Work Text:
Chapter One
Introductory Notes
20th of Highbright, Y.o.B. 1207
Chancellor Lapin Cadbury
The Ravening War is over, and we have entered peacetime. In the light of our bulb, we have shone with gracious joy over all that has thrived without war. Yet, the shadows that war cast do not falter and they do not fade. I write this from the perspective of forbidden literature, these books will be protected with my life and all that I hold. So, my voice may fade from education and move more into personal motives. For that I apologize, but you are not here to read of my life, you are hear to read of heresy.
The twin princesses Jet and Ruby of House Rocks have found themselves in relative safety all the way to their tenth birthdays. As I grew through war and violence, I see this alone as a miracle. But as they gain prowess and relative consciousness, I would feel it dismissive to not plan for their future. Whilst teaching them the words of this book in their young age would either place me in a cold cell for the rest of my time or with a Vegetanian axe through my neck, I still feel it pertinent to write it down. Maybe it is impulse, maybe it is intellect, or maybe it is Her. Despite this turning my stomach, I would betray what I believe to not save history for what it is, to save us from what we could be.
My name is Chancellor Lapin Cadbury, Chaplain of Castle Candy, Primogen of the Bulbian Church… Warlock of the Sugar Plum Fairy. And if the Princesses Jet and Ruby have managed to break into my library after I am long dead, know that I collect these notes and findings for your sake and not for mine. It is my job to know what I shouldn’t, and in some ways, I hope that becomes your job too. If we do not account for our history, no matter how coated in blood it may be, we are truly doomed to repeat it.
The origins of magic, often masked as miracles, is largely shrouded in mystery. Newer beliefs are very simplified, all good comes from the Bulb and all evil comes from the Hungry One. Whilst I have not found good in the Hungry One, I have certainly found plenty of evil within the Bulb. Not all that is good can be laced with purity, there must be evil for it to exist. I’ve seen plenty of soldiers commit atrocities in the name of the Bulb. Older beliefs are much more expansive, they account for individual magic of druidic origins. Mostly around ancient Candian ideals of nature and being. Still, none of this is tangible. I personally would argue that the true origins of magic as I know it came from the research and notes of Archmage Lazuli Rocks.
Over this first chapter, I will explore the emotive state of Lazuli from her personal notes in an attempt to link that to her miracles that she performed. Hopefully this will implore you to look more into it.
Chapter Two
Princess Lazuli and the Intrinsic Connections between emotive state and magical ability
20th of Highbright, Y.o.B. 1207
Chancellor Lapin Cadbury
In all my years as a proud Chancellor, I have never had to deal with problems close to those of Princess Lazuli. Whilst I followed proudly in her academia, surviving only through sheer willpower, I never actively follow her footsteps. Too many mistakes, too many emotions… and an unfortunate death. I do not use this as an outlet to speak ill of the miracle-worker, I only acknowledge that she was not perfect in her approach. The following is a letter I discovered whilst going through all of her notes. It is the first in a series of letters that were very dear to Lazuli’s heart, her first communications with Queen Caramalinda. Sadly, I have had to hide them. If the church were to get their hands on these, Candia would be risked. Yet, here you have found them. Therefore, if you are part of the Bulbian Church, I only ask that now is the moment you decide that you’ve seen enough.
Carmelinda, Duchess of Meringue. I reach out to you on behalf of House Rocks in an official capacity. Formality is normally my strong suit and yet right now I feel remiss. I simply know you too well. My uncle has been in conversation of war whilst my father has barely been in the conversation. His weakness is often apparent but his love of Candia is still strong. But that isn’t my point of conversation. Your house won’t acknowledge this endless rampage. And I understand that, war is men’s playground where the cleanup outweighs the cost. Yet, I… I only ask for you at my side through it. And it is for purely selfish reasons. I could ask you for violence, in the nonsense, but you, you give me grace, your light and your warmth. I do not need council and I do not need soldiers… I just find myself needing you. I believe the first step towards that is honesty. Miracle is a fickle word, I find it thrown like the seed to a poor farmer, it’s substance is lost. Normally when there are calls for Miracle, magic takes its place. It is a crime to say this, as the Bulb above does not observe such magic, but I do. I know you have love for the Bulb, which is why I hesitate to even mention this. Yet, I wouldn’t even begin to imagine a life where we were enemies. So, I ask you to halt your faith in the Bulb and give your faith to me. When we next meet I will show you more, and I can only hope you still have space in your heart for me.
Unabashedly and unconditionally yours,
Princess Lazuli of House Rocks.
This letter was but a beginning to something unexpected. Love incarnate takes many forms but, through magic, that form can be completely literal. In the following few journal entries of Princess Lazuli, you will see a correlation between one's emotive state and the magic that one can use. The next note is taken directly from her early writings, confiscated by myself before it could be consumed by prying eyes.
“Magic is, fundamentally, an incredibly destructive weapon. No matter how you use it, the breakdown of magic is to take from the world and give back something dangerous. It comes in many forms, and it’s uses could be considered infinite. For example, I’ve been developing a spell to hold an individual in place. The basis of the spell is to use their mind and halt their muscles so that they are completely unable to move. To do this, I take fifteen milligrams of sugar and combine it with five-hundred grams of pure iron. Once they are amalgamated, all I need is a line of sight. I hold out my hands and picture their bones as the iron. After reciting the incantations, I can freeze them in place. It has worked so far on a few more than willing Tart Guard, perfect targets for any spell that asks them to use their minds. This spell would never hurt, just hold. And yet, I can feel a darkness behind it. Some strange energy that capitalizes on invocations. My young apprentice, Theo, put it best: “You seem to be stuck in a moment, and when you let that moment go… everything turns to rubble.” He apologized for speaking out of term, but I was very proud of him at this moment.
The Church has been using magic for years and disguising it as “miracles”. A joke. For if this power they were using was miraculous, then why can all of those demonstrable primogens use it? The bottom feeders, those of faux faith, the unaccountable creatures that prey on our family. I have no love for the church or their people, but I daren’t risk my family for personal bias.”
I truly hope that this is not in reference to myself, for it feels like an unfair jab. Still, my position within the church has been debated by the Rocks family since I joined them. My initial personal relationship with magic aligns very well with what Princess Lazuli states. Magic is nothing but destruction. All created by magic is created to destroy. It’s why I avoid it in as many situations as I can. My magic is considered a miracle by the Church due to its innate ability to heal. Whether the individual has broken bones or immense illness, I can channel my magic to fix them. This does mean that I am not destroying? Not in the slightest, for I cannot comprehend the stipend of my magical abilities. They are channeling darkness and feuling monstrosity, just because it is doing good does not mean it is good. However, I am not foolish. There is no true good or bad in any action, there is just action. Magic is no different. To use evil to do good doesn’t negate evil, but it does forward society. Therefore, using magic from any standpoint should be in the hands of the user and not of the Church. Even reading this is heresy, so now is the time to put down the book and pretend your life hasn’t changed. Yet, if you have that curiosity that any great mage holds, then maybe continuing to read will help you change this. This change was something that Lazuli championed, as stated in her later notes:
My values rely on the strength of my mind, and as war rises I feel like I’m falling. Tainted by destruction and pursued by doubt, I see no outcome within innocence. For innocence and malice are the oldest of enemies and that’s all I can stomach. My magic grows stronger everyday and I cannot fathom why. I stay in the castle as my family protects this house in the midst of mad, pointless war. And yet, I want nothing but the strength to join them. And for the longest time I truly believed that this was the magic taking over me, but my mind has changed. My thoughts are intertwined in two things, the pursuit of magic and my love of her. Carmelinda. She is one of the few to stay in the castle with me, to listen to every incantation, to care for me as I work. This is where my beliefs of magic began to change. As I have spouted a thousand times over, magic is destruction. However, this notion is unsupported by my recent emotional connection to it. As I find myself falling more and more in love, I find my magic increasing in its potential. All of this culminated in an incredible event.
I was in my study, I had been working on my transmutations for weeks. I had fallen into depression, my mind wavered constantly. I even denied entrance to my dear Caramlinda, a move I still regret. War is a game for spoiled boys to wave their swords and watch men perish, I despise it and yet, I crave it. My goal is to turn the tide of a battlefield, change the Earth below into flowing liquid and give grave disadvantages to our enemies. I had sat there with stones from the castle gates trying to liquify them in a brash movement of fickle rage. My anger overtook and my goals were impure. In that moment, I knew I cared for this damned war, and that anger was all I could channel… Then, she walked in. I had asked her not too since I knew what state I was in, but she didn’t care. She’d brought me wine and kissed me, a smile came across my face for the first time in a while. I could tell how she was feeling, she had missed me. I hadn’t felt that in someone in a while. At that moment, I wasn’t stuck… but nothing was crumbling to rubble. And as I held out my hand to move the stone, I noticed it was but a sugary puddle of what it once was.
Whilst I don’t dispute that most magic is destruction, the basis of magic is closer linked to us that one might assume. If a mage has their paramore at their side, then there is no magic that can’t be conquered by love.
Whilst this is sweet to feeble minds, it does stem further questions as to the nature of magic. Originally notions of the sweetening path believed that magic came from the world around us. Meanwhile, the Church believes that all magic is a gift from the Bulb above or a curse from the Hungry One. No one has ever truly pondered if magic came from the individual, if it emanates from the emotional state of the caster.
Princess Lazuli joined the front lines late into the war, an unexpected soldier. She initially showed a lot of resistance to go. Her partner, Queen Carmilinda, did not believe in the war and I have the notion that this influenced Lazuli’s decisions. But we were losing. I was a young bastion of the Church at this time, so I ended up spending a lot of time in the castle. Lazuli was a wise, incredible mage that had to hide the majority of her work. Her decision to go to the front was not selfish, it was a necessity. I truly believe that the tides of war would’ve never turned to our favour if she had not joined. And I truly believe that, whilst King Amethur proudly sits upon the throne, that she would’ve made an unbelievably powerful Queen. She would’ve ushered in a peacetime unakin to the days of old, the days before the church that we can now only read of. Strange to reminisce in a time you never had.
When we lose people, we underestimate the gaps that our left in our everyday. As we lost our Princesses those gaps got stronger and stronger. The castle would fall silent at times, as we waited for bright voices to fill the void. We waited but we never found them. I was young, but I was not foolish. I understood the impact that all four Princesses had on Candia. The streets of Dulcington would stall waiting for their joy to return. I see that joy in Ruby and Jet, I see them running through those streets finally filling those voids. Yet, magic has that same emptiness. When it’s casters fall, so does its potency. And if it is connected to emotion as Lazuli theorized, then rage is a power unbeknownst. Many of the notes I wish to share I am unable too, due to the protective nature of Caramlinda. But as I was asked by the Queen to analyze Lazuli’s work, I found this letter. It was barely hidden under a stack of paper. As I read through it, I understood, she wanted me to find it. A final letter written from the Queen to her beloved, a letter connected to her new magic. She wrote it in hopes that Lazuli would read it from past the grave. Maybe, one day I can read it to her. It is as follows;
My dearest Lazuli,
There are hundreds of letters that I read through to try to recreate your words in my mind, but today is the first day where I feel that I have lost your voice. So, I’m writing to you again. In a desperate hope that one day you will read this. I would call myself foolish, but I used to watch you hold out your hand and cause a book to fly into it. Reading a letter may be easier, wherever you are.
Our lives felt like a million small moments, culminating in truth. Truth that I never thought possible. I read your books, your notes and it isn’t the same. I want you to hold my face after a long day. I want to look into your eyes and get lost. I want your voice again. I could live a thousand lifetimes and I would just want you.
Since I lost you, I have been miserable. My happiness is to be near you. Incessantly I live over in my memory of your caresses, your tears, your affectionate solicitude. The charms of the incomparable Princess Lazuli kindle continually a burning and a glowing flame in my heart. When, free from all solicitude, all harassing care, shall I be able to pass all my time with you, having only to love you, and to think only of the happiness of so saying, and of proving it to you?
But I just can’t hear you anymore, and it’s truly killing me. You always told me your family would care for me, and they do, but it isn't the same. When you have that love in your life and it suddenly leaves, nothing can ever fill what you once had. I think back to the balls you would take me too, when you’d hold me in your arms, dance with me and never care for the eyes beating down like the sun. You’d always take my hand, even if we weren’t meant too.
I did what I truly believed I never would. I started tidying your study. And then I started reading your books. And I started gathering materials and components and I … I am afraid to even write about it. But to do what you do, it’s like your arms are caressing me again. I feel you at my waist every time I call an incantation.
So, I drive on. To feel you in a moment makes me feel infinite, and to cast what I do is to be at your side once again. You truly showed me everything, a world I could never fathom. To stop learning would be to leave you. And I could never leave you. You are love, in its purest form.
Unabashedly and unconditionally yours,
Caramilinda.
Queen Caramilnda has been a believer in the Bulb since she was a child. She still champions her belief and provides the key religious kindlement that House Rocks desperately needs. Her marriage to King Amethaur was so key to the redevelopment of Candia. Then, through her faith, she was able to work miracles. Yet, for some strange reason, she kept this quiet from the church. She would beg me to keep her miracles to myself. Then, she’d spend days in Lazuli’s office reading through every page and every footnote. She is a powerful mage, and I believe that love that she keeps alive is what drove her towards magic. What keeps Lazuli’s magic alive. Magic is destruction. Destruction is driven… by love.
My conclusions lead me to believe that Lazuli had an unbelievably well of power inside her. Her magic would come out in some of the most horrifying moments of war, doing what she believed to be right. She died for those ideals. Whilst her presence may have left these castle walls, her magic never truly will.
That is all I feel I can write. I fear that by bringing these notes forward to anyone wouldn’t only risk my life but the entirety of Candia. I understand the necessity of history, yet I will not risk the Family. My life has been too dedicated to them. I wish you well for reading this much, assuming I have not burnt the pages.
Chapter Three
King Jadain’s first acknowledgement of Magic as an entity in an exchange between him and his brother, Duke Joren Jawbreaker.
24th of Highbright, Y.o.B. 1207
Chancellor Lapin Cadbury
I couldn’t leave it alone. My work here feels more important than that. As we move further and further into peace, I feel angry eyes attached to House Rocks. If we find ourselves in another War and we do not have a fundamental understanding of what magic can do for us, then we will perish. I know this from an exchange of letters I found between King Jadain of house Rocks and his brother, Duke Joren of house Jawbreaker. The first set of letters were found in a pile of loose papers underneath King Jadain’s bed, a tart guard found them and luckily… he could not read. The second set were summoned from the kingdom by the very young ward of Jawbreaker, Liam Wilhelmina. He brought a lot of useful documents from his family's side, the vast majority of which will never see the Bulb’s light. Some of them are heresy and most of them are simply far too raunchy. I was going to leave it alone. Live in willful ignorance and finally find some freedom within my own mentality. But I knew that would never last. Ignorance is the first sign of a bloody and dangerous war. The first letter written by King Jadain is as follows.
“Brother,
I have grown to be patient with you my entire life. I learnt that if rage controlled me, I would never beat you. Because that’s all I can see in you… rage. This power you claim so proudly will drag this Kingdom into the mud. Joren, my patience is so unbelievably thin now. I apologize for my crude tone, but by dragging our soldiers into this pointless war will be blood shed for nothing but sugar cane. We have no stake in this war. All we would bring is death. I beg of you, do not send your soldiers to fight the Vegetanian’s. You do not have the strength to win the fight. I might not have your brawn but you do not have my brains. The war is not worth it.
King Jadain of House Rocks
Second of his Name, Sovereign Ruler of Candia and the Sugarlands, Duke of Cookieshire, Protector of the Realm and Defender of the Faith.”
The decision to stay out of war by any means possible was not a popular one throughout Candia. In fact, sometimes it felt as if King Jadain was the only person who didn’t want war. Now that it’s over, I am certain many wish they could travel back and apologize to King Jadain personally. As the horrors of war are better reading material than practical work. Still, his resolve always stood strong no matter the opposition. The only person he would never convince was his brother. In his steadfast response, Duke Joren did not show kindly to the King's response.
“I dare not call you brother in my opening remarks. Calling you “coward” makes infinitely more sense. You will always have my respect as a King, but as a brother? I would rather call the peep shit on my boots brother before I would call you. I understand deeply why our allies call you “Oathbreaker”.
Candia has a sworn allegiance to Kingdoms who are currently in desperate peril. Hundreds of good soldiers die every day because we do not help them. Because you will not give the order, and you come to me saying you have a lack of patience! We can beat these foolish meatheads and these rotting vegetables. We have something they never will, the power of Candy. The Magic surrounding this kingdom will protect us as we run forward. The damn Bulb can suck on a rock, I care not for the Church's foolish ways. We could easily take everything from under their nose. Still, your cowardice is holding us back. Now is the time to be brave, for the first day of your rule.
You have no honour.
Duke Joren of house Jawbreaker.
First of his Name, Ruler of North-Gumbia, Protector of The Great Stone Candy Mountains, Brute of Buzzybrook, blah blah blah what the fuck ever."
This was, sadly, the first official acknowledgement of magic throughout the Ravenging War. Whilst Princess Lazuli had certainly studied magic, all of her notes were incredibly private. To no surprise, Duke Joren speaks freely of it. Our magical potential is spoken with the utmost secrecy, which has never played to the good Duke’s strength.
Brother.
Your desperation to save Kingdom’s you have never travelled to truly baffles me. I know those faces that lie dead in the mud and I dare not risk my Kingdom for their foolish war. You talk of honour and bravery and yet all you crave is blood. When the fighting is done and the dead are buried, that is when we can emerge. I know this does not make me popular but it does make me cunning.
Mince your words when you talk of such Miracles, Brother. Were we not private people then prying eyes would have you hung. If there is one thing all sides can rally against it is our heresy. I will not risk my daughters lives nor my son's life for your flapping lips.
This is no easy position that I find myself in. But if you join that war, I will die. I just know it, and whilst I adore my children. I don’t believe they are ready to take the throne. My eldest, Rococoa, is an incredible General and our army needs her. My dear Citrina protects us with her faith. My brilliant Lazuli is the greatest mind this kingdom has ever produced. My wondrous Saffria will lead this nation into a new era unbeknownst to any living Candian. And my darling boy, Amethar. I just want him to find joy. I see such wonder in his eyes everyday. I do not want to needlessly throw him into war. He will never find joy if I do.
Joren, I dream of a normal death. One where my children are at my side Where I can feel the warmth of my wifes hand. Where I can find peace with all that I did. Please understand me. Please, in good faith, protect our family.
King Jadain of House Rocks
Second of his Name, Sovereign Ruler of Candia and the Sugarlands, Duke of Cookieshire, Protector of the Realm and Defender of the Faith.
Silence fell on the Kingdom of Candia. Whilst this letter was not read by its citizens, the people of Candia somehow knew exactly what it said. Joren, the Duke desperate for war, would not respond. Instead he would raise his soldiers and do what he always did, he rushed. Pressure from every angle, and the decision fell out of Jadain’s hand. If the Cookieshire soldiers rushed, then so did Jadain’s men. There is still questioning of Jadain’s response, it has affected our relationship with almost every allied Kingdom. But, there is no doubt in the people’s mind, War was hell. And Jadain wasn’t a coward, he just understood that simple fact.
Jadain did not fall in battle, his heart just couldn’t stand for the war. The following is a transcript discovered from a scribe living at castle Jawbreaker. It was written a few nights after news broke of Jadain’s death. It depicts a speech spoken by Duke Joren Jawbreaker at a feast to celebrate a recently won battle. He’d found out about his brother's death moments before he started speaking.
Friends, I uhh… I stand here today having lost my usual spark. I stand before an empty room. Usually I fill this place with laughter and immense pissing contests. However, I don’t have my gusto today. I barely have my confidence.
War takes a toll on everyone, soldier and civilian. It takes pain and it takes glory. It takes friends and enemies alike. War is not the spoils of my childhood as I once thought it to be. I proudly stand and fight. I have no regrets. But I do have… loss.
I’m a war guy. I always have been. But war has never seen scale like this. And my Brother, he isn’t a … he wasn’t a war guy. He was much more political.
Hey! Don’t boo, I will rip your fucking throat out through your jaw and make you eat it!
Anway… he was political. He knew people much better than I ever did. But he wasn’t an asshole. Well, he was… in ways that he needed to be.
I called him a coward once… many times actually. I regret that. He wasn’t cowardly, he was smart. He knew what was coming. Everything he did was for Candia. And now, his son takes the throne. After the deaths of my niece’s. The fifth in line stands tall and takes over. Walks into a position he was never truly meant for. And my heart goes to him.
When Jadain took the throne, he did it to protect this kingdom. When Jadain joined this war, he did it to protect this kingdom. When Jadain died, he died protecting this kingdom! Candia! A land of sugar filling every river and rock. A land that holds us strong! A land that never gives in! A people made from the land. The druids of the Stone Candy Mountains stand before you! They look over you and they bless you. Generals suggest we retreat. After all of this? My brother did not die to retreat! He died for Candia. As will I and as will you all! Whether you die today, tomorrow or a hundred years from now. You die for Candia!
I am with you at this time, not as for my recreation or sport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all; to lay down for Candia, and for my people, my honor and my blood. Here we will stand and fight; there will be no further withdrawal. I have ordered that all plans and instructions dealing with further withdrawal are to be burned. We will stand and fight here. If we can’t stay here alive, then let us stay here dead. Sugar runs in our veins! We will drink the blood of foolish food that dare to stand against us!
The transcript and many witnesses go on to describe the following event as “the greatest moment of magic in Candia’s history.” The druids conjured some feast for every single soldier at the speech, all of them were filled with an immense heroic energy that gave them power previously unseen in Candia. The next day, when they went to battle, they did not lose a single soldier.
A year after this, War was over. Joren returned to Castle Jawbreaker and King Amethar of House Rocks, First of His Name, Sovereign ruler of Candia and the Sugarlands took the throne. Joren’s rule changed after this. In a sense of post-mortem, his approach slowly became more subtle. Instead of rushing into War, he entered open rebellion. Knowing this meant nothing whilst Amethar held the throne. But it allowed the Rocks family to truly use the power they deserved. Magic continues with some freedom deep in the Sugarlands, but it is not the most public of knowledge. I would be remiss if I did not equate this to King Jadain’s influence.
And that is the end of the story. The King made sure that magic was kept to whispers and rumours. I understand it for my personal bias, but do not dare gallop my power in public standings. My mind would not let me. But the lesson from this is simple, using magic for your own personal benefit only brings pain. Duke Joren’s immense “confidence” led him into a situation where he lost so much that he cared for. And he learnt from this. He grew. Magic is available to fill in gaps where men are weak. That is all.
Chapter Four
Letters and Notes from the House Rocks Princesses that strongly link their immense progress to natural magic talent.
1st of Brightdusk, Y.o.B. 1207
Chancellor Lapin Cadbury
That’s been stuck in my mind for days. “Magic is available to fill in gaps where men are weak.” I am not wrong. But men will always be weak. Through every War and every conflict there is danger due to the weakness of resolve. So, there has to be ways that we can use magic to solve this? Surely, because if there aren’t we would’ve perished a thousand times over.
Every time I think that I am finished something drags me back in.
Where was magic used correctly? In my previous papers, I concluded that the emotional state of a mage is incredibly influential towards their power. I also summarised a historical complication with the public use of magic. I wanted to draw stronger conclusions after reading through hundreds of letters and notes from the War. I recognize that so many of them barely touch on magic, due it’s taboo nature but there must be something there must be.
I fear that I am drawing lines in the sugarsands, waiting for my words to be washed away. I look out onto an ocean of knowledge that I must lock away before the waves destroy everything I hold dear. And yet, I do not quell the oceans, I only let them stir. What if I am not fit for this task? My magic alone is inherently monstrous, devoid of love and hope and created from destruction. With every good deed that I do, I only feel it supporting something sinister. She is always there. Always listening, and always creeping in. I know I am not strong enough to defeat Her, I knew that since I was a child. Since She became my benefactor, the sum of all my mistakes. There is more to magic than this! There must be!
I apologize. Take pause in my ramblings. Thank you for reading this far. I only persist because I know it may be of benefit to anyone but myself. For now, it only feels like a burden. Lazuli understood this. I only wish I could have been closer to her, to learn more. But now, all I have are her notes.
Yet, there is more than I thought. My view was narrow and my mind was too obtuse. Of course, my assumption was that Lazuli was the denizen of all things arcane. The breaker of miracles. A fool's idealism. The sisters were the most powerful people to ever grace Castle Candy, it would be a disservice to not at least try to equate their might to some magical influence.
Starting with General Rococoa. She was, without question, the greatest soldier that this House ever produced. Her prowess stood her above every General that we could possibly produce. It was, in fact, her words that would always hold sway over her soldiers. Not that her strength certainly lay in her blade, but the way she could communicate with her soldiers would raise their spirits. I have a letter from a Dairy Islands sailor riding under her, Sir Jay Roquefort. He writes to his husband on the Isles of Rococo's leadership.
My Dearest Casey,
The rocking of milk against these baron ships have made me think of calming winds laid next to you at the peak of Brightdawn. I long for days where I may lie with you again. But for now, all I can dream is written in these letters.
Much has progressed since you last heard from me. The Candian’s finally joined the battle under the leadership of House Rocks. I was transferred to a new General, Rococoa of House Rocks.
Within the first days of her leadership, I admit I lifted my nose a fair bit. The way that she carried herself reminded me of nobles who used to look down on us back home. It was hard to accept someone who had come from such wealth and fortune. I had made my assumptions, and feared the worst when we sailed to our first battle.
Yet, my fears were quelled the moment she first swung her sword. I have been a sailor since I was a boy, and I have seen soldiers come to the seas and break within hours. They often can barely hold their feet. But she took a rope and flew towards a Meatlander ship like a gummy hawk. And I couldn’t help but follow. I knew that if I were to put all my trust in her, we could never lose a battle.
Within her first week of leadership, we had taken a quarter of the Northern Dairy Seas back from the Meatlanders. A feat I truly didn’t think possible. It is this sensation when she steps into battle. An immense inspiration falls into the heart of everyone she commands.
We had a hearty battle last night. Good fighters were lost, but we kicked those Meatlanders to the depths. We were sitting on the deck this morning, drenched in the spoils of the battle. All of the crew caught their breath and watched the sunrise. I looked at Rococoa, arrows still stuck in her armour and blood still dripping from her sword. I sat beside as she let out a sigh of relief. I asked why. She said “After every battle, I feel like I have found my calling. And I do everything for my people, but there is a selfishness in winning. For I know who I am protecting. But there is still a base fear, that I may fall and the war will be lost.” She said this with a joyous smile, a hand on her hilt as she pointed towards the Sun. “However, if the sun comes in the morning, I am still alive. And the War cannot be lost while I watch her rise.”
I have been commanded by so many over my life, but she is the first person I consider my General.
I love you, my dear Casey. And I know that under her, I will come home.
Yours,
Jay.
Whilst it is simple to state that General Rococoa's personality and battle history would be enough to inspire her soldiers, the language that Sir Roquefort uses suggests otherwise. He didn’t know her beforehand, and it takes a lot for a soldier to trust a General. Especially when they’ve been fighting for as long as they did. I think Rococoa undoubtedly had the power to convince people to fight for her, but to have that hold over someone within a single fight? Just from a battle cry? It seems like there could be some form of ‘miracle’ at play here.
Still, this isn’t a “good” application of magic. It’s not that I am exactly looking for benign magic, I just want magic to mean something more. Rococoa might have had this unbelievably mystical charisma that would convince people to die at her side, but that’s just another application of magic being used for more death. Wherever there seems to be magic, death follows with the utmost joy. It killed Lazuli, it killed Jadain and more than likely killed Rococoa in the end. All the sisters died tragically but also shrouded in mystery. Whilst I proudly support the throne that Amethar has taken, there is a curiosity in my mind that I will never halt if I cannot comprehend this.
Princess Sapphria was the youngest of the sisters, but that meant she would do everything to rise above her station. Her… outlandish nature certainly left the kingdom in heapings of trouble. However, she was, without question, the bravest person that I had ever met. Speaking freely was never easy, especially in a position of royalty. Yet, when she wanted something changed, she would fight for it. She may not have been on the front lines of combat, but without her diplomacy within the courts we would never have survived. Whilst public opinion has much sway over the will of the people, law was brought into the forefront of Candian thanks to Sapphira.
I do believe that there was something more. She had a fundamental understanding of people that seemed beyond personal comprehension. The way she used to hold herself in public, it was like she somehow knew every single secret you’ve ever held. I have found a series of transcripts from her time in the War. She would meet publicly in a courthouse in Dulcington with diplomats from different stretches of life. Whilst the people there would never draw weapons, other words would be sharp as daggers. What is important in these transcripts is her language. The Princess had met Dominus Noster a matter of minutes before they entered the courts, yet her words always strike me as someone addressing an old enemy.
SPEAKER: Gathered in Candia in the second week of Brightdusk 1187, diplomats from Ceresia and Candia gathered to discuss trade routes through the Cola River that runs throughout Candia during these times of War. Presiding for Ceresia is Dominus Noster Focaccia. Dominus Noster, you have the floor.
FOCACCIA: The waves of war move swiftly through our lands, decimating all that stand in its way. I speak on behalf of our people, that war will tear and destroy this land. But we cannot forget what the real necessities are, trade. The Vegetanian’s have made it impossible to travel through the Great Dunes of Grain. We fear our people will starve without these necessary trade routes. We understand that we are not on the best grounds with Candia but we need to transport food across our borders and the Stone Candy Mountains are not forgiving. Our only option is the Cola River. Food and resources previously promised by Fructera have not been able to be deliver to us. Without these, we will fall.
SPEAKER: Princess Sapphria of House Rocks, First of Her name, High Judge of Candia. You have the floor.
SAPPHRIA: I’d like to open by stating how joyous I am at the arrival of the good Dominus Noster Focaccia. Our lands flourish with community, and the people come here in joy. We are a small nation, but our borders always welcome people in. Give them hope and give them hearth. I take pride in that. Yet, when war poked it’s nasty head around the corner, we faltered. And we decided to limit our borders for the first time in Candia’s rule. We did this to protect our people. We didn’t even join the war for a time, we decided to listen to its nature and pursue beneficial paths to all. But, circumstances change. We now find ourselves in the midst of war with the Meatlands, your allies. We expect you will follow their pathways, and that this is a play to get in our good books before you burn down our buildings.
FOCACCIA: Princess, I daren’t -
SAPPHRIA: Address me by that title again and this conversation will turn sour.
FOCACCIA: … Apologises. High Judge, we have no ill intent. We just want what is best for both of our people.
SAPPHRIA: For both? So, the boats sailing from the butter lake are carrying… what?
FOCACCIA: I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.
SAPPHRIA: The boats currently sailing from the Butter Lake. They are carrying food surely, and only food.
FOCACCIA: If we can discuss -
SAPPHRIA: Dominus, I am very bad at lying. It isn’t my strong suit. But the joys of being a terrible liar, is you have such a clear view of the truth. Candia will not open the Cola River to Cersia. And we wish you the best of luck on your travels through… the Great Dunes.
Politically, this was an ideal situation for Candia. The resources that Cersia could provide would elevate the kingdom to heights previously unimaginable. Everyone there expected this to be a debate with Candia on the defensive, begging for scraps. However, Sapphria just knew that this wasn’t the ideal situation for her kingdom. Later, it was revealed that Cersia was building a navy that could easily stomp out the Dairy Isles. With the free use of the ports along Cola River, this would have been achievable. However, their struggle was finding rest within the Dairy Seas. Shappria must have known this, and she must have learnt this within minutes of meeting Focaccia. Other explanations cause one to constantly jump through hoops to get to any conclusion, but if we just say that Sapphria was magically inclined, then a feat like this becomes ever possible.
Yet, that doesn’t make her good. I can’t claim to know her motivations. This is still not enough. It isn’t. I feel lost in the maze of my own mind.
Finally, Princess and Patron Saint of Candia, Primogen of the Bulbian Church Citrina Rocks… my friend. When I was no more than an urchin she brought me in. She taught me to harness power that I believed to be unachievable. I made mistakes in my youth, mistakes that made it hard to ever find kindness in anyone. But Citirna did not care for the past, the moment is all she ever lived in. Many years after I fell into... Her power, I found myself doing deeds to bring destruction. Even now, in private notes I find it hard to write Her name. I was not a good person, and I will never claim that my actions were justified. There was a power that She had over me, but I was conscious. I understood what I was doing and for a while… I had some pride in it. When Citrina, the third sister, was born there was immense rejoice throughout Candia. She grew into her power with immense tenderness. And the people had a love in her beauty and a magnificent blossom of hope. They hung onto every word. I was older and my mistakes were bearing down on me like jawbreakers falling from the mountain. With everything I had, I went to her. I had left behind all of my humanity with the mistakes of childhood, but she saw through me. It’s like we had known eachother for thousands of years. She gave me room and board, and I understood what the people saw in her. I had always been a cynic and an atheist, but she taught me how there can be light in the Bulb’s ways. I had met a God, and She had nothing on the heart of the devoted. Whilst I stand critical of the church’s methods, the praise that Citrina was able to teach me, will always put me in good standing with Gods.
There is so little evidence for Citrina. All I have now is my words and my memories. I do not ask you to trust me, I don’t ask you to trust anything you’ve read. So much of her work was burnt as hearsay. I sometimes wish I could read it again, the joy that she brought to something that I used to despise. It was indescribable. She was the closest thing to “good magic” that I would ever describe.
I hear whispers in the wind. Full of gummy snakes is my mind, whirling and biting in every instance. Gnawing away at my sanity. It’s Her again, she’s come to claim her prize forevermore. I don’t know if I can do this forever. Three wishes. That’s all I promised. With such naivety. It’s just of one who tries to trick a trickster.
I have so few conclusions. So many of them fall into bias. But if you were to ask me, truly, if I believed that magic could be good? I don’t think I could say yes.
Chapter Five
I found this book and I don’t know what to do with it. But I will follow the title pattern that I’ve read so far and try to sum up everything that my friend wrote down.
12th of Frostdawn, Y.o.B. 1216
Duke Liam Wilhelmina of House Jawbreaker
Hello. My name is Liam. I found this book in a locked chest in Lapin’s old things. I read through it a few times to try to wrap my head around the way he writes. I don’t think that I will be able to make sense of some of it, but I believe I get the jist.
Lapin was my friend. I didn’t really get to be close with him as a friend for most of the time that I knew him. I wish I could’ve known he was cool ages ago! But now, I’m reminiscing. And maybe he’d be angry that I’m writing in his book… but I didn’t like the ending!
I don’t have a lot to write, I’m not the smartest gumdrop, but I’ll do my best. From what I read, Lapin was trying to determine if the use of magic was “good” throughout the Ravening War. I was a baby during that war, so I don’t really know a lot! But from what I read, I think that a lot of the bad was influenced by how War was affecting people. I was a War guy for the last couple weeks, and I didn’t do the best of stuff. I used magic and so did my friends. We did it to save Candia, but now that we’ve left war. I can see the good in magic again. Magic is like people. Fickle and hard to talk too.
We also lost a friend. He was a great bunny. And he saved us. That wouldn’t have been possible without magic. A purely selfless sacrifice that wouldn’t have been achievable without magic. So, maybe magic in War is bad. Maybe magic is bad! I don’t know! But I know that Lapin was good. And Lapin used magic. That’s my conclusion, that’s all I have.