The Brand
Highly confidential (Herzhi secret)
"The Brand is the pinnacle of a Disciple's training. Every effort you did before will lead to it, every gift you will earn afterwards will come from it. It will be a new heart pumping your blood, a new soul drawing your breath, a new light revealing the world; it will be a new birth. Your life will be forever changed, as the Brand will make you anew. It will define you as Herzhi, as it defines the Order as a whole.
It is our name and our mark. It is our secret and our signature. It is our blessing and our curse. It is the power we earned and the price we paid.
For there is no coming back once Branded. For you will be human no more. For the Brand is the death of who you once were. For you will have but this name...'Herzhi'."- Of the Brand, its Nature and Dangers in Memoires Of The Hunt,
Jörge 'Three-Fingers' Varga (759)
The Brand is a magical alteration undergone by every Herzhi during a secret ritual nicknamed the 'Branding'. It is a milestone in a Disciple's development, as he enters the second part of his training, which is mainly focused on the aquisition and mastery of magical and arcane abilities. It is, however a delicate step, which is likely to fail with terribly dire consequences (death, magical or physical mutilation, mental illness,...).
"To be successful, a Branding must not be explained, prepared, restrained or stopped. The full process must be undergone and said process needs to be abrupt, difficult, owerwhelming and dangerous, as its prescribed purpose is to stress both body and mind up to a traumatic level. It is out of what is left of the Disciple after said trauma that a Herzhi will be chiseled by magic and physical training.
The Branding is a stab to the heart."
- Notes of Eymrin, the Terminator (circa 810)
It is important to understand that despite the Brand being rather even amongst the Herzhi'n, there is no standard Branding process; it is actually a Master's main concern to find and organize a Branding that would 'fit' his pupil, ergo, an exposure to a magical phenomenon that would at the same time push him beyond his limits and that he shall yet overcome.
"To be a Herzhi is to know our ways. To be a teacher is to understand them. To be a Master is to have questioned them and sorted them out.
[...] Due to its extreme dangerousity and failability, it is only natural that a Master would question our tradition of the Branding. A quick look around reveals however that there is no viable alternative. Because if one is to observe the needs of our craft, we see that the mages' and wizards' arcanes are helpless to us; we need not an understanding of the magical processes; we need a perception of magic as subtle, inate and instant as any of our other senses. We need not to understand nor master, we need to feel, breathe, smell and live.
There is no alternative to the Branding. It is our common experience.
To be a Herzhi is to bear the Brand."
- Trial Of The Way, Ærnwulf The Wise (circa 640)
The necessity of the Branding is justified by the very peculiar relationship Herzhi'n have with magic. Magic being by nature a direct consequence of the exercice of one's will, it is deeply impacted by one's upbringing, mindset and eductaion. Herzhi'n consider that the mages' training and education determine their way to think, use and practice magic to an extent were most mages are clueless about other arcanes of magic. The Hunters cannot afford to be limited by such a conditioning and they have developed the Brand as a way to acquire magical abilities without compromise them with prejudices about magic.
If there is anything such as a "Herzhi culture", one might consider that the Brand is the foundation of this culture, both in the symbolic (as a rite of passage to access), practical (as a milestone of the training), identitary (as Herzhi'n will recognize the Brand in one another) and "alchemical" aspects (as th Branding truly turns the human Disciple into something "else"). Due to its absolute necessity in the training of a Disciple, the Brand has become a key to understand the heavily symbolic traditions of the Order, as it represents the ultimate sacrifice of any Brother who ever embraced the Hunt.
If there is anything such as a "Herzhi culture", one might consider that the Brand is the foundation of this culture, both in the symbolic (as a rite of passage to access), practical (as a milestone of the training), identitary (as Herzhi'n will recognize the Brand in one another) and "alchemical" aspects (as th Branding truly turns the human Disciple into something "else"). Due to its absolute necessity in the training of a Disciple, the Brand has become a key to understand the heavily symbolic traditions of the Order, as it represents the ultimate sacrifice of any Brother who ever embraced the Hunt.
Causes
Highly secret and theoretical knowledge (Herzhi/Arcane) / Meta information
Stressed will transgression backfire
The Brand is a specific and purposeful form of a rather rare magical phenomenon: the stressed will transgression backfire.
The will transgression is the basic magical phenomenon; when the will of a single individual (or, more rarely, the attuned will of a group of individual) is enough to breach the fabric of reality in a spontaneous and self-generated way. Most of the time, these trangression of will over causality express themselves in a limited way, both in time, space and intensity (outburst of energy, spontaneous breaking of objects, hovering of surronding objects, minor illusions, visions,...) as breaching the reality is such an effort of the mind that it translate in immediate physical fatigue.
Note that one may not consider the exercise of a will trained to the use of magic as a will transgression, as said training will condition the expression of the will, meaning that such an occurence will not be self-generated.
It is a known fact that an intense stress caused by violent emotions (mostly fear or anger, but sometimes excitement or pleasure) might facilitate a will transgression. Most of the naturally gifted children will actually discover there inborn powers that way; while being exposed to a situation their mind cannot assimilate, their untrained will taps in so-far unknown powers to solve it.
A will transgression backfire is the rare consequence of a transgression of an extreme intensity, under the form of a definitive alteration of the subject's mind and essence. Simply depicted, the backfire 'imprints' the subject's mind with the 'path' of the transgression, making it both easier and almost natural, sometimes leading to the repetition of the original magical incident ('echoes') or to some mundane mental health damage. The backfire will often turn into a handicap as the subject might have trouble returning to a 'natural' course of action and would rather unintentionnally use their power (especially amongst telepaths) or in a more troublesome way, the occurence of echoes might plague their daily life and socially isolate them.
On the other hand, a correctly exploited and subsequently developped will transgression backfire might make any human being able to use magic.
Well aware of the backfire effect, Herzhi'n of yore developped the technic of the Branding as a way to make any Disciple able to feel and use magic. The backfire effect was selected as a mean to open the mind to magic as it was able to do so without compromising the pupil's mind with any explanation of the phenomenon, and as such setting their relationship to magic rather as a sensitive feeling than a conceptual understanding. The immediate setback was the unpredictable consequences of the backfire. Even after centuries of perfecting, the Branding fails around once every second time and kills once every sixth time.
Measures are taken in order to increase the Disciple's chances of success, both in their training and in the preparation of the ritual.
In the last years before the Branding, every aspects of the pupil's training are aimed towards preparing the ritual; just as new physical exercises will develop their body's raw strength, intellectual training will emphasize the development of character and self-confidence. Theoretical learning of magic will also be initiated, in order to ease the transgression's aftermath. Once the master has determined the form that the ritual will take, even more specific exercices might be added. A new diet is also imposed, based on magically active herbs and low-calories food, in order to use the body to tap into magical sources of power.
The Branding takes place during the Disciple's puberty, as the transforming body has an increased tolerance to magical alteration. It is also at the last age when an individual might express an inborn aptitude to magic. In order to increase the chances of a backfire, the Branding must expose the pupil to a prolonged stress that will cause a lengthy or repetited transgression. To ease the transgression, the Master will initiate the breach of the fabric of reality or provoke the ritual in a place saturated with magic. This basically means that the Branding will take the form of an impossible and deadly task that the pupil will have to undergo, while being expose to magical activity. In the case were the Disciple presents an inborn aptitude to magic, the process of the Branding is drastically different: on one hand, it eases it as the pupil's mind is already prepared to the use of magic, while on the other hand, the purpose of the Branding becomes to redirect this ability in a different to make the Disciple independant of his gift.
Some masters tend to back away from 'traditionnal' Branding and embark on a quest for freak magical singularities able to Brand their Disciple. This different process tends to be more reliable and secure, while being harder to come by.
The will transgression is the basic magical phenomenon; when the will of a single individual (or, more rarely, the attuned will of a group of individual) is enough to breach the fabric of reality in a spontaneous and self-generated way. Most of the time, these trangression of will over causality express themselves in a limited way, both in time, space and intensity (outburst of energy, spontaneous breaking of objects, hovering of surronding objects, minor illusions, visions,...) as breaching the reality is such an effort of the mind that it translate in immediate physical fatigue.
Note that one may not consider the exercise of a will trained to the use of magic as a will transgression, as said training will condition the expression of the will, meaning that such an occurence will not be self-generated.
It is a known fact that an intense stress caused by violent emotions (mostly fear or anger, but sometimes excitement or pleasure) might facilitate a will transgression. Most of the naturally gifted children will actually discover there inborn powers that way; while being exposed to a situation their mind cannot assimilate, their untrained will taps in so-far unknown powers to solve it.
A will transgression backfire is the rare consequence of a transgression of an extreme intensity, under the form of a definitive alteration of the subject's mind and essence. Simply depicted, the backfire 'imprints' the subject's mind with the 'path' of the transgression, making it both easier and almost natural, sometimes leading to the repetition of the original magical incident ('echoes') or to some mundane mental health damage. The backfire will often turn into a handicap as the subject might have trouble returning to a 'natural' course of action and would rather unintentionnally use their power (especially amongst telepaths) or in a more troublesome way, the occurence of echoes might plague their daily life and socially isolate them.
On the other hand, a correctly exploited and subsequently developped will transgression backfire might make any human being able to use magic.
Branding
Well aware of the backfire effect, Herzhi'n of yore developped the technic of the Branding as a way to make any Disciple able to feel and use magic. The backfire effect was selected as a mean to open the mind to magic as it was able to do so without compromising the pupil's mind with any explanation of the phenomenon, and as such setting their relationship to magic rather as a sensitive feeling than a conceptual understanding. The immediate setback was the unpredictable consequences of the backfire. Even after centuries of perfecting, the Branding fails around once every second time and kills once every sixth time.
Measures are taken in order to increase the Disciple's chances of success, both in their training and in the preparation of the ritual.
In the last years before the Branding, every aspects of the pupil's training are aimed towards preparing the ritual; just as new physical exercises will develop their body's raw strength, intellectual training will emphasize the development of character and self-confidence. Theoretical learning of magic will also be initiated, in order to ease the transgression's aftermath. Once the master has determined the form that the ritual will take, even more specific exercices might be added. A new diet is also imposed, based on magically active herbs and low-calories food, in order to use the body to tap into magical sources of power.
The Branding takes place during the Disciple's puberty, as the transforming body has an increased tolerance to magical alteration. It is also at the last age when an individual might express an inborn aptitude to magic. In order to increase the chances of a backfire, the Branding must expose the pupil to a prolonged stress that will cause a lengthy or repetited transgression. To ease the transgression, the Master will initiate the breach of the fabric of reality or provoke the ritual in a place saturated with magic. This basically means that the Branding will take the form of an impossible and deadly task that the pupil will have to undergo, while being expose to magical activity. In the case were the Disciple presents an inborn aptitude to magic, the process of the Branding is drastically different: on one hand, it eases it as the pupil's mind is already prepared to the use of magic, while on the other hand, the purpose of the Branding becomes to redirect this ability in a different to make the Disciple independant of his gift.
Some masters tend to back away from 'traditionnal' Branding and embark on a quest for freak magical singularities able to Brand their Disciple. This different process tends to be more reliable and secure, while being harder to come by.
Sequela
The most obvious sequela to the Branding is that the subject's essence is forever altered in a specific way. It is precisely that effect that named the technic, as Herzhi'n would be able to recognize each one another by this 'mark'. One of the interesting perks of this phenomenon is the fact that the Brand marks the mind in such a subtle way that it requires to be able to perceive magic in an intuitve way. As a consequence, only Herzhi'n and some magiclings might feel the Brand on a person, while most mages will be unable to do so. Some Herzhi'n have still developped technics to 'hide' the mark.
The main reason to Brand a person is, obviously, to make one able to feel and wield magic. On that aspect, the process goes even deeper, as the Brand burns the essence clean, re-shaping the essence of the subject; some Hunters would illustrate extent of the transformation by saying that it is as if it left the shape unchanged while changing the material itself. On a more emotionnal aspect, this transformation is one of the reason why Herzhi'n would often identify themselves as magiclings and sympathize with them; when opposed to their human origin, this feeling makes it essential that the Herzhi'n keep to their role of 'Keepers Of The Balance.'
Even if the Branding is a success, there is still an inevitable physical sequela; the 'gem-eyed' effect basically happens after every Branding. It is a freak glow of the eyes, which gives them an intense and gem-like or metallic sheen. This aspect is even more intense amongst Masters as their complementary training would have them delve even deeper into magic.
There is little to say about the sequela of a failed Branding, as it covers an array of outcomes as varied as the failure to Brand (depending on the way the mind was affected, further attempts to Brand it might become impossible) to a more standard form of transgression backfire, with the potential damage to mental health. Occasionnaly, a failed ritual might even generate unexpected and unique abilities, but the subject will not be able to master them.
The main reason to Brand a person is, obviously, to make one able to feel and wield magic. On that aspect, the process goes even deeper, as the Brand burns the essence clean, re-shaping the essence of the subject; some Hunters would illustrate extent of the transformation by saying that it is as if it left the shape unchanged while changing the material itself. On a more emotionnal aspect, this transformation is one of the reason why Herzhi'n would often identify themselves as magiclings and sympathize with them; when opposed to their human origin, this feeling makes it essential that the Herzhi'n keep to their role of 'Keepers Of The Balance.'
Even if the Branding is a success, there is still an inevitable physical sequela; the 'gem-eyed' effect basically happens after every Branding. It is a freak glow of the eyes, which gives them an intense and gem-like or metallic sheen. This aspect is even more intense amongst Masters as their complementary training would have them delve even deeper into magic.
There is little to say about the sequela of a failed Branding, as it covers an array of outcomes as varied as the failure to Brand (depending on the way the mind was affected, further attempts to Brand it might become impossible) to a more standard form of transgression backfire, with the potential damage to mental health. Occasionnaly, a failed ritual might even generate unexpected and unique abilities, but the subject will not be able to master them.
Affected Groups
If the process of the Branding is a Herzhi'n' exclusiveness, some other primitive cultures are known to expose their youth to magic during their rite of passage towards adulthood or as entry to a warrior caste. Such rituals often use the same ingredients as the Branding does; exposure to magic, danger of injury or death, extreme difficulty, facing the trial alone,... while adding cultural or mystical aspects.
The most famous contemporary example outside of the Herzhi Order are the Skällish Thundarssons' warriors.
The most famous contemporary example outside of the Herzhi Order are the Skällish Thundarssons' warriors.
Type
Magical
Origin
Magical
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
Rarity
Extremely Rare
Remarkable Brandings
Eymrin, the Terminator
The secret of Eymrin's Branding was sealed by his Mistress, Ryerdi, due to the confidentiality of the Branding's source, as he had been accidentaly exposed to the legendary Shylzedmüllin's waters as a baby. One drop of the Fountain Of Pure Magic was enough to give Eymrin an apparent eternal youth, immense (maybe unlimited) magical power. Eymrin's magic and mind had to be altered in order to ensure both his own and people around him's safety.
This example is the most obvious proof that the intensity of the magical activity triggering the Branding impacts directly the future Herzhi's power.
This example is the most obvious proof that the intensity of the magical activity triggering the Branding impacts directly the future Herzhi's power.
Manielo Manielli
Manielo Manielli's Branding became a textbook example of how much a Branding could go wrong, and of the efficiency of preventive measures.
The backfire of the ritual burned some of Manielli emotionnal aptitude, such as empathy and commiseration. The threat caused by a potentially sociopathic Herzhi was such that some Masters called to execute him. Manielli vanished and was only seen again years later, when he attempted to kill his Master, Géhaut le Tharse. It is only the later's theachings in philosophy and ethics who saved his life, as Manielli was able to recreate a faux feeling of empathy based on complex moral safeguards.
Manielli spent the rest of his life according to his code of conduit and even ended up become a Master himself.
The backfire of the ritual burned some of Manielli emotionnal aptitude, such as empathy and commiseration. The threat caused by a potentially sociopathic Herzhi was such that some Masters called to execute him. Manielli vanished and was only seen again years later, when he attempted to kill his Master, Géhaut le Tharse. It is only the later's theachings in philosophy and ethics who saved his life, as Manielli was able to recreate a faux feeling of empathy based on complex moral safeguards.
Manielli spent the rest of his life according to his code of conduit and even ended up become a Master himself.
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