Interpretations and Prophecies

" Professor Ourin, are you trying to say that you think the story of Kal Vorgis is a real historical event"  Meric said raising his hand, but not waiting to be called on. Ourin paused thinking about it and answered: " No i do not think it is exactly historical. I would go as far as to say that I think it uses allegory to address a specific actual historical conflict.

 

"Why is that professor? It always felt more like an allegory about methods of power, and the consensus of the scholarly community seems to agree." Meric said with a slightly registered scorn. The professor sighed knowing he did this to himself by using this example, but it was too late to go back now. "I was not planning on addressing this in such depth." said professor Ourin "This is really a topic for my advance history class, but Meric does have a good point. Why should we question the consensus on this story?

 

The professor spotted a school regulator sitting in back, and debated if today was really the day for this, but he saw some potential in Meric so he continued. Some students were raising there hands and he called on Sonya in the third row. " Why should we question the establishment on this Sonya?" " Well professor " Sonya started a bit hesitantly "it seems that we have found earlier versions of the story of Kal Vorgis that are starting to bring some questions up." " That is exactly right Sonya, and what is the biggest question? He paused for hands and seeing none  he plunged on.

 

" Here is what we know about the story. It appears to have been written in the early Golden Age, and somewhere in the realm of Cander. "Why Cander exactly?" interjected  Meric. "Well" said the professor giving him a look that implied :wait to be called on. " The fact that the story takes place in a land called Moria is tip. This is not only one of the historical families of Cander, but also a large stretch of forest at the time of the story. The Flora and Fauna described in the story are geographical specific to Northern Cander as well."

 

"So if we know where and when it was written then we can begin to gleam some historical reference as to what it is about." Meric raised his hand, and after the professor saw he was willing to wait he rewarded him by calling on him. Meric? " Yes Professor, I was wondering is it not true that the allegory of power would apply to this era as well, and would not have to be event specific?

 

"Ah to the crux of it . This is where Sonya's point comes in.  The Tondin documents actually read much more historical than the vague  accounts we have had before. Specifically with a new ending. The actual process of wizard contracts is described with perfect detail. Furthermore the Kal Vorgis character actually subverts Contractual magic all together.” Everyone pauses at that and the regulator looks up from his paper and the professor catches the glance.  The Professor continues before there is a chance for the regulator to interrupt. : " So the end of the story has Kal Vorgis running to the woods of Moria with the Wizard Sinter and his guard close behind. Kal has stolen the Crown of his deceased  master that was promised to him, and a third faction represented by the Wizard Countil  has even lent Kal his personal horse to help in the escape. So lets look at the early golden age. There is only really one event that matches all this, and it matches so well that at least seems probable that we could connect them.

 

Meric interrupts but this time with the answer to the question. "The death of  Sir William Guast". "Very Good Meric" Said professor Ourin " Care to explain to the rest of the class what you have discovered." "Well first of all said Meric it seems we both could be right. The subversion of Wizard contracts would only deepen the allegory of how we use power, but it could very well be event specific as well. that would explain the iconography of the magical items. Yes said the professor you have gotten it.

 

The professor takes over and says there are 2 Magic items in the story of Kal Vorgis what are they? Yes, sonya"  He points seeing her hand go up. "The staff, and the crown" Sonya said. Yes said the professor, they seem to represent two approaches to power as Meric says. They also seem to represent two historical characters of the early Golden age and their approaches to magic. The professor seeing hands goes up ignores them, and carries on. The regulator is not going to like this next bit so he had at least better not let students be the ones saying it.

 

If Guast is the dead master that only leaves us with Cordir as the eventually wielder of the staff and  Terrinovious as the holder of the crown that Cal turns to a gauntlet. The symbolism is clear Kal subverts the contract, and as result cannot rightfully claim his masters legacy in the crown  but he has power now of a different kind, and he uses that power to teach Sinter that the only rightful king or leader is the one who is crowned. Not one that takes power for himself. So he shifts it into a Gauntlet revealing the true nature of the wizards desires. To Countil he takes a dying branch from the tree and gives him the staff. This is to show the importance of using what is already near and of being versatile. The transformation of the lord to a smiling elderly only cements this importance

 

He knows now he has got their attention so he speaks up one last time since this might be his last opportunity. "One more thing" the regulator and the class look up. It might seem like Wizard Sinter is the villain in this piece but not quite. You will notice that Kal does not become  a smiling monk. He becomes a demon. He becomes one with reality. He must be seen therefore as a separate faction, and that while he favors Countil, he does not adopt his method. Just some food though  Class dismissed.

 

Meric stood at the front of the class and watched the professor be escorted out by the regulator. He felt bad about his role in what had just occurred because he was sure that it was going to cost him his job. You do not insult Terriovious in  a school named for the man.

 

It was now a week later, and although he had been so charged at the time Meric  now found he could find no flaw in the story of professor Ourin. He had to know more, and in that spirit found himself climbing in the second story window of Professor Ourin's house. Ourin had not been seen since that day, but Meric thought if there was any clue about either his whereabouts or his research it would be here. He searched in vain though every room. The professor did not have much in the way of worldly possessions. Of course it was possible that the school had something to do with that. He was about to leave when he saw that the rug he was standing on had a picture of a man wearing a golden crown and Holding a staff of plain wood. he was standing in a background half dark and half light. the dark side had a mountain of light, and the light side had a dark tree sitting in the middle of it. Man centered between the two items. "Could it be"  Meric said to himself in a whisper. He was not sure why he did what he did next but he started focusing on the picture and found the picture shifting as he moved the staff over by the tree, and the crown up the mountain top. The picture changed, and started forming pictures as words appeared in his head.

 

a thrown will be relinquished

a crown returned to grace

a light will blind

a darkness shall return all time and space

a king up on mountain

a sage beneath a tree

must meet the man who gave up everything to set us free.

and just as it had begun it stopped The only difference is  that where the mountain and tree stood where now two men he did not recognize. One was a smiling old man, and other had a backpack, and what Meric thought was a rather smug look on his face. he now wore a crown while the old man held the stick and the man in the middle looked like, well, lots of people. It was hard to focus on the man in the middle. He turned and found professor Ourin sitting in the chair behind him. " Ready to go" Ourin said casually. " That is what a professor of magical history would ask for in his contract isn’t”  Ourin laughed. “ How does it work?” Meric ask. You're about to find out” Ourin said as he approached the boy. they both looked down and saw that it was now a scene right from Kal Vorgis. Kal had just reached the edge of the woods, and sent his horse off alone to distract his pursuers. “ You’ve been cheating” said Meric with a grin. “Perhaps” said Ourin as he reached out and touched the image on the rug and disappeared. Meric stood startled for a second,and then laughed as he followed suit. The room stood completely empty save a rug with a light blue checker pattern, and a still swiveling chair.