The Wizard Darnas

The skies over Hamitsdown were burnished a deep and lovely orange as our little city tipped over into evening and I arrived for an interview with the wizard Darnas. It was terribly late for an interview, but Darnas was very particular about his availability, so there I was.

Darnas resides in a tower in the middle of the business district - an odd place for a forty-foot monstrosity of stone and enchanted timber to be constructed, to be sure. Far removed from the great streets of Gedira from whence he came, Darnas has stated publicly that he moved to Hamitsdown following the culmination of his studies in conjuration.

When I arrived for our interview at Darnas’ tower, I was ushered into a stone foyer draped heavily in intricate tapestries depicting various events of wizardly renown. Notably, there was the battle of Edik Nur, supposedly won when the great wizard Rithart made himself a sacrifice to the dread dragon Hundsbane.

That is the wizard telling.

Any dragon will tell you that Hundsbane was already hunting Rithart for thieving from his horde, and that the dragon’s arrival on a completely unrelated battlefield and his subsequent digestion of the fleeing wizard perhaps turned some stomachs.

(I reached out to Bruge Claire about the discrepancy, and he said that Hundsbane hoards orbs of a particular size and color. The one that Rithart stole was rumored to be a great orb of power, about the size of a chickens egg, possibly able to control weather patterns. Hundsbane has apparently never tested it out. Bruge Claire also said he’d introduce me sometime, so perhaps one day soon someone will finally be able to relay a first person account.)

There wasn’t much in the way of seating in the foyer, simply a short stone bench arranged near the foot of the massive staircase that winds its way up the sides of the tower to Darnas’ study and living quarters, situated in such a way as to grace anyone seated with a perfect view of whomsoever descends. I was indeed treated to such a view after waiting a little over a quarter bell, when Darnas finally arrived.

Striding down his grand staircase in robes dripping with crystalline jewels, rich brocade, and other such ornaments that may have been more at home in a fancy party than a comfortable home interview, Darnas greeted me politely, and led me upstairs to his study where we could begin.

Darnas’ study occupies the entire second level of his tower, and is lined wall to wall with shelves bursting with carefully dusted tomes and oddly shaped implements. A pair of glass scissors lay abandoned on a shelf very near a porcelain bust of a distinguished human face with a charmingly bulbous nose; a pigeon-holed stand was filled at every orifice with rolls and rolls of parchment; an innocuous collection of clay dice with gold-brushed faces lay scattered across a work bench.

The air in the room felt oddly sterile, and while the seating and some tables had evidently seen use, the space had the impression more of a museum than a workroom.

As we settled into a set of plush armchairs near a window overlooking the city, a little wooden figure appeared at my elbow. The creature was three feet tall, and carved to resemble a solider, complete with a short wooden sword strapped to their waist. Where a face might be was instead left smooth and and featureless. They gestured politely towards my coat, presumably offering to hang it for me somewhere, but did not respond to my greeting. A bit flummoxed, I directed my question to the wizard.

EC: May I ask who’s this?

WD: Ah, merely a servant for your convenience.

EC: An animation?

WD: Very nearly. Would you like anything to drink, or perhaps smoke?

EC: I’m quite alright, thank you. Shall we get started?

WD: Of course.

He waved away the little wooden creature, and they trundled away to stand at attention in a corner.

WD: I must say, I was surprised when I received your request for an interview. I didn’t think a publication such as yours quite had the vision for my work.

EC: You were surprised? I have here that you submitted the interview request yourself.

WD: You have that?

EC: Of course, I have access to all materials pertaining to my interviews.

WD: Ah, well, surely it was only one of many.

EC: I see. In any case, let’s begin. Wizard Darnas, can you tell us about what drew you to wizardry? Why conjuration?

WD: Of course, of course. Well, as I’m sure you know, my family established the premier wizarding institution in Katallist.

EC: Yes, the Ved-Vidya Institute. I was under the impression that the school was technically founded by your second cousin, three times removed, and only after she had divorced from her husband and your family.

WD: Yes, great grandmother Ethel. After she founded the school-

EC: -With five other partners, yes?-

WD: - her descendants have naturally been called to wizardry. Unlike your average witch or warlock, a wizard benefits from an institution wherein we are granted the secrets of our craft.

EC: . . . Sure. In my experience, your ‘average witch or warlock’ do devote quite a bit of time and energy to establishing their craft. But I suppose individual study looks different from the grand halls of Ved-Vidya.

WD: Yes, exactly. The experience really cannot be compared.

EC: And conjuration magic as a specialty?

WD: Ah, yes, a compelling subject. As I’m sure you’re aware, my family has been trained in conjuration since the founding of the institute.

EC: So you were following in your ancestors footsteps.

WD: Yes and no. While it is true that we have a family legacy to maintain, from the day I took my first course in general studies of magic, I was drawn to conjuration.

EC: I understand that conjuration magic is the study of summoning creatures and objects. What is it that appealed to you?

WD: Oh, it is so much more than that. But I cannot blame a layman for being a layman. In addition to summoning creatures, or indeed useful objects, a competent wizard may also bind what is summoned to their will.

EC: With consent of the summoned creature, of course.

WD: A sufficiently competent wizard can bind a creature regardless.

EC: I wasn’t speaking to ability, but to ethics. I was under the impression that it was considered bad form to bind a creature without consent in magical circles.

WD: That depends entirely on the perspective of the magic user.

EC: The vast majority of creatures who are summoned are done so in the midst of leading their own lives, and summonings are often seen as disruptive, or wildly detrimental. Is this not something you account for in your work?

WD: You’re quite knowledgeable about the process of binding summons.

EC: I’ve interviewed a fair amount of magic users, Wizard Darnas. You’d be surprised how many have some history with summoning.

WD: Of course. I imagine a reporter such as yourself has the opportunity to meet all sorts of interesting people.

EC: I do indeed.

WD: Summoned creatures, by virtue of being able to be summoned, are subject to the will of their masters.

EC: That is quite an aggressive stance to take.

WD: It is an accurate one.

EC: How did you come to that conclusion? Is it a commonly held belief among wizards that any being that can be summoned thereby must submit to the summoner? Was this topic covered in your course of study?

WD: It is known, of course. I would be a poor pupil indeed if I failed to comprehend that which my professors suggested.

EC: That is interesting. I wonder, are you familiar with the Wizard Jeffries?

Here, Darnas’ face did something that indicated that the name was familiar, but not remembered fondly.

WD: Ah, yes, Jeffries. An accomplished caster, to be sure.

EC: Yes, exactly. I believe he was actually one of the founder’s of the Ved-Vidya, alongside Ethel Braycarry, correct?

WD: Indeed.

EC: Well, I happened to run into him at the recent Caster’s Gathering in Gedira. He was participating on a board discussing the intersection of summons and wizardry, actually. He shared some opinions that I fear may contrast with what you’ve shared with me today.

WD: Yes, well. Opinions differ amongst wizards, surely. But the evidence, I’m sure you will agree, is strong within my argument.

EC: That the ability to do something grants one the right to do it?

WD: Just so.

EC: I can’t say I agree.

WD: Well, as someone who is not a caster yourself, of course the intricacies of the craft allude you. One cannot expect to have a complicated conversation with someone who can only grasp the very beginnings of understanding. No fault of your own, of course. Such is the way of deep knowledge.

EC: How kind. I think I have everything I need, Wizard Darnas. Thank you for your time.

WD: So soon? I’m sure your readers have more questions about my person that I would gladly answer.

EC: Unfortunately, it is quite late, and I have deadlines I must met. You understand.

WD: Of course. Perhaps we could schedule an additional interview for a later time.

EC: Feel free to reach out to my office. We’ll be in touch if we’d like anything further.

Interview thus concluded, Wizard Darnas beckoned the wooden figure out of it’s corner and bade it lead me back down the long spiral staircase.

As I was escorted out of the tower, I couldn’t help but wonder about the little creature at my hip. Was this a summons, confined to a body not their own? On the back of the creatures neck was a small painted symbol- two interlocking rings encircled with a third ring of thorns. Did this indicate a binding? Was it simply a wizarding rune?

Once we’d reached the door, I thanked the creature with a friendly pat on the back of the neck, ready to be on my way. Instantly, the poor thing collapsed at my feet. This must have triggered something back up in the study, because no sooner was the wooden figure a wooden heap than did Darnas come tearing down the stairs, shouting and berating me for the loss of his summons. It turns out that the symbol in question did indicate a binding.

But, really, how could I have known that one need only disrupt the symbol of a summons to free a bound creature? I am but a layman, unfamiliar with the wizarding craft.

Current legislation across Katallist does not provide much in the way of protection for familiars and other summoned creatures, and the majority of laws that do exist concern themselves more with what can be summoned and where (no imps or other hellish fiends in major trade districts, for instance). There is currently no law in any jurisdiction indicating the length of time one may hold a summons, nor what tasks can be requested, or mandating treatment for duration of service.

For readers interested in learning more about the issue, The Holler recommends visiting local advocate groups such as Familiar Rights Now (FRN) and Creatures for the End of Summons Oppression (CESO). These organizations maintain field offices in a number towns and cities, and are largely volunteer operated. Information sessions and Q&A’s are frequently offered by both collectives, and they are always eager to educate. Contact information and other details can be requested from the Holler’s Hamitsdown office or by High Post.

Alive from the Holler,

-Eze Clearwater