Herald's Report: Mage's Haven

by Ravenmantle

Dear Herald,

As we all know, wizards and others who dabble in the arcane arts have long been mistrusted by the common folk, hunted for the slightest transgressions and suspected of being in league with dark forces. The mistrust and outright hatred towards wizards were at its highest in the dark years following the Cataclysm but it remains to this day.

Just the other day I witnessed a young apprentice being harassed by his so-called peers, called a demon worshipper and worse. What had he done? Why, he had conjured a small flower and given it to a young lady I suspect he fancied and now the young lad stands on trial accused of consorting with creatures of the Abyss. Mind you, the village he lives in is far from most centres of learning and as such, the way his accusers' reacted is probably understandable. They just don't know better.

The young lad's misfortune made me reflect on the wizard's role in society and how we may improve our image. But that's a discussion I'm better off having with my wizard colleagues. It also made me think back on memories. Of the all too short time I lived in the village of Mage's Haven in the Kharolis range.

Hidden in a beautiful valley in the Kharolis Mountains, Mage's Haven is just that – a haven for wizards and other practitioners of the arcane. In Mage's Haven you will find wizards of all three orders living side by side. United by their passion for magic, it is a place where suspicion and hatred doesn't exist and where a wizard can easily spend an entire lifetime immersed in the vast libraries and studies the village provides.

The village itself is formed in the shape of a triangle. At each point of the triangle stands a tower dedicated to one of the three orders, and bares markings to reflect the order it belongs to. These towers mostly serve as fortifications in times of crisis but also serve as their strongholds. It is here that the members of each order gather to discuss matters of relevance to their own order but not to the village itself. This they do in the tower that stands in the center of the village. This tower functions much like a town hall. It is where wizards of all three orders gather to discuss matters of importance to the entire community and to celebrate holidays and other festive days.

The remaining buildings in the village are as varied as you will ever find. Whenever a wizard joins the community he is required to construct his own residence. Whether he does this through magical or mundane means is up to the wizard. This means that you will see square buildings, circular buildings, tall buildings, small buildings, and buildings that defy the laws of nature.

Mage's Haven is self-sufficient. The mages provide their own food, which as you know, is not all that difficult if you are skilled in the arcane arts. Spell components and magic items can be purchased in one of three mageware shops. There are no inns or taverns as the wizards feel that such establishments serve no purpose but to cloud a person's mind.

You may be asking yourself, where is the magic? With so many wizards gathered in one place, there is bound to be plentiful magic and indeed there is. Mage duels and other arcane contests are everyday events. Furthermore, the wizards do not use a single torch or lantern. Instead, small globes of pleasant light float around the village at night, making it quite possible for a person to go about his business. Also, I suspect that the mages of Mage's Haven have cast some kind of weather-controlling spell on their village because the weather is pleasant, even during the winter, which, in Kharolis is usually biting cold.

While the village itself is very fascinating, the village leader is even more so. A Black Robe, Talissa Glimmerweave, is older than any other wizard in the village, yet she does not look a day over 25. She has a very friendly demeanour and if I hadn't seen the color of her robes, I would have refused to believe that she is a Black Robe. Remarkably, Talissa has banished the study and practicing of necromancy in Mage's Haven, a controversial move considering that necromancy is very popular among Black Robes. So far, however, her fellow Black Robes seem to accept her decision.

Mage's Haven is truly a contrast to the rest of Ansalon and I highly recommend that any wizard with respect for themselves and their craft visit the village. That is, if one can find it...

It is time for my evening prayer and so I must finish this report. Although it did not contain any news about the goings on in Ansalon, I feel that it is important to inform my colleagues and a certain young lad that there is a place where they can be safe from mistrust and witch hunts.

Your humble servant,
Kotallon Evesage

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