![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkindarknessPrisa is dispensing her wisdom to the youngsters of Camaalis, ensuring that they are aware of their past and how it has linked into their future and hat lessons they should be learning from it. Though a solemn occasion she has consented to me reporting.
She's less happy about my little inserts in the name of... uh... clarity.
The Third Concord War
Prisa shifted in from to the fire, eyes finally coming back to the present and shifting into focus. Her eyes held the reflection of the flames long after she had turned her head away from the blaze. They shone from her shadowed face, illuminating secrets to her aged gaze
Let me tell you of a time in our history, young one. Not a nice time, nay, not so pleasant as others I have spoken of, but all the more necessary for that. We must cast our gazes unflinchingly into the past and recognise the mistakes that were made, the paths that were taken and how – indeed whether – we can avoid them again in the future.
I speak of the Third Concord War. The first time that Clan Camaalis took up arms against the so-called Concord of Balance when it finally cemented itself.
It was during the years when the British Empire waxed strongly. It was a great empire on which the sun never set. An empire within which all wonders could be found, within which anything was possible. An empire where fortunes were made, glory was realised and great discoveries uncovered.
But it was also an empire where great cruelty was dealt, where great suffering was suffered. An empire where great legacies and histories were lost. An empire in which people bled and died. It was an empire that bred resentment and hate and left it festering.
It was a time of change. It was a time when new ideas raced around the world, each newer and more exciting than the last. Each bringing with it revolutions that taxed even our magnificent imaginations and left our seers gasping in wonder at the wonders of the new world. The world was racing, leaving the people to run to catch up.
But with each new idea, old ones were lost. With each new power structure, and old one degraded. With each new innovation or belief, an old tradition was cast aside, perhaps rightly, perhaps too quickly, perhaps too completely, or perhaps it was too long delayed… whatever the truth, many old ways fell by the wayside. As they fell, so too did the power of influential men and magicians. So too did standards that had held for centuries. Power and ideals were lost to irrelevance and the probing mind. Again resent meant and anger flared. Self-righteousness burned, passions grew to fanaticism and calls for action intensified.
It was from these groups that the Concord was raised. The first members – the Australasian Confederation, the Mujhadeen, the Kabbalists, the Gaolers of Ahriman, the Children of Shiva, the Templars, Opus Dei and the Knights of St John gathered together in unprecedented unity and pledged fellowship and assistance to each other. The threat they sought to co-operate against? Clan Camaalis.
It was an unjust decision. Camaalis was based in Britain, it is true, but never had we encouraged or aided the empire. It was not us who had enslaved them; it was no us that had brought the change they so despised. It was not us who controlled and captured and insulted them. Nor was it us who brought technology and trade. The empire was not our doing; but they had decided we would pay the price for it. The price for their hate.
Ok, TECHNICALLY true. TECHNICALLY Camaalis never encouraged or financed the empire directly. BUT they have and had an awful lot of influence and didn’t say one word against either. Camaalis rarely has no opinion on anything, not since they became such a power in British politics. Even when they do they usually make it clear (they sometimes claim to have no opinion on a matter even when they do as well, of course). Their silence was extremely unusual. Many took it as implicit consent and encouragement – in the same way that the companies that had Camaalis money invested and then took part in empire trade did not see the funds withdrawn as Camaalis normally does when it disapproves, such as during the slave trade. It also has to be said that Camaalis did TALK a lot about how interesting and what wonders foreign lands contained…never suggested empire… just idle talk.
Of course, their accusations were not enough without action. They were not strong enough to act alone and directly – no the Concord was in no position to launch a war against Clan Camaalis. But they did attack. An attack on two fronts. Two fronts, young one, and two lessons to be learned. The first was an attack against us and our interests in the foreign lands. They attacked lone family members who thought themselves safe. They attacked our servants, our related mundane kin and our ships. They gathered in large numbers when a few of us gathered and set abut poisoning the local land against us. They used vile magics to defile the First power and terrible magics to push the Second Power away. They called their powers together to disrupt everything and all we do. I could understand them, almost, if they had examined what we were doing first before making such a choice,. But they did not. Whether the spell was one to clear a path through a jungle, find one of their holy places or simply to heal a child who was sick and dying or bring peace to one cursed with madness – they intervened. Many disasters were caused by inept intervention, caused by magical traditions with no knowledge of each other trying to act in concert or by arrogant Concord Magicians ineptly trying to disrupt Camaalis magic that was far beyond them. These terrible happenings rest on their heads, the blood is on their hands and the blame will ever stain their names. This is not a condemnation, you one. There is no point in such; it is just the terrible truth. If you know of any magics that can affect such karma, do remember it.
But the attack was successful. We lost many relatives, far too many. This is the lesson you must learn – we were arrogant. So arrogant we refused to admit we were under attack, refused to admit anyone would even dare or that anyone would even want to. We were arrogant and blind. Remember that, young one. Always look to see where the opinions of others lean, no matter how unreasonable it is – unreasonable men with ludicrous delusions have moved mountains. And always remember that, powerful though we are, we are not invincible.
The attack on the second front was even more poisonous, and even more unexpected. And we were even more foolish not to see it. The Concord approached other magical traditions throughout the world. They went with lies and half-truths, vile slanders we were sure would come to nothing, and those few we even lowered ourselves to listen to. Those few we even tried to hear. But this was an age of great resentment; even those powers that had lost little and knew they could lay no troubles at Camaalis’ feet still felt the bitter burn of jealousy.
The rumours were spread. That we would steal the knowledge of other societies: that we had done so before. That we would steal their holy places, their places of power. That we would steal their magical artefacts and texts. That we would command their obedience and the obedience of their people. That we were the cause of the disasters wrought when the Concord meddled with our magic. We were foolish, young one. We did not think a lie could hurt us.
OK, a word on these ‘slanders’. Like all good lies they do have something like a kernel of truth, though in Camaalis’ defence the truth I pretty mauled in them. Camaalis did take possession of holy places and places of power, it has to be said – but, with the exception of those that were controlled by Daemon Bound, they never took any by force. Admittedly, to the natives it meant little that it was the British Army came in and caused a little massacre or the pressures of the empire drove them out of their holy places and then Camaalis came in to ‘steward’ an unattended magical site. It looked much the same as Camaalis conquest – even if Camaalis did return most of them, even without the Concord forcing them. As to the knowledge… well, Camaalis believes in eclectivism, they also don’t see how anyone can ‘possess’ a culture’s knowledge. They spoke to the often-mundane wise men and women or to unaffiliated magicians to learn other culture’s magic – as far as Camaalis is concerned the Concord couldn’t claim a country or region’s traditions. Of course, when they had to ‘steward’ important places there were many texts left behind. They returned them… but they did take copies. Camaalis doesn’t see it as theft since they didn’t deny the Concord anything – in fact they went out of their way to PRESERVE other magician’s knowledge for them. Still… it looked dodgy. Much the same with magical artefacts – none stolen, but many dismantled, studied, reassembled and copied. That annoyed. Especially when the copies were better than the original. As for obedience, well, Camaalis had its hooks pretty deep in Britain and had no intention of relinquishing it. Britain had her hooks pretty deep in the empire… it’s not that large a stretch.
Last point –the disasters? Yes, the Concord should NOT had interfered, one of the major rules of Magicians, never interfere unless you know what you’re doing. But an argument can be made that Camaalis shouldn’t have been in another Magician’s territory in the first place.
The lesson is there, young one. Never be so arrogant that you ignore anyone; never be assured in your own goodness or righteousness. Never assume others will see your goodness. It is a sad world, young one, but paranoia is quite often a sensible reaction.
One by one, other Magical Societies joined the Concord. While we finally began to wonder about the battle on the first front, we had already lost the battle on the second. Years passed with us oblivious to the building threat. Years in which magical societies flocked to the Concord, even old friends joined out of fear of the Concord’s vast numbers and great power.
Open warfare started on top of Table Mountain. Camaalis had gathered a circle of Magicians together for a grand task. They would weave their myriad magics together in three Covens, each of which would call on the Power of Three. The power would be melded together into a new Power of Three which would then be used to chart all Africa and the adjoining spiritual realms. It would have been a great work, young one, a very great work. But it was not to be.
The Concord had gathered a great force, a force of thirty of their best warrior Magicians armed with potent magical artefacts to attack the unsuspecting Camaalis. A force that would outnumber our kin three to one.
The battle was terrible. The Camaalis could not win, not against such numbers, against such power, not against such treachery. With no other option, our kin called upon our greatest secret and our greatest asset - and turned it to war. There was no other choice, young one, no other way. They called the Power of Three and wielded it as a weapon.
A point on Camaalis doctrine in this one. The Power of Three is the uber-divine-powerhouse-of-really-scary-magic. You do NOT use it as a weapon. Think of it as a country using its nuclear arsenal - which is a pretty good analogy, all things considered. Camaalis are very wary to use it in non-combat situations (slightly more suspicious than we are of nuclear power - nuclear really is a very good analogy), the idea of using it as a weapon is enough to outrage most. And that‘s the Power of Three through a Coven (3) of Camaalis. With a Circle (9)?
The carnage was terrible, young one. History says six of the Concord Magicians managed to escape. None unscathed. All terrified, petrified of the previously unknown power of Camaalis.
The refugees from the combat returned with heavy hearts to their homes, each carrying tales of woe to their kith and kin. Whatever else would come from that moment, the war now had gained inevitability.
The Concord unified as it had never before. They never knew we had such power. They had feared us, hated us, stood in awe of us, but never truly had they understood our true extent. They were afraid. Deathly afraid of our vengeance, of our counter stroke. Afraid that if they did not strike then we would destroy them all.
Camaalis also knew fear. Yes, young one, even we can know fear. The attack on Table Mountain was not the only attack launched against us - only the single attack which had left us with survivors. All told, forty-one Camaalis fell that week. Forty-one Camaalis died at the hands of the Concord. Forty-one! Forty-one murdered by our hidden foe! We looked back on the attacks we had suffered before in a new light. We looked back on the rash of disappearances and terrible disasters. And we saw the truth, young one, the truth! Or what we thought was the truth - sadly the two are rarely the same. We saw a force that sought our utter destruction.
A brief point. At the time 41 Camaalis represented nearly a 5th of the entire family. It wasn’t entirely exaggerating to suspect genocide, and besides - loosing 20% of your relatives is going to make even the most reasonable person a little touchy.
This is another lesson to be learned, young one. We must always avoid stretching ourselves too thinly and always be aware of where all our family live; never let a disappearance be taken for granted, no matter how private the relation may wish to be. We cannot afford to lose so many again.
Camaalis had been driven back. We had been driven back to these islands, to our home. Those who had not fallen before the vast might of the Concord were quickly recalled. At last we showed wisdom young one, and another lesson to learn. When the darkness falls, it is in our home where the light shines brightest. Always remember that, this is our home and no one and nothing can face u here.
The Concord did not know this. The Concord had few members in the British Isles, and only the Knights of St John were based in the kingdom. They did not know that we had lived here for millennia. They did not know that we have been a part of these islands since before the Celts first reached them. They did not know that every year – every year of those long millennia, we have cast protections, empowerments and guidance over the islands. They did not know that every scarp of power in the islands was harnessed through us. They did not know that every year brought stronger protections, as well as enhancing, repairing and empowering old ones. They did not know how vast our wealth of magical artifacts was on the islands.
They did not know that these islands were ours in a way they could never understand.
What they did know, what they had finally learned, was that we had the Power of Three. And here is another lesson to learn, young one, even though this is one of the Concord’s mistakes. No matter how frightened you are, or how grim things look, beware of making hasty decisions on the strength of them. This was a lesson the Concord could have done well to learn. It was not enough to have driven us back to the isles; they felt that the only way to be safe from Camaalis would be to destroy us at our root.
Let’s be fair here. If you attack an enemy and they hit back with what amounts to a nuke it is generally not going to be a Good Idea™ to wait around for them to make the next move. Especially not when they’re royally pissed off.
Even this would have the makings of a wise plan, young one. But it was not a plan, they did not plan or think or prepare. They launched their attack without precision or forethought. They gathered all the forces they could quickly assemble, which, young one, was not as many as they could. Most of their forces were still scattered throughout the globe hunting Camaalis who had long since been withdrawn. The gathered their forces and launched a three pronged attack against what they thought were our holiest sights – Ynas Widrin, Lidensfarne and the artifact people call Stonehenge. They attacked before they were ready and when they did attack, they attacked us at our strongest points.
Ok yes, this is probably one of the greatest military idiocies of all time; but in the Concord’s defense, they didn’t know how long they had. They didn’t know how long it would be until armies of Camaalis charged forwards in multiples of 3 to squish them. The best analogy is probably the Battle of the Bulge in World War 2 – the Concord sought some kind of decisive victory so they could talk peace from a place of strength, rather than have it dictated to them.
The attack would have been devastating. Even with the reduced numbers the Concord could call, there were still over twenty Concord Magicians to every Camaalis. The attack would have hurt Camaalis, it would quite possibly have driven us back, even destroyed us there. If it had not been on British soil.
The attack was seen coming by our Seers, their sight enhanced by their long ties with the land. When the Concord arrived, we were ready. We stood together young one, another lesson for you – no matter how factitious our family politics becomes, we are family and we will all stand together. But more, we stood in threes. I remember that day very vividly, though I was young them. I stood side by side with my coven and saw the terror in the Concord Magician’s eyes – the terror at row after row of Camaalis grouped in threes.
There terror had no time to fade, it flared higher, mixed with horror as they realised their magic abated. It was weakened, dissipated, dispelled and disrupted by the powerful wards woven into the very ley lines of the country. The First Power turned a hostile gaze to them. The Second power pulled back, firming its barriers against unwanted intrusion. The Third Power faced the combine disapproval of a nation’s power and smashed helplessly against towering wards built higher and thicker than any castle walls.
The battle was short, and devastating, but with a lot less death than we had dared to hope. People fell, young one, I do not claim otherwise. Many fell in fact, but the ground was not soaked in blood as we expected. There was no great carnage, no terrible massacre. We must ever be grateful for that – yes, even though the Concord were our enemies, we must ever be grateful for every human life, especially every magical human life, spared.
The Concord fled the field. In all three battles, Camaalis emerged triumphant – at the end of the short conflict we held dozens, perhaps even scores, of helpless Concord Magicians captive. None had been prepared for the powers we could unleash in our land. None were prepared for a place where their magic failed them. In despair they surrendered, sometimes without fighting. Sometimes unable to fight.
Ok, quick intervention. Camaalis, no matter what the propaganda says, can’t ‘suppress’ another’s magic in the isles. But if you layer enough wards and prepare enough defenses, it can seem like it. Most of the captured Concord were actually incapacitated – Prisa nicely mentions how few fatalities there were but is conspicuously silent on the injured. The low death rate was probably more a testament to the Camaalis healing skills than it was to mass surrender on the part of the Concord. Certainly many did surrender, and some from just seeing the Power of Three being invoked so many times; but most surrendered because they had suffered 50% casualties or more in a very short time.
Oh, it also has to be said that ‘no great carnage’ is subjective and perhaps not entirely truthful when listening to someone speaking of a massacre they caused.
Ah, young one, how can I speak of that day? How can I possibly describe the power of that day? The whole Camaalis family called up power beyond measure. How few times in history have there ever been times when such magic was raised? When the Power of Three was invoked throughout the land, not once, or twice, or even in Circles of Nine. Nay, but raised over a dozen times, bolstered further with the power of our holiest and strongest sights? It was incredible, young one, incredible. It challenges even my talents to describe or convey. I can only say that the very air seemed to bathe in power, that the ground shook with it, that our foes fell back in horror in the face of it. That we had enough power to destroy all of our attackers several times over, that we had enough power to challenge any threat – that, that day, the world bore witness to the power of Camaalis.
The Concord was in turmoil. The victorious Magicians returned from where they had slaughtered and driven out Camaalis across the globe and found disaster waiting for them. Some still did not even realise what had happened. Their organisation was shattered, their structure collapsing around them. Magicians had fled to all corners of the globe in panic, including many great leaders of the Concord. Others were now dead, or remained in our hands. Confusion and ignorance reigned. Worse, the old enemies now aligned together in the Concord threw accusations of treachery and failure at each other. All sought to assign blame for the disaster while avoiding it themselves. Everyone had a plan on how to salvage the Concord from utter destruction, but none would agree on another’s. In a time when the concord needed to act decisively to regain the initiative in this terrible war, they fell to useless politics and devastating in fighting.
Camaalis was not idle. Though many disagreed with the policy proposed – yes, even myself young one, though I can see the necessity of it now with the benefit of age and wisdom – we could still act. NIO matter how we bickered, we were still a family and we trusted and respected our elders and leaders. Remember that young one, remember our unity, but remember also that in times of crisis, sometimes it is necessary to obey even if you stand against what you are called to do. We ask for no slaves among our family, but we do ask for unity in times of crisis.
We sent out the Circles and Covens. But not the Covens we normally have, not the Coven you know and are part of. No, these were not Coven’s of three Magicians put together for their quests. These Covens were expressly created so that they could invoke the Power of Three. Invoke it and use it in battle. Again, the unspeakable was done. It grieves me still, but it was done. And it was necessary.
We sent out the Circles and the Covens; and they hunted. They hunted Concord enclaves and greater leaders. They hunted Concord holy sights and purloined Camaalis places of power. They hunted down mystical artefacts and pockets of resistance. They did not fight in open battle, they did not need to. All the fractured Concord knew was that the Camaalis were hunting them. Hunting them with a terrible efficiency and the overwhelming Power of Three. In less than a month these devastating raids had claimed one hundred and twenty three lives. Three times the number they had taken from us; only then did we offer to talk.
Yesssss…. This is certainly a ‘questionable’ area of Camaalis history. More than one historian has levelled the accusation of excessive violence and carnage for the sake of a symbolic gesture. Prisa also failed to mention how grisly the deaths were – a quick, painless death was NOT on the agenda – making examples was. And that did spread to even non-magical close relatives. As an interesting note: most Magicians, even non-Concord Magicians now have a superstitious fear of Camaalis in multiples of 3. A standing requirement of diplomatic communication between the Concord is that Camaalis never send 3 or more ambassadors.
No-one would have blamed us if we designed a treaty to make the Concord suffer. No-one would have blamed us for punishing the Concord.
Yeah, right. Mainly because anyone presuming to blame them would have woken up to find 9 unfriendly Camaalis glaring at them from the foot of their bed.
But wiser heads prevailed. Remember, young one, always beware of short-term solutions that cause long-term problems. We did not demand the Concord disband. We allowed and even promoted them to continue as a body.
*cough* because Camaalis had sense enough to realise the hurriedly organised and argumentative Concord was a far better opponent than anything that might be sensibly and practically formed.
The terms of peace between us were generous – remember young on, a bitter enemy is a wound that festers. We returned most of the lands, magical artefacts and texts that we had kept in stewardship for the Concord. We reminded them that we had always intended to return all of them, and we had only kept some back in recompense to the terrible crimes they had committed against us. We also agreed to limit our influence outside of the British Isles – which, of course, is something else we would have done anyway. Again we reminded the Concord that we had never planned to control the world or them, but in recompense we demanded limited influence in colonial territories and to expand our influence in Eastern Europe, Spain and France. Outside of these strict areas of control, we agreed to limit our numbers, our political strength and our magical strength.
This was our peace. It was wise, it allowed the Concord to claim victory, because they had retrieved the magical places and artefacts they had thought stolen, and allowed them to claim they had driven us out of the places we would control. Always allow your enemy a way of saving face; it reduces bitterness and ensures he is more likely to agree – remember, young one, more people in the world have died from foolish pride than from any other reason. Allowing your enemy to save face can also make it harder for him to hold together his allies, young one. Remember, people may flock to aid those who claim to be genuinely aggrieved, but he who has received a just settlement and is still combative earns little respect or loyalty. Remember that, young one, no body is a unified monolith, no matter how they might claim.
It might be worth noting that the Concord wasn’t especially happy with the treaty, especially in loosing lands and artefacts and because Camaalis didn’t hide the fact that they had made copies of every text and every magical device that had passed through their hands. Camaalis constantly rubbing it in that ‘if you hadn’t gone to war this would never have happened – it’ all your own fault’ didn’t help much either. But on the whole the treaty was fair. The Concord did get everything they CLAIMED they wanted (though the destruction of Camaalis would have made them far happier) so they no longer had any excuses for the war – they couldn’t convince the bulk of their members that the war was necessary any more.
Of course, the fact that Camaalis sent 9 ambassadors to the treaty signing may have had something to do with it.
And that is the story of the Third War against the Concord of Balance. That is why we tread lightly outside our lands. That is why the Concord exists and why we are so often hostile. That is why you can never trust an outsider, young one. Only family can be trusted… And sometimes not all of them. But that is a story for another time.
Prisa turned her old eyes back to the fire, her gaze catching memories of times long passed in the dancing flames and the crackling of the embers; all memory of the present and her audience left her as she returned her mind to the threads of the past and future.
She's less happy about my little inserts in the name of... uh... clarity.
The Third Concord War
Prisa shifted in from to the fire, eyes finally coming back to the present and shifting into focus. Her eyes held the reflection of the flames long after she had turned her head away from the blaze. They shone from her shadowed face, illuminating secrets to her aged gaze
Let me tell you of a time in our history, young one. Not a nice time, nay, not so pleasant as others I have spoken of, but all the more necessary for that. We must cast our gazes unflinchingly into the past and recognise the mistakes that were made, the paths that were taken and how – indeed whether – we can avoid them again in the future.
I speak of the Third Concord War. The first time that Clan Camaalis took up arms against the so-called Concord of Balance when it finally cemented itself.
It was during the years when the British Empire waxed strongly. It was a great empire on which the sun never set. An empire within which all wonders could be found, within which anything was possible. An empire where fortunes were made, glory was realised and great discoveries uncovered.
But it was also an empire where great cruelty was dealt, where great suffering was suffered. An empire where great legacies and histories were lost. An empire in which people bled and died. It was an empire that bred resentment and hate and left it festering.
It was a time of change. It was a time when new ideas raced around the world, each newer and more exciting than the last. Each bringing with it revolutions that taxed even our magnificent imaginations and left our seers gasping in wonder at the wonders of the new world. The world was racing, leaving the people to run to catch up.
But with each new idea, old ones were lost. With each new power structure, and old one degraded. With each new innovation or belief, an old tradition was cast aside, perhaps rightly, perhaps too quickly, perhaps too completely, or perhaps it was too long delayed… whatever the truth, many old ways fell by the wayside. As they fell, so too did the power of influential men and magicians. So too did standards that had held for centuries. Power and ideals were lost to irrelevance and the probing mind. Again resent meant and anger flared. Self-righteousness burned, passions grew to fanaticism and calls for action intensified.
It was from these groups that the Concord was raised. The first members – the Australasian Confederation, the Mujhadeen, the Kabbalists, the Gaolers of Ahriman, the Children of Shiva, the Templars, Opus Dei and the Knights of St John gathered together in unprecedented unity and pledged fellowship and assistance to each other. The threat they sought to co-operate against? Clan Camaalis.
It was an unjust decision. Camaalis was based in Britain, it is true, but never had we encouraged or aided the empire. It was not us who had enslaved them; it was no us that had brought the change they so despised. It was not us who controlled and captured and insulted them. Nor was it us who brought technology and trade. The empire was not our doing; but they had decided we would pay the price for it. The price for their hate.
Ok, TECHNICALLY true. TECHNICALLY Camaalis never encouraged or financed the empire directly. BUT they have and had an awful lot of influence and didn’t say one word against either. Camaalis rarely has no opinion on anything, not since they became such a power in British politics. Even when they do they usually make it clear (they sometimes claim to have no opinion on a matter even when they do as well, of course). Their silence was extremely unusual. Many took it as implicit consent and encouragement – in the same way that the companies that had Camaalis money invested and then took part in empire trade did not see the funds withdrawn as Camaalis normally does when it disapproves, such as during the slave trade. It also has to be said that Camaalis did TALK a lot about how interesting and what wonders foreign lands contained…never suggested empire… just idle talk.
Of course, their accusations were not enough without action. They were not strong enough to act alone and directly – no the Concord was in no position to launch a war against Clan Camaalis. But they did attack. An attack on two fronts. Two fronts, young one, and two lessons to be learned. The first was an attack against us and our interests in the foreign lands. They attacked lone family members who thought themselves safe. They attacked our servants, our related mundane kin and our ships. They gathered in large numbers when a few of us gathered and set abut poisoning the local land against us. They used vile magics to defile the First power and terrible magics to push the Second Power away. They called their powers together to disrupt everything and all we do. I could understand them, almost, if they had examined what we were doing first before making such a choice,. But they did not. Whether the spell was one to clear a path through a jungle, find one of their holy places or simply to heal a child who was sick and dying or bring peace to one cursed with madness – they intervened. Many disasters were caused by inept intervention, caused by magical traditions with no knowledge of each other trying to act in concert or by arrogant Concord Magicians ineptly trying to disrupt Camaalis magic that was far beyond them. These terrible happenings rest on their heads, the blood is on their hands and the blame will ever stain their names. This is not a condemnation, you one. There is no point in such; it is just the terrible truth. If you know of any magics that can affect such karma, do remember it.
But the attack was successful. We lost many relatives, far too many. This is the lesson you must learn – we were arrogant. So arrogant we refused to admit we were under attack, refused to admit anyone would even dare or that anyone would even want to. We were arrogant and blind. Remember that, young one. Always look to see where the opinions of others lean, no matter how unreasonable it is – unreasonable men with ludicrous delusions have moved mountains. And always remember that, powerful though we are, we are not invincible.
The attack on the second front was even more poisonous, and even more unexpected. And we were even more foolish not to see it. The Concord approached other magical traditions throughout the world. They went with lies and half-truths, vile slanders we were sure would come to nothing, and those few we even lowered ourselves to listen to. Those few we even tried to hear. But this was an age of great resentment; even those powers that had lost little and knew they could lay no troubles at Camaalis’ feet still felt the bitter burn of jealousy.
The rumours were spread. That we would steal the knowledge of other societies: that we had done so before. That we would steal their holy places, their places of power. That we would steal their magical artefacts and texts. That we would command their obedience and the obedience of their people. That we were the cause of the disasters wrought when the Concord meddled with our magic. We were foolish, young one. We did not think a lie could hurt us.
OK, a word on these ‘slanders’. Like all good lies they do have something like a kernel of truth, though in Camaalis’ defence the truth I pretty mauled in them. Camaalis did take possession of holy places and places of power, it has to be said – but, with the exception of those that were controlled by Daemon Bound, they never took any by force. Admittedly, to the natives it meant little that it was the British Army came in and caused a little massacre or the pressures of the empire drove them out of their holy places and then Camaalis came in to ‘steward’ an unattended magical site. It looked much the same as Camaalis conquest – even if Camaalis did return most of them, even without the Concord forcing them. As to the knowledge… well, Camaalis believes in eclectivism, they also don’t see how anyone can ‘possess’ a culture’s knowledge. They spoke to the often-mundane wise men and women or to unaffiliated magicians to learn other culture’s magic – as far as Camaalis is concerned the Concord couldn’t claim a country or region’s traditions. Of course, when they had to ‘steward’ important places there were many texts left behind. They returned them… but they did take copies. Camaalis doesn’t see it as theft since they didn’t deny the Concord anything – in fact they went out of their way to PRESERVE other magician’s knowledge for them. Still… it looked dodgy. Much the same with magical artefacts – none stolen, but many dismantled, studied, reassembled and copied. That annoyed. Especially when the copies were better than the original. As for obedience, well, Camaalis had its hooks pretty deep in Britain and had no intention of relinquishing it. Britain had her hooks pretty deep in the empire… it’s not that large a stretch.
Last point –the disasters? Yes, the Concord should NOT had interfered, one of the major rules of Magicians, never interfere unless you know what you’re doing. But an argument can be made that Camaalis shouldn’t have been in another Magician’s territory in the first place.
The lesson is there, young one. Never be so arrogant that you ignore anyone; never be assured in your own goodness or righteousness. Never assume others will see your goodness. It is a sad world, young one, but paranoia is quite often a sensible reaction.
One by one, other Magical Societies joined the Concord. While we finally began to wonder about the battle on the first front, we had already lost the battle on the second. Years passed with us oblivious to the building threat. Years in which magical societies flocked to the Concord, even old friends joined out of fear of the Concord’s vast numbers and great power.
Open warfare started on top of Table Mountain. Camaalis had gathered a circle of Magicians together for a grand task. They would weave their myriad magics together in three Covens, each of which would call on the Power of Three. The power would be melded together into a new Power of Three which would then be used to chart all Africa and the adjoining spiritual realms. It would have been a great work, young one, a very great work. But it was not to be.
The Concord had gathered a great force, a force of thirty of their best warrior Magicians armed with potent magical artefacts to attack the unsuspecting Camaalis. A force that would outnumber our kin three to one.
The battle was terrible. The Camaalis could not win, not against such numbers, against such power, not against such treachery. With no other option, our kin called upon our greatest secret and our greatest asset - and turned it to war. There was no other choice, young one, no other way. They called the Power of Three and wielded it as a weapon.
A point on Camaalis doctrine in this one. The Power of Three is the uber-divine-powerhouse-of-really-scary-magic. You do NOT use it as a weapon. Think of it as a country using its nuclear arsenal - which is a pretty good analogy, all things considered. Camaalis are very wary to use it in non-combat situations (slightly more suspicious than we are of nuclear power - nuclear really is a very good analogy), the idea of using it as a weapon is enough to outrage most. And that‘s the Power of Three through a Coven (3) of Camaalis. With a Circle (9)?
The carnage was terrible, young one. History says six of the Concord Magicians managed to escape. None unscathed. All terrified, petrified of the previously unknown power of Camaalis.
The refugees from the combat returned with heavy hearts to their homes, each carrying tales of woe to their kith and kin. Whatever else would come from that moment, the war now had gained inevitability.
The Concord unified as it had never before. They never knew we had such power. They had feared us, hated us, stood in awe of us, but never truly had they understood our true extent. They were afraid. Deathly afraid of our vengeance, of our counter stroke. Afraid that if they did not strike then we would destroy them all.
Camaalis also knew fear. Yes, young one, even we can know fear. The attack on Table Mountain was not the only attack launched against us - only the single attack which had left us with survivors. All told, forty-one Camaalis fell that week. Forty-one Camaalis died at the hands of the Concord. Forty-one! Forty-one murdered by our hidden foe! We looked back on the attacks we had suffered before in a new light. We looked back on the rash of disappearances and terrible disasters. And we saw the truth, young one, the truth! Or what we thought was the truth - sadly the two are rarely the same. We saw a force that sought our utter destruction.
A brief point. At the time 41 Camaalis represented nearly a 5th of the entire family. It wasn’t entirely exaggerating to suspect genocide, and besides - loosing 20% of your relatives is going to make even the most reasonable person a little touchy.
This is another lesson to be learned, young one. We must always avoid stretching ourselves too thinly and always be aware of where all our family live; never let a disappearance be taken for granted, no matter how private the relation may wish to be. We cannot afford to lose so many again.
Camaalis had been driven back. We had been driven back to these islands, to our home. Those who had not fallen before the vast might of the Concord were quickly recalled. At last we showed wisdom young one, and another lesson to learn. When the darkness falls, it is in our home where the light shines brightest. Always remember that, this is our home and no one and nothing can face u here.
The Concord did not know this. The Concord had few members in the British Isles, and only the Knights of St John were based in the kingdom. They did not know that we had lived here for millennia. They did not know that we have been a part of these islands since before the Celts first reached them. They did not know that every year – every year of those long millennia, we have cast protections, empowerments and guidance over the islands. They did not know that every scarp of power in the islands was harnessed through us. They did not know that every year brought stronger protections, as well as enhancing, repairing and empowering old ones. They did not know how vast our wealth of magical artifacts was on the islands.
They did not know that these islands were ours in a way they could never understand.
What they did know, what they had finally learned, was that we had the Power of Three. And here is another lesson to learn, young one, even though this is one of the Concord’s mistakes. No matter how frightened you are, or how grim things look, beware of making hasty decisions on the strength of them. This was a lesson the Concord could have done well to learn. It was not enough to have driven us back to the isles; they felt that the only way to be safe from Camaalis would be to destroy us at our root.
Let’s be fair here. If you attack an enemy and they hit back with what amounts to a nuke it is generally not going to be a Good Idea™ to wait around for them to make the next move. Especially not when they’re royally pissed off.
Even this would have the makings of a wise plan, young one. But it was not a plan, they did not plan or think or prepare. They launched their attack without precision or forethought. They gathered all the forces they could quickly assemble, which, young one, was not as many as they could. Most of their forces were still scattered throughout the globe hunting Camaalis who had long since been withdrawn. The gathered their forces and launched a three pronged attack against what they thought were our holiest sights – Ynas Widrin, Lidensfarne and the artifact people call Stonehenge. They attacked before they were ready and when they did attack, they attacked us at our strongest points.
Ok yes, this is probably one of the greatest military idiocies of all time; but in the Concord’s defense, they didn’t know how long they had. They didn’t know how long it would be until armies of Camaalis charged forwards in multiples of 3 to squish them. The best analogy is probably the Battle of the Bulge in World War 2 – the Concord sought some kind of decisive victory so they could talk peace from a place of strength, rather than have it dictated to them.
The attack would have been devastating. Even with the reduced numbers the Concord could call, there were still over twenty Concord Magicians to every Camaalis. The attack would have hurt Camaalis, it would quite possibly have driven us back, even destroyed us there. If it had not been on British soil.
The attack was seen coming by our Seers, their sight enhanced by their long ties with the land. When the Concord arrived, we were ready. We stood together young one, another lesson for you – no matter how factitious our family politics becomes, we are family and we will all stand together. But more, we stood in threes. I remember that day very vividly, though I was young them. I stood side by side with my coven and saw the terror in the Concord Magician’s eyes – the terror at row after row of Camaalis grouped in threes.
There terror had no time to fade, it flared higher, mixed with horror as they realised their magic abated. It was weakened, dissipated, dispelled and disrupted by the powerful wards woven into the very ley lines of the country. The First Power turned a hostile gaze to them. The Second power pulled back, firming its barriers against unwanted intrusion. The Third Power faced the combine disapproval of a nation’s power and smashed helplessly against towering wards built higher and thicker than any castle walls.
The battle was short, and devastating, but with a lot less death than we had dared to hope. People fell, young one, I do not claim otherwise. Many fell in fact, but the ground was not soaked in blood as we expected. There was no great carnage, no terrible massacre. We must ever be grateful for that – yes, even though the Concord were our enemies, we must ever be grateful for every human life, especially every magical human life, spared.
The Concord fled the field. In all three battles, Camaalis emerged triumphant – at the end of the short conflict we held dozens, perhaps even scores, of helpless Concord Magicians captive. None had been prepared for the powers we could unleash in our land. None were prepared for a place where their magic failed them. In despair they surrendered, sometimes without fighting. Sometimes unable to fight.
Ok, quick intervention. Camaalis, no matter what the propaganda says, can’t ‘suppress’ another’s magic in the isles. But if you layer enough wards and prepare enough defenses, it can seem like it. Most of the captured Concord were actually incapacitated – Prisa nicely mentions how few fatalities there were but is conspicuously silent on the injured. The low death rate was probably more a testament to the Camaalis healing skills than it was to mass surrender on the part of the Concord. Certainly many did surrender, and some from just seeing the Power of Three being invoked so many times; but most surrendered because they had suffered 50% casualties or more in a very short time.
Oh, it also has to be said that ‘no great carnage’ is subjective and perhaps not entirely truthful when listening to someone speaking of a massacre they caused.
Ah, young one, how can I speak of that day? How can I possibly describe the power of that day? The whole Camaalis family called up power beyond measure. How few times in history have there ever been times when such magic was raised? When the Power of Three was invoked throughout the land, not once, or twice, or even in Circles of Nine. Nay, but raised over a dozen times, bolstered further with the power of our holiest and strongest sights? It was incredible, young one, incredible. It challenges even my talents to describe or convey. I can only say that the very air seemed to bathe in power, that the ground shook with it, that our foes fell back in horror in the face of it. That we had enough power to destroy all of our attackers several times over, that we had enough power to challenge any threat – that, that day, the world bore witness to the power of Camaalis.
The Concord was in turmoil. The victorious Magicians returned from where they had slaughtered and driven out Camaalis across the globe and found disaster waiting for them. Some still did not even realise what had happened. Their organisation was shattered, their structure collapsing around them. Magicians had fled to all corners of the globe in panic, including many great leaders of the Concord. Others were now dead, or remained in our hands. Confusion and ignorance reigned. Worse, the old enemies now aligned together in the Concord threw accusations of treachery and failure at each other. All sought to assign blame for the disaster while avoiding it themselves. Everyone had a plan on how to salvage the Concord from utter destruction, but none would agree on another’s. In a time when the concord needed to act decisively to regain the initiative in this terrible war, they fell to useless politics and devastating in fighting.
Camaalis was not idle. Though many disagreed with the policy proposed – yes, even myself young one, though I can see the necessity of it now with the benefit of age and wisdom – we could still act. NIO matter how we bickered, we were still a family and we trusted and respected our elders and leaders. Remember that young one, remember our unity, but remember also that in times of crisis, sometimes it is necessary to obey even if you stand against what you are called to do. We ask for no slaves among our family, but we do ask for unity in times of crisis.
We sent out the Circles and Covens. But not the Covens we normally have, not the Coven you know and are part of. No, these were not Coven’s of three Magicians put together for their quests. These Covens were expressly created so that they could invoke the Power of Three. Invoke it and use it in battle. Again, the unspeakable was done. It grieves me still, but it was done. And it was necessary.
We sent out the Circles and the Covens; and they hunted. They hunted Concord enclaves and greater leaders. They hunted Concord holy sights and purloined Camaalis places of power. They hunted down mystical artefacts and pockets of resistance. They did not fight in open battle, they did not need to. All the fractured Concord knew was that the Camaalis were hunting them. Hunting them with a terrible efficiency and the overwhelming Power of Three. In less than a month these devastating raids had claimed one hundred and twenty three lives. Three times the number they had taken from us; only then did we offer to talk.
Yesssss…. This is certainly a ‘questionable’ area of Camaalis history. More than one historian has levelled the accusation of excessive violence and carnage for the sake of a symbolic gesture. Prisa also failed to mention how grisly the deaths were – a quick, painless death was NOT on the agenda – making examples was. And that did spread to even non-magical close relatives. As an interesting note: most Magicians, even non-Concord Magicians now have a superstitious fear of Camaalis in multiples of 3. A standing requirement of diplomatic communication between the Concord is that Camaalis never send 3 or more ambassadors.
No-one would have blamed us if we designed a treaty to make the Concord suffer. No-one would have blamed us for punishing the Concord.
Yeah, right. Mainly because anyone presuming to blame them would have woken up to find 9 unfriendly Camaalis glaring at them from the foot of their bed.
But wiser heads prevailed. Remember, young one, always beware of short-term solutions that cause long-term problems. We did not demand the Concord disband. We allowed and even promoted them to continue as a body.
*cough* because Camaalis had sense enough to realise the hurriedly organised and argumentative Concord was a far better opponent than anything that might be sensibly and practically formed.
The terms of peace between us were generous – remember young on, a bitter enemy is a wound that festers. We returned most of the lands, magical artefacts and texts that we had kept in stewardship for the Concord. We reminded them that we had always intended to return all of them, and we had only kept some back in recompense to the terrible crimes they had committed against us. We also agreed to limit our influence outside of the British Isles – which, of course, is something else we would have done anyway. Again we reminded the Concord that we had never planned to control the world or them, but in recompense we demanded limited influence in colonial territories and to expand our influence in Eastern Europe, Spain and France. Outside of these strict areas of control, we agreed to limit our numbers, our political strength and our magical strength.
This was our peace. It was wise, it allowed the Concord to claim victory, because they had retrieved the magical places and artefacts they had thought stolen, and allowed them to claim they had driven us out of the places we would control. Always allow your enemy a way of saving face; it reduces bitterness and ensures he is more likely to agree – remember, young one, more people in the world have died from foolish pride than from any other reason. Allowing your enemy to save face can also make it harder for him to hold together his allies, young one. Remember, people may flock to aid those who claim to be genuinely aggrieved, but he who has received a just settlement and is still combative earns little respect or loyalty. Remember that, young one, no body is a unified monolith, no matter how they might claim.
It might be worth noting that the Concord wasn’t especially happy with the treaty, especially in loosing lands and artefacts and because Camaalis didn’t hide the fact that they had made copies of every text and every magical device that had passed through their hands. Camaalis constantly rubbing it in that ‘if you hadn’t gone to war this would never have happened – it’ all your own fault’ didn’t help much either. But on the whole the treaty was fair. The Concord did get everything they CLAIMED they wanted (though the destruction of Camaalis would have made them far happier) so they no longer had any excuses for the war – they couldn’t convince the bulk of their members that the war was necessary any more.
Of course, the fact that Camaalis sent 9 ambassadors to the treaty signing may have had something to do with it.
And that is the story of the Third War against the Concord of Balance. That is why we tread lightly outside our lands. That is why the Concord exists and why we are so often hostile. That is why you can never trust an outsider, young one. Only family can be trusted… And sometimes not all of them. But that is a story for another time.
Prisa turned her old eyes back to the fire, her gaze catching memories of times long passed in the dancing flames and the crackling of the embers; all memory of the present and her audience left her as she returned her mind to the threads of the past and future.