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Utu
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:35 pm
by Das J
What's the deal with Utu?
Where did he come from?
How was so successful in usurping the sash?
What exactly does he do that makes him a 'wizard?'
Re: Utu
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 8:51 am
by Drydic
Das J wrote:What's the deal with Utu?
What exactly does he do that makes him a 'wizard?'
He practiced magic.
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 10:56 pm
by Das J
Usually the more fantastical elements in this world have some kind of rational explanation. I was wondering if the "wizards" in Almea are really just decieving the people with clever tricks with explosives. Or magnets. Or something.
At any rate, I was more interested in Utu's background. Was he a native Verdurian, or did he mysteriously arrive one day?
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 11:07 pm
by Iscun
I'm interested in this, too. I'd be nice to hear the story of the Grey Years.
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 11:31 pm
by jburke
Das J wrote:Usually the more fantastical elements in this world have some kind of rational explanation. I was wondering if the "wizards" in Almea are really just decieving the people with clever tricks with explosives. Or magnets. Or something.
No, Almean magic is genuine; but, as I understand, difficult to practice and unpredictable. It's consequences seem to outweigh its benefits for most people.
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 12:54 am
by zompist
Indeed, magic is genuine but extremely tricky to use on Almea. Magic is a gift of the Powers; and humans rarely have enough interesting things to offer the Powers that they will give anything that allows political power.
(You can think of humans being pets of the Powers. We might want our pets to be comfortable and live a long time, but aren't usually interested in letting them lord it over their fellow animals.)
I have a good deal of (probably half-outmoded) material on the fall of the Utus, but not much on their rise. Utu was a court magician for the last Soley king, Alunarho. He killed the king and took the throne. With this much temporal power it is likely that Utu had sacrificed a great artefact to the Powers-- or that the Powers themselves had some reason to weaken the kingdom.
Both wizards used plenty of non-magical oppression; the greatest expenditure of magical power was at the beginning of Utu's reign. Utu-On's fate was sealed when the fortress of Arcaln rebelled against him; what magic he had left could not prevail against the ancient stronghold, which itself has magical protections.