Wizards, throughout history, have been the target of merciless racism and antagonism. We are accused of "violating" nature, of "accosting" natural order, of bending the fabric of nature to meet our will. There are those who would say that wizards are evil; that the craft corrupts their mind and spirit, and fills their very soul with the evil of the dubhaim. "Wizards", these people say ",are the greatest evil ever visited upon us."
I was told that once by a priest, a fair lass whose name I shan't mention, but I say to you all - wizards, by themselves, are not evil. While it is true that the wizard possesses great powers, it is not the power, nor the training, that makes him evil. Men are good individuals until exposure to the Darkness around us corrupts them. For instance, have you ever wondered what magick really is? What it is caused by - in essence - how magick works? We all know that fire is created by heat. Even a child knows how a wheel works. But we have come to rely a great deal on the magick around us without knowing what truly infuses it - what gives rise to this power around us.
I have studied the wizard craft for a long time. Looking back, it seems like aeons. I am close to rising to the third circle, and while the most advanced magic still baffles me and eludes my mastery, I have come to several conclusions about the essence of magick.
Long ago, a master of the art taught me that every person, every living being, every creature borne of Terra and living, aligns with an element - the four basic elements being sal, creag, athar, and srad. We know the relations between these elements exist, and we can even define them to some point: srad, being weak against the power of sal, and so forth. The master taught me that magick comes from the energy of Terra. Many people do not consider this simple aspect of magick because it doesn't occur to them to think on such a large scale. The earth is the firmament of not only life, but the elements. Without the earth, there would be no magick because there would be no power for it.
I learned that every living being contains a nearly indestructible essence. When Sgrios comes with his greedy claws, even he cannot destroy the essence, although he can rip it from your earthly body. These essences, each aligning with a specific element, is what gives rise to magick power.
Terra, Gaia, whatever name you wish to call it, is composed of these essences. The mystic energy gives rise to form and color. The energy is attracted to those who show exceptional talent, and therefore arise Aislings, ready to challenge the status quo maintained by the mundanes, who care little about the world beyond their own making (their souls being dull and not able to recieve such energy) What surprises most people is that this energy has no specific "morals". Meaning, the essences are not inherently evil or good; it is the world, and the Darkness around them, that corrupts the neutrality into evil. Wizards especially must fight a battle with the powers they recieve upon their awakening to their Aisling powers; the change in their essence, the influx of new powers, gives rise to a certain chaos within the soul. Priests have it easier, being drawn naturally through their personalities to the healing arts, whose goal is not to harm.
Wizards possess powerful battle magick that may be used for either evil or good, and itis during their awakening that wizards are very susceptible to corruption. The Darkness seeks to corrupt these wizards in their quest to control and harness this chaos. But the Darkness does not select only wizards; it corrupts any Aisling whose soul has awakened from the mundanes.
Along with this, we see that the magick diverges into many paths, and takes many forms. Warriors have their magic-powered attacks; priests, the ioc that has saved many an Aisling; wizards, the fiery attacks of srad, and so on. The Aisling arises because his essence has been enhanced and awakened by the power circling around him. It is up to the strength, and the courage, of the individual, to resist either refusing the power because of the new senses it brings about, or being corrupted and becoming a servant of the Darkness.
Wizards are but another type of Aisling. Powerful, seemingly controlling the elements, they strike from afar with often deadly force. But do not brand us as agents of the Darkness, for not all of us are so easily corrupted by the likes of Dar, who accept the darkness as part of the craft. I have known many Wizards who never do anything to harm their fellow man and live their entire lives trying to help their fellow Aislings.
So, the next time you see a wizard, look again. Do not dismiss him on hand as evil, as the servants of Rhiannon often do, for you are commiting a crime greater than any the wizard could ever do. For if you dismiss him off hand, with no thought, you create divisions in between the users of magick. Divisions which lead to chaos among the Aislings fighting for a common cause - to exist, to live, to make better this world enshrouded by Darkness. Aislings, while having different methods, all seek the same goals, and we should all remember that. The next time you pray to Danaan at the altar in Mileth, perhaps you should ask her for the ability to look upon your fellow man with a kind eye and a word of praise. For it is the Darkness that seeks to divide us, and if we let it, all will surely be lost.
Inscribed for the benefit of Aislings everywhere,
Kedian Tassadar Ta'Null