Another sneak peek into the world the novel I have been working on under the working-title of Ill’ln. Magic, long ago, began to fail. Almost overnight it began to run dry so that only a few places managed to hold enough power for certain creatures to survive and most of the usage had to be restricted out of fear that what was left would be depleted.
To accomplish this, wise councils of magi began to form into a group similar to the guild systems commonly used in cities for tradesmen. Over time, these orders of magi managed to ration out usage of magic and there was a noticeable renewal in the wellspring of power after only a few generations. These orders became ever more powerful until they rivaled the power base of the kingdoms they resided in. In some cases, they became the government itself, but in the case of the area where the story takes place, a balance of power formed.
Magi were never allowed to be involved in normal commerce or politics and in return were allowed to fully govern themselves as a kingdom within a kingdom. At the core of the story, this dynamic is the driving force of much of the novel’s twists and turns. Within the pages of the book, some of the complexity of the delicate dance going on just beyond sight between these two powers is going to come to light and for the protagonist, his entire world is turned on its head because of it.
On one side of the political spectrum is the Prince, the title used for the leader of the ruling house, and the heads of the other major houses. On the other side, the Order’s leadership, each with their own ideas of right and wrong. The system has worked for hundreds of years. Now just as the protagonist makes a foolish mistake that rips him from the mundane system into the mystical one, everything begins to shift.
I hope that in addition to the other aspects of the plots I am weaving, that the political intrigue driving events will be of great interest to my readers.
