SORCERER TRIALS
[quote="Hagden Shadowhide"]The dwarven magi are the mind of the Vanguard. As powerful as they are secretive, the Sorcerer Squad unleashes all kind of magics to change the tides of battle. Knowledge their source of power, they constantly strive forward to unlock the secrets of dwarf-kind, conducting research and bringing up theories regularly. "The Seven Schools of Magic" teach a sorcerer the basics on each type of magic, it takes great determination to learn each one of them. Abjuration, Evocation, Conjuration, Enchantment, Transmutation, Illusion and the Diviner School, under supervision, each dwarf magi will have to prove their mastery and understanding through a trial crafted uniquely for that one individual (though following a similar pattern), thus "The Great Learning," the Sorcerer Division Trial of Progression.
Dragoons to Warbrand: The Basic 3
7. Abjuration, protective magic. The first step of a sorcerer, is to learn how to use magic defensively and how to protect yourself from it. Abjuration spells have proven themselves life-saving numerous times in the Vanguard's history, allowing sorcerers to shield themselves as well as allies from projectiles and other threats.
The Trial: The aspirant will approach their Captain, explaining that they believe they are ready for the trial. Depending on their use of magic, or element, the sorcerer alongside the captain will travel to an appropriate area where the aspirant will prove they are able to create and sustain a magic ward, armour and shield. The overseer will test the shield's mettle by throwing a variety of missiles with of course no danger of being lethal. Then the aspirant will have to explain their understanding of abjuration and after all of this is done, he will be given an overall assessment or score of their performance.
If successful, the captain or overseer-in-charge will reward the aspirant with a diamond magical gemstone, representing the aspirant's mastery of the Abjuration School.
6. Evocation School, offensive magic. After mastering abjuration, you would start learning evocation. Evoker spells deal with amassing lots of magical mana and expelling it down in the form of bolts and missiles at the opponents of dwarf-kind. With numerous types of evocation spells each with an advantage and disadvantage, sorcerers always have a trick up their sleeves for any kind of situation.
The Trial: The aspirant will approach their Captain, asking for the trial. If approved, alongside the Captain, they will travel to a designated location where the aspirant will have to prove they can prepare and launch offensive missiles efficiently and in an appropriate time, at target dummies, barriers and summoned minions/elemental. They will have to show their understanding of arcane (fel, light, shadow) and element (air, water, fire, earth) transformations, each being weaker than one and stronger than the other, and how superior quantity and potency makes the theory irrelevant. If successful, the captain will reward the aspirant with an obsidian magical gemstone, representing the aspirant's mastery of the Evocation School.
5. Conjuration School, summoning magic. Summoning both creatures and objects have proven useful in the ranks, from conveniently summoning gallons of spring water in the middle of arid deserts, to formidable and horrible creatures to shield allies or terrorize enemies. Conjuration can withdraw the attention of a sorcerer yet improve their utility tenfold.
The Trial: There are two parts to this trial, summoning an object and then a creature. The first part will take place right there and then, where the captain will ask for a relative object for the aspirant to summon, after a few rounds the captain will see whether the aspirant is prepared for the next task. If so, the aspirant will mention about their affiliation with a specific school of magic, and then go to a magical nexus or plane associated with it, there they will summon and take control of a creature/familiar. After proving their mastery and understanding; before being handed the amethyst magical gemstone representing the aspirant's mastery of the Conjuration School, and thus the last gem of the Basic 3, the aspirant will be required to do one final test before progressing to the next schools.
With the help of one another conjurer, the captain will summon a big minion which the aspirant will have to fight with all they have learned since the start. After successfully vanquishing the minion, the amethyst magical gemstone will remain. With this the sorcerer would have completed the Basic 3 and considered war-brand.
War-brand to Ironguard: Enchantments, Transmutations, Illusions.
They are what set apart an amateur sorcerer from a master magician. The following schools have been considered extensions to a sorcerer's arsenal. Sorcerer Squad members will need a general understanding of these 3 schools in order to progress further.
4. Enchantment School, enhancing magic. Enchanting involves imbuing an object or being with magic. Some temporary while others permanent, enchanting has proven to be an essential school, being able to enhance and thus improve the armaments of the Vanguard. On the other hand, disenchanting, part of this school, is the process of dispelling and removing magics. Learning how to dispel magic spells is also crucial for a sorcerer as it can reverse and prevent mistakes, as-well as destroying magical items for raw power. Enchanting can also be linked to Rune-Magic, which dwarves have an affinity for.
The Trial: Under the supervision of the captain, the aspirant will have to show their enchanting knowledge by enhancing the strength of weapons in several magical ways. After this, the aspirant will have to remove the same enchantment from the weapon without destroying the weapon and then do so again but this time destroying it and capturing the raw crystallized mana. After proving their mastery and understanding, the captain will reward the aspirant with a Topaz magical gemstone, representing their mastery of the Enchanting School.
3. Transmutation School, shifting magic. This school consists of altering individuals, objects and terrain to enhance or limit strengths. Time travel and portals are also categorized under the transmutation school, warping time itself to travel through ley-lines and realities. It is considered the most popular and useful of all schools. The Vanguard relies completely on teleportation spells for campaigns and wars, making them extremely unpredictable on the battlefield. With the transmutation school mastered, a Vanguard sorcerer would be one step closer to being a master of magics. Dwarves are also general transmuters, with the aid of their affiliation with the Titans, they are able to strengthen their links and become stone itself for short amounts of time, enough time though to devastate any opponent.
The Trial: Aspirant will once more approach the Captain to begin the trial. The trial will consist in the aspirant to transmute all kind of critters into other critters back and forth, once the mastery is shown here, the aspirant will have to go show their understanding and knowledge of stone-form and then describe in detail how portals work. Trials here will deeply depend on the sorcerer preference in this school (a shaman doesn’t have to study portals and ley-lines, instead he can focus on the strength of stoneform). After proving their mastery and understanding, the captain will reward the aspirant with a Jade magical gemstone, representing their mastery of the Transmutation School.
2. Illusion School, trickster magic. Is the art of deceiving reality itself. Sorcerers can become invisible or inaudible to the world or twist the image of a location into something entirely different. Illusions make you maintain control of the battlefield, outsmarting your opponent, is what usually decides a victor between equal opponents. Illusions can also be used to deceive your opponents into thinking that you are elsewhere, or even trick your enemies into fighting each other. This is no easy task, but the accomplished illusionist can turn allies into enemies - and his or her own enemies into allies. In times of danger when the Vanguard has been outnumbered, illusions have proven useful to turn things around.
The Trial: The aspirant will have to prove their mastery of the Illusion School, by facing a Hinterlands boar in combat with no weapon whatsoever. The aspirant will have to defeat the boar through illusion magic and nothing else. If they succeed at this trial, and they show an understanding of the Illusion School, the captain will reward the aspirant with a Tourmaline magical gemstone, representing their mastery of the Illusion School.
Ironguard to Mountain Guard:
The final trial will consist of mastering the final school, the Diviner School. Magic dedicated to gathering information, the school itself is the embodiment of the Sorcerer Squad (“Sorcerers: The Mind of the Vanguard”). Once this school is mastered, the aspirant will have at-last have completed the Trials of Progression, and be considered an elite among Squad members.
1.Diviner School, seeing magics. As mentioned, the Diviner School is magic dedicated to gathering information. It is also known as the counter to the Illusion School, being able to see far distances and those who are invisible and hiding. Divination is linked to scrying, which is the art of seeing something that is very far away, even in another plane of existence. To master this school, a sorcerer must be aware of his senses and inner-self, being able to have their mind travel through the ley-lines without losing focus or much energy takes great determination, which is why this school is left for last. A sorcerer may be considered great after mastering the previous 6 schools, but if they have no inner focus and peace of soul, their knowledge will be for naught.
Trial: The trial would be considered the hardest and most dangerous of all, with nothing but a robe and an empty water skin, the sorcerer will have to find a spring water pool in the Badlands (or Gorgrond), while blindfolded, as this will not make his eyes work, but his mind. Sorcerers are not allowed to pull water from the air or create it through magical means, it must be completely natural. After this task is endured and bested, the overseers will show themselves listen to the aspirant’s story and understanding of the Diviner School. After this is done, the captain will reward them with the last of the gems, a Sapphire gemstone, representing their mastery of the Diviner School.[/quote]