Unique Chaos Sorcery

PS: Updated! Time to watch the match. Restoring EDG to glory is our duty!

As one of the most typical monarchies in the Realms, Cormyr had a detailed system of nobility. Below the Obarskyr Royal House, the ranks descended from king or queen to prince or princess, duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron, baronet, and knight.

As mentioned earlier, this system included subsidiary titles: prince to king, marquis to duke, viscount to earl, and baronet to baron. The former were merely subsidiary court titles, while the latter ranks belonged to hereditary landed nobles.

But there were exceptions.

Take an example.

If an earl held an actual territory, he could designate only one child or relative to inherit his title. His other legitimate children would automatically receive the title of viscount, but that subsidiary title could not be inherited.

If the earl was particularly fond of a legitimate son who was not his heir, he might carve out a fief for him. That viscount would then be a landed noble, though he would remain subordinate to the earl, and the fief would not be hereditary. After the viscount died, the earl could reclaim it at any time.

If the earl disliked a legitimate son who was not his heir but did not intend to strip him of his surname and cast him out, he would most likely send the boy to the Church to become a cleric. In that case, a viscount's title would mean nothing. He would simply be a member of the Church.

Clearly, landed nobles wielded considerable power in Cormyr.

There were few dukes in all of Cormyr. Dukes of the royal house held honorary titles only; just two families held actual ducal lands: Duke Kenness of Irling, who stood before Lothair, and Duke Marelli.

Duke Kenness was a veteran of the Kingdom of Cormyr's wars. He had spent years fighting Zambian mercenaries in the eastern Great Swamp and earned an illustrious record. A Master Purple Dragon Knight himself, he struck fear into the hearts of Zambians.

With a single order, he could muster a ducal force of two hundred fully equipped knights and twelve hundred heavy infantry from his lands!

Years of campaigning had darkened Duke Kenness's skin. He had a thick mane of black hair like a lion's and a carefully groomed full beard. His amber eyes always held a formidable intensity, while twenty or thirty years of military life had given him fierce confidence and an air that brooked no challenge. Though he smiled and treated Lothair courteously, even the sheltered Horse Master could sense the fierce, unyielding soul beneath that polished exterior.

When Duke Kenness told him to rise, Lothair struggled on the floor but could not get up. His legs felt too weak to support him.

"Thank you for your hard work. You must be tired, Mr..." Duke Kenness had naturally noticed Lothair's predicament and smoothly offered him a way out, only to find he could not recall the Horse Master's name.

The steward immediately whispered a few words in the duke's ear. Kenness then said, "Mr. Lothair, would you do me the honor of joining me for lunch?"

"Yes, yes!" Though the duke phrased it as an invitation, Lothair could hear that refusal was not an option. He nodded quickly. "I would be honored."

What followed was simple. The Horse Master accepted the duke's gracious invitation, and they dined at an upscale restaurant near the Royal Stables.

After several glasses of fine red wine, Lothair relaxed considerably. Between hearty bites of tender roast swan, he recounted what had happened with Aaron.

Duke Kenness listened closely to everything Aaron had done since returning home. The young Sorcerer who had awakened Extraordinary Charisma interested him even more now.

Kenness naturally knew the Sallyan family and had some idea of its caliber. He knew how disgracefully Aaron's grandfather had lost during the Tuigan Invasion and the circumstances behind the stripping of his title. He had also seen what Aaron's father, Manuel, was capable of.

When a knight reported that a Sorcerer had awakened Extraordinary Charisma, Kenness happened to be in Suzail and took a keen interest. Only when he arrived did he learn that the Sorcerer was Aaron Sallyan.

What a remarkable young man. Kenness knew Manuel was hopeless at political maneuvering, yet his son had shown real talent for it. His scheme was a little immature, but far beyond anything an ordinary noble knight newly come of age could devise.

To think the Sallyans produced someone like him!

The thought that Aaron was a native Cormyrian and Manuel's son pleased Kenness. But only minutes later, he suddenly remembered a detail he had overlooked.

"Wait. Apart from Kant, who else did you tell? The man after Kant?"

"I told Mr. Moden too."

"Ah!" The duke gave the table a light slap of frustration and rose at once, signaling to a knight nearby. "Goodman, keep Mr. Lothair company over lunch."

"Mr. Lothair, this is Goodman. He's an excellent knight and a friend of mine. Have a good talk with him, and let him know if you need anything."

Kenness hurried off with his entourage.

"Your Grace, what's wrong?" the steward asked as he followed. "Was it that foolish Horse Master..."

"Damn it. Lady Tymora didn't favor us this time. I'd hoped to keep the news contained so the Irling family could cultivate the young man ourselves." Kenness's expression darkened. His eyes narrowed, and he radiated the menace of a lion about to strike. "Too late. The Queen's Blade must already be at the palace, telling Her Highness the Princess Regent!"

"Your Grace, if so, doesn't that mean..." The steward saw the problem too. "Our Princess Regent has always been so... Once she hears of this, how could she possibly let him go? Aaron Sallyan currently serves the royal house directly, and the royal house pays his salary. We're too late."

"No!" Kenness swept a hand through the air. "At the very least, I'll enter the palace immediately and report this to the Princess Regent. Even if I can't keep the matter contained, I'll formally recommend the young man at the Royal Court. Then, even if Aaron receives the royal house's full support, he'll have to remember the favor I did him."

"Come. We're going to the palace now!"

"Yes, Your Grace!"

While the news Aaron had set loose stirred up a storm outside—he had never expected a duke to personally question Lothair—the last Sallyan remained unaware of it for the time being. He ate lunch near the library, then went back to reading about Sorcerers.

"Every corner of the Realms, every existing thing, is steeped in magic. Every stone, every stream, every living creature—even the air itself—contains untapped potential energy. This primal magic is the raw material of creation, as well as a consciousness that remains dormant. It permeates every particle of matter and manifests throughout the multiverse in various forms of energy."

"Primal magic is wild and almost impossible for mortals to use directly. Its power could easily destroy a spellcaster in an instant. Thus, unless a spellcaster has become powerful enough to touch the power of 'the Other Side'—an exceedingly rare feat—the only way to cast spells is through the 'Weave.'"

"The 'Weave' is understood to be a woven magical structure that bridges a spellcaster's consciousness and the raw material of primal magic. Its source is 'Mystra,' the Goddess of Magic."

"In the vast majority of cases, spellcasters can cast spells only by relying on the Weave. Whether wielding arcane spells or Divine Magic, without the Weave, they are no different from ordinary people."

Aaron frowned.

No Weave, no spellcasting? Then why had the webnovels he'd read mentioned great Arcanists casting spells without it?

And what was the power of 'the Other Side'?

Laws? Cause and effect? The Calamity of the Root? The Gate of Truth? The Dwarf in the Flask? A Brain in a Vat? The nameless ultimate Chaos deep among the stars?

The book did not say.

Aaron supposed that if the answer were easy to find in Suzail's Royal Library, there would not be so few people capable of casting spells without the Weave.

Skipping the chapters on Mages, Druids, Clerics, Paladins, Rangers, and the like, Aaron turned straight to the chapter on Sorcerers.

"Sorcerers are the arcane counterpart to Mages. Given spell components or even the faintest magical energy, Sorcerers can release tremendous explosive power through their bodies. They gain magic not through rigorous study and research, but through magical gifts lying dormant in their blood. If a Mage casts spells like a warrior swinging a sword, a Sorcerer's magic is like a great axe in a barbarian's hands."

Most Sorcerers drew their spellcasting ability from their own bloodlines. Magical energy surged and roared within them.

There were four main sources of Sorcerous power:

Draconic Bloodline: The most common and best-known source of Sorcerous power. It came from draconic magic mingled with one's blood or inherited from one's ancestors. Sorcerers of this origin could usually trace their bloodline to a powerful Sorcerer who had forged a pact with a dragon in ancient times—or even to a dragon's own kin.

Draconic Sorcerers were the most common and best-known Sorcerers in the Realms: born rich, handsome, and powerful.

Wild Magic: Wild power born of Chaos, both counterpart and opposite to the order of creation.

Wild Magic Sorcerers were all masters of mayhem. Their power was violent and unpredictable, and they often could not control it themselves. Some simply let it run amok. They were prone to injuring or killing themselves, though at times their magic worked wonders and could even save an entire battle.

Wild Magic Sorcerers were also fairly famous in the Realms. They were not born rich and handsome. A spectacular stunt might kill them outright—or wipe out their enemies in one stroke. They were born agents of chaos.

Storm Sorcerers: Their power came from unrestrained forces of nature, such as thunderstorms, tempests, waterspouts, and other forms of primal magic.

Cosmic Sorcerers: Also known as Fate Sorcerers, they were an exceedingly rare kind of Sorcerer. They incorporated the fundamental laws of the cosmos and the cycles of sun, moon, and stars into their blood. In every change, they could find the corresponding law. Born with a profound affinity for cosmic laws, they could readily command magic through their power.

Beyond these four kinds of Sorcerers, the book also mentioned Divine Soul Sorcerers. Some Sorcerers carried a Divine Spark or the blood of a Deity or Celestial, allowing them to cast magic or Divine Magic.

Aaron closed the book.

What did that make me? What kind of Sorcerer was I?

My power came from the Chaos Gods and corresponded to the disorder of Chaos, the opposite of cosmic order. By that classification, I should wield Wild Magic.

But judging by the Chaos Gods' domains, I should be a Cosmic Sorcerer.

Then again, if the power was a gift from Deities, calling me a Divine Soul Sorcerer would make sense too.

Hmph. I'm none of them. I'm the Child of Chaos. If anything, I wield a unique Chaos Sorcery!

Finally, Aaron skimmed the rest of the book, then flipped back to the first page to check its author.

It was signed "Ms. Ereshkigal."

I feel like I've heard that name somewhere. It seemed intensely familiar to Aaron, but he could not remember who she was.

He looked out the window. It was nearly three in the afternoon.

Aaron did two things next. First, he paid two silver coins for the library to assess his professional level.

After testing him, the library's examiner concluded that, by current professional standards,

Aaron ranked as an Apprentice Chaos Sorcerer/Warrior.

Aaron then took stock of the spells he could currently use.

Cantrips requiring no expenditure: Charm Person.

First-circle spells: Tzeentch's Blue Fire, Tzeentch's Pink Fire, Lash of Slaanesh, Slaanesh's Reverie, Chaos Bolt.

Second-circle spells: Slaanesh's Tongue.

Special bloodline magic: Create Chaos Spawn, Slaanesh's Gift.

Slaanesh's Tongue, a second-circle spell, had already appeared in Aaron's mind in complete detail. At his current level as a Sorcerer, however, he could not cast it.

Once he had finished his inventory, Aaron understood the problem. He immediately borrowed the Compendium of Spells from the library.

Compared with other spellcasters, he had only one cantrip: Charm Person.

Cantrips were simple, minor spells that required no magical power and no memorization. These zero-circle spells were what low-level spellcasters used most often in battle—the equivalent of a basic attack.

But apart from Charm Person, which Slaanesh's power had transformed into a cantrip, Aaron knew no cantrips at all.

That was strange for a Sorcerer. It meant Aaron was not even a competent spellcaster.

Then something unexpected happened.

Aaron picked a minor cantrip at random from the Compendium of Spells and tried reciting its incantation. The violent magic surging inside him broke loose and rampaged through his body. Before he could finish, sharp pain tore through his chest and abdomen. The viscount's face twisted, and bright red blood burst from his mouth.

"Urgh!" Dark red blood splashed across the floor. Aaron's condition gave the nearby War Wizard apprentice a fright.

"My lord Viscount, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Aaron's handsome face was screwed up in pain. He took out a towel and wiped his mouth haphazardly.

Idiot! Aaron cursed himself. You knew nothing and tried it anyway! Will you be satisfied only when you get yourself killed?

He really did need a Sorcerer mentor. His power was unusual to begin with; blindly experimenting could get him killed.

Aaron did not dare try again. He dropped the blood-soaked towel on the floor and asked the War Wizard apprentice, "Did you need something?"

The apprentice would not have come in to disturb him otherwise.

"Someone is here to see you, my lord Viscount." The apprentice glanced outside.

A member of the Queen's Blade stood at the entrance to the Training Room.

"My lord Viscount, by decree of Her Highness the Princess Regent, Viscount Sallyan is to present himself in the Throne Room at nine o'clock in the morning, two days from now."

"Understood." Aaron nodded calmly.

The Queen's Blade departed. Seeing how late it was, Aaron gathered his things and left the library.

Time to go home.

The route from the Royal Library to the Sallyan Residence in the Three Crowns District passed through a long alley. For some reason, when Aaron entered it today, there was not a soul in sight.

A cloaked figure emerged silently from the darkness and crept along the wall toward him from behind.

A Fine Steel Dagger slid out from beneath the cloak.

Time to kill!

The protagonist's current class levels: level 2 Warrior/level 1 Chaos Fate Sorcerer.