Existence, religion, life, death. Simple words that inspire the deeper thoughts, deeper study, deepest hopes and deepest fears of mortal man. To assume life only lives on one world is beyond arrogance, it's willful ignorance. More than that, to assume the existence, laws of life you know are the only ones, would also be…willfully ignorant. Ignorance though protects small minds from worries that are broad in scope. In a way, the award of free will to mortals was a way the makers of life gifted those with a mortal existence a sort of freedom from thinking too much.
Ensla, a massive planet exists within a planar flow that carries magic, mages, while not common, counting for about 5% of the population, did exist and were part of society, as were magical items, relics, devices. Magical "Tech" was very much a part of life though mages that could manipulate tech were less common than elemental varieties. Demons, mythical creatures of magic, all exist on Ensla. As does the awareness that the plane of existence Ensla was on was far from the only one, and while technology for the world had reached airships and there was even an entire country that flew in the sky at about 10,000 feet above the ground. All of this, enabled through "Magitech" and…clockwork and fusion based technologies.
Clockwork technology was all about the building of intricate machines usually powered by magically created steam or electricity. It was centered around the Estrellan Empire of the East where clockwork mages tended to be born and were revered, a culture that had developed worshipping "The Clockwork Queen" a Goddess of technology. The Estrellan Empire was ruled by a family of Clockwork mages blessed by the Clockwork Queen.
Fusion based technology was based in the nation of Detroit a northern island nation at the center of a magical storm that never ended, it always rained there, and they had developed technology all the way into cybernetics using the fusion of atoms as a power source, and they had perfected that power into a clean perpetual energy source.
Magitech wasn't terribly common, based entirely on innovations powered by the magics that thrived on the planet, pulsed in leylines that criss-crossed the world. It was centered around the country, Bosco. Where Airships had been invented and refined, communication systems, the use of crystals that formed usually underground along or near leylines that were able to contain and conduct magics of any variety that were called lacrima had been developed over centuries. Now Magitech centered around a mage guild…White Sea.
The reason was their young Guildmaster, Kaleb Pradesh. A mindbender mage with a talent for technical innovation and design he had invented datasystems, improved communications, and made data and communication available to anyone with his refinement of com systems world wide, inventions of computers and tablets that normal people could own and use and designing a mage guild command database that could keep his guilds more than 6000 mages aware of work they were needed for and notified each mage individually when work perfect for their skill set and level of power came in.
People all over the world hired mages to handle problems a person who couldn't command magic…couldn't handle. Like wyverns or other mythical predators attacking livestock or property, dark magic users breaking laws and endangering populations, drought, flooding, you name it…it was likely there was a mage or a team of mages that could come up with a solution. It had created a system, an understanding, that people could go to guilds for help if they had problems. Each country had their own Magic Council, senior mages that established laws and rules of conduct, took mage interests to the government, set mage level expectations, testing, and had their own enforcement.
There were light mages (most of them) and dark mages that broke laws and worked illegally.
Most guilds had fewer than 100 members, when their masters died or even just retired they would often dissolve, there weren't many that had been around for long.
White Sea was an exception there. The guild was over 500 years old, and had had 4 masters before the 26 year old who ran it now. Kaleb Suraday Pradesh. The adopted son of Archduke Arman Pradesh, Kaleb had been raised, third eldest out of 8 children, Arman had fathered two of his children before his wife had been killed and then, to honor her wish that their family have 8 children…he had adopted 6 more. He was a loving father, a powerful noble and the senior Ambassador for the Kingdom of Bosco.
Bosco was uncommon among the Kingdoms of Ensla, they had a very open society. Their leaders had figured out centuries ago that love…made wars happen. Lack of confidence, poor social skills…they could create serious issues in young people. The Sudehpah Order was founded more than 3000 years ago, as Bosco was figuring itself out. Sudehpah were guides, counselors and teachers. They helped young people figure out their place in society, understand their community, their history as Boscans and…probably most importantly, Sudehpah helped young people accept themselves and others, discouraged bigotry and racism, sexism and other things that tended to lead to meaningless strife.
In Bosco, you were with who you wanted to be with, men could marry men, women could marry women, polygamy wasn't illegal however…rape was a capital offense. Bosco didn't believe that someone willing to force themselves on someone else in an open society where there were bath houses and clubs where anyone could enjoy themselves and find partners for pleasure..deserved to live. Rehabilitation was rare, if someone was found and proven guilty of rape, they were executed. Not a year later either, the moment the conviction was decided, the person's head was removed from their shoulders.
Pedophiles were also…utterly unaccepted. The age of majority was accepted to be 15, youths usually rid themselves of their virginity in what was called an "Induction" ceremony where they were taught how sex worked beforehand by their Sudehpah and then, had sex with someone they chose that was within 5 years of age to them that had already been through their own induction. Age differences between adults were fine…but if an adult tried to marry a youth…they could end up very suddenly…dead. Bosco didn't tolerate child abuse.
Divorce was rare, Boscans could get engaged and could marry…or, they could become "Promised" meaning they agreed with their partner they both wanted to work toward marriage and someone who was promised had most of the same legal rights as someone who was married. Sudehpah oversaw marriages, except occasionally among upper nobility, arranged marriages were illegal, Sudehpah were trained to recognize if someone was entering a marriage unwillingly…when a marriage was consummated if both parties were not equally happy with the process? The marriage was not certified and steps were taken to separate the couple permanently, no property, titles etc was shared until Sudehpah signed certification of the union.
With that much care and attention paid to marriage…divorce was incredibly rare. Archduke Pradesh had been no exception…he had married for love, had adored his wife, they'd had two sons before, while on a political negotiation trip to the Kingdom of Pergrand…Ganier was murdered with his younger son.
Pergrand was a patriarchy in the extreme. Women were seen as less valuable than a dog, they were harvested as soon as they were old enough, ovaries taken at reproduction centers where their scientists had long since perfected pods where they could develop babies though the nobility was still required to be born naturally from a woman's womb if they were to inherit. The King of Pergrand at the time was a horror, Gustan Karadin. He'd been clear he hadn't been happy with Bosco holding women to the same status in all ways as they did men and Arman had been reluctant to bring his wife but his sons were still young and having strong fine sons was extremely well respected in Pergrand, Arman had fathered two beautiful sons, having them with him would help…and Ganier had insisted she not be left behind, wanted to be there to care for their boys.
Her death and the loss of his younger son had been…a terrible blow, and Arman had grieved, hadn't remarried, but he had adopted children. He was not a weak man, over six feet tall with long black hair and pale jade green eyes, he was a powerful sound mage that trained daily, was skilled in swords, bows, guns, horsemanship and of course, politics. Outranked only by the King of Bosco himself, Arman had used his status and power to start fighting for children, becoming the driving force behind ending slavery in Bosco and protecting children better.
His children were rescues he found along the way, Kaleb rescued from a slave ship bound for Joya, a Matriarchal society where men had no rights, then his son Bickslow was saved from a dark guild, Cristoff from a war, Vander from another war, his daughter Emzadi from an underground human trafficking network and Xally he had adopted when her parents, friends of his, were killed in an accident.
Bosco had a unique landscape, the center of the country was a vast shallow sea that was covered by bioluminescent plants that wove a thick carpet on the water, free floating islands were peopled by a variety of clans that had sacred animals, in Bosco, being born of a clan was highly respected, since they were the people born on the Grass Sea as its inland sea was called. Arman himself had the symbol of the clan he'd been born to as the ruler of what was called Infinesse…the land where the nation's capital was built belonged to him, and he was still seen as the leader of Clan Infinesse, that revered the giant black eagles of Bosco, a black eagle was tattooed on his right side and ancient Boscan sacred runes were branded into his skin from just under his right arm to halfway down his right leg…all people born of Boscan clans bore similar runes and the image of their clans sacred animal.
Infinesse was now a protected clan sanctuary, many of the clan isles floating like nomads on the glowing plant surface of the Grass Sea.
The man was sitting in the back of a black sedan, reclined in a burgundy leather seat sipping a drink he'd poured from the car's bar. Calm jade eyes looked through thick black lashes out the black tinted window, watching as the massive spires of White Sea grew until out of sight as he was driven along the elevated highway to the Guild the city around it had taken its name from. White Sea had been founded centuries ago…when clan wars were still serious, and the people of the region had quickly learned there was safety to be had near it and its mages, a city had grown around the guild and had taken its name.
White Sea was the largest mage guild in the world, and one of the oldest. He smiled faintly seeing its banners blowing in the breeze, he had been a member since childhood, like his father and grandfather before him had been…now…all of his children were members and his son Kaleb was Guildmaster, selected when he was 10 years old by the former master as heir to its command.
A familiar man greeted the car, tall, broad shouldered with caramel skin and long black hair, most Boscan men kept their hair long, especially if they were clanborn. His dark blue eyes were warm and happy and sharp fangs showed when he smiled, a product of his Dragonkyn magic.
"Cristoff." Arman greeted as he stepped from the car, wrapping his son in a hug and Cristoff returned it.
"You're early, we weren't expecting you until later." He said, near the same height as Arman Cris stood 6'3, he was more heavily muscled than Arman but he had been born with Dragonkyn magic, chosen by a dragon as a baby to carry a part of its soul Cris was a Lunar Dragonkyn, commanding powerful Lunar magic that had made him a miraculous and intensely rare magical healer. Handsome, friendly, loving and warm, Cristoff had risen to senior healer of White Sea after completing his studies and claiming his Doctorate in internal medicine.
Arman smiled, his green eyes not missing much…like the mages both male and female watching them, some looking with wistful longing toward his second youngest son.
"I had a morning meeting that was cancelled because the Baroness of Dovewin decided she wanted to send in another offer of marriage for your eldest brother…and I do not have meetings with people who send me uninvited marriage offers for my children." Arman said, and Cristoff chuckled.
"You have like…piles of them." He observed and Arman sighed "I know…I've got dozens for you too young man so don't test me, is Kaleb busy?"
"In a meeting with his senior mages…except for me of course, I excused myself to come meet you." Cristoff smiled
There was an explosion in one of the mage training rings that flanked the main walkway leading up to the Guild's main doors. Arman didn't even flinch, though his eyes slid to the side as he walked with Cristoff, taking in the heavy combat training going on in the ring, magical wards gleamed and kept all of the danger contained to the ring and the mages involved.
"Glory is a pretty strong explosion mage." Cris observed nodding toward the ring where "Glory" was moving quickly, repositioning because the other mage had sent a torrent of ice at her. Glory was maybe 20 years old, with wavy brown hair and bright red eyes wearing a cropped leather top and snug well made leather pants and boots. The mage across from her was an elf, lithe and handsome as all elves were he was uncommon…elves of Ensla almost universally had blonde hair but this one had jet black hair and almost white ice blue eyes..wearing fine black and gold training armor.
"Baron Frostborn." Arman half questioned, he recognized the man, son of an Elven Duke from the Elven nation of Lugregio to the northeast of Bosco, he'd worked with the man's father a few times and seen him in passing.
"Aos…yes, He joined a few months ago, the crown prince of Lugregio tightened up restrictions on…variant Elves…Aos decided to leave Lugregio to spare his father any more trouble." Cris frowned a bit, heartfelt sympathy in the man's dark blue eyes and Arman patted his shoulder.
"Aos is a fine addition to the guild…a very well decorated Dragonkyn mage and Knight from his nation…I don't imagine his father has allowed his title to be stripped?" Arman asked and Cris shook his head.
"No he's still a Baron…his younger brother is still missing…and his father calls every night to check on him." Cris said sadly and Arman nodded.
"I see…I'll have to look into the situation…see if I can help." Arman said and Cristoff shook his head.
"Kaleb has reached out…and I think Farron may have also made an inquiry."
Arman smiled, pride in his expression, of course his sons were already doing all they could to help. As they entered the main guildhall his eyes went to a large bay window, loaded with cushions a black panther almost the size of a horse lay there curled up with a black tiger covered in blue stripes, the two massive predators snoozing in the sunny window, immune to chatter and constant din of the hall where tables and booths dotted the space, laid out before a huge bar, servers moving to and from tables, mages eating, studying, playing cards, all manner of activities, sections of the wall where there weren't windows held curtained booths set up for privacy for mages wanting quick naps or wanting to retreat with a willing partner to share pleasures without going upstairs to where the facility branched off into massive wings of well appointed apartments that it provided to its members if they needed housing. Four wings, each wing 7 stories of apartments branching off the main hall. On the second floor offices circled the main hall, balconies opening over the hall, the largest was directly behind the massive bar and belonged to the Guildmaster.
Arman looked up, smiling, seeing the tall young man standing up there, leaning on the rail looking out over everything with sharp lavender eyes, long platinum blonde hair falling around broad shoulders, the top half tied back to keep it off his handsome face. His son, Kaleb Suraday Pradesh, who he had adopted when he was still a small boy, the Guildmaster of White Sea now.