The River

Waters and Magic of Many Colors

Magic, as I've said, runs in a River all throughout Turan.

It has waters of many colors and at the very bottom lives the Rainbow Dragon who is a Guardian of sorts of all the waters. He is very powerful and can grant the power of life over death. In the first novel, Jamus discovers his lair and does call upon him to help in some critical Healings.

The Magicians of Magiskeep are trained in using the Gold Magic, the waters of the Golden River. This is the Magic of pure logic.  It takes a great deal of study to master its Seven Arts. The Skill of each of the Seven Arts build upon one another, and most do not work without the learned skill of the Art before.

Very few Magicians can master all Seven Arts and most magicians are talented in one special skill.  Once that talent is discovered an Apprentice specializes in learning that Art to develop Mastery.

The First Art is Comprehension. This is basic understanding. Before a Magician can work a spell, he/she must have complete understanding of the target of the spell and how to work the Magic waters.
Scholars of this Art are the researchers and librarians of Magiskeep.

The Second Art is Illusion.  This is the skill to make things appear to be something else. It might also be used to make someone see something that is not actually there.  Masters of this Art can make illusions that are so solid they look and feel quite real.

The Third Art is Recreation where the Magician copies something that already exists and makes a duplicate of it.  This Art also can restore something that's been broken or damaged.  Masters of this Art are often skilled in Healing as well, but only if they have the talent for Compassion.

The Fourth Art is Transformation. This Art allows its practitioners to change something into something else. Working with materials at hand, the Master of this Art can make almost anything new. Often the first object must have some of the characteristics of the new creation. Masters of this Art rarely go hungry for they can change most any organic substance into a nice cavel roast.

The Fifth Art is Manipulation. The Art gains control over both objects and people. More often used to move objects from place to place the Art is not supposed to be used to force people to do things against their nature. However, such skill exists and too often the Masters of Manipulation use it to bend the Will of others.

The Sixth Art is Compassion. Here is the Art of Healing. By sensing, and Touching the pain, illness and injury of other living beings, the Master of this Art can call upon the River to Heal and restore Health.  True Masters are needed to cure Spellfire, the most damaging weapon of Magic. Only the most Gifted Masters can call upon the Rainbow Dragon to give life to someone who has died, or is dying. Compassion is truly a worthy talent.

The Seventh Art is Elevation. More ethereal than all the other Arts, Elevation is the pure skill of making anything it enchants better. It is an Art never truly Mastered as its sole goal is to reach perfection. Masters of Elevation do not always keep their thoughts in the practical world for they are always striving for something beyond the ordinary.

Thus the Golden Waters command the Magicians of the Keep.