Leo and Heidi

Black Forest, Germany

Leo turned the pages over toward the end of the journal and read out loud.

- - -

March 21st, 1488

Grave news has been discovered by my brothers and sisters at the Conclave. I bore witness to a secret meeting of the Church’s Bishops and their Head.

Now I understand why they built a church in Speyer of all the places. It connects all their regional branches, enabling quick gathering and distribution of the decisions taken.

The matter at hand concerns the migrations of the commoners over the years. It all starts to make sense now. The Church has been vocal against our practices here in the countryside. They believe us to be a threat, not workers benefiting the commoners.

They look to profit and control who receives a cure and access to magic and who is condemned to suffer as their pope has not deemed them to be enough of a believer. Life has a price, and it is charged in silver.

As it is now, they have partnered with the new clans established by our no-longer brothers. A radical and vocal merchant named Inpes has gathered enough support and gold to buy himself into the good graces of the Church and its Head.

During the meeting, I heard part of the talk on one thing. The threat we pose to the Church and its authority. They are planning to start an offensive campaign against us. A hunt for those who are making lives better for the common man. This is outrageous.

My visit with Inca did not go as well as I had planned. Clan Aer does not hold enough power to oppose the Church and the Inpes, while the other clans remain undecided. Not that it matters, as I still have to convince the Conclave members to organize a counter-offensive before the order reaches the lowest echelons in the Church.

On the other hand, the Church has devised a way to restrict magic. Not only in their members but also in our ranks. At least for those they have managed to find and catch. Reports have reached our ears that something called a ‘spell form’ has been created and is handed out to the less talented mages in the mage clans, along with some sort of awakening ritual enabling them to use magic.

We do not know the details yet, but the thought is concerning that any child with a hint of mana inside them is now able to join the ranks of the Church. Especially without formal training to grow their strength and connection to the mana around them, thus limiting them…

- - -

“Alright, now this is interesting,” Heidi said as Leo paused reading the entry.

“That Alea knows your great ancestor from the previous entries? You did not sound surprised when I read that part,” he said.

“No, not that. Viktor knew that our clan had dealings with the free mages at the time, but not the details. I mean the part about the spell forms. Seems that the Conclave discovered the details right at the time when the ritual to enslave the core was created,” she said.

“Yes? And why do you find it interesting?” Leo asked.

“Because,” Heidi began. “The mage clans did not exist before, right? They appeared in the middle ages, at least from what Alea describes in the entries you have read. That means the major powers at the time were mostly two - the Church, a structured entity, and the Conclave, we know so little about.”

Stolen story; please report.

“Why do you not know of them?” Leo asked, thinking back to how Alea talked about them in her entries.

“Because the Church controls the information in the mage world today. And logically speaking, most likely started to control it at the time when it was important for the narrative to favor them.”

“Like the fact that there is only one way to find salvation? To regret your sins and come clean before god?” Leo asked.

“Yes, something like that. Imagine you hold a structure and a mythos that some power can heal you. Remember, god is all forgiving, right? You just have to come and worship him. Not on your own - at the church, where there is a priest to facilitate that.”

“Right, and if you go to the church, you offer a part of your silver to them. A scheme where there is one dealer who holds all the cards,” Leo continued.

“Yes,” Heidi said. “Now imagine that the cards you deal with are dealt from elsewhere. Imagine that the cures and miracles are cast by other commoners, turned mages. Free of charge. No need to worship, regret your sins, and contribute in silver. You forget the god to who you are thankful.”

“I see,” Leo said, thoughtful. “Then it would mean they needed to eradicate a threat to their power. To clear out the mages helping the commoners for free?”

“Yes, exactly. So they entice a few of the Conclave members. Offer accolades. It is no secret that the Church gave significant capital to the first clans, including Inpes and Aer. The clan heads were merchants, and their deals with the Church became even more successful.”

“So the Church makes its move via the clans to take the power of the free mages? But how? Via the slave spell on the core? Why would anyone allow that to be cast on them?”

“Because, Leo. Imagine that you are just a commoner, living your life on a farm somewhere. All you know every day is work and little pay. You live to work and serve the kings and the queens. Imagine if someone offers you a chest full of gold and says that you are something more. That there is magic, and you can work it. All you have to do is this one little thing….” Heidi trailed off.

“Just a simple thing, allow a ritual to be cast on you. And they will teach, guide, and pay you, right?” Leo asked, understanding the idea.

“Yes. It is too good of a deal to turn down. We know there were not many free mages then, mainly because to be one meant to work yourself to the bone to learn magic. To progress. Our clans even now believe at large the way we utilize mana is best, given the accessibility our way has.”

“But it restricts you,” Leo said.

“It does. But why does it matter? Why would it matter, then? You do not know what is possible for you. So you sell yourself to the clans, to the Church. As easy as that,” Heidi clicked her fingers.

“And suddenly, the Church's ranks swell,” Leo said absentmindedly.

“Yes, so do the clans as well,” Heidi continued. “And remember, the Conclave is scattered. No clear leadership and not many members. Individually they are more powerful, sure. But before the numbers of the Church and the clans?”

“I understand. But what of the commoners, then? You said previously that the clans used their power and money at the time to basically ‘take over the world,’ to have a hand of control in any structure that mattered,” Leo stated.

“Yes. Exactly. The Church started with the mages and commoners with the talent to grow their number. Then they continued through the clans and by themselves to grow their funds by attracting commoners back to their churches who were dealing miracles again as the only agents, given that the number of free mages fell.”

“And the witch trials,” Leo interrupted her. “That is what they did. They gave the carrot to the mages and the stick to those who did not want to join them and their protection. You are either one of us, or you cease to exist.”

“Yes, exactly,” Heidi finished and looked at Leo, who became angry and shut the journal.

“Well, I guess you were right then when you said we do not make our own decisions,” he said. “All we have believed is the narrative told to us. That we have to work for the common cause. That there is no magical help or solutions to our problems. If we do our little part and get a little for it, we will contribute. We come clean before god, and it is all good. Work for the cause.”

“Yes,” Heidi commented, saddened by the actions of her clan. “We were no different at the time. The mage clans were built on a false idea of freedom bought in silver. Being traitors to the common man. We believed to be above others and that we were worthy. And with time, we lost our worth and freedom.”

“And now I have become a threat to them by not being in their ranks. By not being one of you. A free agent. Because of the core, I could form,” he said, looking her in the eye.

“Yes, Leo. They will never stop coming after you. And me, for that matter, now that my father decided to involve our clan. We have only two options,” Heidi said, looking him in the eye. “To bow down and join them as we always have done. Or…”

“To stand up and change the status quo,” he finished.