The Six Covenents

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THE SIX CONVENTS

In an ancient prophecy it is said that the Witch King Malekith will finally perish at the hands of a sorcerer. Because of this prophecy, said to be a vision sent to Caledor when Aenarion drew the Sword of Khaine, Malekith is mightily distrustful of any Druchii sorcerer as any one of them is a potential assassin in his eyes. When Naggaroth was finally established he had all of the Druchii sorcerers murdered one by one, which even included some of the Dru Perim. However, even though there appear to be no male practitioners of Dark Magic in Naggaroth there are inevitably some who lie in hiding throughout the cold lands.

To this end, Malekith (who is the only person in Naggaroth who can give permission for the teaching of Dark Magic), and his mother Lady Morathi, set up the Six Convents, also known as the Six Convents of the Sorceresses, where aspiring female Druchii go to learn Dark Magic. Naturally, as befitting the sadistic and masochistic nature of this Elven race, there are many trials a Druchii woman must go through before she can learn the secrets of the Dark Arts and many of them are very dramatic as suits the nature of some of the jealous High Sorceresses of the Convents. The one trial which is constant throughout is that an aspiring sorceress must control the Winds of Chaos in the Realm of Chaos itself (located on the borders of Ghrond). Any aspirant who fails a test will serve the Witch King in a myriad of menial ways. However, those who succeed are taken as brides for the Witch King; they now belong to him and must not take any other husband.

Because many within the Six Convents worship Slaanesh (an influence of the Cult of Pleasure founded by Lady Morathi) there is inevitably some friction and discontent between them and the Temple of Khaine; the Witch Elves of Khaine prefer slaughter by sword and knife and do not believe in using spells to destroy a foe, even though Khaine is a magical god. But through the formidable influence of Malekith conflict between the two factions is kept to a minimum.

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compiled and posted by Alluvian_Est-Endrati GM of White Flame & Only-WAR Lore Master at only-war.com

Druchii Sorcery: Mastering the Winds of Dhar

Introduction

Given the threats to our realm from abroad, it is a wonder that we do not more often speak of the threat poised by the so-called Dark Elves. Perhaps we think ourselves safe from their malevolence because they do not assault the shores of our Empire? However within the Colleges of Magic there are those who are well aware of the danger poised by the Druchii.

As we were taught long ago by the High Elves brought to found the Colleges of Magic during the time of Magnus the Pious, the Dark Wind of Magic is a dangerous one to manipulate, one that even the High Elves with all of their power refuse to touch. Given our ancient allies mastery of magic and the powers that they wield, it is only understandable that you should fear any of their race who turns to corruption and embraces the use of Dhar for any reason.

Herein I have decided to compose my initial thoughts on these Black Magisters of the Druchii. I shall keep the discussion blessedly brief for it is now more important to ensure that people are made aware of the threats that may face us. Time enough for a more serious discussion of these matters shall have to wait.
Subtle Corruption of the Spirit and Body

Over the many years that our Empire has been on good terms with the High Elves we of the Colleges of Magic have learned more about their nature, fragments of the whole truth but still valuable information. The very physiology of the Elves, their minds and bodies and perhaps their very souls make them nearly perfect vessels for magical energies. Because of their nature they are naturally resilient, some would say immune, to many of the problems associated with wielding the forces of magic.

However this seeming immunity is not as complete as we may have once thought, for more detailed studies of those Elves who have turned to the use of Dhar has revealed some surprising discoveries. Given their near-total reliance upon the Wind of Dhar and the location of their lands within the world (and other factors to be sure) it is not just the Magisters of their realm who are prone to having a great deal of contact with these energies. Certainly even among those who do not wield such power themselves they must come into a great deal of contact with items and materials touched, shaped or even empowered by the Magic of Dhar.

While at first glance a High Elf and a Dark Elf may appear nearly identical to one another. However anything more detailed than just a glance will reveal differences in their physical nature. Certainly the difference is obvious to those who stand in the presence of a living Druchii as their very demeanor and attitude is far removed from their more noble cousins.

While they are highly resistant to the warping energies of Chaos and thus the dangers associated with the use of Dhar, changes have indeed occurred to the Dark Elf people. Their features have grown more grim and wicked, reflecting their innermost nature more aptly. Overall the features of a Dark Elf are more feral than that of a High Elf, which is reflected in the shape of their face and eyes, the curvature of their ears and even the grace of their form.

However the slow changes being wrought upon these people is not just one upon the flesh but also one of the spirit. From what we know of the culture of the Dark Elves it seems their very civilization is one that is continually descending into darkness and depravity. It is my thought thus that the continuing use of Dhar is serving to reinforce the dark nature of their culture, sending it spiraling downwards into the oblivion of Chaos.

While there may be exceptions, Dark Elves thus are being changed over time to become even more cruel and wicked by their associated with the power from the north. Even should they be aware of it, from what little we know of their mentality and current culture I believe that they would revel in these changes. They are a people who have entirely abandoned morality and decency for depravity and cruelty. They revel in their newfound nature much as pigs roll about happily in their own filth.

Dark Magisters of Naggaroth

Much as the High Elves are counted among the most powerful wielders of magic in the world so too must the Dark Elves be taken into consideration. While their skills and methods are of an entirely different nature to those who study at the Great Tower, among the Dark Elves may be found the most skilled and powerful wielders of dark magic outside of the Chaos Wastes.

While most of the Magisters among the Dark Elves are women, there are reports that there are an ever increasing number of men who are learning these arts among their kind. Likely any Dark Elf child who shows any hint of the gift of magic is taken at an early age to be trained in the uses of Dhar. The study of magic is a long and a dangerous one, even high Elves spend a great deal of their time working to master the High Wind of Magic, feats impossible for even out greatest Magisters within the Colleges of Magic.

These Dark Elves so gifted or trained seem to learn a great deal more about magic than we are capable of learning without embracing our own corruption or destruction. Much of their knowledge includes the use of spellcraft in battle of course but they are also masters of utilizing magic in other ways. It is known that the Dark Elves employ magical methods in the defense of their nation, in the crafting of weapons, gears and engines of war and in a great many other ways as well. Perhaps the most dangerous uses of their magic, which I shall discuss in more detail shortly, is in the summoning, binding and controlling of daemons and other creatures.

It is known that among their kind these Magisters are afforded great honor, rewarded well for their use and power. Unlike the Magisters of our realm they are actively encouraged to find new uses for their power, to develop new spells, incantations, rituals and enchantments by which their people can extend their power further over the world. A fully trained Dark Elf, master of the wind of Dhar is a terrible opponent to face in battle. Yet for all of their great powers, their bodies are still mortal so many of them still, unfortunately, rely upon the support and defense of warriors and others to protect them and their interests.
Enslaved by Magic and Aetheric Creatures

Among the Dark Elves the arts of daemonology are not unknown. It is said that they take great pleasure in summoning and binding these creatures, learning from them more dark secrets or employing them against their fellows along their northern borders. Thankfully their use of daemons is not as great as it likely could be, while they may always be seeking new avenues to advance their own agendas they are a cautious and a wary people, which has likely saved them from a greater doom thus far.

However the magic used to bind and control the wills of others are not just employed upon daemons. As their society is one partially fueled by the labor of countless slaves, beasts and other creatures they have been known to utilize their magic to enforce their will upon some of their newfound servants. While in many cases it seems they prefer the lash to motivate their charges there is no doubt they have employed sorcery in the past to manipulate others into doing their bidding.

Whatever their purpose these dark magic have an ill effect upon the mind of those so controlled. While daemons and some other creatures may be immune to such things, the minds of men and other mortal races are more fragile. While certainly such magical manipulation can be much more subtle, all too often the power can be wielded to such an extend as to damage, destroy or otherwise irrevocably change the mind of the poor victim.