Darkness falls early around the mountains during October, but the Spinebacks are still filled with a glow from vegetation, creatures and the mountains themselves.
The sound is rich at all times. Sighing Sage leaves murmur in the wind, snow runner’s antlers whistle as they run, and deep within the mountain, spirits whisper of unspeakable deeds that go far back in time.
When the Spinebacks suddenly become dark and quiet, there can only be one reason. One of the Glyphics sees magic that must be stopped, and has conjured their powers to protect the Erudian people.
Watch what kind of magic you use. The Glyphics are watching, silently judging your intentions. Will you be the next magical being silenced?
The Glyphic family was on Tumbgala when the bacteria came. They were there as soldiers, entrusted by innocent people to protect them from the Kilgerat.
When Rexor Glyphic, a man who had been a soldier for over 40 years, was hit by the bacteria he immediately collapsed. In his unit, men smoked Chumblebus to ease pain and to help them forget the faces of the dead. Unfortunately, overuse of Chumblebus kills the lungs over time. Rexor had smoked for years. When the bacteria hit him he could not breathe.
Fortunately, when people arrived to bury the dead, Cassiun Mortuna took him to get medical help. When he awoke several days later, abjuration magic flowed through his body, and the Glyphic family became one of the 13 ancestral families of magic.
Abjuration magic has been passed down the family lineage for years. The family has become secretive and does not associate with the families of the other keys. No one knows where their homes are, they just seem to appear when needed.
The Glyphics spend much of their time understanding how other powers work. Then they learn to suppress them.
Magical beings of all forms respect their abilities and are grateful for their help. But even masters shake when they hear that the Glyphics are coming for them
Rexor Glyphic used his newfound powers with humility. He studied them and tried to understand why the bacteria changed some people’s minds while others were killed. He wanted to know how his powers worked and how each form of magic affected the other. As he studied more and more, he found he could suppress other beings powers.
Rexor began to experiment on suppressing the powers of the 13th key. He recorded his findings in old journals. Then one day in the middle of the summer, after thirty-seven years, he just stopped recording his experiments. Why is still a mystery.
The records were passed down in the Glyphic family for years. Through the years many of the pages were lost. They may have been lost by accident, but many in the family believed they were destroyed,
The Glyphic family still studies abjuration, mixing magic with science. Among the magical community there is a legend which says Rexor gave the family a warning after he stopped writing his journals. This warning has been passed down in the family for generations, but the words and meaning are secret.
Very few magical beings know what happened to Rexor, and why the Glyphic family continues to watch the thirteenth key members, and studies magic as if their lives depended upon it.
The use of power which allows the suppression of another being’s magic, especially those from the other 12 keys. Sometimes an abjuration master can destroy another’s power while suppressing it, but it is rare.
A study of magical powers, how they operate and how to operate them.
The ability to combine abjuration with other keys to achieve something.
When dealing with magical beings, particularly masters of the 13 keys, the Abjuration master can face many dangers.
Their suppression magic can rebound on them.
The need to use so much of their power that they literally die of exhaustion.
Abjuration masters are more likely than other key masters to misuse their magic. Often these individuals begin practicing the 13th key.
If they are studying or fighting a very powerful magicians, sometimes their personalities, beliefs, and habits become entwined with the other person. The abjuration master can lose himself.
When the Spirit Veil’s boundaries become weak, the Glyphics gather to watch. They will defend their people from any magic and from any key.
This year, the magic in the spirit veil is unusually high and the Glyphics are concerned. They have called everyone from their lineage to return to Erudus. They know that something in the veil is watching, some spirits are quietly chatting, and a lone voice from behind the gate, is laughing. And the laugh will not stop.
Next week - Meet Chaos Magic.
