HIGHEST CHANCE OF BEING FINISHED AS OF NOW.

Glasswright’s Apprentice and Magician’s Guild combo/spin-off; sort of.

NICHOLEKENA and Akarrinogen

IKKAWASKEWAN is Administrator

Girl-was a soldier girl, then casteless-family older brother-commander of army-try to take over. Natural. About 10, 15 times average magician’s power. sorceress b/c of power level

Bastard son of king who can’t produce more-also high lord of magicians’ guild-knows black magic- knowledge passed on from high lord to high lord-some books in high lord’s residence, a couple of examples, moving pictures. He decides to teach girl. 3-5 times average magician’s power level.

High lord chosen by people-submit to mind search-have to want good for all the “guild” and tested powerful. Gets letter from dead predecessor on higher magic (black magic).

Normally, only nobles get to be magicians. Too many people to test all, and other castes are considered lesser than them. Naturals very rare-last one 178 years ago. That person became high lord.

Black magic was deemed too dangerous for everyone to know.

Amount of magic: if one weak and one powerful, between parents’ amounts; sometimes if both parents are powerful, buildup creates a more powerful one. Sometimes a child is less powerful than either parent-power can skip generations-that person’s child maybe have more power-his amount can be either between what parents should have (if power did not skip them), or what they do have (if skipped, then possibly nothing).

Rules for black magic: can suck up energy, power stores, or ability to generate power stores. Sucking up generators (called power cores) takes a lot of energy to do, and if that victim has a lot of energy left, it is released unless it is sucked up also.

Merchants

Creators

Soldiers

Nobles

Classes:

Nobles-5 syllables

Soldiers-4 syllables

Creators (guildsmen)-3 syllables

Merchants-2 syllables

Casteless-1 syllable

City planned out like a target:

Casteless lurk in alleys and area between circle-

Upper class doesn’t go there, lower afraid to.

Cross is Thieves’ Cross (main roads)

Rectangles are city gates, in city wall

Outside walls are the slums-area outside city, for poor people mostly, though poorer merchant also live there-cant effort house inside.

Things would be better from now on, Bradleyehan thought as he left behind his old life and set off on his mission. Everything would be different from now on. He had a mission to complete, and when he was done, he himself would reap the benefits. His father would be King of all Alfanitama, and he himself would be the Crown Prince. And the arrogant nobles would get what they deserved.

But everything went horribly wrong that night.

Their plans were overhead by a soldier loyal to the crown, and so they found themselves met with a battalion of soldiers in full battle gear. They were slaughtered on the spot, in that dark underground tunnel which led to the noble’s circle. None of the rebels survived the encounter, though they themselves also had swords. There was simply not enough time to draw, and they we widely outnumbered.

The plan had been simple. They would come through the tunnel, and creep into the King’s room. Then they would force him to surrender his crown. The idea had been the creation Bradley and Nichole’s father. He was the one who had started the rebellion. And he was the only one not killed that night. He had not marched in with the others. He had hidden in an alcove near the entrance, not wanting to risk his own life, and upon hearing the battle raging within, had fled.

Initiation into Magicians’ Guild:

Nie followed the Administrator into the Meeting Room, wearing a green silk dress befitting a noblewoman. The other future novices were already lined up, snatching glances at the elevated risers on which sat the Higher Magicians. The golden throne in the very middle of the top row was empty, as was to be expected. The King very rarely visited the Guild at all, and there was no reason t to expect anything of importance to surface during this routine Guild initiation.

Novices were biannually introduced into the guild with such ceremonies, at the spring and fall equinoxes. However, this was the first time someone not of the noble caste would be accepted into the Magicians’ Guild, so naturally the King had sent someone in his place. It was a convenient arrangement, since the High Lord would probably have attended anyway, seeing as how he was the Guild’s leader and this was to change the course of history.

He was also the one who had argued most fervently to allow her into their ranks, while many others had wanted to lock up her powers and then have her killed. This way, the casteless girl could not become a threat later on.

Now, sitting right under the empty throne, High Lord Akarrinogen looked every part the Crown Prince that he was. True, the Magicians’ Guild was supposed to be separated from the crown, but he was already the High Lord when it was found that the King could have no more children. Thus he had become the Crown Prince, for even a bastard who had ran wild for over twelve years was preferable to a civil war over who would inherit the throne.

Administrator Ikkawaskewan now stood facing the lesser magicians, his back to the future novices. Family members set with these magicians, on risers that today held double the usual amount of people. Everyone wanted to see the casteless girl who would soon become one of them.

“Standing here before use are our new novices,” the Administrator said, his voice amplified by magic. “Their names are Treneozedeparr of House Samarrinapol, Judicandusho of Morehuslacren, Youlendolesou of House Karringtonteten, Soniseacorna of House Karringtonteten, Humorusiton of House Rerringteranon, and” Here he suddenly stopped, unsure of what to say about the last in the line.

: Crown Princess Nicholekena: she prompted him via Mindspeech.

The Administrator jumped a league, as did every other magician in the room, and probably all of those in the nearby vicinity as well. She had not used a secure connection, so naturally all of the magicians within range heard it. She had wanted it this way. From the start, they would know she was not someone to mess around with.

He was at a loss for words. “Um…uh. I’m sorry, I must not have heard clearly. What did you say your name was?” he asked Nicholekena.

“You heard correctly, Administrator,” she replied in her sweetest voice. “Please continue with the ceremony. After all, as the saying goes, time is money.”

“Uh- right. Now,” he said, turning back to the ceremony, “can anyone give a reason as to why one of these fine young ladies and men cannot become a novice in the Magicians’ Guild of Alfanitama?”

When no one audibly said anything, even though many though terrible thoughts about the casteless girl, he went on. “Does anyone wish to claim guardianship of one of the novices here before us today?”

The High Lord cleared his throat. “I do,” he said softly. Nevertheless, many people were startled. He almost never spoke, especially not during such ceremonies. Many parents began to hope that their child had been chosen. After all, being taken on by a magician meant that the child showed great promise. The earlier the decision was made, the more power the child showed. And considering who it was, and glory awaits the child who had been chosen.

Being taken on by the High Lord, no matter how late into their training, meant that the child would in the future at least have a position as one of the lesser Higher Magicians, if not the position of high lord itself. To be chosen at this stage, the novice had to be powerful indeed, and showed great promise. The High Lord could not have been around the casteless girl for long, if anytime at all, and so many were unprepared for Akarrinogen’s answer to the traditional question.

“I wish to take on Nicholekena as my novice,” he said, as calmly as ever, apparently unaware of the murmurings and outright protests starting to break out amongst the others.

“Er…right. Does anyone else wish to take on a novice?” Administrator Ikkawaskewa said. Several voices clamored, fighting to be heard.

“I wish to take Youlendolesou as my novice.”

“I desire to claim Humorusiton as my novice.”

“I wish Treneozedeparr to be my novice.”

“I will take Judicandusho to be my novice.”

“One at a time, please, magicians,” the Administrator said to the crowd, then called them down and made guardians and novices swear the traditional vows.

Basically, the novices promised to obey and respect their guardians, and the guardians promised to take care of their charges. Then all the novices, chosen and not, swore to obey all magicians, as long as it did not go against orders from their guardian or the laws of the kingdom or the guild.

With that all said and done, the ceremony was over, and joyous novices went their separate ways to seek out their families. Nicholekena was unsure of what to do. After all, she had no family. Therefore she went to seek out her new guardian.

The High Lord was surrounded by a group of curious magicians, all trying to pry out of him what had made him choose the casteless novice as his own. When he saw her, however, he effortlessly walked out of the mob, calm as ever.

“Come, Nikie.” He called her by her street name.

Ikkawaskewan