There are old tales that saturate the history books with stories of the power and of the might of the age of blood; when savagery and brutality was the way of life and there was nothing so eloquent as the power of the Source. Then there was only the power of the Blood Pits of the Skagriagaard, the alchemy of the Zoranethi, the mysticism of the Giant Kin and the Glamour of the Fae. There was war and chaos and anarchy and then the Void came seeking words of power that had been lost to its unknown master. Those words are, if pre history is to be believed, the power to shape worlds and to master the building blocks of all magics. It is also known that these words or words closely akin to them were carved into the comet that blazed its way across the sky and came to impact the crust of this world in the deep wilds of Helgath where Eaölfheim prospered. When that most great and glorious of events embraced the world so too did our ancient power and from it all power that spreads across Daer Akmir today. So the comet was named after the power that it created, the power that gave life to the world that we now inhabit, that created the races of the world and birthed the Empires and the Kingdoms of this great civilisation. It was called the Source Comet.

The source Comet represented Magic long forgotten from another time and another age where it was referred to as the Nexus. With it came hidden secrets and beings from some dystopian place, some oppressors some oppressed and they spilled over into the world. Their power was dubbed the Arcane and was nothing like we had ever seen before; it dwarfed all other forms and realms with its strength and ability to change reality around it. However this power lasted but mere moments from histories point of view as the Gillieabad Spirits, so free roaming for so long, bound themselves to places of power to neutralise this strength. To the Earth Tribes it was the ultimate sacrifice, to the beings of the Nexus it was an act of war but to those that were to come later it was a gift that could not be over looked. The power Arcane was greatly diminished and it was a power that could never truly be mastered by those inhabitants of the world however the Source of all magic to come was left behind and that was ours to take.

For many years after the arrival of the comet early mages tried to master the power that now saturated this world. Many become extremely proficient in its art but these were spirited away by the Arcanists that arrived with the Nexus; The Kaytaar. It took many years for the College of Sourcery or Council of Magic as it was then to form under the guidance of the Kurt Nagerson whose impressive power in the realm of the Sourcerer led him to become an Emperor of the three Kingdoms (as was back then). During this time the mysterious Kaytaar had established themselves as a force in the world but where once, in their home world, they were eternal, they were made mortal by the forces of Vaklam. To counter this problem they undertook a task to locate the legendary Zoranethi, the Sea Tribe who had mastered the arts of transmogrification of the body and the soul. When they found them they used their terrible power to enslave them, a move that would haunt them in aeons to come. Together they caused the collapse of the Gillieabads power in the Forests of the Chosen, stole the second moon from the Sky and created the Shadowed Lands where they would come to dwell. Much of the College turned its attention to this new threat born of the comet, but it was soon to be discovered that this world was not the only one touched by power.

Long ago the world of Jorven Kel Karenik Veek was a world much like ours but in the throes of a molten birth. Powerful gouts of fire met the sky turning the heavens to ash and sewing it like seeds across the great plains, life was nebulous then and had no direction, its powers could have become anything. In this baptism the world was changed, undergoing the greatest rebirth of all ages alongside the three worlds that hung around an infant Sun. The inhabitants of those worlds, the Zaek Haqire often called the Elementals or the Fundamentals, amongst other names given to them by the unenlightened, were born that day. This creation, as witnessed in their histories bear many, many similarities to the Source that gives us the power that we have experienced: The Sourcerers have come to know that Comet was the home of the Kaytaar and that it came to Vaklam with the intention of reforming their power and their own world here. What we were unaware of, even until recently, was that the Nexus was home to many other forms of life including the Founders of whom we will speak to at the end of this text, let us first examine the beginning of our contact with Jorven Kel Karenik Veek.

The famed Sourcerer Quinn Shadowreaver, who is now the head of the College of Controlling Power but whom Shadowreaver College or the College of Fire was named for, that established the first of the portals to the world of Jorven Kel Karenik Veek and met with the Lords of that land. It is well known now that Quinn had visited the Nexus on occasions and it is believed that he had learned of the core worlds and had sought them, finally settling on the world of Karenik Veek. It was Vashan Krik Nareeth, Lord of the House of the Blood Red Sun with whom he first met and each was impressed by the power of the other. Long did these worthies barter and talk and learn of each other’s ways. Compliments were passed and agreements drawn up and after many months of talk a contract was drawn between the mortals of Vaklam and the Houses now allied to the College. The nature of this pact bound the College to the service of the Great Houses in return for the essence of their magics. For it was that the power of the elementals, great though it may be, was enhanced by its strengthening here in Vaklam under the influence of the comet.

When Quinn returned he created the Great Shadowreaver College, building it through the power of his magics, melded with those of Vashan Krik Nareeth. Together the two laboured day and night for five days summoning the power of the Flux of the Comet and drawing the Ley lines together until their work was done. The College was created to be served by four chapters that represent the Houses to which it owed its allegiance, the chapters were given purpose by our Lord Shadowreaver and early leadership by the most talented of their fields: Volion Chapter; headed up by Garn Volion a Great Loremaster and Artificer of his age, Kashan Chapter; led by Trantik Kashan and Oblivion Mage of olden times, Trayvarn Chapter; watched over by Tryse Trayvarn a Rune Master and liaison to the Golden Table, finally Korst Chapter shepherded by Korst Natheron of the Order of Kyranry. Together with Quinn Shadowreaver the four acolytes of the College shaped and prepared it for the wars, growth and struggles that would lie ahead. They ruled over the first golden age of the orders of Sourcery, their names are legend and their deeds inspiring.

So the years rolled by and the College became powerful as did the other elemental Colleges. But there was infighting amongst the Arch Mages and their protégés and a war between the wizards threatened to endanger the lands. Those that knew the ancient words of power or commanded great strength came together and formed the College of Controlling Power to govern the other five and to give opposition should the Clergy rise to political strength. The formation of the College of Controlling Power (CoCP) heralded a massive change for all of the Sourcerers and a settling of power. Despite the clear power that was flowing from the four realms the early conclaves had greater dangers that drove the dynamics of the direction that we as a collective would take. The Daemon Foe were at our door and the Sourcerous Colleges were not only older and more heavily established but they were also seen as natural, pure and drawing power from the world. The term “Source” was called into question and the right of our followers to designate ourselves Sourcerers was stripped from us, we were renamed fully to Elementalists, as we know now, an incongruous term.

During those early years many of the other Colleges struggled to develop their potential, the rules of the CoCP had yet to expand to understand what we were; we did not draw power from what was understood to be the Source of Magics. However Shadowreavers lofty position meant that we had an excellent level of support and were able to emerge as the strongest most able of the Orders. We were drafted into combats against Daemon Kind to support the armies and the destructive power of fire became one of the most effective weapons in the field. We could not, however, turn the power of Daemon Kinds Corruption to our own ends, lacking in the training of the main Colleges and we were drafted to more mundane foes. Many that have come to our doors have, for that reason, arrived to learn the teachings of destruction but there is more than the end of things in the flame. These early years taught us the skills of artificing, the lores of the Zaek Haqire, fearlessness, the culture of realms beyond our own and the diplomacy that comes with the travel to learn such.

But time has passed and Shadowreaver College has become a centre for power and learning, focusing on those arts and the skills of power and control of the destructive elements of the world. Battle and warfare have filled much of our code and ethos although we are also trained to have the wit and grace to take such skills to court or to diplomatic action should the need arise. Shadowreaver College has been involved in all positive action for the Royal Basin over the course of the lands history. No College could be called more loyal to the cause of the Kingdom or the people that it protects. It is an esteemed and powerful part of the guild structure, well respected and whose affiliates are renowned the land over. To carry on these proud traditions and bring honour to the name of both the CoCP and the Zaek Haqire House that you choose to serve is to be part of Shadowreaver College. However the internal struggles of the Colleges cause the formation of alliances that none saw coming and this is often overlooked. Alongside us The CoCP soon became one of the most powerful political groups, standing off frequently against the clergy. However its superior organisation and its unbreakable consolidation has allowed it to become the closest advisor to the Crown. The wisest choice and decision for all involved.

Last updated byHolly Goodall