Court Magic of High Rock
by Ademar de Sarne, Royal Battlemage of Camlorn, 4E 202
Bretons revel in two things - magic and politics. Often, one is used to advance the other. Nobles are the most educated class in High Rock, and with the education usually comes a considerable skill in magic. Magic is known to be used to settle conflicts on a battlefield, yes, but Bretons consider themselves civilized. Their politics is fueled by diplomacy, plotting, intrigue - and of course, magic.
As mentioned above, nobles are one of the most magically skilled group in High Rock. Many scholars, battlemages and knights do get elevated to noble status for their services, and their knowledge of magic only serves them well on the political stage. But, since combat isn’t the cornerstone of politics, the school of Destruction is largely redundant. Mysticism, Illusion and even Alchemy have very important roles, but anyone with a desire to become the Highest in the Rock should know that the key to success is Enchanting.
Enchanting makes magic permanent, and that is especially useful when a politician has to protect himself day and night - everyone needs rest. Nobles wear jewelry to show off their status and wealth, but not many common people or foreigners know that the accessories are usually enchanted with powerful protective magics. Effects used range from the simplest Resist or Absorb Magic, to the more specific, Disrupt Teleportation, Banish Daedra or Dispel Invisibility. Attacks one has to face are clever, inventive and more frequent than one can imagine.
Assassination remains to be the simplest way of removing your political opponents, with the risk of being exposed as the main obstacle. Assassins use mostly Illusion and Mysticism, delicate schools which require years of practice to master. An assassin uses Invisibility and Muffle to walk unseen and unheard towards his victims. To kill, Bound Weapons are used, since they don’t require to be carried. Alternatively, the target is poisoned. Usually it’s the food and drink that carries the poison, but those skilled in Mysticism can teleport certain potent poisons directly into the target’s system. Teleportation is also a viable way to get to the target and leave the scene, quickly and effectively.
Nobles can also send daedra to do their dirty work.
Defense: Nobles have discovered the destructive potential of Teleportation, so most of them learn how to fight it - either by sensing the spell and locating the assailant, or by disrupting the teleportation (the assassin materializes before his destination, often into a wall). To shield from teleported poisons, enchanted jewelry is enough. Sometime, whole rooms are enchanted against Teleportation of any kind. To dispel illusions, many enchanted objects are spread out all over palaces, and they release their magic periodically - an assassin is made visible randomly in a hallway, by either Dispel or Silence. A Banish Daedra enchantment worn on one’s person sometimes works against bound weapons as well - they disintegrate on impact.
To achieve one’s goals doesn’t have to result in the death of one’s liege. Often, all it takes is to convince the liege to do something. When words fail, Illusion steps in. Many nobles use Illusion to make other people like them more - such technique is called Charm. A Charming individual appears funnier, more attractive, more likeable, while a Charmed often experiences a momentary drop in intelligence and critical thinking. Even without magic, some people can sense whether they are Charmed or not and snap out of it. With magic, it is possible to protect against this effect as well. To alter the mood of the target, people use mild, difficult to detect versions of Calm, Fury and Fear effects. When this also fails, a delicate combination of Mysticism and Illusion can provide a way to enter one’s mind and plant thoughts directly. However, this is a technique so complicated that only a few mages can master, while having limited success.
Defense: Defense against subtle mind control is more difficult than a simple ward or a defensive enchantment. Most nobles train their minds to recognize when they are being manipulated. Wealthier lords usually keep a loyal, trustworthy battlemage at their side, to be on a lookout for Illusion effects - two minds are better than one.
A common practice in court politics is, of course, blackmail. Secrets have value. Bretons, naturally, use their court magic to get, and also protect their secrets. Listening to private conversations seems to be the main source of information. A listener can make himself invisible and follow his targets. He can use magic to temporarily strengthen his hearing. Or, send a daedra to collect information (including stealing documents or other objects).
Defense: When having a private conversation, a group usually, secures the room by casting sound-distorting wards and Banish Daedra. How to expose invisibility was already discussed above.
These are some examples of the so-called “court magic” used by Bretons. It encompasses the use of many schools and related subjects and is as inventive and cunning as the people themselves. Bretons are ambitious people, who would go anywhere to accomplish their personal goals - and magic is the best tool available. So why not use it?