Illusionists

History

One of the few countries on Svene where just about everyone is aware of magic is Anthatir. Of course, they're really only aware of Illusionist magic. The Illusionists have served as a special forces corps in the military literally since the Great Magic War, though they technically remain their own entity, in partnership with the country. They're trained not only in combat, but also in creating and withstanding illusions. And they're still the first line of defense against invaders. They're way Anthatir has won virtually every battle it's ever been in. They're also the source of a lot of the scary stories you hear about Antatir in other countries. Turns out people tend to leave you alone when they think you command monsters. The stories the Illusionists themselves tell say that durng the Magic War, some of their number were able not only to create illusions, but tangible objects. But if such people ever existed, I believe they really did die in the war. No Illusionist I've met has heard of such abilities outside of the stories.

Structure

The Illusionists maintain a hierarchy in which members are promoted and awarded from the top down. These ranks and awards are represented by different colored armbands. All Illusionists serve actively for a given period, though they may choose to continue active service even when this mandatory period has ended. Others become recruiters or continue to live in Illusionist-run areas, such as Co'ar Island in civilian capacities, like agriculture. Many more settle in Anthatir and often pursue related professions, such as security and performance arts. All inactive Illusionists are considered part of the reserve forces, unless exmpted for medical reasons. During their active duty, they dress in full uniform, but it's common for Illusionists to continue to wear their armbands even in civilian clothes. The armbands instantly mark them as illusionists and garner a lot of respect in Anthatir. Illusionists usually refer to rankings by their armband colors. I only know the basics, but I'll try to illuminate what I can.

The Librarian's Guide to Illusionist Armbands

Blue: Initiate still in training. You almost never see this away from an Illusionist training center because initiates switch bands once they complete training.

Blue with red edging: Multicolor bands are usually awards, but I've heard this one is actually given to non-Illusionists who work at Illusionist-run areas. Like I guest pass, I guess.

Yellow: First Initiate. Famously the "solid color" award. It's given to the highest performing initiate in each training group. By itself, it's the same rank as a green band, but higher ranking Illusionists often layer it under their ranking band.

Green: Initiate who has finished training. First rank.

Grey: second rank

Brown: third rank

Orange: fourth rank

Olive: fifth rank

Yellow with blue edging: award for outstanding courage

Green with red edging: I saw this once, and though it's almost certainly an award of some type, I don't know what it is.

White: I'm not sure if this is a ranking or a very prestigious award. They command respect, but don't seem to... command. They always travel in pairs, and even Illusionists don't seem to know how these bands are awarded.

Red: Ah, the mythical red band. These are supposedly the highest rank, though I only know one person who's claimed to have seen one.

Initiation and Training

Prospective Illusionists must be at least seventeen to begin training. Anyone wanting to train must send in a written application and conduct an interview. Then a small number of initiates are selected from the pool of applicants to endure Illusionist training. They become the blue bands.While there are plenty of people who apply, the Illusionists also send recruiters (usually, but not always, white bands) to find others they think would be particularly well suited for Illusionist work. Always on the lookout for fresh blood, they often recruit from communities of immigrants and Scavengers, and sometimes even from outside of Anthatir altogether. This doesn't usually sit well with other initiates, who tend to be suspicious of outsiders and typically make them prove their loyalty to win their trust.

Illusionist training occurs in two phases. In the first phase, every initiate is paired with a partner, and they are asked to choose a name for themselves. For the rest of this phase, the team is considered a single unit, and the partners must complete all tasks together. If one partner is missing from a training session, both are considered absent. If one gets in trouble, both are punished. If one fails a test, both are eliminated from training. Partners are assigned based on their opposing strengths and weaknesses, and thus they are incentivized to help each other improve. Together, partners attend training sessions in both physical combat and illusion work, as well as complete tests of physical and mental endurance.

by Rahul Bhosale

In the second phase of Illusionist training, initiates are given some supplies and sent into live the nearby wilderness for several weeks. During this time, they are tasked with creating illusions to frighten each other and withstand the illusions created by others. Each initiate's primary target is their former partner. Thus, the person who knows you best becomes your greatest enemy. The area is mostly wild, but it's also maintained by the Illusionists, so there are usually no outside threats. The trainers also monitor the area so they can remove anyone who becomes over stressed either physically or mentally. Several initiates have been known to break under the weight of differentiating between illusion and reality. Everyone who survives the full period becomes an Illusionist and exchanges their blue arm band for a green one. The initiate who performs the best is awarded a yellow armband instead. The yellow band serves as "half-rank." Despite being awarded so early in an Illusionist's career, it's pretty prestigious. A lot of people layer them underneath their other armbands when they move up in rank.

Medical Care

Illusionist training is very taxing, both physically and mentally, and inevitably every year, someone breaks. This is why, as soon as you become an initiate, trainers are on the lookout for signs of deteriorating health, especially mental health. If problems are caught early, they have a better chance of being managed. Illusionist medical care may be the best in Svene, but it's mental care where they truly shine. Illusionists, especially initiates, are prone to a variety of mental health problems, such as Illusion Sickness. While many of these cannot be cured, Illusionists have found treatments to help people get some semblance of normaly back in their lives. Even the worst cases, who may never leave Co'ar Island are still guaranteed as comfortable a life as possible. As part of their goodwill agrement with Anthatir, the Illusionists have an open sharing of research with non-Illusionist doctors in Anthatir, and sometimes Illusionist and non-Illusionist doctors do exchanges with one another. This ensures that Illusionist or not, people in Anthatir get top of the line medical care no matter where they are in the country. It also maintains diplomatic relationships between Illusionists and non-Illusionists and is the reason so many medical breakthroughs come from Anthatir.

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Agriculture

I finished my active duty. I never want to see another zucchini again.

There's nothing like a cup of mint tea in the morning.

Illusionist training locations like Co'ar Island are designed to be self-sustaining, so there is always a large farming operation attached to it. This is usually run by Illusionists who are no longer serving active duty, as well as their families. I've heard that sometimes Illusionists will also hire help from non-Illusionists, particularly if they are experts in certain agricultural areas. They grow mostly beans, squash, and other vegetables, as well as quinoa, honeysuckle, and a variety of berries. Food is usually flavored with green chile peppers, but also use cilantro, ginger, rosemary, and mint. Mint is usually steeped into a tea for breakfast, and sometimes sweetened with syrup made from Tipani sap, which grows locally. The crops are supplemented primarily by fishing, though Illusionists also learn to hunt small game during training. While the farms are focused on plant crops, there are also a relatively small number of goats and chickens. These are mostly kept for wool, milk, and eggs, though sometimes killed for meat. Additional protein is gotten through toasting insects such as termites and crickets. I've even heard there are areas on Co'ar Island dedicated to growing sunflowers, for cooking oil, and flax, for clothing. But they must not have those running at full capacity because I think they still get some things brought in from the outside world.

Funerals

by Raqoon A

Illusionist funerals are elaborate affairs filled with, well, illusions. Rather than just talk about the deceased, a dead Illusionists compatriots will usually summon images from memory for all to witness firsthand. Then the body is placed on a pyre and burned as the Melody of Nothing is played. Smaller Illusionist funerals typically happen in private places that themselves are guarded by illusions, but if the person in question had lots of non-Illusionist connections, the funeral could be held in any suitable open space. If, for some reason, a proper funeral cannot be held, Illusionist bodies are temporarily buried and collectively burned later. If there is no body recovered, they burn the pyre with sierra bell branches on it. Whether there was a body or not, the ashes are usually scattered into the wilderness training area or into the ocean. In rare cases, the family instead chooses to keep the ashes. I once heard a story about a family that chose not to burn the body for religious reasons, but since this is similar to other funerals in Anthatir, I imagine that almost never happens.