Since the foundation of the Guild of Mages in 465 a.f., many commoners have had the possibility to learn the different Arts of magic. Due to tedious and extensive research, the Guild has managed to create formulas for spells creating the same result every time, given the practitioner has the capability of casting them.

While the Drakh to the South with their treacherous manipulation of the desert sands used brutal methods to decimate the forces of Ceraviehl in 723 a.f., our forces still won after more than fifteen years of fighting. This well-deserved victory is largely attributed to the overwhelming magical power the spells of the Guild have provided.

Excerpt from History of the Guild of Mages, written by Archmage Andrew Dross

The wooden wheels of the carriage creaked softly along the dirt-packed road. Silas sat in the back, impatiently looking out the window. The carriage didn’t have any ornaments or the like, but it was a sturdy vehicle with a spacious interior. The windows were only a recent addition.

Silas and his parents were on the road to Bryme, something the whole family had looked forward to. The afternoon sun shone pleasantly on the road, illuminating the carriage. The family would make camp once more before reaching the city the following day.

With a sigh, Silas turned his attention back to the book he was supposed to be reading. The stern look from his mother sitting on the other side of the carriage did not escape his notice, however.

“Mother, why do I have to learn so much about numbers anyway?” he complained.

“Because you will thank me later if you do. Besides, I would appreciate it if you could help me with the books from time to time,” Hannah replied, shortly looking up from her own book.

His mother was a very kind and loving person, but Silas didn’t dare ask what her book was about. While she was quite a good teacher, his mother was also unrelenting in her way of teaching. The last time he asked, he had to endure an incredibly long speech regarding the value of various goods in different provinces, while considering each season. He got tired just by thinking about it.

“Mother, is it really true that Ignis defended the passage to the steppes for days, all by himself?” Silas asked, looking up at her.

His mother smiled. “The records tend to be a bit exaggerated, but Ignis did defend the passage alone for some time, even if nobody knows for how long exactly.”

Silas’s eyes widened. He could not imagine how powerful Ignis had to be. The barbarians were known to be fearsome warriors. Their usage of the Arts often differed from the Mages in Ceraviehl, making the barbarians very hard to predict.

“But the barbarians still got through the pass, right?”

“Yes,” Hannah answered. “The armies rallied by Bataar the Cruel eventually overwhelmed the few defenders of the pass, invading Ceraviehl. Although the following war only lasted a few years, it was a horrible one. Whole cities were put to the torch until the barbarian armies finally broke before the walls of the Capital."

Glancing out of the window, Silas beheld the massive mountains to his left. Their peaks were so high they split the sky, obscured as they were by the clouds. According to the book in his hands, the invasion had happened over 300 years ago. Since then, the fort which had been built in the passage had not once been breached.

Nowadays, mention of the barbarians was limited to history and scary bedtime stories.

Silas daydreamed as the cart made its way to Bryme, imagining the proud look on his parents’ face when he told them that he would be accepted into the Guild of Mages as a Seeker. The annual festivities alone were certainly a reason to visit the city, attracting people from all over the region. However, Silas' main reason for wanting to go there was to see if he had any talent for the magical Arts.

While Hannah and Edgar had agreed to pay the fee for the appraisal by the Guild, both had also tried to explain to their son that neither his mother nor his father has had any Mages in the family. Silas suddenly developing any talent for the magical Arts would be more than a bit unusual. The small family planned to stay in Bryme for a week or so. They would rent a place at the market to sell their wares while enjoying the exotic array of musicians, illusionists, and the like.

The city of Bryme was, apart from the yearly celebration on the summer solstice, mostly known for its beautiful architecture. The mines near the mountains supplied the whole kingdom with metals. A few manors were built completely out of marble. Others were made of some dark blue metal that was so evenly forged in some places one could see their reflection in it.

The whole family was excited to see the city. Even his father had never been there. Eventually, as the sun started to hide behind the tall trees, the carriage came to a stop. Edgar’s voice came out from the front.

“This looks like a good place to make camp, let’s rest here tonight! Help me pitch up the tent, will you Silas?”

Hopping out of the carriage, Silas stretched his legs and took out the canvas from the back. A while later everyone sat together around a small campfire, eating the supper Edgar had prepared.

“Tell me a story, Father!” Silas pleaded as soon as Edgar had finished his bowl.

Being quite a talented storyteller, Silas always looked forward to his tales. Hannah also regarded him expectantly. Edgar’s heart skipped a beat as he looked into her eyes. One corner of her mouth turned upward in a slight smile, her blue eyes twinkled with the light of the fire. A single blonde lock fell over her forehead, the yellow of her hair putting a blooming sunflower to shame.

Listening a few seconds to the near silence of the woods, Edgar began his tale.

“First of all, this story really happened, although it is said to have been a long, long time ago,” his father began using his signature storytelling voice.

“It takes place back when times were rougher. It takes place when vile creatures roamed the woods, back when magic was used without the spells for which the Guild is known nowadays.”

“Without spells? Then how did they cast magic?” interrupted Silas.

“I will explain it later Silas, be patient,” his Father responded, looking at his son for a second before continuing.

“Near the woods to the west, there once was a town called Dalry. A boy named Elusco lived in that town, who soon became the apprentice of the local elder. Elusco was found to have quite a talent for the magical Arts, so it didn’t take long before he became a User.”

“What kind of magic did Elusco’s teacher know?” asked Silas attentively.

“He was able to manipulate wood and wind to a large degree, although he only managed to teach the magic of wood to Elusco.”

The fire the three of them had gathered around cracked, throwing sparks of ember into the air.

“Yet while he certainly was talented, Elusco was also quite young. Soon, he fell for a girl in the village whose looks were said to rival even those of the beauty to my right,” he flattered Hannah, who cocked an eyebrow and looked at him with a small smile.

Those comments may have seemed excessive and unnecessary to others, but Edgar truly loved his wife. Trying to make Hannah blush from time to time was a personal goal of his, one by which she did not seem to be bothered at all.

Regarding the business, Edgar dealt with the customers while Hannah was the brains behind it all. She planned which goods needed to be bought and sold at which point and city. Silas’ father was well aware of this, and it was one of the reasons why he was so glad to have her by his side.

“Sadly, the name of the girl Elusco fell in love with became lost over the passage of time. However, it’s still known that both were often seen escaping into the woods together. At this point, Elusco had already reached the stage of being a Wielder.”

“After having been under the tutelage of the village elder for a handful of years, this was truly an impressive feat for any aspiring practitioner of the magical Arts,” Edgar explained.

“How long does it take other people then?” Silas questioned his father, looking deeply into the coals of the fire.

The Art of manipulating the element of fire. The power to sling fireballs out of his bare hands was something that had always fascinated Silas. He could not wait to get to the Guild in Bryme to find out what kind of affinities he had.

“Well, nowadays it takes less time due to the spells the Guild has invented, but back then it took the vast majority of people almost a decade to become a Wielder. If they managed it at all,” he added.

“As far as I know the Art of magic was more of an elusive concept back then. One had to learn it without resorting to spells, which I think is way more difficult,” his Father explained to Silas.

“Elusco and the girl became closer with each passing day, and by the time his sixteenth summer passed they decided to marry. It didn’t take long for her to be with child, and while Elusco didn’t continue to progress in the magical Arts as fast as he perhaps could have, he was still a happy man,” Edgar declared.

It was getting dark by now, and the family huddled closer together.

The route to Bryme was not deemed to be dangerous. Nevertheless, Edgar had purchased a few runes to protect them from any predators either desperate or hungry enough to approach them. There were no bandits in these woods either, as the viscount of Bryme had outlawed them to protect the trade routes for his mines.

The runes were one-time use only, but powerful enough to instantly kill any wolf and scare away the rest of the pack if necessary. They had also bought a few defensive runes for their family journey which served as shields. These runes would activate automatically if anything threatening came near the user.

Looking like little glowing spherical stones, the runes were inscribed with intricate and incredibly small writings. They were not something anybody could afford to buy as the process of making them was quite arduous.

It required both an experienced inscriber and expensive materials. Depending on the quality they would lose their power after some time, as the stored magic within could not be kept forever.

“A few months later, his now-wife gave birth to a little girl,” Edgar went on. “Elusco was overcome with joy and happiness. The moment he laid eyes on his daughter he swore to protect her and his wife from danger, known and unknown both.”

“Unfortunately it seemed fate did not permit him to live a peaceful life. Just a few weeks after the birth of his daughter, a hunter from Dalry went missing. While this was worrisome, the people of Dalry simply assumed he fell prey to an animal.”

“Only after two more Hunters hadn’t come back from the woods did the villagers express their worry to the elder. After speaking with Elusco he decided to scout the woods together with his apprentice and search for any clue as to what had happened to the missing hunters.”

“Armed with spear and wand, Elusco and the elder went off into the woods. They soon came upon the tracks belonging to the missing hunters. What made them hesitate were the other, unfamiliar tracks they found.” Edgar paused shortly before continuing with the story.

“While these tracks were similar to those of a human, they were so far apart one would have needed to jump every single step as softly as a feather,” Edgar elaborated with an ominous tone in his voice.

“Although the elder and Elusco didn’t know who or what the tracks could have belonged to, they still needed to find out why the hunters hadn’t come back. Little did they know, because they would find out sooner rather than later.”

Both Hannah and Silas were completely captivated by the story at this point, the crackling of the fire being the only thing filling the silence of the approaching night.

“Back then, the Sazmora were not as well-known and feared as they are today. Which probably was the reason why they were not prepared for what was coming next,” he told them.

With a voice bordering on a whisper, Edgar continued.

“For they were walking right into an ambush, just like every other hunter coming before them had. A gust of wind coming from the wrong direction was the only warning they got. Three-inch long claws raked across the back of the village elder and drew blood, eliciting a sharp cry of pain. Looking around, Elusco finally saw the face of their attacker.”

“A gaunt face with cat-like pupils and eyes that radiated bloodlust loomed over Elusco. Its incredibly long arms swung towards the boy, threatening to rip his throat open. Horrified, Elusco froze for a heartbeat.”

“Luckily, the elder came to his aid. Erecting a wooden shield, he saved Elusco’s life from certain doom. The young mage managed to snap out of his initial shock, his arm shooting forth and impaling the attacker through the chest. The Sazmora’s surprise was evident on its leathery face as it fell to the ground.”

“After Elusco recovered his spear, two more attacked them from opposite sides and tried to encircle the two Mages. Eyes shining with fury, the elder released small wooden projectiles that shot toward the heads of the two Sazmora," Edgar said, gesticulating with his arms.

"One Sazmora immediately stumbled backwards, the projectile entering his right eyeball, coming out on the other side of its elongated skull."

Hannah frowned, looking at Edgar sideways, as she did not approve of such detailed descriptions in front of her son. Silas however was completely captivated by the story, his eyes locked on Edgar’s lips.

“The remaining Sazmora dodged the projectile by an inch, ducking under and attacking Elusco. The young mage desperately raised his spear to defend himself. Notwithstanding the forceful impact, his spear broke,” Edgar went on.

“Moving himself between his apprentice and the Sazmora, the elder faced their remaining opponent. Snarling, the creature tried to flee, not wanting to fight without the element of surprise on its side. But alone, it had no chance against the powerful elder. It fell to the ground as soon as it turned its back on the elder, another projectile having imbedded itself into the creature's chest."

“The elder immediately decided to return to the village, as he was not the only one wounded. A long gash marked its way across Elusco's hand, the boy's eyes transfixed on the wound. They hardly spoke on their way back. The young mage was still in shock, while the elder kept scanning their surroundings, wary of any more surprise attacks. Suddenly, he stopped.”

“Staring at the ground in front of him, the elder gestured to the numerous tracks. Although Elusco realized they probably belonged to the same abhorrent creatures they had fought earlier, he still didn’t understand why they’d stopped.”

“The elder glanced at Elusco and asked him in which direction the tracks were heading. Looking again at the ground in front of him, Elusco’s eyes went wide with dread,” Edgar explained.

“Because the tracks the elder found were all heading right towards their village. Although the village was not completely defenseless, the few remaining hunters would be no match for the deadly creatures they had just encountered” Edgar said with a somber tone in his voice.

It had grown almost completely dark by now. Both Hannah and Silas had crept closer to him. Silas fearfully peered into the surrounding darkness of the woods, as if he expected one of the tall creatures to emerge and attack them at any moment.

“Good thing is, there are not any Sazmora or other dangerous creatures in these woods. They only live in the marshlands to the west and haven’t been seen for decades even there,” he told them.

Silas seemed to breathe easier after that. Hannah let out a small yawn, resting her head on Edgar’s shoulder.

“Ed, why don’t you continue with the story tomorrow, when we’ve reached Bryme? It’s getting a bit late,” she proposed.

“Please mother, I really want to know what happens next! It’s our last night traveling, after all,” Silas pleaded.

His father looked at Hannah, giving her the final say in the matter.

“All right, I guess storytelling by the hearth in some inn isn’t the same as out here,” she relented.

Silas nodded enthusiastically. Even Edgar seemed eager to finish his story.

“After the danger the Sazmora presented to the village fully sunk in with the two of them, they tried to reach it as fast as they possibly could,” Edgar began.

“The dread Elusco began to feel was soon shared by the elder, because the tracks they found earlier continued towards the exact direction they were heading. It didn’t take long until the palisade of the village was visible through the woods. The wooden gate was still closed, which gave both of them some relief. Yet the village was eerily silent.”

“As the two got closer to the village, they noticed deep claw marks in the walls. They reminded them of their earlier encounter, crushing their hope. Taking his apprentice by the waist, the elder pushed himself off the ground with a mighty leap, using a gust of wind to land on the wall of the palisade.”

“What both of them saw there, looking down on the place they grew up in and loved is not something anybody should have to bear witness to. For the Sazmora had reached Dalry before them,” he told them with finality.

“After seeing the desolation the village had been subjected to, Elusco immediately jumped down from the wall, heading towards the small cottage he built for his family. The elder already feared what his student may see there, so he quickly turned to follow him. Their cottage was at the end of the village, and Elusco’s steps grew more frantic with each passing second. He dreaded his family had shared the same fate as the other villagers he saw on his way.”

“Arriving and entering his home, Elusco saw neither his wife nor his daughter had survived the attack. Scenes flashed before his eyes. He remembered the first time he had held his daughter in his hands, and how he had sworn to protect her."

Edgar's voice got lower as he continued.

“It is said that the boy who had been known as Elusco died on that same day. Giving in to his grief, he made it his sole goal to completely annihilate the Sazmora with whatever means available to him.”

“He thus became known as the bane of the Sazmora. Hunting them down one by one over the course of decades, he used his talent for the Arts to fight his sworn enemy, becoming more powerful along the way. While it is not known what fate befell him in the end, many believe he died on his quest for vengeance."

Taking a deep breath Edgar looked at his son and wife, their eyes meeting his.

“And so ends the bitter story of Elusco, the bane of the Sazmora,” Edgar finished his tale.