trustworthiness. What guarantees do we havethat they will stick to the agreement?

You worry too much, but then again, thats because you think too much, my

paranoid friend. Medina sighed with a smile, responding before Alistair could.Vargas both loved and hated that smile. It was a terrible tool, capable of

manipulating the strongest-willed men, but only because it happened to be so inviting.

Alistair made sure that we had multiple means of securing their compliance to

our...contract, as well as contingencies in place in case their ability to comply waswrested from their control.

Dont be cocky, Medina, Vargas chided. Nothing is absolute, especially when

dealing with the likes of the Jadorans. I trust that Alistair has stepped carefully in his

negotiations with our current allies, but we still have to maintain our guard and watch ourbacks. This is not a cause to be advanced for them. While this is merely a mission of

vengeance that ends with the success or failure of the attack, there is so much more fromour end.

Medina is right, Alistair stated sternly. This alliance is only one part of our

agenda. The Jadorans have much more invested in this one attack. We have less to

worry about their support than they have to worry about ours. Theyve attempted whatwe will be doing on their own, and failed. They need us. Dont worry. By the time the

week is through, I would wager that we will have piece number three in our hands, and

that we will be starting on our journey for the Node , wherever it happens to lie.Once the Node is ours then that will leave the Weavecharm, and the living piece,

if it exists the last pieces for us to retrieve.

Medina grinned with demure subtlety. The gesture added to her allure, and shewas aware of the suggestion of vulnerability that it provided her, as well as the response

that it generated in others. As helpless as she may have seemed at such times, there was

certainly nothing harmless about her.Retrieving those pieces would involve a simple trip home to Seaforest where the

rebels would be much easier to crush with their newfound powers spawned by the Node,

just as Alistair had suggested. The second living piece, the Vessel, would not be able to

resist the draw of the Lotus, and the Weavecharm would no doubt follow.Childs play, Alistair uttered, thinking aloud. It will be childs play.

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