The almanacs were headlines provided to the players of my campaign in Aurii that were adventure prompts. They’re recorded here for future inspirations. All of these documents are quite old as far as world building goes, you may find they contradict the world guide in places.

Welcome to the 47th volume of the Theanovene Almanac. As always, we at the Theanovene Newscrafting Guild strive to bring you all the information we can about the world at large. The information published here is everything a fledging caravaneer may want to know going out into Aurii.

Reports have come into our offices that individuals in the Jeweller’s Guild are speaking with Drecian officers about setting up exclusive trade rights with Dreca’s mining operations. Dreca’s mountain range is known to have dozens of different precious gems in abundant supply. Currently Dreca is offloading the gemstones as it’s primary export, but our reports say the Jeweller’s Guild would like to limit that supply. This move is being met with backlash on multiple fronts. Many disapprove of forming closer ties with Dreca given their role in starting the war. Others are wary about the Jeweller’s Guild having that much control over over the supply of precious gems on the mainland.

Despite Theanovene’s status as neutral ground yet another fight broke out between Eraian and Drecian nationals. This fight has left the Theanovene owned Small Shingles inn with extensive property damages and injured a few Thenovene citizens. Despite attempts to bring those responsible to justice, neither Eraia nor Dreca are coming forward with any names. It leaves Theanovene citizens wondering if either country even care to respect the neutral ground agreement.

The 90th anniversary of the terrible disaster that buried the majority of Elbia under the mountain is fast approaching. Rather than dedicate the day to quiet services and memorials the Elbian Memorial Association has decided to turn the streets of Theanovene into a celebration of Elbian culture and life. While festivals of Elbian culture have been held before none have ever been held on the anniversary of the disaster. The Association is looking for volunteers to assist with the event planning, and promises to make the anniversary a day to remember.

Laguz citizens of Theanovene are being harassed after a third caravan was attacked last week by the so called “Beast Bandits”. These bandits appear to be exclusively Laguz and the Laguz residents of Theanovene are reporting harassment against them; people blaming them for the attacks on the caravans. No evidence exists that these bandits have anything to do with Laguz residing in the city and these actions against fine residents of Theanovene are deplorable in the eyes of this author.

The eastern mountain range continues to soak up all the rain due to the eastern continent. The land is dry from the eastern mountains to the shoreline. Thankfully this drought doesn’t affect anyone but those exploring the Elbia ruins though it certainly brings some fears to mind that the drought could could spread west to Theanovene.

The Wynnite ambassador Raffin Neve is traveling the country side of the Callorian League on his way to Callora’s capital Etrina. While the purpose of his trip is unknown none of sources from Callora report signs of trouble on the horizon. Political scribes guess that whatever business Raffin is traveling with it will not have a major effect on Theanovene trade with the nations.

Remnants of a Theanovene caravan returned home three days ago saying they were attacked by ‘armored soldier in the night’. The caravan was unable to identify any insignia on their attacker’s person. Eraia has decried this attack as a Drecian act of violence against the neutral Theanovene while Dreca has done the same to Eraia. The ‘who shot first’ argument has raged for days now and tensions are rising in Theanovene both by nationals of the two accused countries as well as with Theanovene’s citizens.

Sources in Eraia report that the military has had to deal extensive pirate activity in the south west seas. Eraia has said nothing of this officially though the Newscrafting Guild absolutely trusts our source. We’ve brought this news to military scholars here and Eraia and they’ve told us at the Guild that the increase is likely due to the war’s continued progress.

#@# The Armorer’s Guild: Looking for Eraian trade secrets?

Rumors are swirling about that the armorer’s guild is making efforts at replicating or even copying Eraia’s armor crafting techniques. Long known for their skill at the trade, Eraia refuses to share techniques with Theanovene artisans saying that their technique is “A gift from Lylalel for her soldiers in the world”.

They resurface every year and this year is no exception. Rumors of a Guild of dedicated con artist, manipulators and politicians who manipulate the Theanovene Council have resurfaced after the Baker’s Guild leader stepped down last month. No evidence of the ‘Influence Guild’, like always, has been found in Theanovene.

Welcome to this special edition of the Theanovene Almanac. Today we bring you an inside look at what it means to be the man with the big old book on the battlefield, the wizened man in the tower, or the boy trying to impress a girl in the bar; the world of magic users.

Many are familiar with the mage these days. Magic wielders have become a normal, if unusual sight since the invention of the magic tome. Let us be very clear as well, when we say mage it does not refer to anyone who can call forth fire from a book. Those who work with magic have their own scale of seniority, much like the guilds in Theanovene. Rookies are referred to as Pupils and study under another caster. After many years they may finally set out on their own as Mages. The greatest of mages, those who have made breakthroughs studying the secrets of magic, are bestowed the title of Sage. As good Theanovians, knowing a caster’s title is a must.

Ironically, many of the people who travel Aurii today as “Mages” are actually only Pupils. To hold the title of Mage a spellcaster must be able to not just use a tome to perform feats of magic; but be able to cast ritual spells unaided.

Most types of magic we see in the day to day are cast via Magic Tomes. Tomes are created through a particular ritual spell discovered in the last century. The Tome ritual imbues the pages of the book with nonsensical shapes, diagrams, and letters, and yet when a spell is cast using the book provides magic without the hours of ritual work. While the page is consumed, disappearing as if burned instantly, Tomes tend to hold a few dozen of their spells.

The are a few requirements still even when using a tome, which are good for everyone to know.
* A caster must be able to speak the spell’s name to cast a spell from a tome. If ever assaulted by a spellcaster, stuffing their mouth can give you time to escape and find help.
* The caster’s tome must remain open and held for the duration of the spell. The power flows from the book (in layman’s terms of course!) and when the book is closed the spell ends. This limits a caster’s mobility, again giving you a chance to escape.
* Certain spells (particularly those in the Elder magic category) require additional materials to be cast.

Magic is often described as “harnessing the force of nature in Aurii to do one’s bidding”. While at first glance one can see how fire and lightning are forces of nature, the other breeds of magic such as Light and Elder are less apparent. We’ve dug into a cursory summary for each brand of magic and just why they’re classified differently.

Anima magic is the magic of nature. This includes all the forces we of the world are familiar with. Fire is the most common Anima magic, followed by Lightning and then Wind. Tomes for these elements are almost common, though still not as easy to acquire as a sword. Fire’s scalding heat, Lightning searing force, and Wind’s blustering utility make them a go to for most Pupils looking to learn.

Anima magic does extend further than just the core elements however. Mages and Sages in Aurii have mastered water, ice, and even earthen stone. While spells for these elements are more rudimentary or “raw” (Sage Osbury Nonim, Theanovene), they are an evolving field of study for many Sages. The mere action of casting them already marks one as a talented individual, and improving them is a way into the history books.

Effects Manifested:

• Projectile
• Brute manipulation (forcing a campfire into a piller of flame)
• Reinforcement (Increasing the strength of the element in nature)

Light magic is classified as the magic of one’s beliefs. Despite the rather confusing classification, light magic is just as common as Anima magic on Aurii. Light magic manifests as a golden light, and when used offensively it feels like pure, searing force against the body. It tends to appear bright as well, sometimes blindingly so.

Belief is not as clear a magic as nature is. The greatest Sages in the field of Light magic cannot explain it anymore than the newest Pupils. The only thing that can be said is that the more you believe, the easier the magic will come to you. Even more interestingly, what you believe doesn’t seem to matter. Many are quick to associate believe with the religion of Lylalel in Eraia; yet any devoted person can use Light magic. Even those who do not believe in the god can invoke Light magic, believing in concepts, people, or even in Light magic itself.

Due to the strange nature of Light magic, attempts to research it work against the researcher. By explaining the magic one’s understanding of it pulls away from belief. Discovery in Light magic is rare, most of them made by accident. The origin of Light magic is a often researched topic; if researching weakens its power how was it initially discovered? While we know the origin of Light no more than the other forms of magic, the paradox of Light magic specifically makes it particularly interesting.

Effects Manifested:

• Point Flares (Miniature explosions of searing hot light)
• Light flashes

Elder magic is the least common form of magic on Aurii, or perhaps it should be called the least accepted. Elder magic is categorized as magic that requires a sacrifice to cast and from that it gets it more common name Dark magic. What is sacrificed can vary, some spells demand unique components while others are more powerful depending on what you use. Despite there being rather mundane sacrifices (3 days rotten fruit for example) available, Dark magic is well defined by it’s more gruesome sacrifices such as raw animal organs or pieces of the human body.

Dark magic may have it’s downsides, yet it has an avid following of underground users. The reason for this is two fold, the first being dark magic manifests far more powerfully than the other schools of magic. It’s assumed that this power comes from the sacrificed object, it’s destruction turning into the inky force that manifests from basic dark magic incantation.

The second reason is Dark magic can do more than any other type of magic; more unique effects have been discovered through the realm of Dark magic than any other. While we were able to find a dark magic sage to speak to, we’ve been assured by third parties that the sages theorize any kind of effect could be invoked with dark magics, if only we knew the correct combination of words and sacrifices. As research into dark magic is heavily frowned upon in all the kingdoms of Aurii.

Effects Manifested:

• Materialized Shadow (a black, oozing substance that powers from a sacrifice, both numbs and burns humans and can be manipulated by the caster.)
• Degradation (Speeds up the decay of an object, requires a very large sacrifices for much effect)
• Cold fire
• Animation of the Dead

The healing arts are a strange subclass of magic. They’re quite common, yet they have no sages nor researchers. Healing arts are naught but a few spells, each with a specific use case. They were discovered decades ago in an ancient text and no other mention of them has been found. These spells interact positively with the human body, healing and curing the body. They’ve been placed in tomes the same way the other school have and are used in a similar fashion, yet we know even less about it than we do other forms.

• Restorative (cures wounds and other damages to the body)
• Curing (removes ailments to the body, such as illness or curse)
• Relief (numbs pain or other feelings or effects)

Despite this being an expose into the study of magic, each of the paragraph above has a sentence using the word Unknown. Magic is as intriguing as it is to us because we do not understand it despite how well we utilize what we do know. Sages dedicate their lives to discovering even a handful of new facts about magic, for personal fame or the betterment of Aurii.

We are not the first generation to study the effects of spellcraft as well. Plenty of significant discoveries in this field actually came from men and women long dead, revealed to us by notes they’ve left behind for the future. These discoveries have led to us making new discoveries as well. At the same time, some only show us more of the mysteries that is spellcraft. Ancient texts refer to magic in different ways, or to effects we can’t possibly create with magic as it is now. This only drives sages to valid the past and discover what was lost to time.

• Anima magic is referred to the natural magic or ordered magic and has definitions referencing that it follows the natural order.
• Dark magic is written as elder magic, unordered magic, or unnatural magic. Definitions for it all center around two topics, tribute or defying nature.
• Light magic is rarely referenced in what writings have been found. When it is referenced, it’s referred to as ordering magic or pure magic. Definitions are too vague to be summarized when it comes to light magic, often what the texts refer to is something that no one can do with current light magic.

Everyone is aware of the tome creation process which brought magic into the modern era. Despite it’s common place status, many don’t realize the connection between it and the ritual magic that’s considered old fashion. Tome creation is nothing more than a ritual spell. The spell has a focus of a prepared book and a casting time of 8 hours, using a spell circle as a guide. Once a pupil has advanced to the rank of Mage and can create a tome in this way, they have an easy source of income. Many pupils stop at this point, only interested in the business aspect of magic.

The process for tomes reveals most of what can be said for ritual magic. Rituals require various components and a large amount of time to cast. Ritual versions of every spell ever placed in a tome exist, though with their long casting times the usefulness is up in the air. Though involved with magical research are required to spend the hours per casting however. Rituals allow for finite adjustments, turning the mysterious art of magic into something comparable to a science. With a little stronger focus or a different shape to a spell circle the effect of a spell might change drastically. Ritual magics require a very in depth knowledge of magical theory. If you met someone who can discuss them academically, be sure to show the proper respect.

Welcome to the 48th volume of the Theanovene Almanac. As always, we at the Theanovene Newscrafting Guild strive to bring you all the information we can about the world at large. The information published here is everything a fledging caravaneer may want to know going out into Aurii.

Brawls between Eraian and Drecian forces visiting the city are a dime a dozen in the current political climate, but ones broken up by a dragon are anything but. Witnesses report the fight being started by some Drecians harassing a potion seller in the eastern market. Some bystanders came to the potion seller’s aid, starting a brawl between the Drecian unit and their group. It was not long after a two story tall dragon appeared, fighting the Drecian’s as well. To Dreca’s credit, despite most of the market running in a panic their unit held fast and fought on.

Not long after an Eraian unit and the city watch got involved, quelling the combat and managing to net the beast. The Eraians insisted on taking custody of the Dragon, on the grounds that it was a “servant of Lyarlel”. They managed to catch it in an elephant cage. Even more amazingly, the dragon escaped the cage under Eraian watch not long after. Even the Eraian’s have no idea how the dragon escaped, especially with no one seeing it fly off.

The droughts plaguing the once Elbia region of Aurii continue. Treasure hunters are returning without even reaching the Elbian ruins, unable to carry enough water to make the journey. Talks are in place of charting a ship to the eastern coastline and approaching from there, though the group has yet to settle on the terms of the arrangement. Some wish for the hunters to split the finds as they’re working together to get there in the first place; others wish to fend for themselves.

The Getterwalt’s were savagely attacked by an unknown force in the middle of the night a few weeks ago. They reported, based on the quality of the attacker’s equipment, a military force attacked them. They couldn’t identify who in the dark. Eraians point to Dreca, and Drecians point to Eraia. The Guild Council has been locked up on who to believe for over a week now, despite frequent interviews with the caravaneers in question. The Isolationist party is insistent on evidence before making an accusation formally, while the Expansionists are leaning towards Dreca as the culprit.

The Guild Council is currently sitting at 67% Isolationist and 33& Expansionist. Taiver of the Tanner’s Guild continues to rally support for the Expansionist agenda, that the ‘Guild charter must be amended to keep up with the times’. The Isolationist party, as the Expansionists call their opposition, continue to hold that the Guild Charter is absolute and we do not have the right to amend the forefather’s work.

Theanovians. Tis a pleasure to read this fine Alamanac as each new issue arrives here. It is quite the shame it takes so long for it to arrive, but that is why we push to the mainland in the first place. We of Dreca look forward to the time we can call ourselves true neighbors of Theanovene, when we can be equals on the mainland. We anxiously await the day.

Dryn Wulfa

Eraia’s primary trade route with Theanovene is well traveled, heading southwest through the Eraian towns Ebonary and Effera. Trade then continues over the bay, ships doing the last leg of travel from Ebonary to Lyall. This route is well known and that’s left it plagued by attacks. Dreca pushes the front lines ever closer to the route, putting traders on the border of a war zone. Bandit activity from the mountains is a constant, and recently pirate activity has spiked in the bay. It’s a dangerous time to be an Eraian caravaneer.

Hylley, a kingdom just over the Callorian border, held it’s bi annual melting festival this month. The city of Evard is set along a river that sources from the western mountain range. The river dries up when the water freezes higher up in the mountains. Twice a year that ice over melts, flooding into the river canals and filling the town’s channels with water. Evard celebrates this event in a grandiose style.

Eraia’s town of Trisp has proclaimed one of their students is blessed by Lylalel. The town is more monastery than town, dedicated to the study of light magic. The Cardinal of Trisp states that a girl studying with them has proven to be more proficient with light magic than anyone he’s ever seen, leading him to say she’s been blessed by Lylalel.

Wyverns are the most powerful weapon in Dreca’s war chest. The trained pseudo dragons and their riders are riders of death on the battlefield, strafing and turning their enemies into kindling with every run. Little can counter their speed and power, though some Eraian archers have managed to force a retreat with a lucky shot or two. Little is known about Wyverns outside of Dreca, and that adds to their value as a weapon of war. As it stands, the beasts and their riders continue to kite over Eraian camps, keeping the Eraian forces constantly on the move.

The church of Lylalel has announced that Eraian forces will be pushing into the Kissaelain territories, now occupied by Dreca, with renewed vigor. Highlight reasons for the announcement are “those who refuse Lylalel’s light shall never best those who embrace it” and “the laguz of the territories need not worry, Lylalel shields all in their darkest hour”. The church has gained positive publicity with the refugees of the Kissaelain territories, some of which have joined Eraia’s forces as mercenaries.

This report comes directly from a laguz who escaped the Drecian occupied city of Seria. The account below is not the opinion of the Theanovene Alamanac or Theanovene government as a whole.

Whatever the Drecians might tell you about their invasion of our city, it’s a lie. The Drecians treat us laguz as second class citizens at best; slaves at worst. They enforce strict curfews for those who aren’t kept under thumb by an officer or unit, and they tell us when to eat, work, and sleep. They use laguz labor to haul equipment, build weapons, and clean up after their Wyverns. I simply… simply pity those whose entire day is serving the Drecians hand and foot. Some might say that’s what an occupying army does, but this simply isn’t right! Nothing about this is right…

It’s common knowledge that the Eraian trade route has a new found pirate problem. What few people know is many of these attacks involved Kouneli crews. This author poses the question that if the Kouneli are unhappy with their annexing into Eraia, is it not possible the Kouneli are manning this pirate crews in an attempt at rebellion against their oppressors?

Dreca has sent ships north to the island nation of Wynne, looking for an ally against Eraia. The nations have similarities in their island status, and also in the fact both are hated by Eraia. It’s possible Wynne could see this as an opportunity to cut off one threat using another; having Dreca and Eraia fight to their last man before sweeping in and finishing off the survivor.

Rumor has it that deep in the eastern and western mountain ranges lie a pair of lakes. They say with in the lakes a trio of weapons rest, each imbued with a type of magic. Many have gone searching for these weapons but not a trace of the weapons was found. The lakes themselves are mapped, if difficult to get to. At the very least explorers are rewarded with one of the most beautiful views in all of Aurii.

Welcome to the 49th volume of the Theanovene Almanac. As always, we at the Theanovene Newscrafting Guild strive to bring you all the information we can about the world at large. The information published here is everything a fledging caravaneer may want to know going out into Aurii.

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