On the Issue of Mages

Also known as just "Mages", is written by the controversial and anonymous author who went by the pen name Mich Marekcimm or MM. Mages was a very impactful work discussing how best to solve the supposed “issue of mages” relating to how mages were and are both extremely powerful and as of that a valuable boon but also due to the same reason being an enormous threat as shown in Lekirr. Mich proposed two models for how a future unified Kenirr could handle mages. The first being empowerment, a model seeing mages becoming a fourth estate and having as much power as the others making them a de facto elite while the other was subjugation, proposing that mages would all become something similar to a slave to the state. While empowerment was popular among mages and subjugation not, the opposite was true amongst many other readers. Mages, in general, was a very hotly debated text with many people discussing different stances or arguing that it should not be taken literally. The book was written around the time of the creation of the republic of the Quen.
"For as long as the eye of history is willing to show us Tannar has been dominated by many, many different empires and states from our crude origins with Zarrash to the temporary control of the elementals to Tefaran challenged by Vanseran and now fractioned by many different states. Often times when gazing into her iris" (history's) "we see these states as those with the power, but the real power is not behind states but behind mages. They are in every army and every battle and historically when smaller armies win it is because of these mages who have forever been, and most likely will remain, the most powerful weapon an army can have. But as was proven three centuries ago in Kerahda and two centuries ago in Lekirr these individuals have the ability to severely damage or destroy all that we build. So what is the solution? How can we trust a force which is needed to keep our military strong and state free but which can also destroy us in the process. The purges which have and continue to wreak havoc on the coast thought it had the answer, but eventually it will simply make us weak as an army with mages will surely beat an army without mages, that is if we ignore that the purges also hunted people like me due to the basis of simple demagoguery and sometimes caused more havoc than the mages at Lekirr. The Grand Pillar thinks it has the answer, in making the purges more formal and organized rather than a peasant rebellion, but they have still kept to the attitude of those wild purges of going against stately interests and following their own rules. So what is the answer? How do we battle this spiked handle shield, this double edged sword? I will attempt to answer that and give two theoretical ways we could solve the issue that surrounds mages."

Historical Details

Background

Ever since the disaster at Lekirr mages has been a sore subject for the people of Kenirr, while during the civil war some mages made mini-states of their own these were often violently destroyed by neighbors fueled by anger from their people. As of such in some circles as early as the 1700s people started to discuss, the "issue of mages". How they were to be treated when Kenirr reunites and if magical studies can even be allowed in Tannar due to the danger it poses.

Legacy

As Kenirr slowly took shape the work has more and more become important again as people discuss which of the two options a future unified Kenirr should take or whether or not either of the options should be taken. Mages is still today a common reference for any opinion one has on mages as it seemingly argues for both sides.

Type

Text, Philosophical

Medium

Paper

Authoring Date

1927

Location

The Great Coast

Authors

• Mich Marekcimm