Is the "Order Of High Sorcery" Skullbusting Again? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Is the "Order Of High Sorcery" Skullbusting Again?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Jan 05, 2005 9:36:54 With the Return of the Orders of High Sorcerery, are they enforcing the "Test of High Sorcerery" on every caster who gains a certain power level? In other worlds are they Skullbusting so called "Renegade" sorcerers and wizards who don't want to follow the strict guidelines of the orders? I thought the orders were abolished during the Age of Mortals?
#2
cam_banks
Jan 05, 2005 9:53:27 Yes to all, more or less. Given the relatively few number of wizards to sorcerers right now, they're in for a long and difficult struggle, but the Test is being conducted again where possible.

Cheers,
Cam
#3
Nived
Jan 05, 2005 10:15:48 Yes the Orders were abolished by Palin durring the early 5th age. However with the return of the gods came the return of 'focused' magic. The Orders of High Sorcery were reformed by Jenna, Dalamar, and Coryn about a year to year and a half (can't recall exact date) after the War of Souls ended. Jenna is currently the head of the conclave.

Wizards are currently on what might be called a recruitment drive trying to bolster their numbers. The Test however is still in place for perspective Wizards. Their views on Sorcerers however is a touchy subject.

Sorcerers channel the raw magic of creation (so do mystics but they channel life energy sorcerers channel elemental energy) which is Chaos tainted. Way back in the timeline (Second Dragonwar I think but I don't have my books out so I could be mistaken) Sorcerers channeling ambient magic nearly destroyed Krynn. It was that act that caused the three gods of magic to form the Wizards of High Sorcery in the first place, which eventually tamed magic until Sorcery was forgotten or went dorment, until Chaos stirred the pot again.

So on the one hand you have the fact that the original purpose of the orders was to stop the use of ambient magic. In "Wizard's Conclave" (the novel with the reforming of the orders) its suggested that the ambient magic actually poses a diret threat to the Gods of Magic. Not an inconvienence, a threat.

However there are other factors to consider now which is keeping the WoHS from commiting sorcerer genocide.

First off the WoSH are weak right now. Most of their current members were students 40 years ago, the powerful human mages have mostly died... as have many elven ones (not due to age but to war). They simply don't have the numbers. Use of sorcery on the other hand has spread far, and while the sorcerers are unorganized (mainly... there are some groups like the Grey Robed Knights of the Thorn) they currently FAR outnumber the WoHS.

Add to this problem the disagreement amongst the orders how to handle the problem. Convert? Destroy? Renegade? Not? Will going against the sorcerers be more trouble than its worth turning organizations like The Legion of Steel against the orders. The political implications are frightening.

There seems to be a 'wait and see' mentality. Keep tabs on the powerful sorcerers, if one gets out of line take him out. Renegade Wizards are still Renegade Wizards and will be treated and deltwith as such (they are stealing from the Gods after all), however the WoHS doesn't have the resources currently to start forcing most sorcerers to stop. If they come across one grossly misusing magic (according to their standards of course) whose going to make things hard for all mages everywhere well then, they have to do something don't they.

Of course there is the personal feelings of individual wizards to take into acount. Some were formerly sorcerers themselves durring the early 5th age. Other saw it (and still do) as abomination. Some think tolerance is the way etc etc etc...

So in the end you're left with an answer to "What will the WoHS do about Sorcerers?" as "They don't know yet."
#4
zombiegleemax
Jan 05, 2005 21:54:09 Converting the Sorcerers or trying to force them into not using their powers would be a bad idea, because Sorcerers [being the charismatic people they are] could probably rally other sorcerers against them. Not to mention that, from what I know, the people would already be distrustful of the gods and that would go for the gods of Magic as well.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jan 05, 2005 9:36:54	With the Return of the Orders of High Sorcerery, are they enforcing the "Test of High Sorcerery" on every caster who gains a certain power level? In other worlds are they Skullbusting so called "Renegade" sorcerers and wizards who don't want to follow the strict guidelines of the orders? I thought the orders were abolished during the Age of Mortals?
#2 cam_banks Jan 05, 2005 9:53:27	Yes to all, more or less. Given the relatively few number of wizards to sorcerers right now, they're in for a long and difficult struggle, but the Test is being conducted again where possible. Cheers, Cam
#3 Nived Jan 05, 2005 10:15:48	Yes the Orders were abolished by Palin durring the early 5th age. However with the return of the gods came the return of 'focused' magic. The Orders of High Sorcery were reformed by Jenna, Dalamar, and Coryn about a year to year and a half (can't recall exact date) after the War of Souls ended. Jenna is currently the head of the conclave. Wizards are currently on what might be called a recruitment drive trying to bolster their numbers. The Test however is still in place for perspective Wizards. Their views on Sorcerers however is a touchy subject. Sorcerers channel the raw magic of creation (so do mystics but they channel life energy sorcerers channel elemental energy) which is Chaos tainted. Way back in the timeline (Second Dragonwar I think but I don't have my books out so I could be mistaken) Sorcerers channeling ambient magic nearly destroyed Krynn. It was that act that caused the three gods of magic to form the Wizards of High Sorcery in the first place, which eventually tamed magic until Sorcery was forgotten or went dorment, until Chaos stirred the pot again. So on the one hand you have the fact that the original purpose of the orders was to stop the use of ambient magic. In "Wizard's Conclave" (the novel with the reforming of the orders) its suggested that the ambient magic actually poses a diret threat to the Gods of Magic. Not an inconvienence, a threat. However there are other factors to consider now which is keeping the WoHS from commiting sorcerer genocide. First off the WoSH are weak right now. Most of their current members were students 40 years ago, the powerful human mages have mostly died... as have many elven ones (not due to age but to war). They simply don't have the numbers. Use of sorcery on the other hand has spread far, and while the sorcerers are unorganized (mainly... there are some groups like the Grey Robed Knights of the Thorn) they currently FAR outnumber the WoHS. Add to this problem the disagreement amongst the orders how to handle the problem. Convert? Destroy? Renegade? Not? Will going against the sorcerers be more trouble than its worth turning organizations like The Legion of Steel against the orders. The political implications are frightening. There seems to be a 'wait and see' mentality. Keep tabs on the powerful sorcerers, if one gets out of line take him out. Renegade Wizards are still Renegade Wizards and will be treated and deltwith as such (they are stealing from the Gods after all), however the WoHS doesn't have the resources currently to start forcing most sorcerers to stop. If they come across one grossly misusing magic (according to their standards of course) whose going to make things hard for all mages everywhere well then, they have to do something don't they. Of course there is the personal feelings of individual wizards to take into acount. Some were formerly sorcerers themselves durring the early 5th age. Other saw it (and still do) as abomination. Some think tolerance is the way etc etc etc... So in the end you're left with an answer to "What will the WoHS do about Sorcerers?" as "They don't know yet."
#4 zombiegleemax Jan 05, 2005 21:54:09	Converting the Sorcerers or trying to force them into not using their powers would be a bad idea, because Sorcerers [being the charismatic people they are] could probably rally other sorcerers against them. Not to mention that, from what I know, the people would already be distrustful of the gods and that would go for the gods of Magic as well.