The Magus and His Master
The tales told on Raithsfall tend toward the more glorious, the "cleaner" victories. But ask the right teller in the right company, and you might get to hear the story of The Magus and His Master. The tale is best told by starlight and a flickering bonfire.
Summary
Introduction
The last Court Magus at Raitharis was said, in whispers and shadows, to be the true power ruling the city and even the empire. He was a spymaster, with eyes and ears everywhere, but he did not rely only on mortal informants, or on mortal assassins.
Instead, the Magus dealt with the spirits to harness their power. There were many spirits either under his control or in his employment, incorporeal wisps of power of will. He used them as he chose, and in return, they fed off of his own energy, even his life and soul.
But such spirits couldn't explain all of his powers. Of all the necromancers in the empire, he was the most powerful.
Building Suspense
Every storyteller has their own favorite stories to illustrate his dread power, generally aimed to frighten the audience. The most universal is the Magus' means of punishing his enemies. In addition to hinting that listeners should fear the Magus appearing out of shadow in the night, it also introduces his companion: a pampered but vicious cat.
They say, when someone dared to cross him, he would appear at their side in the dead of night. His magic held his victim still and silent, but he didn't kill them--no he merely carved off a piece of flesh and fed it to his cat.
No matter where his victim fled, no matter how safely they barricaded themselves, every night he would be there. The Magus and his cat, ready for its supper.
But even death wasn't the end, whether the unfortunate victim gave in to their wounds or sought that release themselves. Instead, when they were finished, they got up out of their funeral pyre, burned down to bone. And they walked, slow and lurching, up the road to the Magus' house.
Climactic Battle
Of course, even the most powerful evil will inevitably be defeated. The bulk of the tale is usually the battle between the Magus and Valor, prior to her ascension. They met nearly as soon as the rebels entered the city, but despite his powerful magic, she was able to hold him as the army forged onward. He called up spirits to assault her, but she fought throught them. He called up the dead, but cast them back to the earth.
Finally, after she had pushed him all the way through city to the gates of his own manor, she broke through his last defense. She cut him through, and he died on the cobblestones. Behind him, through the gate, Valor saw his cat, watching, but she payed it no mind, returning to the army. Her fight was not yet finished.
The Turn
She engaged in all the feats of strength and glory that are sang and told of on Raithsfall, but she would face the Magus one more time. Valor and her army triumphed over the massive War Dragon called Nyx, but as it fell, she saw the Magus on a balcony of the Citadel.
Even at that distance, she knew her foe. His magic hung in the air around him, lit up his bloodied hands. His mouth still hung slack with death, and his eyes were clouded white, but he moved and fought much as he did while he lived.
Valor was deeply wounded from her battle with the monstrous War Dragon Nyx, but no fiend from beyond the grave would quell her.
An End
After a longer or shorter final battle, often full of explicit gore, the Magus is cut to ribbons, dispatched for good.
And when Valor finally turned from her foe, exausted but once again triumphant, she saw a small black form--the Magus' cat--watching her.
"Very well," he said, speaking clearly in a deep, rough voice. "You have destroyed my servant. But not even the likes of you can destroy his master."
Before she could raise her sword, the cat was gone, and was not seen again.
Historical Basis
The tale takes place largely during the fall of Raitharis. There is disagreement over how true or embellished it is, but it is considered factual that Valor faced and defeated the Magus (though only once, not twice as the tale contends) during the battle.
Variations & Mutation
Every teller has their take, and every imaginable variation has been told in at least one tavern or beside at least one bonfire. However, the cat is always at least implied to be the Master, and always escapes (though sometimes after having been apparently slain).
Comments