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- #21
MinstrelAfter a bit of thought and a bit of playing around with the basic plot outline - and sitting and writing three separate character introductions to the story to play with a few ideas, I have the following tweaks to the history and current world that may answer some of the questions thrown up.
The church is now a much bigger player in the story. The Parsonage has taken upon itself to control magicians. Parsons must swear an oath of celibacy - one that is fiercely enforced by the the leadership of the church across the former Empire. Children are tested just before their 10th year - given the high mortality rate it isn't worth doing prior to this, in addition the ability isn't "quickened" for want of a better word (and the fact that I saw a bit of Highlander the other day) until they hit puberty. This testing is an examination of the body for "witchmarks" The gene also causes the skin to produce areas of darker pigmentation to appear - children with "witchmarks" are taken to be trained to be priests - those that can be brainwashed to believe become priests - those that don't are killed. The church wants sole control of magic so that anything that occurs can be attributed to divine intervention.
The nobility had risen to power due to magical abilities - these families were however purged as part of the popular rebellion that gave the church power - The church keeps records of family lineages and keeps a very close eye on the old noble bloodlines - it is some branches of these bloodlines that escaped during the purge that have formed the Hidden Council - the majority of them are involved in the criminal underworld, either as smugglers, thieves, madams of brothels and fences. They have formed gangs in the cities, they also keep an eye out for children with witchmarks to add to the gene pool that they are trying to breed from.
The leadership of the country is a king who is from a non-magical noble family that supported the rebellion and purge and took the opportunity to denounce their fellow nobles and seize power. There is significant tension between him and The Parson, the leader of the church. The King controls the inner city, which includes the largest harbour in the country - he essentially controls the trade- he is also popular amoung the masses as he uses the wealth that he gains from taxes to keep them happy with bread and circuses.
The church are much less popular, they have established an authority based on fear. Fear that they will take your children, and fear that they will burn you or torture you for heresy. The current Parson, a powerful woman (nod to the Bene Gesserit) has established a programme to eliminate poverty - this is actually supported by the king - There is a church and state sponsored Board of Guardians that run Workhouses for the homeless and destitute. As you can imagine these are not pleasant places to live. If you are found on the streets at night you can be gathered up by the "Sweepers" and placed in workhouses - where you are essentially slave labour for the church - all goods that the church needs are manufactured in the workhouses - children who are gathered up are tested - if they are seen to be "godly" they are easier to train as priests.
Rogue magicians are hunted by "Wringers" so called because their favourite method of gathering information is to feed parts of you through a mangle until you give up the information or die. This is the part of the church that is feared most.
The church covers the continent (there is only one known continent at present - the typical Endless Sea separates it from any others that may exist). It has mixed relationships with leaders of the various countries that have arisen as part of the break up of the Empire, while it doesn't involve itself in any conflicts, it has been thought that they have removed leaders of countries that opposed them.
Sorry if this seems a little rambling but I haven't typed up a history of the world yet and I am still working out a timeline. I hope that this covers the questions raised previously in the thread.
Which were in essence:
Why aren't the magicians in power?
How do you stop magic from reappearing randomly and if it does what is done about it?
The church is now a much bigger player in the story. The Parsonage has taken upon itself to control magicians. Parsons must swear an oath of celibacy - one that is fiercely enforced by the the leadership of the church across the former Empire. Children are tested just before their 10th year - given the high mortality rate it isn't worth doing prior to this, in addition the ability isn't "quickened" for want of a better word (and the fact that I saw a bit of Highlander the other day) until they hit puberty. This testing is an examination of the body for "witchmarks" The gene also causes the skin to produce areas of darker pigmentation to appear - children with "witchmarks" are taken to be trained to be priests - those that can be brainwashed to believe become priests - those that don't are killed. The church wants sole control of magic so that anything that occurs can be attributed to divine intervention.
The nobility had risen to power due to magical abilities - these families were however purged as part of the popular rebellion that gave the church power - The church keeps records of family lineages and keeps a very close eye on the old noble bloodlines - it is some branches of these bloodlines that escaped during the purge that have formed the Hidden Council - the majority of them are involved in the criminal underworld, either as smugglers, thieves, madams of brothels and fences. They have formed gangs in the cities, they also keep an eye out for children with witchmarks to add to the gene pool that they are trying to breed from.
The leadership of the country is a king who is from a non-magical noble family that supported the rebellion and purge and took the opportunity to denounce their fellow nobles and seize power. There is significant tension between him and The Parson, the leader of the church. The King controls the inner city, which includes the largest harbour in the country - he essentially controls the trade- he is also popular amoung the masses as he uses the wealth that he gains from taxes to keep them happy with bread and circuses.
The church are much less popular, they have established an authority based on fear. Fear that they will take your children, and fear that they will burn you or torture you for heresy. The current Parson, a powerful woman (nod to the Bene Gesserit) has established a programme to eliminate poverty - this is actually supported by the king - There is a church and state sponsored Board of Guardians that run Workhouses for the homeless and destitute. As you can imagine these are not pleasant places to live. If you are found on the streets at night you can be gathered up by the "Sweepers" and placed in workhouses - where you are essentially slave labour for the church - all goods that the church needs are manufactured in the workhouses - children who are gathered up are tested - if they are seen to be "godly" they are easier to train as priests.
Rogue magicians are hunted by "Wringers" so called because their favourite method of gathering information is to feed parts of you through a mangle until you give up the information or die. This is the part of the church that is feared most.
The church covers the continent (there is only one known continent at present - the typical Endless Sea separates it from any others that may exist). It has mixed relationships with leaders of the various countries that have arisen as part of the break up of the Empire, while it doesn't involve itself in any conflicts, it has been thought that they have removed leaders of countries that opposed them.
Sorry if this seems a little rambling but I haven't typed up a history of the world yet and I am still working out a timeline. I hope that this covers the questions raised previously in the thread.
Which were in essence:
Why aren't the magicians in power?
How do you stop magic from reappearing randomly and if it does what is done about it?
