The Draoi

The Draoi

“I am a patterned one. I am a clear singer. I am Stone. I am Draoi. I am beset by the drought of power, yet I am guided by the cunning Flowerage Princess. I am woven. I will wear my path in life. I am not a confused Drui meddling with the untameable.” ************
Instantly recognizable from their intricately woven gowns of iridescent white petals, the Draoi are the Masters of the High Path. The machinations they work in their tapestry-covered tower can be felt throughout all of Abhaile, from the manipulation of stone that keeps homes standing, to the frosty collection of water from clouds, to the more recent camouflaging glamours placed atop the back of the city. What they lack in power, they make up for with a willingness to experiment, adapt and study in a way that the Drui refuse to do. They are the accepted form of magical progress on the mountain's peak.

Vestements of the High Path

Lunar Petals are what allow the Draoi to exist. The biomass of the Bláthanna Oíche is inherently magical, their petals retain their glowing power even after falling many miles from the main body, recharging their essence when bathed in the light of the Lunar Flowerage. They only lose their power when they come into prolonged contact with the ground, turning gray and petrifying into stone. Casters of Draoi make use of this fallen magic by weaving them into slightly glowing iridescent gowns and then drawing upon their vestments of power and their own inherent magic. They channel this raw power into the swirling patterns of meaning that the Lunar Flowerage paints nightly, producing different magical effects. These patterns often appear as swirling circles, knot patterns that have no beginning or end, or branching unorganized lines. All patterns must have a meaning divined by the caster. While there are some universal patterns that serve as the building blocks of High Path education, mastery is only achieved through efficiency, and efficiency can only be achieved through personal interpretation of the movements of the Lunar Flowerage.
Draoi clothing is always vainglorious in make. The more petals one has on their person, the more power they have at their disposal to draw upon. This has evolved over time into a tradition of ceremonial level gowns, with interwoven folds of fabric, multiple layers of petal coverage and large headdresses of white petal make. Additionally, because the Draoi cannot make contact with the land for too long, they have developed a form of stilt sandals, that ensure the bottom of their trailing outfits never touch the floor.
The High Path is inherently weak. This is because unlike the Drui who draw their power from the immense well of nature itself, the Draoi limit themselves to the fallen power of the Bláthanna Oíche and their own wit. The Draoi like this. Draoi casters are taught that weakness, especially in magic, is good. Weakness can be controlled, and understanding our own weaknesses creates an awareness of how much risk is being taken on. All teachers of The High Path warn of the allure and corruption that The Low Path, or Druidic magic, brings. The current age, started by the near annihilation of the city, only happened because Faidh attempted to utilize both The High and Low Paths in the same spell. The High Path has never caused a tree to sprout uncontrollably, and thus, all Draoi will assure you that the two forms of magic were never made to mix.

The most successful Archmage in history is the current one, Sadsagsona, who has advanced the magical knowledge of the city more in the past 60 years than has ever been seen in recorded history.

The Ancient Origins of the Draoi

There is a creature that stalks the woods below known as Lunar Princess. Large and rotund, the Lunar princess resembles a raccoon that is around 20 feet tall when standing on its hindlegs. Past the swirling knot-like markings that curl the length of its body, the Lunar Princess is most known for the intricate gowns and flower crowns of Lunar Petals it makes for itself. These crafty seamstresses use their magic gowns to fire beams of energy from its mouth and paws, as both a means of hunting prey and attracting mates. Many believe the earliest casters of The High Path, copied the tricks of the Lunar Princess, weaving gowns of their own in search of power.
These original practitioners of the High Path were known as the Aghalee. One of the three original tribes, the Aghalee had a deep connection to the movements of the Lunar flowerage, prescribing meaning and eventually magic from its motion. The Aghalee believed that before the Green Sea, magic lived on the ground with mortals, as a living creature. This creature was benevolent, acting as a conduit to improve the lives of mortals. When the world began to writhe with overabundant green, the beast of magic attempted to fight its spread, but was partially corrupted in the process. Fearing its transformation into a force corrupted by Nature, it tore itself apart and ran to the sky where the hungry woods could not reach it. Nature now empowered after devouring half the body of magic, attempted to grow to reach it, in the form of the Brightvine. The good half of magic- to avoid detection- disguised itself as flora in the form of white glowing petals, and hid in the hours of the day where the BrightVines blooms could not see it. This chase continues to this day, with the day chasing the night, as the injured body of magic bleeds petals to this day. From this came the belief that all magic flows good and pure from the Bláthanna Oíche, and is corrupted when it touches the ground.

The Covered Tower

The center of all learning in The High Path is colloquially known as Covered Tower. A large stone tower that grows from the easternmost point of Abhaile, this tower was constructed in 1031 during the Great Restructuring amidst the booming innovation found in The High Path. The tower's insides are full of stone tablet libraries, testing rooms and centers of teaching, all arranged amidst spiraling stairs that dedicate the history of the Aghalee, and the ongoing history of The High Paths expansion. Over the years, those inclined to learn the Draoi arts slowly gravitated towards the tower's base, building stone houses and amenities needed by those proficient in The High Path.
Made by the first Archidraoi Cerridwen, she used her own magical power to pull the stone from the ground, and shaped it over the course of a year. This was to be testament to not only her power- but the growing power of the Draoi. She carved the tower with the visage of magical scholars alongside the swirling knot structures they divined for the casting of The High Path, a tradition that continued up to Faidh’s Failure. Her dream was to establish a monument that could grant knowledge to all that looked upon it, and for a time it fulfilled its role- sparking the dreams of many scholars of The High Path. Even Drui were welcomed to learn in the stone walls of the towers true name, Túr Drus, The Doorway Tower.
Faidh’s failure left the city in a state of panic. Accusations flew like rain from the clouds, and the city was looking to see who would be held responsible for this tragedy. The Archidraoi at the time, Afagddu, fearing the cities misplaced retribution, disavowed Faidh, and removed all official records of his studies in Túr Drus. This had to include the carving of Faidh on the tower’s exterior, which to this point had never had it’s exterior redacted of any Draoi discoveries. As a temporary measure, Archidraoi Afagddu ordered that Túr Drus be covered in large tapestries, to dissuade any amateur Draoi users from attempting Faidh’s Failed Ritual. While covered, they removed the stone carvings of Faidh and any trace of their Magical findings, related or unrelated to the Failed Ritual.

The Ranks of the Draoi

300 years later, Túr Drus remains covered in tapestries. Long gone are the days of free learning. Now, to become a scholar of The High Path one must be invited by an existing member, another precaution established by Archidraoi Afagddu. This selection is done once every year, with a maximum of 10 selections per year. Those selected in the same year begin their studies together, and embark on a curriculum that spans 6 years. These 6 years include instruction on divining patterns, making magical usage more efficient and how to safely experiment and discover new techniques in the High Path.
At the conclusion of every year the Covered Tower conducts yearly examinations to determine if someone should move up to the next rank of study, or if they should stay where they are. The requirements are not based on standardized curriculum, but on the aptitude of the class. This forces those who fall behind their peers to learn how to match their pace, or fall behind. If a potential Draoi student is stalled for 3 years, they are gracefully dismissed from all further studies in the Covered Tower. These dropouts are not banned from using the knowledge they learned in the Draoi tower in their lives and professions, as many go on to work in the shaping of stone with magic, the removal of moisture from clouds into drinking water, some even join the honorable ranks of the Saor Rangers. The only caveat of this rule is that no failed Draoi are allowed to join the ranks of the Drui.
Each year grants access to more powerful Magic under the High Path, social mobility and most importantly, higher pay. The Draoi are compensated for their studies by the city, as they see the furthered knowledge of The High Path as an investment into the city's wellbeing. After 6 years of study, those that complete their training join the ranks of Learned Draoi, whose goal is solely experimentation and aiding in important tasks beneath the Archidraoi, but above the capabilities of your amateur caster. They receive a generous stipend for simply existing as a Learned Draoi- at the caveat that they must produce a new spell every 3 years (whether or not it is approved by the Archidraoi), or risk a suspension of stipend until they do.

The Archidraoi

The Archidraoi is the voice of all who follow The High Path in the city. The most proficient user in the current day, they are chosen by the previous Archidraoi from a crop of the three most productive Learned Draoi. The Archidraoi gets to guide and approve of all magical goings on in the city. They oversee what is taught, how it is taught and in many ways- the official stance of the Draoi on anything. Almost always the most powerful wielder of TheHigh Path in the city, they have access to all material in the possession of the Draoi, including its most restricted stone tablets- some of which hold rituals of dastardly make.
The position of Archidraoi is held until the Archidraoi chooses a new successor (something generally done on their death bed), or in the rare case of their death before choosing- the three candidates who could have been selected must choose one of the other candidates (besides themself) to be the new Archidraoi.

Type

Educational, University