Earthsea magic with Dragon Warriors rules

With Christmas almost upon us (what, again?!) it seems like a good time to try something just for fun. I asked Claude to take my post about Tim Harford's Earthsea-like Conclave campaign and convert the rules to Dragon Warriors. Although I do sometimes use AI when I'm writing rules and scenarios, normally I just use it as a sounding board. This time I'm handing over the reins, so here is Claude's guest post. 

This is the first of a string of daily posts comprising a countdown to Christmas, so check back in tomorrow for something else.

The art below in today's post by AI too, hence the mostly trad-fantasy style. (But we can't blame Claude for that. It doesn't do images.) You can still coax decent art out of AI, but it's not as easy as it was a year or two ago, when it wasn't overtrained on the same old same old.

OK, take it away, Claude...

The Mage

A Dragon Warriors profession for Earthsea-style magic

Overview

In the island realms where magic flows like tide through ancient stones, the Mages represent the truest practitioners of the Art. Unlike the scholarly Sorcerers with their books and laboratories, or the elemental shamans who channel raw forces, Mages understand that all magic begins with the Word, the true name that binds essence to form. They are the wizards of legend, capable of reshaping reality with carefully chosen words, yet bound by ancient traditions that demand restraint and wisdom.

Minimum Requirements

To become a Mage, a character must possess:

• Intelligence 13+ (understanding the deep structures of language and reality)
• Psychic Talent 11+ (sensitivity to the true names underlying all things)

Characters with Psychic Talent 8 or less cannot use magic at all.

Initial Characteristics

Basic Combat Factors:

• Attack: 10, Defense: 5
• Magical Attack: 16, Magical Defense: 6
• Health Points: 1d6+3
• Evasion: 3
• Stealth: 13, Perception: 7

The Art of True Magic

The Two-Step Casting System

All Mage magic requires two separate skill checks:

1. Naming Roll: Roll against the Mage's Naming skill to determine how well they can discern or invoke the true name of their target
2. Art Roll: Roll against the specific magical discipline being employed

The degree of success on the Naming roll directly modifies the Art roll. If the Naming roll fails completely, the magic cannot work at all - without the true name, the Word has no power.

Naming Modifiers

Known True Names: If the Mage knows the complete true name of the target, no Naming roll is required - the magic automatically succeeds at maximum effect.

Partial Knowledge:

• Target's common name known: +2 to Naming
• Target's lineage/type understood: +1 to Naming
• Target studied for at least 1 hour: +1 to Naming
• Target completely foreign/alien: -3 to Naming

Success Levels and Art Modifiers:

• Naming roll succeeds by 10+: +4 to Art roll
• Naming roll succeeds by 5-9: +2 to Art roll
• Naming roll succeeds by 1-4: +0 to Art roll
• Naming roll fails by 1-4: -2 to Art roll, spell may still work
• Naming roll fails by 5+: Magic fails completely

The Nine Arts of Magic

Each Mage begins play knowing Naming plus three Arts of their choice. Additional Arts may be learned through study, typically requiring a teacher and 3-6 months of intensive training.

1. Change (Major Art)

Transform one thing into another

• Range: Touch for major changes, 10m per rank for minor alterations
• Duration: Permanent for inanimate objects, Spell Expiry for living beings
• Restrictions: Cannot create or destroy matter, only reshape it
• Examples: Stone to bread, rabbit to wolf, iron to gold, man to tree

2. Find

Locate lost or hidden objects, places, or people

• Range: 1 mile per rank
• Duration: Instantaneous (provides direction and approximate distance)
• Modifiers: +2 if item belongs to the caster, +1 if recently handled
• Examples: Lost ship, buried treasure, missing person, hidden door

3. Gate

Open and seal magical portals and paths

• Range: Touch
• Duration: 1 minute per rank (or permanent with additional cost)
• Types: Unlock any physical barrier, create temporary passages through walls, open mystical doorways between distant places (8th rank+)
• Examples: Locked door springs open, passage through solid stone, portal to distant island

4. Healing

Restore health and cure ailments

• Range: Touch
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Power: Restores 1d6+rank Health Points, can cure diseases and neutralize poisons at higher ranks
• Limitations: Cannot raise the dead or regrow lost limbs 

5. Illusion

Create false images and sensory deceptions

• Range: 50m per rank
• Duration: Spell Expiry
• Scale: Single person illusions (1st-3rd rank), building-sized (4th-6th), landscape illusions (7th+)
• Examples: False appearance, phantom armies, invisible ships, illusory islands

6. Mend

Repair broken or damaged objects

• Range: Touch
• Duration: Permanent
• Scope: Complexity limited by rank - simple tools (1st), complex mechanisms (4th), magical items (7th+)
• Examples: Shattered sword becomes whole, broken mast repairs itself, torn sail mends

7. Pattern (Major Art)

Scrying and discerning hidden connections

• Range: Unlimited for scrying, touch for connections
• Duration: Concentration (can maintain for 10 minutes per rank)
• Applications: See distant places, understand relationships, predict consequences, read the past from objects
• Examples: Watch events across the sea, trace a person's family line, foresee storm paths

8. Send

Project your image and consciousness

• Range: 10 miles per rank (cannot cross running water)
• Duration: 1 hour per rank maximum
• Limitations: Image can speak and perceive but cannot physically interact or cast spells
• Examples: Appear in a distant council chamber, scout enemy positions, deliver messages

9. Summon (Major Art)

Call objects or beings to your location

• Range: 1 mile per rank for objects, unlimited for willing beings
• Duration: Permanent for objects, willing beings stay as long as they choose
• Power: Complexity increases with rank - small objects (1st), large objects (4th), creatures (6th), people (8th), the dead (10th+)
• Examples: Summon your lost staff, call a fish to your net, bring forth a long-dead spirit

10. Weather

Command wind, rain, fog, and storms

• Range: 1 mile radius per rank
• Duration: Natural weather patterns (typically hours to days)
• Scope: Small changes (1st-3rd rank), local weather (4th-6th), regional effects (7th+)
• Examples: Gentle breeze, thick fog, driving storm, calm seas

Magic Point System

Daily Magic Points: Rank × 3

Spell Costs:

• Minor Arts (Find, Healing, Illusion, Mend, Send, Weather): 1 MP per rank of effect
• Major Arts (Change, Gate, Pattern, Summon): 2 MP per rank of effect
• Naming: No cost (but required for all other Arts)

Example: A 3rd rank Mage using Change to turn a rock into bread would spend 6 MPs (2 × 3 for a Major Art at 3rd rank effectiveness).

Restraints of Wisdom

The true power of a Mage comes with corresponding responsibilities. Reckless use of magic disrupts the natural order and marks the practitioner as dangerous. Choose one restraint system for your campaign:

Option 1: Mana Depletion

Each casting depletes ambient magical energy in the area:

• After casting, all subsequent magic in a 100m radius suffers cumulative -1 penalty per previous spell
• Depletion recovers at 1 point per hour
• Natural phenomena may be disrupted (tides, weather patterns, animal behavior)

Option 2: Natural Consequences

Every magical act creates an opposing reaction:

• Weather magic brings equal and opposite weather later
• Healing one person may cause illness in another
• Summon magic often requires something to be "paid" to the summoning
• Effects manifest within days or weeks

Option 3: The Burden of Power

Excessive magic use affects the Mage's health and spirit:

• Each spell beyond (rank ÷ 2) per day inflicts 1 point of Psychic Strain
• At Strain equal to Psychic Talent, suffer -2 to all rolls
• Strain removes at 1 point per day of complete rest from magic
• At double Psychic Talent in Strain, risk permanent characteristic loss

Option 4: The College of Hythe (Recommended)

An organization of elder Mages monitors magical use:

• Obvious public magic draws attention (Perception check for College agents in civilized areas)
• Misuse of magic results in warnings, then censure, then active opposition
• "Good" magic use builds reputation; "selfish" magic creates enemies
• High-rank College members are 12th+ rank Mages with powerful allies

Mages and Armour

Mages suffer significant penalties when wearing heavy protection, as armor restricts the precise gestures and movements required for their complex magic:

• No armor or Gambeson: No penalty
• Padded Armor: -1 Attack, -1 Defense, 10% spell failure
• Mail Hauberk: -2 Attack, -2 Defense, 20% spell failure
• Mail Armor: -3 Attack, -3 Defense, 35% spell failure
• Plate Armor: -4 Attack, -4 Defense, 50% spell failure

Special Abilities

1st Rank: Foundation Arts

• Naming: Core ability to discern and invoke true names
• Spellcasting: Can use any three Arts chosen at character creation
• Magical Sensitivity: +2 to detect magical auras, enchanted items, or supernatural presences

4th Rank: Scholar of the Word

• Expanded Repertoire: Learn one additional Art
• True Speech: Can communicate with any intelligent being for 10 minutes per rank per day
• Magical Appraisal: Automatically identify the function of any magical item after 1 round of study

6th Rank: Master of Arts

• Dual Casting: Can maintain concentration on two different spell effects simultaneously
• Deep Lore: Learn one additional Art
• Ritual Magic: Can perform elaborate rituals taking 1-6 hours to achieve effects beyond normal spell limits (GM discretion)

8th Rank: Archmage Abilities

Select one ability when reaching 8th rank, then one additional ability each subsequent rank:

• Word of Making: Once per day, cast any Art at double normal effect without spending Magic Points
• True Name Mastery: Automatically learn the true name of any creature or object studied for 24 hours
• Sanctuary: Create a permanent mystical refuge warded against unwanted intrusion
• Weather Mastery: All Weather magic costs half normal MPs and affects twice the normal area
• Geas Binding: Place magical compulsions on willing subjects or defeated enemies
• Otherworld Travel: Use Gate magic to access planes beyond the mortal world
• Master's Voice: All Arts can be cast at +1 rank effect with no additional MP cost
• Deathward: Automatically resist one killing effect per day (death spells, fatal damage, etc.)

Initial Equipment

A beginning Mage starts with:

• Robes (counts as Gambeson, Armor Factor 1)
• Staff (d6, 3 points - can be used as spellcasting focus)
• Dagger (d4, 3 points)
• Spell Component Pouch (required for complex magic)
• Book of True Names (contains 2d6 true names of common objects/creatures)
• Lantern and oil
• 3d6 × 5 florins
• One minor magical item (GM's choice): crystal orb, enchanted ink, silver stylus, or similar

Art Descriptions and Mechanics

Using Magic in Play

You can cast Art you know at any level from 1 up to your rank. 

1. Declare Intent: Player states what they want to achieve and which Art they're using
2. Naming Roll: Roll 1d20 ≤ Naming skill
3. Determine Modifier: Apply Naming success/failure to Art roll
4. Art Roll: Roll 1d20 ≤ (Magical Attack + Naming modifier)
5. Resolve Effect: Success creates the desired effect; failure may have unpredictable results

Note: All Arts use the same Magical Attack score, just like other Dragon Warriors magic classes. The Lore skill represents general magical knowledge - understanding magical theory, identifying spells, knowing the history of enchanted items, etc. It doesn't directly affect spellcasting but is useful for magical research and investigation.

Learning New Arts

• From a Teacher: Requires a Mage of 4th rank+ who knows the Art, costs 500 florins, takes 3 months
• From Ancient Texts: Requires finding rare books/scrolls, Intelligence check, takes 6 months
• Through Discovery: GM may allow learning through special adventures or profound magical experiences

Major vs Minor Arts

Major Arts (Change, Pattern, Summon) represent fundamental alterations to reality and are correspondingly more difficult and expensive. They require greater mastery and exact a higher cost in Magic Points.

Minor Arts are still powerful but work with rather than against the natural order of things, making them somewhat easier to employ safely.

Sample Mage: Tenar the Windcaller (5th Rank)

An expert in Weather magic who has defeated warriors from three islands

Characteristics: Strength 10, Reflexes 12, Intelligence 16, Psychic Talent 14, Looks 13

Combat Factors:

• Attack 11, Defense 6 (base +0 for average Strength, +0 for average Reflexes)
• Magical Attack 22, Magical Defense 12 (base +1 for high Intelligence, +1 for good Psychic Talent)
• Health Points 14, Evasion 5 (base 4 +1 for good Reflexes)
• Stealth 14, Perception 13

Arts: Naming 14, Magical Lore 17 

Known Arts: Weather, Find, Healing, Illusion 

Magic Points: 11 per day (5×2 + 1 for Psychic Talent 14)

Equipment: Enchanted staff (+1, counts as d6+1, 4 points), robes, storm-glass pendant, charts of the seven seas

Background: Tenar earned her reputation by calling down storms that scattered three separate pirate fleets threatening her home island. Against an average warrior (Magical Defense 6), her Weather magic succeeds about 66% of the time - powerful enough to be decisive in battle, but with enough uncertainty to create tension. When she knows the true name of winds (learned through years of study), her magic becomes much more reliable, explaining her fearsome reputation among sailors.

Success Rates (typical targets):

• vs Ordinary Humans (MD 6): 66% success
• vs Trained Knights (MD 10): 47% success
• vs Other Mages (MD 12+): 35% or less

Designer's Notes

This profession balances the "great wizard" power level of Earthsea with Dragon Warriors' mechanical framework. The two-step Naming system creates interesting tactical decisions, while the restraint mechanisms prevent the "flinging spells about without qualm" problem you identified.

The progression reflects narrative power - a 5th rank Mage like Tenar has the magical firepower to deal with entire groups of warriors, but the system encourages thoughtful rather than profligate use of such abilities. The emphasis on true names creates rich roleplaying opportunities and gives GMs tools to control magical power through knowledge rather than just mechanical restrictions.

"To speak a true name is to change the world."

Adventure Seeds

The Nameless Ship (1st-3rd Rank)

A merchant vessel drifts into harbor with no crew aboard, yet the cargo holds are full and the ship is in perfect condition. Local authorities ask the characters to investigate. The ship resists all attempts at magical investigation - Find spells fail, Pattern magic reveals nothing, even simple Mend spells won't work on deliberate damage. The truth: a desperate captain erased his ship's true name to escape a terrible curse, but this has left it "hollow" - existing but not truly real. The characters must discover what the ship was called and restore its identity before the namelessness spreads to other vessels in the harbor.

The Weather Thief (2nd-4th Rank)

Fishing villages along the coast report their weather has "gone wrong" - some islands are locked in drought while others suffer endless storms. The characters discover that Koreth, a young Mage, has been stealing favorable winds from poor fishing communities and selling them to wealthy merchant captains. He knows the true names of several wind-spirits and can command them with near-certainty. The moral complexity: Koreth grew up in poverty and is sending his earnings home to his starving family. Do the characters stop him, try to reform him, or find a third option? Meanwhile, the disrupted weather patterns threaten to cause a famine.

The Apprentice's Folly (1st-2nd Rank)

The characters arrive at a coastal village to find half the buildings transformed into different materials - stone cottages turned to glass, wooden piers become silver, gardens sprouting metal flowers. A elderly Mage's apprentice attempted to impress the villagers by demonstrating Change magic, but didn't properly understand the true names of what he was altering. Now the transformations are slowly spreading and becoming more chaotic. The master is away on a long journey. The characters must either find him quickly, discover the true names themselves to reverse the magic, or find another solution before the entire village becomes an surreal nightmare.

The Truthseer's Dilemma (4th-6th Rank)

Lord Harren of Stormhaven requests the characters' help investigating rumors of treason among his nobles. He specifically wants a Mage to use Pattern magic to scry the truth, offering a substantial reward. However, the characters soon discover that Harren himself is the traitor, planning to sell information to enemies for personal gain. The honest nobles he suspects are actually trying to stop him. The Mage faces a classic dilemma: honor the contract and help expose innocent people, or violate their word to serve justice? Meanwhile, Harren knows several true names of court members, making him dangerous if he realizes the characters have discovered his secret.

The Bone Ship's Cargo (5th-7th Rank)

A skeleton crew literally sails into port -- the ship is crewed entirely by animated bones, but they're peaceful and simply want to trade rare spices for common goods. The problem: they're the remains of pirates who were executed years ago, animated by their former victim - a merchant Mage seeking revenge. The spell has gone beyond his original intent and the skeletons are now genuinely reformed, feeling guilt for their past crimes and trying to make amends. Local authorities want them destroyed, the Church declares them abominations, but the bones themselves plead for a chance to complete their penance. The characters must navigate the moral complexity while also dealing with the original Mage, whose thirst for revenge has consumed him for decades.

The College Inquisitor (3rd-8th Rank)

Master Yevon, a stern 10th-rank Mage from the College of Hythe, arrives to investigate reports of "irregular magical practice" in the region. He suspects one of the player character Mages of violating the ancient codes -- perhaps using magic too freely, or for personal gain, or without proper restraint. His investigation is thorough and his standards impossibly high. He knows numerous true names and can make magic work with frightening certainty. The characters must prove their innocence while also uncovering the real culprit: a Sorcerer who has been masquerading as a Mage and using flashy magic to gain political influence, not understanding that this brings unwanted attention from the College. [Note: I disagree with Claude here. I don't think it makes sense to have any other magic-using professions in an Earthsea-like world. There should be Mages and there should be non-wizards and that's it. -DM.]

The Last Word (6th-10th Rank)

On a remote island, the characters discover an ancient library containing the true names of things that no longer exist: extinct animals, lost islands, forgotten gods. A mad scholar has been using Summon magic to call these vanished things back into the world, but each return weakens the boundary between what is and what was. Dragons that died centuries ago now soar overhead, islands that sank beneath the waves reappear randomly, and ancient plagues return with the creatures that once carried them. The scholar believes he's restoring the world to its proper state, but his actions threaten to unravel reality itself. The characters must stop him while deciding what, if anything, from the lost past deserves to be preserved.

The Rival's True Name (Any Rank)

A recurring enemy of the party (perhaps a wealthy merchant or noble whose honor they've questioned) approaches them with an unusual request. Someone has learned his true name and is using it to work malicious magic against him: cursing his weapons to break, his horse to throw him, his food to turn rotten. He believes the culprit is another player character Mage, but swears he'll put aside their enmity if they help him discover who is really responsible and stop the magical harassment. The twist: the enemy is telling the truth, but the real culprit is using the attacks to manipulate both sides into a confrontation that serves their own hidden agenda.

FAQ

Resistance & Unwilling Targets

Q: Can you transform an unwilling person with Change? Yes, but they can resist. Treat it as an opposed Magical Attack (caster) vs Magical Defense (target) roll. If the target wins, the Change fails. Knowing their true name makes resistance impossible - the magic simply works.

Q: Does Summon work on unwilling targets? Yes, same as Change - opposed magical rolls. A summoned person arrives but isn't compelled to stay or obey. True names bypass resistance.

Q: Can you force-heal someone who refuses Healing? No resistance roll needed - the target must simply accept the touch. Someone actively avoiding you must be restrained or caught off-guard first.

Q: What if someone is holding a door you're using Gate on? The door holder can make a Strength check against difficulty (10 + Art level). Success means they hold it shut/open despite the magic.

Range & Area of Effect

Q: What's the range for Change, Mend, Healing, and Gate? All require touch for inanimate objects, or line of sight within 30 feet for living targets (Change, Healing). Gate must be cast on a portal you can see or touch.

Q: Can one casting affect multiple targets? No - one casting affects one target. To mend five broken arrows requires five separate castings (though they can be done in sequence, 1 MP each). Exception: Weather affects everything in its area simultaneously.

Q: How big can Changed objects be? Use the weight limits given. For living creatures, "small animal" = cat/rabbit, "large animal" = horse/stag, up to GM judgment for unusual cases.

True Names & Special Interactions

Q: If I know someone's true name, what exactly does that do?

• Automatic +3 to Magical Attack (no Naming roll needed)
• Bypasses resistance - Change, Summon, and similar Arts work automatically
• Makes effects permanent - Changed living beings don't revert
• Removes requirements - You don't need to have seen/touched them for Find

Q: Can I use someone's true name once I learn it, or do I have to re-learn it each time? Once learned, always known (unless you forget it, or powerful magic makes you forget). This is why Mages guard their true names so carefully.

Q: What counts as knowing the "true name"? The complete name in the Old Speech that defines the thing's essential nature. Partial names (knowing it's "rabbit" not "stone") help with the Naming roll but don't give the full +3 bonus.

Concentration & Multiple Actions

Q: While maintaining Pattern or Send, can I do other things?

• Pattern: Requires full concentration - you cannot cast spells, fight, or perform complex tasks. Can walk slowly, speak briefly.
• Send: Your consciousness is split. You can see/hear through the sending while your body remains aware but dazed. Cannot cast spells from either location.

Q: Can I maintain a Gate portal while fighting? Created portals don't require concentration once opened - they last their full duration regardless of what you do afterward.

Q: How many Arts can I have active at once? As many as you have Magic Points for, except those requiring concentration (Pattern, Send). Only one concentration effect at a time.

Ending Effects Early

Q: How do I reverse a Change before the duration expires? Cast Change again on the same target, declaring you're returning it to original form. This uses Magic Points as normal but automatically succeeds (no rolls needed) if you cast the original transformation.

Q: Can I close a Gate portal early? Yes - simply use Gate again on the same portal (1 MP, no roll required if you created it).

Q: Can I dismiss an Illusion voluntarily? Yes, at will, no action required. The Illusion simply vanishes.

Detection & Visibility

Q: Can targets sense when someone uses Pattern to scry them? Powerful magic-users (Magical Defense 12+) get an uneasy feeling when being scryed. They can make a Perception check against the caster's Magical Attack - success means they know someone is watching but not who.

Q: Is a Send projection obviously magical? Appears completely real at casual observation. Close examination or touch reveals it has no substance (hand passes through). Magical detection (Perception vs Magical Attack) can identify it as a projection.

Q: Can Mages detect active Arts being used nearby? Characters with Magical Defense 6+ can make a Perception check against the caster's Magical Attack to sense nearby magic being worked. Success reveals "someone just cast a spell" but not specifics.

Q: Do the Arts leave traces that can be detected later? Permanent effects (Changed objects, Mended items, summoned things) radiate faint magic detectable by anyone with Magical Defense 6+ who specifically examines them. Temporary effects leave no trace once ended.

* * *

And a final note from the human here: this exercise is very unfair to Claude. It does sterling work when I ask it to write code for me or to comment on rules mechanics. It struggles with creative writing because, like all LLMs and most humans, it specifically aims to recreate the standard story patterns it has trained on, which means it produces the kind of stories beloved of Hollywood writing gurus. For the same reason every AI-created RPG scenario is going to sound like a typical (aka bog standard) scenario. But ask Claude to write a parser to turn a prose gamebook into logic markup for an app and it will take flight and soar. Don't judge it by this post is what I'm saying.

More deep dives into the future

Google's NotebookLM is my latest toy. I've been having a blast unleashing it on various books of mine, game write-ups, favourite novels, etc, and listening to the podcast discussions it generates. They're not perfect -- a bit repetitive, and sometimes the virtual hosts get the wrong end of the stick, but this is still in experimental mode. Imagine what it will be like in a couple of years. And NotebookLM also has a serious use as a tool for writers. That's my excuse for playing with it, anyway.

Here are a few of its analyses; you'll need a Google account to listen to them.

Can You Brexit (Without Breaking Britain)?

"Can You Brexit is a political thriller that follows a fictional British prime minister as they navigate the complexities of Brexit negotiations. The book explores a variety of potential Brexit outcomes, including a 'hard Brexit' where Britain leaves the European Union and the single market, a 'soft Brexit' where Britain leaves the EU but remains in the single market, and a 'Swiss model' where Britain has a more limited relationship with the EU. The book delves into the internal political pressures the player faces as they attempt to negotiate a Brexit deal that satisfies both their own party and the British public."

Listen to the Deep Dive discussion here.

The Conclave 

"The story follows a group of wizards on a quest to find a prismatic jewel in a labyrinth on the island of Tartuva. They are hunted by a powerful adversary named Pale, who seeks to erase all names in the world. The wizards are aided by various spirits, including Surma, a wizard who is worshipped as a god, and Wax, a shaman who can communicate with the dead. The story highlights the importance of names in the world, and the struggle between those who seek to control them and those who seek to preserve them."

Listen to the Deep Dive discussion (admittedly with a few hallucinations about the plot) here.

Dark Lord: The Early Years

"The story of Dirk Lloyd, a young boy who believes he is the Dark Lord transported to Earth by a magical mishap. While he grapples with his new reality, Dirk tries to adapt to life as a human child, and plots to reclaim his powers. The novel delves into themes of identity, power, friendship and good versus evil, with a darkly humorous tone."

Hear those puny mortal AIs talk about the great Dirk here.

Down Among the Dead Men

"The story follows the player-character as they navigate treacherous seas, battle pirates, face undead monsters and ancient demigods, and ultimately try to rescue Queen Titania from the clutches of the villainous Captain Skarvench."

Listen to the Deep Dive discussion here.

Dragon Warriors

"From the medieval-inspired kingdom of Albion to the exotic Ta’ashim lands, the game portrays a vibrant and diverse world with distinct societal structures, belief systems, and unique inhabitants."

Here are the automaton town criers to tell you all about it.

Florien

"Diana encounters a mysterious and alluring young man called Florien. The novel is characterised by a romantic and supernatural tone, with Florien appearing and disappearing at will, leaving Diana to wonder about his true nature and his relationship to the girl, Janice, who lives in a dark and forbidding manor house. It explores themes of obsession, captivity, and the allure of the dark and dangerous, particularly Diana's attraction to Florien and his mysterious and potentially sinister nature."

See what the Deep Dive hosts made of it here.

The Hammer of the Sun

"The Great River lies barren, its lifeblood drained by an ancient curse. Journey through scorching sands and forgotten ruins, where sphinxes guard lost secrets and skeletal Spartoi wage perpetual war. Explore a vast open world where brooding sphinxes, proud Amazons, and forgotten gods cross your path. Uncover the mysteries of Iskandria, a once-great city now lost to time, and face challenges that will test your courage and cunning. Seek out mythical creatures, confront deadly foes, and collect powerful artifacts as you race against time to restore balance to the land. Will you become a legend, or be forgotten beneath the relentless hammer of the Sun?"

Listen to the Deep Dive discussion here.

Lifeform Three

"The story of Paftoo, an artificial 'bod' in a dystopian future who works at Harkaway Hall, a nature reserve created from the ruins of a lost civilisation. Paftoo has no memory of his past, and his life is a constant cycle of work and night mode, where his mind is wiped clean. The novel explores themes of memory, identity, and the nature of reality as Paftoo tries to piece together fragments of his past and understand the true nature of the world he lives in."

Watch the bods discuss it on YouTube.

A Minotaur at the Savoy

"A series of letters sent to the Royal Mythological Society from individuals across the globe, detailing their encounters with fantastical creatures and events during the Year of Wonders, a period in which the lines between reality and imagination became blurred. The letters are a mixture of the mundane and the extraordinary, with correspondents reporting on everything from mischievous fairies and shape-shifting demons to giant birds carrying people off to ancient palaces. The letters serve as a humorous record of this extraordinary time, offering a glimpse into the impact of fantastical occurrences on everyday life."

Listen to the Deep Dive hosts talk about it here.

Necklace of Skulls

"The adventure involves the player taking on the role of a Mayan character searching for their lost brother in a fantastical mythological realm, encountering various challenges and finally confronting the semi-divine mage Necklace of Skulls, who may or may not be an aspect of the god of death."

Listen to the Deep Dive discussion here.

Richer source material typically inspires the AI to give a more interesting discussion. There's more depth to a novel like Lifeform Three than you'll find in any gamebook, even Heart of Ice. On the other hand, here's a case of our virtual hosts rising to a seemingly impossible challenge and acquitting themselves well.

"A Hole in the World" (scenario)

You’d think multiple successful careers as an inspiring writer, captivating speaker and entertaining & informative broadcaster would be enough for Tim Harford. On top of that he’s a devoted husband and father, a steadfast friend, and one of the very nicest people you could ever hope to meet. But we, his gaming chums, know that he was really put on this world to run great RPG sessions just for us. Readers of the blog look forward to his enchanting Christmas specials for Legend. He created the Immortal Spartans and Company of Bronze campaigns that I’ve written about here from time to time, and another of his casually executed acts of genius was to conceive the Conclave game, loosely based on Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea stories.

After Tim’s Conclave campaign wound up, I ran a two-part session to fill in for the fact that my planned Yellow King campaign had been aborted. This adventure is set in Tim’s archipelago world which I assume is a lot like Earthsea (I still haven’t read the books) but you could port it across to another game world, with or without lots of water. Central to the concept, though, is that the players are mostly great wizards, and this is a world where magic really is powerful. It doesn’t matter how skilled a swordsman or thief you are, any of the wizard characters can ningauble you without working up a sweat.

There are several magical disciplines. Most wizards specialize in three or four of these, but all learn the art of Naming because that is a prerequisite for many other enchantments. Knowing the true name of a thing means that your magic will automatically work on it. For example, if you use Change magic on a rabbit and you know its true name then your statement has the full force of reality; the rabbit becomes whatever you say it is. Most of the time, though, you won’t know the full name of something. The rabbit can’t tell you, so you’d need to infer as much of its true name as you can, using the root name class for animals and then mammals and then leporids – I’m guessing here. The point is that you roll your Name skill first, and your degree of success in that modifies your roll for Find or Mend or Change or whatever. If you fail the Name roll, forget it; you can’t derive the name you need so your magic won’t work.

Tim came up with a very elegant rule system. I won’t recount it here as he might one day want to expand it and publish it (when those multiple other careers don’t get in the way) but you can soon whip up your own. All you need to know in what follows is that Vigour stands for stamina and strength; Skill is imagination, dexterity and intelligence; Wisdom is knowledge, fortitude and judgement. If like me you’re too lazy to read the books, the Isolate Tower has a handy glossary of magical terms, of which the main categories seem to be as follows:

• Change - turn a thing into something else (major) 
• Find - locate a lost item or person 
• Gate - opens and seals paths and portals
• Healing 
• Illusion
• Mend - fix a broken object
• Naming – the key to most of the other magical disciplines
• Pattern - scrying and discerning hidden connections (major)
• Send - project your image; the image can speak and sense, but not physically or magically act on its surroundings; cannot cross water, but otherwise has no limit on distance.
• Summon - bring an object or person (living or dead) to you (major)
• Weather – control wind, rain, fog, and so on

So, to summon a wind you would first try to intuit its name (Naming roll) then make a Weather roll. If somebody is trusting enough to tell you their true name, your magic will always work on them.

Wizards are not supposed to profligately make use of magic. In Le Guin’s stories, a "good" wizard would sail a boat from island to island and sit becalmed for days rather than conjure a wind. "Bad" wizards seem to be those who actually apply what they know. (So, pretty much the way Jedi and Sith operate in Star Wars.) In the game, lacking a specific mechanic or even a logical explanation for why we should restrict our use of magic, the player-characters were soon flinging spells about without a qualm. If you want your game to play out more like a Le Guin story, I suggest something like:

• Use of magic depletes the local mana, making further magic progressively harder 
• Every use of magic has a reaction – good winds one day will mean dead calm the next, etc.
• Unrestricted use of magic affects the wizard’s health. 
• The College of Hythe polices magic – use it too freely and they will discipline you.

Another point about this world: magic is dominated by the wizards’ college on the island of Hythe, which is said to lie at the heart of the archipelago. The college is all-male, making it difficult for women to study magic openly. Any female PCs will probably conceal their gender as Golpas does in this scenario.

At the Tip of the World
The player-characters are all wizards. One of them has his home on the island of Skryp, the easternmost of the known isles. He has noticed that several local lads (Flintoy, Ratch, and Witkin) who went off to sea last year have returned from their voyages with much greater wealth than anyone expected. Some might suspect them of having turned to piracy, explaining the silks and pearls they gave their wives, but the player-character knows they are honest men.

The truth, which the characters will have to ascertain (they only need to ask, but will probably complicate it), is that the three men came by this wealth when their captain, Haspool, claimed the contents of a drifting merchantman as salvage. His ship is the Hazard and it sails out of Port Pressen on the island of Vaygra.

(“Where was the abandoned ship found drifting?” “Couldn’t tell you. We’re not navigators. You’d have to ask Captain Haspool.”)

At Port Pressen
The characters must get Captain Haspool or his navigator (Tully) to tell them where the ships were found drifting. Yes, ships plural. He has salvaged two, both crewless. (“The Bunch of Grapes was not so rich pickings as that first one, the Woven Band, but both were claimed legally.”)

Pirates
The complication is that pirates have got wind of the drifting hulks and are patrolling the area. If they see the characters' ship, they may just decide to raid it. The pirate ship is the Good Work.

• Pirate captain: Korak
• His wizard: Golpas

Golpas is a female sorcerer who passes herself off as a man. She is not powerful (stats 10) but has +1 in Name and +2 in Gate, Illusion, Healing, Send, Weather.

The Zone
A Sargasso-like area of mists and incessant rain; visibility is very poor. The periphery of the zone is a region of cold mist seething like smoke off the incessant rain. Sailing into it is like going into a waterfall.

Make a Vigour +Name roll on entering the Zone. If you fail, you’re starting to get rewritten. You might lose your sense of smell/taste, become increasingly drained of colour, find your shadow keeps slipping away, you cease to leave footprints, start to dissolve into vapour, etc. This is an ongoing effect to be used as a ticking clock to spur the characters later on.

Any attempt to make a Name roll in the Zone is at a penalty of -5 (at the periphery) up to -8 (centre of the zone) as names here fluctuate so fast.

They see a ship drifting without crew (the ironically named Fine Weather). It is listing to one side owing to the water that is filling its bilges. Aboard:

• Gulls with blind human faces. Their shrieking sounds like men poorly imitating the cry of sea birds.
• Outlines in the rain of people – the crew – but they are the absence of people.
• Eyes that can be seen staring out of the timbers.
• Scuttling shapes that seem to be a hybrid of rats and human hands.
• The log book is sodden with rainwater – unreadable.
• The hold is full of crates of spices and furs, mostly ruined.

In the zone, true names are being reconfigured. A name might be cut in half and recombined with another – for example, splitting shape from identity left the outlines in the rain (shape component) and the identity-component was then spliced to the identity of seagulls.

As they quit the Fine Weather, some of their own crew, in the process of having their true names rewritten, start to change. They become like cobweb shells that blow apart on the wind, leaving pale dancing sparks that flit about the rigging. (Have the bosun point out that men in the rigging haven’t moved for several minutes. Those are already husks, who will become dislodged and blow away when anyone is sent up to investigate.)

In the centre of the zone (they’ll need Pattern to locate it as the rain obscures everything) is a missing piece of reality: a rift in the air like a break in a pane of glass. They hear a keening sound of wind as they approach it. Anyone with Name skill (ie any wizard) can visibly see reality warping around the edges.

They cannot approach, but see the hole in reality at a distance. Intermittent pulses of light emit from it, accompanied by a shockwave that they can feel rather than hear. In each pounding shockwave it’s as if for a moment everything ceases to exist.

As they get within forty feet, the effect starts to strip away the substance of the ship. They must turn back, as it’s only possible to get closer once they have the missing piece.

To fix it they must recover the missing piece. It was taken by a wizard, who was transformed by the fragment and fled. But they must turn back now, for almost all the crew are already lost and the rest are panicking.

Possible episode to insert on the voyage if the players need a hint:
They spot an island with a wide bay. No wind is allowed here for it is the home of the sorcerer Jutle. The moment they enter the bay, the sails go slack and no weather can be induced to enter. Jutle is a middle-aged man hauling driftwood on the beach who asks if they are here to see the master. If they recognize him he’ll reveal that he is the master here and will help them, but he is a true ‘softly softly’ wizard and won’t have any truck with using magic flamboyantly.

The Missing Piece
Remember that characters who failed Vigour +Name are now at phase 2 (losing their shadow)

The fragment of reality was taken by a wizard named Agios. He held his name together with his magic but was transformed into a monster. Pattern will reveal his likely routes, Find will take them to him.

As they approach the missing piece it’s night; they sense they will come to it by dawn. It’s overcast, but they see they’re approaching a column some sixty feet across that stands directly up from the ocean. It seems to be of mottled pink and grey marble. Water steams off its side in the early heat of day (unless approaching by night).

This is no marmoreal column but the monster that Agios has become. Out of the haze above comes its giant distorted face. To protect the ship from this initial attack will require defences equalling 50 points – reduce damage from total wreck at 0 defence to protected at 50 defence. (More efficient if they find clever ways to fend it off, eg a mast spears its eye rather than a shield of force in the air. Note that direct attacks are very hard – see below.)

The monster resembles a huge sea-worm with a distorted face like something moulded from clay.

Direct-attack spells are hard to use against this creature:

• Name attempt at -10 (due to continual fluctuations), then
• Spell must succeed by 5 or more to be effective

It can smash masts & hulls, snap up several men at once (make a Skill roll to avoid unless you have a magical defence), etc.

The missing fragment is inside the monster’s stomach. Transforming Agios back to normal won’t last long even if the spell takes. The most effective thing is to get inside the monster somehow. They will need illumination, and must protect themselves against noxious fumes and acid.

The fragment of reality is shaped like two trapezoids and is about the size of a book. To transport it safely (the edges cut through literally anything) they will need to use Change to solidify the air around it or something like that.

Fixing a Hole
Remember that characters who failed Vigour +Name are now at phase 3 (dissolving)

It’s not just a case of slotting the missing fragment of reality back in place. You need to Name it (no modifier) and then cast Change -- but that must be done on the other side of the hole at the same time as in this reality.

To pass through the gap in reality to the alternate world requires Gate. The alternate world is a plain of sand with ripples surrounding the hole in reality, and a ring of greenery (savanna) in the distance. They immediately notice the dead calm. No weather at all works in the affected zone, though there are winds blowing across the steppes. This zone is analogous to how the archipelago world is being changed around the hole in reality there.

To cast spells here:

1. Skill + Name (to read)
2. Then Wisdom + Name (to transform into a usable form)
3. Then cast the spell

The characters are greeted by primitive tribesmen who blame them for breaking the world. This is a world of open grassland in which the only wizards are female – the mirror image of the characters’ own world.

The natives’ shaman (Ma’ada) is reasonably powerful (stats 11) with Name +5 and Change +4. She must make her Name rolls at -5 here just as the PCs had to in their world.

Of course, the natives of this universe do not speak the same language. The characters must find a way to communicate – perhaps through use of Illusion magic, causing images to appear in a campfire.

Remember that somebody needs to fix the piece in place from this side: either one of the characters, or Ma’ada if they can explain to her what is needed, or Agios if he isn’t dead.

The Conclave on Kindle

If you followed last week's installments of the Conclave campaign and want the full novella, it's now available on Kindle. This brings the story to a conclusion, fixes some of the plot holes, fleshes out some scenes, and also includes background details of the narrator, Surma. To quote from the blurb:

Creation is losing the flavour of things, becoming colourless and uniform under the skin of reality. This is why the old songs lose their melody, why the fisherman’s catch is mostly minnows, why the young cast their elders out into the cold, why the storms are violent and unseasonal, and dragons hide in distant clouds.

The world is an archipelago of a hundred islands, beyond whose furthest shores lies illimitable ocean. Magic is real, though rarely tamed, and the College of Wizards maintains a careful balance so that use of magic does not damage the fabric of reality.

But now a new force is at work, twisting and blurring the true names of things that are the root of all that exists. If it goes on unchecked, magic and wonder will drain away. Even life and death will cease to have meaning.

Seven of the greatest sorcerers of the age are invited by the Master Summoner of the College of Wizards to travel to the island of Dain at the archipelago’s heart. The Summoner’s hope is that this conclave, untainted by the politics and intrigues of the College and unrestrained by nature, will be able to hold back the force that is picking reality apart.

Yet to be effective in their fight, the conclave must first work the hardest spell of all -- trust.

If anyone who read the first seven installments on the blog feels like giving the book a review on Amazon -- well, consider yourself rich in undying gratitude! Surprisingly (but also quite pleasingly) some readers have praised it as homage to Ursula K Le Guin -- and as I still haven't read the Earthsea books that's surely a first. An anticipatory homage!

By one of those strokes of serendipity I discovered this week that the filmmaker Michael Powell wanted to make a movie of the Earthsea trilogy. It was designed as a project for his film school students and it was only five minutes long, but what a treasure that would be if it still exists anywhere. Powell incidentally was just as baffled as I am that the trilogy was published in the UK by Puffin (Penguin Books' children's imprint). That's the reason I didn't notice it back in my teens when I was devouring a lot of fantasy and SF. When Powell asked Le Guin why it went to Puffin and not Penguin's adult line, she said, 'Because Kaye Webb is a smart cookie.' I suspect it was because it was assumed back then that a fantasy novel written by a woman must be for ten year olds, so it's surprising that Le Guin thought it was a good decision. I guess it didn't hurt her in the long run.

The Conclave: "Complaining About Miracles"

If you've been following the write-ups this week, I hope you enjoyed the glimpse of what it's like to play in one of our games. For those with no patience for game-inspired fiction, I do know what you mean. Most of this stuff only really makes sense if you were there. But after all, roleplaying games are not a spectator sport (not the good ones, anyway) and write-ups of blow-by-blow game action are always tedious, so I hope that by making this account character-driven I've turned it into something at least readable. And take heart -- normal blog service will be resumed tomorrow.

Oh, one other thing -- I should probably clarify that my character, Surma, is no more powerful than the other PCs, but I did manage to roll a lot of critical successes (5 or less on 3d6) for his spell-casting that helped him do exactly what he set out to do. In particular when it really mattered I several times rolled a 3, and it was interesting how the other players reacted to that. Some accepted it as part of game-reality, ie that Surma evidently was an exceptional wizard, but others insisted that he "didn't realize his own luck". (How different from the real world, where if somebody gets lucky several times in a row we think he or she is a genius.) I suppose that sums up the two different approaches to roleplaying, ie whether you see the world through the character's eyes or as a tabletop simulation where you always remain aware of the mechanics.

SESSION SEVEN

Were I to grant every prayer, it would still not be enough, for entitlement is in the mortal heartbeat and ingratitude in their life’s breath. You doubt my words? If you who read this are a mage, work a miracle. Twist reality till it snaps, reshape it, build a new truth out of your will. Do you hear that whine, tedious to your ears as the buzzing of mosquitos? Those are mortal voices, prompt with their complaints that your miracle could have been done better.

But I return to my narrative. On the deck of the Sea Lion, the Watcher lately avoided, I addressed my companions. ‘We need a spirit who can tell us the path Obsidian walked to godhood.’

‘Summoning such a one from the Dry Lands is a drastic measure,’ said Hurstyk.

‘We are embroiled in total war. Behold the hourglass. The Watcher is barely a minute behind us. No action is too drastic.’

‘I have summoned a wind,’ said Wax as our sails strained to fullness. The sands of the hourglass reversed their flow.

‘Breathing space,’ muttered Farris with a wry smile.

‘I could summon my dead master,’ offered Aareth. ‘He and I had a complex relationship. What is the best way for me to describe it? First I must tell you of events from twenty years past…’

I began to seriously consider joining Pale’s faction, until Wax said, ‘I will call up the spirit of my father, Ear of Ear, who taught me to be a shaman.’

Perhaps it was the effort of the summoning, but the wind he had lately raised died to a flutter. We waited. A streak drew itself from the western horizon across the water. As it reached us, a wet shape boiled up out of the depths and hauled itself aboard. A giant crustacean, garlanded in years of coral growth, stood dripping there. I could not understand its chittering speech, but it seemed to cast trepid glances out to sea as if it feared pursuit.

As Wax communed with his father’s shade, I elaborated on the plan. ‘We will send our emissary into the Dry Lands, and there he will walk the dreamquest that Obsidian used to amplify her power. With the counsel of Ear of Ear, along with the pattern Idhelruin can read, he will know the way. Gate will get him there bodily. I will provide the rainbow armour that refracts and resists Pale’s attempts to blur together all names, just as the rainbow splits white into distinct colours.’

‘You mean to send Eli?’ said Hurstyk.

‘He is an inquisitor, whatever that means.’

‘What does it mean?’ wondered Aareth.

‘It means he is one who believes himself to have a purpose. What one mage can do, another can do. Eli will undergo apotheosis and challenge Obsidian directly in the Dry Lands just as we stand against her here.’

‘Inquisitors are sworn to protect the world from malevolent sorcerers who seek to destroy or conquer it,’ said Abdiel. ‘Like you.’

‘Like me? Not Obsidian? She does threaten exactly that – but I, who seek to prevent her, excite you to ire? Abdiel, you are an imbecile.’

‘Woe!’ cried Wax. ‘My father comes apart. Surma, save him!’

The first prayer. The crab-form that Ear had taken in this world was decaying, its shell cracking apart. I read the spirit’s name with exact precision, caught the laws of life and death neatly between two fingers, undid and retied the knot of existence. ‘Ear of Ear, stand before me in your true form, in your prime, with your powers at their peak. You are once more a living man.’

There was a presence beside me. A woman in pale garments with a rent in space behind her. She stroked her hand over the fingers I had brushed against the Watcher’s. ‘Surma, come; you belong with me.’

I regarded her. ‘You squat in the Dry Lands, Obsidian, but I am the god of sudden death and I banish you.’

She could not resist. Another miracle? Perhaps we overestimate her power. It had been no struggle for me to withstand her, and yet –

‘Your arm,’ said Hurstyk.

‘Yes, it seems to have no feeling in it. The effect began when the Watcher touched me and now is spreading. Perhaps it is the White Death.’

Hurstyk shook his head. ‘Some other kind of curse.’ He began to work his healing magic, then reached for aid from Idhelruin. ‘Aareth, you help us too.’

‘Perhaps the blurring of well and unwell is what my Lady Pale wants,’ said Aareth, declining to add his force to the enchantment.

Hurstyk stood back, momentarily drained by his efforts. ‘It is all I can do to stop the curse spreading further up your arm.’

‘No matter. I’ll see to it myself when there is time.’

‘You should already be dead,’ said Idhelruin.

‘There has not been time even for that. Ear, what can you tell us of Obsidian’s long game?’

‘My father can tell us little,’ said Wax. ‘He died long after Obsidian entered the Dry Lands twenty years ago.’

‘Then why did you propose we – ? Never mind. Is there anything he can tell us?’

‘Pale’s design is to erase all differences in the world. There will be no true names left for a mage to discern.’

‘Thank you. We already knew as much.’

‘I saw her crush an apple and an orange together,’ Aareth remembered. ‘It is a ritual that represents loss of identity.’

‘And she uses that ore, which is not gold nor silver nor mercury. This is not new information. Mirrowaith, can you elaborate?’

‘We of Hythe know nothing of any practical use,’ he said, or words that amounted to as much.

‘I depart for my home,’ said Ear suddenly. ‘My son, I thank you.’

Of course. Why would he thank the living god who restored him to life? Mortals, as I have said.

‘Take Sprugel with you, Father,’ said Wax.

‘I go now. But I leave you with this.’ And he put a small blessing on Wax’s coral spear, such as I might grant on a whim if distracted by other matters. We watched him depart on the turtle’s back.

‘I have read the pattern for Eli’s journey into the Dry Lands, such as I am able,’ said Idhelruin.

‘And see where the gate stands open,’ said Hurstyk. ‘I have tried to ensure it opens only one way.’

Encased in the rainbow armour, Eli took a step forward. He was like a man who, sunk days in draining fever, suddenly awakes and musters all his remaining strength. He went through the gate, closing it behind him – but in that moment we saw a woman, tall and pallid, stand ready in the other realm to embrace him.

We looked at each other. ‘Eli is resourceful,’ I said at last. ‘Obsidian may think she has the measure of him, but even if she has him captive she dare not relax her guard, and in the Dry Lands she will not have power to destroy him. Eli will be a constant threat to her, one that distracts her attention from us.’

‘Remember the hourglass!’ said Wax. ‘Behold, the thing is upon us again.’

‘He’s right,’ said Abdiel, who had stationed himself at the stern. ‘There is its hand upon the rudder. But it shall not pass me.’

Farris glanced over the rail, raised his bow, and loosed an arrow that dislodged the creature’s grip. Gripping his coral spear, Wax ran to the side and jumped in, giving me just seconds to weave the Watcher’s true name into the spear’s tip so that it could not fail to find its target.

Idhelruin read the patterns of the sea around us, ensuring that currents would favour us and not the Watcher.

‘Give me the means to breathe underwater,’ called Abdiel.

‘You have gills,’ I told him. ‘Webbed fingers. Fins on your heels and arms. You may move through water as easily as air.’

He plunged in. Already Wax had found his foe and hurled the spear like a harpoon against a whale. It broke on his breast, and the Watcher was sorely injured, but not enough to stop him from using Wax’s true name. Wax went rigid, forgetting to breathe, and sank like a stone into lightless depths still more absolutely representative of finality than the Dry Lands.

‘See there!’ said Aareth. ‘The turtle is coming back!’

And it seemed mere moments since Ear had left us. Of course, he must have set out on his long voyage to the south and then considered how ill-omened it would be to undertake the journey without giving due thanks to the one who had brought him back to life. As it happened, events were to come thick and fast and so he would forget a second time to render those thanks, but his return was fortuitous. He plunged the turtle against the Watcher. A brave and futile gesture. Sprugel resurfaced bloody and near to death, while Ear sank after his son.

Abdiel swam close and tried his sword against the Watcher, but it deflected him with ease and if not for Idhelruin’s foresightful patterning it would have gutted him there and then.

Hurstyk worked magic to cure Sprugel of his wounds so he could dive to recover Wax and Ear. By now you may be sure I had grown tired of the Watcher’s continual appearances and I decided it was time to end them. Naming it exactly, I bound its fate to the hourglass in which I had made Time’s sands to flow. Then I reversed the effect. Now, instead of tracking the Watcher’s progress, the hourglass compelled it. And lastly I turned the hourglass on its side, and with a crunching of the gears of reality the Watcher was held between two instants of time. Upside-down it hung in the frothing furrow between two waves, some of Sprugel’s breath caught forever as bubbles hanging frozen there around it.

‘Why don’t you send it to attack her holy reverence the Lady Pale?’ said Aareth.

‘Is it frozen in space or just in time?’ mused Mirrowaith.

‘Can we transport it?’ wondered Idhelruin.

‘It depends if the world is round and moves, or flat and stationary,’ said Hurstyk. ‘If you consider the angular velocity of a point in space…’

‘You should have controlled it, not merely frozen it,’ grumbled Abdiel as he climbed back aboard.

In short: ‘I don’t like that miracle, why can’t I have a different miracle?’ Again I could appreciate the sentiments that led Obsidian to conclude the entire world should be razed and built anew.

Sprugel resurfaced with the limp bodies of Wax and Ear, which he dropped on the deck. Hurstyk and Abdiel bent over them. Seeing them busy at healing, I decided it was time to rid myself of the Watcher’s curse, not least because in freezing it in time I had also frozen the hourglass and my hand. If I could not break the curse, the ship would have to sail on without me.

Knowing the Watcher’s name made it easier. I drew out the curse and flung it away into the Dry Lands. What I had not anticipated, but was not unwelcome, was that the Watcher went with it. The hourglass was now empty of sand as the Watcher had no location in the world anymore.

‘She summoned the Watcher here when she was still alive herself,’ I said. ‘Now, if none of us is foolish enough to summon him, perhaps he’ll stay there in the Dry Lands.’

‘But your arm,’ said Farris.

I glanced down. It was turning to a gritty black dust.

‘That’s just like the dust her magnificent highness Lady Pale wanted me to taste when she saw me in the underworld,’ said Aareth.

Pale’s influence again? She was becoming simply boorish. I dispensed with her attempt to exsiccate me with one syllable of power – even to use an entire word would have too far dignified her frankly tedious efforts.

Mortals, at least, are infinite in their variety. I like the world as it is, coloured by them. Pale is drear, her outlook stale, and so despite their carping ingratitude I resolved to stand against her on humanity’s behalf.

‘The people of Tartuva do not believe in wizards,’ Hurstyk told us as we sailed towards the port.

‘They think all magic is chicanery,’ agreed Idhelruin. ‘All except the power of their god, the divine Warrior-King.’

I looked at Mirrowaith. It had to be asked, though I knew the answer. ‘Did the wizards of Hythe ever make a study of these people?’

‘We leave them alone. It is the balance.’

‘If only you had applied that principle to all of nature, not a one of your books need ever have been written. Well then, we’ll go ashore armoured in ignorance.’

‘They will not take me for a wizard,’ said Idhelruin. ‘I seem but a shambling old man.’

‘What does a wizard look like in any case?’ said Farris. ‘If they see few strangers here then they’ll have no reason to suspect us.’

‘For myself, I bear no taint of magic,’ spat Abdiel. If only he and not Eli had gone to the Dry Lands; Abdiel and Pale would get on well, I think.

‘Then perhaps I should remove those gills I gave you,’ I suggested.

‘I… have already removed them with my own magic,’ he said, pulling a scarf close around his neck.

A platoon of militia stood ready to meet us at the quay. They seemed suspicious of outsiders ‘Why are you here?’ asked their captain, a man named Canto.

‘We are interested in your religion, which is widely admired,’ said Hurstyk.

‘You speak courteously, stranger. But you could have gone to one of the larger ports. The ziggurat here is but a small shrine to the divine Warrior-King.’

‘You are too modest. This is thought to be the origin of the faith, and so we hope to find the worship of the divine Warrior-King in its purest form.’

‘Again, well said. Will you dine with us?’

‘With pleasure.’

Canto and his men led us through streets that seemed exceptionally squalid even in comparison to the festering ports I’d seen so far. Down one alley stood some rudely nailed coffins, stacked for victims of the White Death that we sensed in the mud and ordure all around us. It gave me pause to reflect and even feel a stirring of that emotion mortals call nostalgia for, I thought, at least my own worshippers are clean, given that the wind there dries all filth in minutes and they have not enough possessions for their shacks ever to become cluttered. Between rock and ice floes and leaden sea, with ice-sharpened gales scouring the land under sun and stars alike, it is a land of beauty most unlike the teeming foetid pits of –

But no. That is the line of thought that led Obsidian to the Dry Lands.

Despite the squalor, Hurstyk spoke as though the town were immaculate, praising it for cleanliness and order until even Canto could take no more. ‘Do you press your finger in that wound to mock us?’ he demanded.

‘We can help.’

Canto was torn. ‘I must consult with the elders,’ he said.

‘Do so. We’ll wait.’

‘Touch nothing,’ said Aareth in my ear. ‘The water in the pitcher is infected with a multitude of ailments, and the blankets on the beds are rife with the White Death.’

We looked out of the window towards the ten-metre ziggurat from which the Warrior-King’s temple overlooked the town. The shrine of the Sightless Ones lay further inland. Possibly some details of the relationship between these two cults could be found in the books that Aareth and the others had read, but I could not bear to hear the Hythean explanation, more tortuous than any maze, that would ensue if I asked them. And what did it matter anyway? To save the world we needed the prismatic jewel that lay in the labyrinth. That single thing was our sole purpose here.

Canto returned. ‘The elders have agreed to accept your offer of help. Come with me.’

He took us to a hall in which some fifty plague victims lay on pallets. ‘I must not seem to use magic to heal them,’ said Hurstyk.

‘Of course not. They would regard it as chicanery and refuse to be well.’

He began to walk between the patients, touching them with herbs to cover the use of magic. As each sat up, fully restored, he urged them to lie still and rest. Because, of course, mortals would hate to tolerate a miracle cure and would surely file back the next day to demand why Hurstyk hadn’t made them younger and more handsome along with merely banishing the deadliest disease in creation.

Seeing that Hurstyk had it under control, and his ministrations would usefully distract the attention of Canto and the other militiamen, I decided to head inland to reconnoitre the temple of the Sightless Ones. Farris accompanied me, but all the others decided the best use of their time would be to stay and watch Hurstyk perform his herbcraft. Immediately we left, from the hall behind us, we heard the muttering begin:

‘Where are those two going? Has Lady Pale subverted them?’

‘Can they be trusted?’

‘Why didn’t Surma stay and watch me heal these people, the toad?’

‘Surma cares nothing for mortal lives…’

The voices trailed mercifully away. ‘They do realize we’re literally trying to save the world, don’t they?’ wondered Farris.

‘If you gave a bunch of chickens the power of magic they would be more use,’ I said with a sigh. ‘You and I together will accomplish more without them, I suspect, though it is passing strange that none of them wants to come with us to the labyrinth that is the whole purpose of our being here.’

We walked a mile or two inland from the port, followed by the two bodyguards I’d freed from Jude’s control into my own. The air was sweeter on the downs, away from the stink of habitation. Tough grass ruffled in the wind.

‘Do you notice,’ said Farris, ‘that there’s no White Death here?’

‘And something else,’ I said. ‘The names of things are sharper. See how reality shines with inner light. It is the opposite of Pale’s bane, that flattens and blurs all into an indecipherable oneness.’

‘Curious that the Warrior-King’s cult should be so opposed to magic, on an island where it is potentially easier than anywhere else.’

I nodded. ‘How are the cults related, I wonder? Does that one exist to hold this one in check – a warrior immune to magic holding wizards at bay?’

‘Sounds like Abdiel’s fondest dream.’

I laughed. ‘Or is it that the Sightless Ones set up that cult to deter mages from travelling here? They want to stay aloof. Otherwise, if it were widely known how much stronger magic is here, Hythe would want to relocate the college.’

‘Mysteries,’ said Farris with a shrug. ‘We just need the jewel.’

‘Yes.’

We reached the crest of a low hill and saw the compound less than a mile ahead. A low oval wall, that even a child could climb over, surrounded an area about a third of a mile long. The buildings included a temple and what seemed to be living quarters, of an architecture pleasing in its brute simplicity. At first you could take it for great blocks of stone simply piled one on another, like ancient monoliths, but on second look there was more artifice there.

People moved around the compound but had not seen us.

‘The captain warned against entering the compound,’ Farris reminded me. ‘which the priests regard as sacrilege. So we must use stealth – or Send magic – or come up with a plan.’

‘A plan. Just as well we didn’t bring the other five, then. But what do you think those are? Those seven standing stones – no, is it six? Eight? I cannot count them by eye.’

I resorted to Pattern. There were exactly seven. I felt their outrage at being named and numbered, though they were powerless to resist.

‘I could almost imagine them having faces,’ said Farris. ‘And there are seven of them, seven of us. It’s ominous, you have to admit.’

‘We need someone with better Pattern skills.’ I sent a breeze to carry my words to Idhelruin: Come at once.

Shortly came his reply: I am busy watching Hurstyk pretend to give herbs to people he has cured, but will come when I can.

I replied: Our souls may have been taken.

‘Let’s hope not,’ said Farris.

I shrugged. ‘We need to make him appreciate the urgency. In honesty I cannot understand why the others didn’t want to come along.’

We waited a full minute, or very nearly. ‘Oh, this is intolerable.’ I cast a Summoning. Idhelruin appeared on the hillside behind us, kneeling.

‘I regret the discourtesy, but this matter is most pressing. You can stand up, by the way.’

We explained the situation. ‘Is it not likely we have been seen?’ said Idhelruin.

‘Very probably.’

‘We must be careful not to display any use of magic.’

‘You just appeared in front of us out of thin air. That ship has sailed.’

‘A fair point. Why… I cannot count those cromlechs. Sometimes I think there are seven, at other times – now it might be five. Or six…’

‘And have you noticed they seem to have faces?’ pointed out Farris.

‘Disturbing.’ Idhelruin concentrated. ‘Oh, they didn’t like that one bit. But now I see there are seven.’

I leaned to speak in Farris’s ear. ‘I thought the old man would read a pattern better than I did. I’ll have to summon Wax.’

He too arrived kneeling. I don’t think I specify that in the spell, do I? Perhaps it is the natural condition of those who are brought by magic before me.

‘Why do you make me kneel, Surma?’ raged Wax.

‘I make you do nothing. Stand.’

‘The others think you and Farris are both under Lady Pale’s influence. Also they resent that they didn’t get to come with you.’

‘They are children. Just as Eli is hopefully confounding Pale in the Dry Lands, distracting her from her plans, so do we have the mages of Hythe, who I could almost believe Pale has sent to try me.’

Wax read the patterns of the statues, but with no clearer result than Idhelruin.

‘Perhaps I had better summon Hurstyk. Oh, here he comes now.’

The others caught up to us. ‘We thought you were controlled by – ’

‘Oh, stop it! I have actually lost count of the number of miracles I’ve performed in the last week specifically to oppose Pale. From now on I will not hear talk of balance, restraint, or unspecified dithering. We have a world to save, and to do so we need the prismatic jewel that Diamansus left in the labyrinth beneath that compound. Let us now act together, as we briefly did aboard the Sea Lion when the Watcher attacked, and perhaps between us we will prevail against this threat that Pale has unleashed.’

‘Work as a team?’ said Farris. ‘That indeed would be a miracle.’