I have few childhood memories – but I was born Mercinaen and determined to be a mage. I was apprenticed under Guildmaster Acaila at a time when the mages were mostly old men who spent their days reminiscing about past glories in the Mage sitting room. The elder mages seemed mostly pacifist, but the guild was well-represented by Hero and Acaila in the city barony and ministries. Battlemage Polter Geist was nearing the end of his activity in Avalon and I was privileged to watch him fight at times.
My main tutor was Ramoth, the bravest of fighters, I remember being little and very solitary and it was Ramoth who would give me instruments and jewellery with miraculous charges on. I did not quite know if I would be able to pay him back but in a somewhat bemused fashion I accepted the new equipment. It was from Ramoth I learned the power of Gravity/Girdling and won my first fight against a Sorcerer, Apprentice Drakath.
Other things I remember – being in the Grey Forest, lost or just wandering and having Calagan appear and warn me to stay away because it was dangerous. I had my first spar and met my first friend in Gwydion. I had not been aware of the issues in the land at this point, but as our peers, the Sorcerers Jarok and Wil began to jump I had my first brush with intercity politics.
Springdale had been defeated at some point before my birth and were held under treaty not to interfere when any Mercinaen was attacked by Thakria. So much to the despair of my true-hearted Paladin friend there was nothing he could do to protect me from the Thakrian Sorcerers. Springdale must have been at a low point because the relatively young Gwydion was promoted to Field Marshall, responsible for the yearly tithe of 100 Springdalian men that were part of the treaty reparations.
The world was becoming a terrifying and violent place. Mercinae was populated with a largely pacifist elder generation who would hark back to when they used to fight but would be unable to relieve the pressure. The population of Mercinae lacked fighting leaders to protect them from both an aggressive Thakria in the west and unlike recent times, Parrius in the East.
Into this generation was born my brother mage Fistandantilus, and fighters known even now, Hanann, Sorinanon, Herbie, Foxedup, Joely. We grew up with little protection except for the ever-present Kes and his apprentice Dunccan. In those days, if you died then Kes would race from his watch in the Pool of Life to come save you as would Dunccan. There were no politics - they were just Knights who served Mercinae by protecting those weaker than them.
We were constantly menaced. I remember being in Cassiandora Square when Zakath as Seer was attacking another Mercinaen, I got out my handburn item and started to defend. Zakath slayed me in response and managed to “take my head”. I had no real concept of this until I was on a bash and forced to attack Kes as he led us round. It seemed Zakath could control me whatever I did. Little did I know the same punishment had been given to Fistandantilus. The wily Fist negotiated with Zakath so we promised not to interfere when he jumped in Mercinae and he would not control us through the mysterious seer “head” skill. Little did we know that seer heads wear out after 3 days…
