Vorsys flows and imbues everything around us. It is freedom. Embrace it. Strict adherence to a set of decrees is simply dogmatism disguised as virtue. The Draol offer choice.—Orilac the Wise
| Draol | |
|---|---|
| |
| Vitals | |
| Leader | Draol Grandmage |
| Positions | Draol Grandmage, Draol Adept, Draol Mage, Draol Apprentice |
| Sub-groups | Joint Illition Directorate, Scions of Geth |
| Founded | EE 1,245 |
| Founder | Jylath of Milgrund |
| Motto | none |
| Status | extinct |
| Headquarters | The Tamaligus |
| Locations | widespread |
| Items | {{{items}}} |
| Texts | {{{texts}}} |
| Ceremonies | |
| Deities | |
| Statistics | |
| Appearances | Eulogy for Magic |
| Mentions | |
The Draol were the last remaining order of magic users prior to the Great Purge, as all the other minor schools were wiped out. At the outset of the Second Age, they were only one of two main generalist orders, vastly outnumbering the Eari order. The Draol studied their arts from a campus called The Tamaligus, which was on Greater Galwyndor until the Great Purge, when it was transferred to a secluded location in northeast Letania (now Scurn).
Trademark Style
The Draol school of magic preferred to hoard magic as much as possible and release it in large, powerful bursts. Because this style was best served towards destructive ends, the Draol garnered negative attention, especially after the 4th Great War. It was also almost exclusively the Draol who acted as "warwhores", essentially assisting in wartime to leverage the chaos and constant flux of the energy produced by such concentrated violence. They were also thought to practice the illicit arts, which were forbidden to be taught at the Earian Institute of the Arcane.
Levels of Mastery
There were several levels of mastery among the Draol, though not as many as the Eari. One began their studies at the Tamaligus as a Draol Apprentice. Only after completing several years of rigorous study in a variety of disciplines would one then graduate to Draol Mage. At that point they were free to go off on their own to continue their own studies, or make a living however they saw fit using their skills. If one was skilled enough, they might be asked to then teach; in this case they would achieve the rank of Draol Adept. The highest ranking was Draol Grandmage, who essentially served as head of the order and oversaw the academy. This was a positional title, but the magickers who earn it kept it even if they moved on from the academy or stepped down as head of the order.
Vorsys Mythos
The Draol school taught that magical energy, called Vorsys, permeated everything as a result of a cosmic battle between two vordragons. Unlike the other schools, the Draol did not differentiate between different types of magic, but viewed it all as being simple vorsys that could be obtained from different sources. Where the other schools viewed the source as being imbued with the essence of the energy, the Draol believed it was the source that imbued the vorsys with its characteristics. So, for example, where the Runesworn might believe that metal was imbued with the essence of Bone Stray, making that the magical energy of choice for making runes for that substance, the Draol thought that the vorsys that worked best with metal was that which was found in the earth, as it had been imbued with earthen characteristics.
The Draol, therefore, were the only ones who would use any sourced vorsys for any task if a more optimal source was unavailable. The Eari argued that this was impossible, and that the Draol were mistaken. They posited that because the Draol hoarded magic, that any successful use of the improper magic source must have been because they already had it within and didn't realize it.
The Eari believe the mystical casts its essence upon the subject, but this is folly. The subject endows the mystical with pieces of itself, like with the gods. The gods take on the character of their creator.
The Great Purge
At the time of the Great Purge, the Draol Order was one of two remaining orders of magic, the other being the Eari. The Eari order was self-eliminated in order to prevent the world from being obliterated through irresponsible use of magic. At that time, the most powerful Draol was Orilac, who was head of the order, and the last Draol was Atury, who known as the Glyphmaster.
Notes
- Because the Draol hoarded magical energy, a mage's power was determined primarily by how much magic they could absorb, and the secondary gauge was in how they utilized the magic.