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he World of Warhammer is, literally, a magical place. All existence is infused with magical power, and potential energy lies untapped in every rock, every drop of water, every living creature, and even in the seemingly empty air. Our World was created by magic, if relevant theories are true, is maintained by magic, and is ultimately doomed to be destroyed by magic, at some unknown point in the future. For now, however, it is the stuff of creation and birth, and of life itself, which suffuses every last atom of matter, and is present in every manifestation of natural energy throughout the World.
Magic plays a prominent role with the peoples of the Warhammer World, permeating their everyday lives just as much as their lands. Every town is home to temples, churches and chapels, venerating deities and housing priests and clerics who call upon the divine magical power of their Gods, to heal injury, ward against evil, and defend the lives of their faithful. Wizards are employed as astute advisors in royal courts, to stand by, and often behind, the throne of the land, turning their skills to the service of those lords to whom they owe allegiance. In deep forests, druids, rangers, and elves call on Nature's magic to protect their homes. Ghosts and spirits, kept in un-life by dark energies, haunt graveyards and lurk in shadowed corners. Horrific abominations, demons created by black magics, seethe and hunger in the Utterdark, awaiting the chance to feed on the World. Even the most unimaginative brute, in the most rural region, learns quickly to respect the power of the magic arts.
Explaining Magic
Opinions differ greatly as to how magic can truly be defined, and there are many conflicting accounts scribed in countless tomes attempting to explain it. Some of this contradiction is deliberate falsehood designed to limit the master of magic to those properly trained to comprehend it. Much of the rest arises from idiosyncratic or bizarre views, or even outright mistakes often unwittingly reproduced through generations of scholars. What follows is the explanation I was honoured to receive, from the elven mage Que'Yla, brother of Quenellas the White, on his visit to Cypria.
As best it is understood by those who dabble in such matters, all known worlds and planes flow with ever-present energies, which surge and dissipate, and give him life and light and movement to everything. If all living and un-living things in the Warhammer World were stripped away, these energies would still remain. These energies can be called upon, by those who know the way, to create effects, which can defy the usual laws which govern life as it is known to us. For instance, the science of physics demands that a body, without support, from a height will succumb to the force of what we call gravity and fall, but with the help of these energies, it can resist gravity's pull and be suspended in mid-air.
The manipulation of these energies, which even have the power to break the bonds of life and death, is what folk refer to as 'magic'. Just exactly how magic is controlled varies, as does for what reason it is used. For example, sorcerers are instinctively able to do this through an innate gift with which they were born, while wizards must study long and hard, to competently use magic. Mages (any user of magic, in any form, is known as a 'mage') construct processes, using including spoken words, hand gestures, drawing symbols on the ground, and the like, of energy manipulation to produce a desired effect. These processes - known as magic spells - are recorded, either in parchment or in memory, and re-used when necessary. Spells are often prepared before they are cast, executed in their entirety save for a final trigger; this may be a single word, a verse, or a mere wave of the hand. This is often the case with mages at a battle; they prepare their spells of fireballs and lightning before the charge is sounded, so that they can unleash magic upon their foes as quickly as possible. Magic spells are also a considerable drain on the caster's mental and physical resources, and so all but the most powerful of mages must thoroughly recuperate between the castings of complicated processes.
The Winds Of Magic
Though raw magic exists in plentiful supply throughout the Warhammer World, it cannot be directly shaped or manipulated. Those who competently wield magic, do so by using the Winds of Magic, without which the World's natural energies would be mere potential. The Winds are the only kind of interface the will of a magic-user has with the energies which he or she will use. There are eight different Magic Winds in total, which constantly wash over the World. Those trained properly can see the Winds in a form of light energy, which is said to have a smoky texture like that of a brazier's vapour.
Mages see the World through two sets of eyes; one is their biological optics, while the other is their magical view. Ordinarily, a mage sees the world just as any other mortal, but through 'second sight', the material world appears to be dull, mundane and motionless, with trees, stones and rivers rolled into a single grey blur. The only splash of colour and movement is that of the Winds of Magic, rolling and tumbling infinitely. Theirs is a chaotic dance, with the tendrils of energy racing first one way, and then the next. The Winds pour and flow in any number of directions, and with any number of velocities, from treacle-slow to lightning-quick. Though appearing to be utterly random, wizards claim that the Winds move in order and regularity, with even the slightest shift being intentional and obedient to a universal law, which even the wisest of sages cannot begin to understand.
This second sight of mages is used to draw upon the Winds of Magic, to glean their magical power from there where it can be strongest, and so as to use it to its fullest extent. Without this ability to identify and interact with the Winds, raw magic is locked away and useless; even the most powerful of sorcerers cannot summon the energies required to light a candle, tiny as these are, in a dead magic zone - a place where the Winds of Magic are particularly weak, or do not blow not at all. However, in an area where the Winds are strong, a spellcaster can shape lightning and fire from his or her bare hands, transport themselves several hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye, even reverse death itself. All spells and spellcasters, magic items, and even supernatural abilities depend on the Winds, and call upon them in different ways. The Winds are the conduit spellcasters use to power magical energy for their spells, and is the fabric of esoteric rules and formulas which comprise spell-casting.
The exact nature of the Winds of Magic is elusive, for their manifestation of ordered anarchy is, in itself, a paradoxical notion to scholars. Chaos, the source of all magic, is by definition incomprehensible, and therefore only the Gods (and perhaps not even they) know the exact pattern which the Winds follow. It appears that wherever possible, each set of energies seeks to beat away the rest, and occupy portions of time and space selfishly. This explains how a mage can counter-act, or 'dispel', a rival's magic by merely directing different energies toward it. The Winds struggle against each other to gain supremacy, and the spell is ended, its effect lost. The threads of the Winds of Magic intertwined, knitted, warped, twisted and folded so as to make the spell possible, but the appearance of opposing energies returned them to their natural state. When a mage protects himself against hostile magic, he shapes the Winds to flow around, rather than through, his person, so that no energies can directly harm him.
Many wizards teach that the Warhammer World was created when the eight Magic Winds conjoined in equal strength. There where previously Chaos had reigned, matter formed from energy, fuelled by the magic. The united Winds, thus, have the power to create entire Worlds, for ours is certainly not the only world born of magic. It is ironic, then, that we are destined to be destroyed by our very creator; prophecies whisper of the Death of the World (the Rhana-Dhandra in elvish), where the Winds will again join, and Order will give way to Chaos once more, and the demons of the Utterdark will break free of their inter-dimensional prison, and will be unleashed upon the World, and they will rend it apart.
Such however, is questionable, and speculative. Returning to matters which are more certain, we can at least, divulge the following of the Winds. There are eight of them, each distinguished by its own colour, seen only through the second sight of mages. These have been named, and are as follows: Aqshy is the red Wind of Fire, Chamon is the gold Wind of Change, Ghur is the amber Wild Wind, Hysh is the yellow Serpent Wind, Azyr is the blue Celestial Wind, Ulgu is the grey Wind of Change, Ghyran is the jade Wind of Life, and Shyish is the purple Wind of Death. The channelling, control, and use of each of these Winds consists a single Lore of Magic, as taught by the Imperial Colleges of Magic, which will be described later.
It is from these from these Winds, which the mages of the Warhammer World distil their spells, and which shape the traditions of the College magic arts, practiced to this day for good or for ill. Not only, though, are the College Lores put to use, for there are a myriad other disciplines and magics: dwarf runic magic, elvish high magic, druidic magic, Slann magic, orcish magic, Eastern magic, earth magic, elemental magic, skaven magic, white magic, black magic - to name but a few.
There are countless shades and hues in green's spectrum, of which lime, olive and emerald are but three representatives. In much the same way, Ghyran, just as each of the other Winds, offers a similar number of disciplines which can be mastered using its energies to particular degrees, or by joining it with other Winds - combined energies from Ghyran, Ulgu and Ghur, for example, make up much of the druidic magic lore used by wood elf, gnome and orc mages. The Winds of Magic can mix just as readily as oil colours on a canvas, but only if manipulated properly, otherwise these will merely seek to oppose each other as noted earlier. This is another reason perhaps, why men prefer to learn a single lore, rather than many, for the average human mage's mind, according to the elves, is incapable of containing more than one type of magic at a time. There have been several great human sorcerers in History, whoever, who prove wrong this claim.
But even these innummerable 'sub-lores' of each Wind are merely different processes and paths towards the mastery of the same natural energies; eight are the Winds of Magic, only eight can be controlled.
Spellcasters
There are a multitude of mages in the Warhammer World, and who each call on the Winds of Magic in different ways, by different means, for different purposes. Human wizards, elven sorcerers, orc shamans, skaven seers, dwarf runecasters, halflings, gnomes, slann, warlocks, witches and priests. Generally, though, these may be divided into four classes: Wizards, Sorcerers, Clerics (or Warrior-Priests), and Druids.
Wizards
The first main class of spellcaster, and by far the most common, is the wizard. A mere few words of power, and a gesture - vague to the untrained eye, but precise to the wizard - carry more power than a battle-axe swung by an ogre. A snapping of fingers, and a candle lights. A momentary mumble, and a book floats slowly down from the shelf. A blink of an eye, and a bunch of flowers is plucked out of nowhere and presented to a would-be lover. Seemingly simple acts such as these make magic appear to be easy, but they can only hint at the time a wizard must spend poring over spellbooks, scrolls and parchments, preparing each and every spell for casting, and the years spent before as an apprentice, before the wizard was allowed to even touch a tome of magic. Wizards depend on extensive study and experiment to use magic. They examine musty old volumes, debate magical theory with their peers, and practice minor magics whenever they can, honing to perfection even the simplest of spells before proceeding to more advanced skills.
Wizards may study in guilds, academies, and schools, such as the Colleges of Magic, and those who have done so tend to be arrogant and lofty, often looking down on mages who have learned magic in anything but a similarly formal way.
However, while 'wizard' may be the official term for those who receive official schooling, there are many, many others in the World, who have not learned wield magic from a gowned tutor; for some wizards, their teacher was a rustic hermit, a wise old elf, or simply books of study by themselves. All wizards use magic, but not all who use magic are wizards - rangers, for example, often employ simple healing magic, but this use is often sneered at by arrogant students of the Colleges. The fact cannot be denied, that a wizard is a wizard, no matter how they were taught, and this many have grown to respect, one way or another.
Sorcerers
In contrast to wizards, sorcerers create magic the way a poet creates poems, with inborn talent honed by practice. A sorcerer is born with the second sight, and has no books, no mentors, no theories, merely raw power which they learn instinctively to direct. Sorcerers claim that the blood of dragons runs through their veins, and it is this which allows them such a natural mastery of magic. It may even be true, for it is common knowledge that particularly powerful dragons have taken humanoid form, and have had humanoid lovers, and it is surely difficult to prove that a given sorcerer does not have a dragon ancestor. More likely, though, is that this is the unsubstantiated boast on the part of certain sorcerers, or envious gossip on the part of those who lack the gift of second sight.
As they grow older, and more experienced, sorcerers test their limits rigorously, and only by doing this can they become more powerful. Their power is inborn, and part of their soul. Developing such a power is a quest in itself for many sorcerers, regardless of how they actually intend to use their gift. In bygone days, sorcerers were cast aside from the rest and killed or driven out from society; they had been marked as different, and dangerous. Because of this, many sorcerers in history have taken a terrible revenge on the communities which shunned them, while others took to wandering as outcasts, when they could have used their powers to the benefit of their neighbours.
Sorcerers cast spells through innate power, rather than through carefully trained skill. Their magic is intuitive, rather than logical. For this reason, they know fewer spells than wizards, and acquire powerful spells much more slowly than wizards do (having to discover these for themselves, rather than learn them from a book), but can cast magic more often and need not to prepare them ahead of time. Sorcerers do not specialise in a particular Lore of magic as wizards do. They develop rudimentary powers at puberty, just as their body turns from that of a boy's, to that of a man's. Their first spells are incomplete, spontaneous, uncontrolled, and sometimes dangerous. When the young sorcerer understands the power that he has been wielding unintentionally, he can practice to improve his magics. Sorcerers are doubtlessly the most powerful of spellcasters, for theirs is an inborn skill, which will grow in power well beyond the limits of a wizard restricted by how many spells he can memorise.
Clerics
Clerics' magics are bestowed upon them by the Gods they worship. Just as with people, Gods run the gamut from benevolent to malicious; so too do the holy (or unholy) abilities of a cleric. Clerics therefore, can have the power to heal, protect and avenge, although equally possible is the power to pillage, destroy and sabotage. Clerics are masters of divine energy, which is especially good at healing and curing ills, and which can bring back the wounded from the brink of death; experienced clerics can also return to life those people who have crossed over that brink. Clerics are not necromancers, whose mastering of the magic lore of life and death comes through study and practice, rather than faith and worship of their deities. However, an evil cleric can turn this power to murderous uses, or with it to bring undead under their control, just as a necromancer would. Clerical magic, known also as priest magic, is fuelled equally by all eight Winds and their combinations, for the pantheon of the Universe contains equal measures of both good and evil.
Most clerics are also competent fighters, ready to defend their faith with cold steel as well as holy magic. The most famous (and dangerous) warrior-priests are the Templars of Sigmar, the Ordo Malleus. They are fanatical zealots, bringing brutal battlehammers and maces against any who tarnish their God's name, casting spells of strength, healing and courage on their fellows and their faithful.
Druids
The raging fury of a storm, the gentle strength of the morning sun, the cunning of the fox, the power of the bear - all these and more are at the druid's command. However, druids themselves claim no mastery over Nature; it is through a daily communion and an undying reverence for the earth on which they tread that druids glean their magic. This power is gained not by ruling over Nature, but being one with it. They cast spells of divine power much like clerics do, channelling the most natural of the World's energies: the natural power which is carried in every leaf of every tree, in every petal of every flower, in every tuft of fur of every animal. Druids then, through their strong affinity with Nature, use the energies of Ghyran, Ulgu and Ghur, and in some cases Azyr. Druidic magic is perhaps the purest of lores, and used to protect the forest and its people. While a simple spell of concealment can be cast so that a druid may melt away into the undergrowth, if the need arises, a torrent of offensive magic will put paid to those who might harm the Nature and its children.
There are many others too, who have knowledge of and use magic, though aren't professional mages. These include rangers, jesters, bards with their magical music, and also amateur spellcasters who casually learn magic for their own entertainment - some noble lords are a good example of this, who employ simple parlour tricks to amuse their families and friends, or impress their rivals. Technically, these may also be indirectly classed as one of the four: a wizard if they learned to cast magic from books or schooling; a sorcerer if they were born able to use magic; a cleric if their powers are bestowed upon them by their gods; a druid if their powers are a result of communing with natural life.
Magic And The Old World
In former times, the people of the Old World had little to do with magic, believing all sorcery to be inherently evil. Priests and wise men taught that magic was the stuff of Chaos, responsible for the existence of mutants, and the source of all the World's ills. So it was, that for many centuries, that wizards and witches were sought out and burned, and many innocents too were murdered in this way; at least as many as were genuine practitioners of the secret arts. In the countryside it was still possible to find local herbalists, fortune-tellers, and such primitive magicians who thrived on superstition and ignorance. Yet not even these folk were safe from the zealots of their society, and were driven from village to village, or finally tortured and executed by Imperial Witch Hunters.
Those educated men who studied the lore of magic, did so in great secrecy. These were likely to be rich and powerful men, who hoped to gain by the powers of darkness some advantage in business, politics and war. In every city, there grew up covens and cults, whose members practiced the debased rites of sorcery in hidden places, at the dead of night. Thus, the first contact men had with magic was the darker side of these energies, using them for their own selfish needs, rather than gleaning powers of healing and wisdom. The elves on the other hand, locked away in their woodland homes, were the first to approach the natural energies of the World for the good of their kin, and soon were mastering those arts, whose mere mention elsewhere sufficed to bring about the blades and mastiffs of the Templars.
This state of affairs was to change, in the time of the Great War Against Chaos. During that terrible war, the dark Gods rose in the North, and cast their minions upon the World, first engulfing the lands of Kislev. So great was this threat, that the free peoples of the Old World were united in the face of a common foe: men, elves, dwarfs, halflings, and even greenskins, joined forces for the first time in History. At this time, and at the request of the human general Magnus the Pious, the elven arch-mage Teclis travelled to the Old World, from Ulthuan. There, he and his companions fought with the armies of the World, lending their magical power to the cause. Theirs was an important contribution in the defeat of Chaos, and did much to win the trust of not only Magnus, but of many peoples of the Old World.
One of Teclis' deeds was to find such low sorcerers and hedge wizards as existed from amongst the armies of men and halflings - the dwarfs not wanting a single thing to do with the elves themselves, let alone the magic arts - and teach them a few rudimentary spells of fire, lightning bolts, and thunderous noises, and of healing and the curing of injuries, skills which they could employ against the legions of Chaos. Many Witch Hunters and Templars were aghast that men should embrace the secret arts, but the wise council of the elves won over the majority. The wizards played a vital part in scouring the Empire of the last remnants of the once might Chaos hordes, and were hailed as saviours.
The Colleges of Magic
Upon his ascension to the throne, Magnus asked Teclis to help him create an institution, whereby wizards might be properly trained in the use of magic. At first, the elves advised against this, claiming that their secrets of sorcery were not meant for mankind. Teclis, however, realised that the safety of the whole World rested with the men of the Warhammer World, for theirs were the greatest kingdoms, and the mightiest armies, and were as such, the only ones who could successfully repel a second Chaos incursion, should the need ever arise. The archmage agreed to Magnus' request, and the Colleges of Magic were established, in the city of Altdorf, capital of the Empire. Teclis taught the first College Masters, and laid down the laws by which they were to study, before returning to the elven lands of Ulthuan.
Teclis taught that how magic was just a prominent a part of the World as were, per say, stone and water, and while the embracing its darker energies brought about the attention of the Chaos Gods, could be controlled and purified by a trained practitioner, for the good of his people. Men learned how the raw power of magic blew into the World in the form of eight Winds, which represented unique types of energy. For each Wind, Teclis founded a seperate School of Magic, and taught its first Grand Masters. The elves judged the mind of man inadequate to contain the power of more than one Wind, even with the most careful study, and thus today there are eight Colleges, each of which forms the headquarters of one of the Orders of Magic by which wizards are trained. Each Order is different and distinct, yet all bear the same aspects of that great and potent source of magic that is ordered Chaos itself.
The Eight Orders
The Light Order
The wizards of the Light Order are sometimes known as the White Wizards, or Heirophants. Their especial study is knowledge, and for this reason theirs is also called the Order of the Wise. The Lore of Light lies under the province of the Wind of Hysh, and its symbols many, though most important is the Serpent. There are many other arcane symbols to be seen in the mystical pictures and statuettes in the College of Light, of which the Serpent itself, the Tree of Learning, the Tower of Isolation, the Candle, and the Pillar of Wisdom are the most common. The colour of the robes of the Order is white, and a serpentine staff is often carried by high-ranking wizards as a mark of office.
The magical energies of Hysh are the most effusive of all kinds of magic, and quickly penetrate solid matter, soaking away into the very rocks which lie beneath the ground. For this reason, the spells which bind the Wind of Hysh are elaborate and ritualistic, and Light magic is reckoned the most difficult of all to master. Because of this, there are many acolytes and lowly wizards present at castings of powerful Light spells, who keep up the chorus of incantations necessary to channel Light energy. When not aiding their superiors in such rituals, they maintain the spells of purity which are sung constantly in the College halls, each day of each year. They must also ensure that the thousands of candles and lamps are kept ever alight, that the incense burners are full of their pungent offerings, and that the proper chimes and bells are all struck at the appointed hours.
Light magic has many potent applications, and is most renowned for its powers of healing and protection. Yet the Order has also a mastery of light and brightness to a fearsome degree, and Light wizards cast spells of blinding white-hot energy which can burn and consume. The wizards of the Light Order are feared and admired, and reckoned the wisest of men; rulers often seek their counsel from distant lands. Often with an entourage of acolytes and apprentices, Light wizards travel widely, and always receive a respectful welcome wherever they go.
Lying at a mystic conjunction within the bounds of Altdorf, the principle building of the Light College goes largely unrecognised by those around it. Thanks to its clever positioning on lines of arcane convergence, an ordinary mortal will never chance upon it. It exists in a secret space within a space, a plot of land which is parallel to, but seperate from, the mundane material world.
To those who do discover its whereabouts, usually only possible by being shown the way by a Light wizard, the building presents an aspect unlike any in Altdorf, or indeed, the Old World. The College forms a gigantic pyramid, whose shape retains and concentrates the power of the Wind of Hysh. Within its walls, hundreds of minor wizards maintain the ritual incantations which echo eternally, so that the entire building may hum and drone with radiant arcane power. Because of the high levels of Hysh energy, the stone walls appear to be translucent, and the thousands of lights which burn within set the whole pyramid aglow. It is an awesome sight, one which few of Altdorf's populace imagine lying within their city, and one which even fewer still ever glimpse.
In depths of the College, beneath the pyramid, and protected by many twisting tunnels, traps and magical fields, lies the greatest treasure vault in the Old World. This was created by the elves as a repository and prison, for many of the arcane objects and creatures captured during the Great War. The Guardians of the Light Order, a society to which only the most powerful and wise of the Light wizards belong, keep these evils from the World. Long may they continue to do so.
The Gold Order
The wizards of the Gold Order study the lore of Metal, sometimes called Alchemy, which is a manipulation of the Wind of Chamon. The symbol of this lore is the soaring eagle, the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is yellow. The lore of Metal is the art of alchemical change, and, due to the nature of their studies, Gold wizards often bear traces of their experiments. Their robes are often stained and sooty, their beards and hair are sometimes singed, and some are marked with the result of vivid chemical spills; acid burns or a complete lack of eyebrows.
Energies of Chamon are very dense, and attracted to metal in the same way as metal itself is attracted to a magnet; only that Chamon is attracted particularly to the heavier elements, especially to gold. It is said that this alone accounts for the almost sorcerous effect which gold exerts on even the most intelligent of races, inspiring greed, violence, and sometimes outright war (dwarfs being a case in point). The wizards of the Gold Order are the most accomplished alchemists of all men of the Old World. They practice the transmutation of metals, as well as spells of forging and runic inscription. Gold wizards also have the power to corrode and weaken metal, as well as strengthen alloys with enchantments. They are also the most capable creators of magical weapons in the Old World, save for the dwarfs, with whom they get on quite well.
The buildings of the Gold Order are neither rich nor ostentatious, but are more along the lines of a great forge, with many furnaces and tall chimneys which belch multi-coloured smoke into the air. It is much to the relief of the citizens of Altdorf, that this College lies not near the city centre, but upon its perimeter, by the river Reik, whose waters cool the forges, and occasionally run with fantastical colours following some elaborate experiment. Unlike many of the other Colleges, that of the Golden Order is not hidden from view, but few go near it owing to the evil smells and thick vapours which surround it, to which the Gold wizards themselves appear to be impervious.
The Jade Order
The wizards of the Jade Order study the Lore of Life, fuelled by the Wind of Ghyran. Their symbol is the the Coil of Life, and the colour of the robes worn by their wizards is green. In addition to the Coil, which may be recognised as a spiral, these wizards also show such symbols as the triskele and the oak leaf, and they often go about barefoot so that they can feel Ghyran's energies as they tread. Each wizard carries a sickle, small or large, which is the badge of attainment amongst his brother-spellcasters.
The magical energies of Ghyran precipitate like rain upon the earth, forming pools and eddies which only those attuned to the sight of magic can see. These magical pools flow into natural waterways, and for this reason, the power of Ghyran is highly concentrated in rivers, lakes, and springs, and thence with vegetation and living things. When the Winds of Magic blow most strongly, it is said that the very streets become awash with the power of Ghyran flowing as a stream would, yet of this common man neither sees nor feels.
Jade wizards are the most sensitive to Nature, and the least likely to be found within the confines of cities. They love Nature and living things, for their studies teach them of natural harmony and balance. Because they are so closely tied to the power of Nature, their own magical strengths tend to wax and wane as the seasons do, being vigorous in Spring, most powerful in Summer, lightening over Autumn, to become weakest in Winter.
Though they are often mistaken for druids, Jade wizards concentrate on using solely the energies of Ghyran, while much druidic magic combines Ghyran with the Winds of Ulgu, Ghur and Azyr to create its own discipline. The effects of both Jade and druidic spells are similar, however: thorns and briars spring out of the earth, rain falls from a cloudless sky, winds bowl over solid rock. Jade magic is much purer and stronger than druidic, though, since it is comprised of only a single set of energies, not nearly as versatile.
The Jade College is the centre of its Order, but few wizards abide there, and even those who would learn the Lore of Life are likely to do so under the stars. Throughout the forests of the Empire there are hidden brother and sister-hoods where Jade wizards learn to master the energies of Ghyran with each other's help. A brotherhood of Jade wizards is much like a druidic sect, though their intention is the mastery of their art rather than the immediate protection of Nature.
The Grey Order
The wizards of the Grey Order study the Lore of Shadow, the Fifth Lore of Magic, which is also called the Wind of Ulgu. The symbol of the Lore of Shadow is the Sword, and the colour of the robes worn by Grey wizards is grey. True to their order's symbol, they usually carry swords, often concealed beneath their garbs, and are competent fighters. Of all the Orders, they are the most secretive, and the least easily recognised, and are not widely trusted or liked by common folk, who believe them to be sinister and scheming. For this reason, they are sometimes called Trickster wizards in scorn, though they actually call themselves Grey Guardians.
Ulgu boils across the ground like a shifting mist, visible to those sensitive to its magical field, evoking only a sense of mistrust and concealment to ordinary folk. It is most affected by the mortal winds, which blow across the earth, and it rears into mighty clouds beneath the influence of storms or gales, which is thus when Grey magics are at their strongest. Yet it is also equally potent in the still, dank, and threatening fogs which bring a chill to the air, and bathe everything in shadow.
Grey wizards are wanderers by nature, whose journeys, often undertaken under the cover of darkness, always seem to imply some evil purpose or ulterior motive. But they do not talk easily of their deeds, or much of other matters, for they are aware of the suspicion with which they are viewed by their fellow men, and prefer to remain inconspicuous and discreet. Their powers, though considerable, do not lend themselves well to the favour of common folk, being bound instead in spells of concealment, illusion, confusion, and occasionally, unseen death.
The Grey College itself is a worn and shabby stone building, ill-positioned in the back alleys of Altdorf's poorest and most disreputable district, scattered generously with dubious bordellos and violent taverns. Even the town watch prefers to keep away, and no honest citizen would ordinarily risk entering such a den of rogues and cut-throats. The College is not a large building, neither it is dissimilar to those which neighbour it. Its students come and go by any number of secret entrances situated in surrounding streets, and it is suggested that a network of tunnels extend beneath the building, and throughout the city. What takes place within its crumbling halls is anybody's guess.
The Celestial Order
The wizards of the Celestial Order study the Lore of the Heavens, or Astromancy, which consists the Fourth Lore of magic, bound by the Wind of Azyr. Their symbol is the comet, and their colour is blue, like the colour of the sky during day. As well as the comet, they also employ such heavenly sigils as stars, and crescent moons, by which they might be recognised and respected by even the most ignorant of folk.
The magical energies of Azyr are light and insubstantial, and quickly dissipate into the upper portions of the heavens, where they forma backdrop of drifting blue cloud. The layer is visible clearly to wizards and creatures with magical insight, but, like all the Winds of Magic, unseen by the ordinary folk. As the Winds of Magic blow from immaterial, timeless realms, it is possible for a Celestial wizard to predict important events, by the manner in which celestial bodies are distorted by the drifting cloud layer.
Celestial wizards spend much energy gazing into the night skies, and plotting the movements of astral bodies on transchronological charts, the complexity of which is baffling to the uninitiated. To this end they are master mathematicians, expert in the use and manufacture of precise instruments of calculation such as astrolabes and telescopes. By such means they can foretell of danger and disaster, and so the advice of the Celestial Order is valued above that of all others in times of war or hardship, and even the High Elves have been known to respect their opinion. Additionally, Celestial wizards have some ability to shift the fate of men, by changing the course of Azyr's cloud. They can also command lightning, thunderbolts, and even comets and meteors; Celestial magic is particularly potent offensively. Greatly respected, therefore, as battle-wizards, they are also sought out as fortune-tellers and augers.
The buildings of the Celestial College lie closely to the centre of Altdorf, guarded from curious passers-by with many cunning spells of concealment. As a result, few know that they pass the College's doors each day, and few maps show the true extent of the building, whilst many do not show it all. It may came as a surprise, therefore, to discover that the towers of the Celestial College are the tallest of all the buildings in Altdorf, overlooking the Temples of Sigmar, and rising far above the Palace of the Prince. There are sixteen of these elegant spires, four times four; for four is the number of Azyr. Each tower is topped by a glass dome, from which the Celestial wizards observe and study the night sky.
The Amethyst Order
The wizards of the Amethyst Order study the Lore of Death, known also as Spirit Lore, but commonly called Necromancy. This lore is governed by Shyish, Wind of Death. The symbol of Shyish is the scythe, and the colour of the robes worn by Amethyst wizards is purple, although many adopt garbs of jet-black. Wizards of this Order often carry a scythe instead of a staff, and in this way they may be easily recognised. As well as this symbol, they also favour designs of skulls, bones, the hourglass, and the thorned rose, by which images people of the Old World recognise the sigil of the grave.
Of all the Winds of Magic, the energies of Shyish are the most difficult to see. They blow through past, present and future, weaving through the stream of Time, following the undetectable currents of fate. Many say that the Wind of Shyish blows strongly where death lies most heavily, that its energies are drawn to the absence of life, and that doom follows in its wake. It blows over battlefields and mortuaries, it clings around charnel pits and graveyards, and falls over the gibbet like a shadow.
Wizards of the Amethyst Order are shunned by the folk of Altdorf, and there is reason to see why. Yet even so, there are many who secretly crave contact with departed loved ones, and with those dead whose secrets they wish to learn. The wizards of Amethyst can contact the spirit world, and the dead can speak through them, for they have mastery over spirits both benign and otherwise. It is said that Amethyst wizards can also cause the dead to rise from their tombs, and have the power to bend these to their will, maintaining them in un-life. It is falsely believed that all necromancers are evil, although all those who have risen the dead and set them against their fellow men were certainly villainous.
As the wizards of the Amethyst Order have power over the dead, they also have the power to deal death. It is said that an Amethyst wizard can steal the soul of his enemy, or suck away his life, leaving nought but a husk. They can cast a wind of death which dries and destroys flesh, or envelop their foes in a shroud of despair. Such tricks are nothing compared to the nightmarish spells practiced by vampires and evil necromancers, but are of a similar nature, and the Amethyst wizards will be forever tainted, by their association with the powers of darkness.
The College of the Amethyst Order is dark and sepulchral, shuttered against the light, and dimly illuminated even at the dead of night. Its crooked towers are the abodes of bats, and its cellars crawl with vermin. The building overlooks the fabled haunted cemetery of Old Altdorf, where thousands were hastily interred after the Red Plague. Within its silent halls, the dust lies thick where it is dragged by the Winds of Shyish from all the ages, bringing with it the stench of eternal decay. Though the citizens of Altdorf are fully aware of the College, none dare trouble its students.
The Bright Order
The Wizards of the Bright Order study the Lore of Fire, also called Pyromancy. Its domain is Aqshy, the Seventh Wind of Magic. The symbol of the Seventh Wind is the Key of Secrets, and the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is red or orange. The Key of Secrets represents the unlocking of hidden knowledge, and wizards of the College may carry keys as a sign of their authority. The Masters of the College have, as part of their ceremonial regalia, a bunch of seven keys, each made from different metals. Other symbols of Pyromancy include the flame, and the burning torch. Bright wizards are often ruddy of skin, and some have hair that is red and wild, betraying their hot-tempered nature. Wizards particularly skilled in the pyromantic arts wear red tattoos, on their arms and faces. These are said to writhe and change form as their bearer casts the magic of Aqshy.
The magical energies of Aqshy are like a hot, dry wind; they gutter like flames in the breeze, and run wild over hot sands and sun-baked fields. They are powerful where there is fire, and are whipped into a veritable frenzy as they swirl over the volcanoes of the World's Edge Mountains. All flame becomes a vortex for Bright magic, and the rites of the Order are the rites of fire. By means of their powers, Bright wizards command flames both natural and magical, and theirs is one of the most spectacular and impressive of all sorceries.
Bright wizards are held above all others, as far as matters of battle are concerned. Their magic is offensive and destructive by nature, and their spells range from simple but effective fiery blasts and flame-balls, to the summoning of massive columns of pyre which engulf entire regiments. A Bright wizard wields flame as warriors wield swords, and a curtain of fire protects him from harm and dazzles his enemies. Few folk would seek the assistance of a Bright wizard, for the pyromantic art is not well suited to subtle tasks, and wherever it is employed, ruin and devastation is soon to follow, whether intentional or not.
The College of the Bright wizards lies behind a barrier of magic, which makes it invisible to Altdorf's townsfolk. It sometimes said to appear in the heat of summer, as a shimmering haze or mirage, glittering above the city. Ordinarily, its buildings appear as dark and blackened ruins, surrounded by a fire-blackened plaza. It is commonly supposed that a warren of streets stood there, before fire consumed part of the city, and leaving only the College intact, an island in a sea of smoking rubble. After this, the Bright wizards cast their spells of concealment, but even so none of the Altdorfians have deemed it wise, to build too closely to the headquarters of the Bright Order. Were those spells to be removed, it would be possible to see awesome, flame-topped towers which rise from the College, not as tall as those of the Celestial college but infinitely more glorious. Behind its barrier of sorcery, the College is always dark, with not even starlight able to illuminate its towers, while an eerie red glow hangs over the buildings.
The Amber Order
Last but not least of the Lores, is that of Beasts. It is into this lore which the Amber wizards delve, drawing power from the Wind of Ghur. Its symbol is the Arrow, and the colour of the wizards' robes is generally brown earth tones. The members of this, the wildest of Orders, can be easily recognised by their savage appearance. As well as the Arrow, which is the sign of the hunter and woodsman, they wear talismans of fang, claw and feather, and carry charms of herbs in small leather pouches. Their clothes are often those of the ranger, rather than the traditional garbs of other wizards, and they are grizzled and weather-worn, and often include longbows. They are called shamans by some, and Brown wizards by others.
The magical energies of Ghur are those of beasts, and wild places. It is a sharp wind, said to be merciless and inhuman, which cares little for the ways of civilisation and order, and resides most strongly in the minds of wild animals, and to learn the ways of the Amber Order is to open one's mind to the raw, and savage, power of the wild.
It is small wonder, then, that Amber wizards are often solitary individuals, preferring the company of wild beasts to that of their fellow men. They avoid human and dwarf settlements, unless they have some pressing need which draws them from the mountains and forests, though they enjoy the company of elves and gnomes, both of whom have an affinity with the natural world. With wild, unkempt hair, they often appear more beast than man, and it is commonly believed that Amber wizards can shape-shift, travelling on the paws or wings of wild creatures and birds. This has been proven to be the, since ancient Amber lore includes spells of such transformations.
The power of an Amber wizard is that of control over beasts, and inspiring bestial terror in men. Amber wizards have mastery over the feral heart, which lies under the cultivation and learning which masks every human soul, and hides its basic, animal nature. They can summon the strength of the bear, and the swiftness of the hare, the eyesight of an eagle, and the heightened senses of smell and hearing, of the wolf.
Of all the Orders of Wizardry, the Amber College is the only one to have no representative buildings in Altdorf. There is no College, and instead, the Masters of the Wild Wind inhabit caves which lie beyond the city, amongst the Amber hills (named after the Masters themselves). These are rocky and wooded, unsuitable as pasture or building-ground, and are not easily found, nor are visitors welcome. Other similar lairs of Amber wizards are said to exist throughout the Old World, in deep forests and high mountains.
Such is the magic lore of the Warhammer World, and such are its practitioners Remember, though, that all magic is born of Chaos, and to tamper with Chaos, is to endanger our very souls. A useful weapon and tool in the hands of those capable of using it, magic remains to the rest of us, a very, very dangerous thing indeed.
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