THE ANCIENT ORIGEN OF THE WAR OF TWO WORLDS (standard:Flash, 6762 words)
Author: THELORDOFTHELOVE-CMCC	Added: Sep 07 2004	Views/Reads: 3663/2500	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
This story is about the origen of magic , social classes of magicians and battles for the power between mages and the associations that diffrernts wizards can create with another wizards of different categories.

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communities used to mark the onset of winter by slaughtering their 
herds, feasting and calling on supernatural forces in order to see into 
the future. Nowadays, the slaughter has gone, the feasting has been 
toned down and the invocation of supernatural forces is a bit of a 
joke. But we still celebrate Halloween. 

The power to alter the course of nature and history, to summon spirits,
control the weather, become invisible. The power to use charms, songs 
and riddles to cast spells that cannot be resisted...... These are the 
powers that set the wizard apart from mere mortals. Beguiling brews of 
chilling witch tales and superstitious lore repeated through the 
centuries have cast as great a mist of illusion as any wizard could 
wish to cast upon the beliefs of the peoples of the world. 

Few can deny that they actually believe the sinister overtones connected
with wizardry (by whatever label bestowed), or that they are reliably 
informed on the ageless craft that defies scientific theories. 

Far too many manuscripts of reference accepted as established historical
fact are based upon supposition, repeated falsehoods, at worst, 
deliberate lies. 

The serious student of the craft is confronted with a minefield of
mis-information, and justly is it so. 

Wisdom of wizardry is not for all and is rightly occult in nature.
Occult itself means: "not disclosed, not apparent on mere inspection, 
communicated only to the initiated, beyond the bounds or ordinary 
knowledge" .....  Wizard, at its root, means "one who is wise". Singers 
at the World's Dawn The wizards of ancient times often worked in 
silence off the stage, king-makers-and-breakers, so their deeds have 
come down in fragments of song and tattered scraps of history. In later 
days, when the first enchanters deeds had become the stuff of legend, 
some men and women continued to practice the magic arts. But these 
people lived in a world that had aged and lost its innocence. 

As the centuries passed, clerical scholars of the church undertook the
task of documenting history, re-naming and identifying the various 
elements of nature, order, and patterns. 

Those who tampered with the newly perceived order of the natural came to
be viewed as arrogant and evil. This can not be entirely dismissed as 
unfounded. Amongst these later people were many who lacked the natural 
insight and generosity of the first wizards, and used covert systems to 
manipulate for personal gain; and some paid dearly for the treasures 
they acquired - Faust, for instance. 

In a world so shifting and uncertain, it is not surprising that great
store was set on all that was not clearly one thing or another. Unseen 
powers were at play in those times, and to this day, still are. The 
early wizards possessed great knowledge which sprang from the very 
nature of their being, and encapsulated something of the nature of 
animals, plants, winds, thunder, lightning, moon and stars - all the 
things in heaven and earth. It is no wonder that strange tales of them 
being both human and superhuman arose. They are too numerous to name in 
a single manuscript so I will deal only with a few. Gwydion lived in 
Gwynedd, northern Wales and was a battle-brave warrior armed with 
words. The name Gwydion actually means "to speak poetry" - defined in 
terms of the power of speech, and in every story about him shows the 
sway of his words held over the things of the earth. He was heir to the 
wizard Math the Ancient. Math taught Gwydion profound enchantments, and 
schooled him in the right use of his powers. It was hard schooling and 
the youthful Gwydion used his fledgling skills carelessly incurring the 
wrath of Math who issued a painful lesson of being turned into a 
different beast, a boar, a wolf, a stag, each year, lasting three 
years. Gwydion's transgression became engraved on his heart. Later he 
became known as a saver, a restorer and even a giver of life. Numerous 
legendary tales of noble warrior and princely rescuer were inspired by 
the deeds of Gwydion. 

No greater contrast to the wizards of battle sagas and conflicts can be
found than in the stories on Mananan Mac Lir, the beloved weather 
wizard. Mananan was of the ancient Tuatha de Dannan race and his 
special domain was the sea near the Isle of Man. As long as he lived - 
some say he is living still - his kingdom was invulnerable. When 
enemies approached, he enveloped the island in a mist, causing them to 
sail by unaware, and when he cloaked himself or any other person in his 
magic mantle, it extinguished them from view. Indeed the kingdom of Tir 
nan Og was cloaked in his mantle for evermore. 

He could raise storms if he wanted, and needed to. In peace he was a
provider of prosperity. He cultivated fish, and reformed the bones of 
slaughtered cattle into plump living beasts. He was the happiest and 
most generous of all wizards, and he made those about him happy. 

All the earlier wizards, from merry Mananan, song-filled Taliesin, Old
Vainamoinen were, in a sense, forerunners, bearers of the flame that 
was to shine the steadiest to modern day in Myrddin. Merlin the 
Enchanter. Of the innumerable legends surrounding him, the most 
enduring is "Clas Myrddin", Merlin's Enclosure. Merlin gathered all the 
older wizards powers to serve one purpose: the making of the last great 
kingdom of the old Britons. He attracted legends as honey does bees. 
The real matter of Merlin lies in two episodes. In war-racked Fifth 
Century Britain a king called Vortigern who had upsurged the throne 
from its rightful heirs, was advised that his crumbling stronghold 
could only be held together by the blood of a boy who had no mother. 
Eventually the young Merlin was chosen as the sacrificial victim. He 
forestalled his fate by telling the king if he dug under the fortress 
he would find a deep pool - which was the cause of the building's 
unsteadiness - and if the pool was drained, two sleeping dragons would 
be revealed; a red and a white dragon. This occurred, and while the 
dragons fought the young Merlin sang his prophecies. 

He told Vortigern that his end was near. The red and the white dragons
(Norman's and Saxon's) would bitterly fight for many years and that the 
rivers of the country would run red with blood, and the throne 
succeeding in turn until finally the Boar of Cornwall would trample the 
invaders and unite the country. It all happened just as Merlin 
foretold, and, when the right time came, he himself summoned the Boar 
of Cornwall. Merlin aided several kings, notably Uther (also called 
Pendragon), and it was from Uther that he demanded a price for his aid. 
The wizard insisted on caring for a new born child, the son of Gorlois 
and his wife Igraine of Cornwall - Arthur, the Boar of Cornwall. The 
boy was secreted for fifteen years until, as Uther lay dying, Arthur 
was ready to take his rightful crown. Merlin simply vanished before the 
end of the King Arthur sagas. There are many accounts of Merlin's 
disappearance, the truth cannot be determined, and does not matter. 

What matters is that Merlin, like the great enchanters before him,
disappeared but did not die. Mananan retreated into invisibility: Old 
Vainatimes sailed in a copper boat to a place between the upper reaches 
of the world. So the wizards left the earth, disappearing into a silent 
limbo; some say, to wait for the time when they might be needed. The 
world was changing and man too, retreated away from nature and into 
himself. There were wizards who lived many centuries after Merlin. But 
the climate had retreated from magic. The age of earthy wizard heroes 
gave way to that of the scholars of sorcery and wizardry. Many were 
people who tampered with powers no longer naturally theirs through 
studying codes and experimenting for personal gain, and fame. 

Masters of Forbidden Arts 

200 years before Gutenberg constructed the first printing press, a
scholarly friar named Roger Bacon studied the numerous handwritten 
manuscripts from the likes of Aristotle, Boethius, Avicenna, and King 
Solomon. Compilations of Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Moorish Spain 
magical theories. In dusty scrolls and antique charts, Roger Bacon 
found the keys to wizardly powers. 

Bacon not only practiced the craft and became well known far and wide,
he also wrote mammoth volumes of manuscripts. Seven centuries had 
passed since the legend filled days of Merlin, and Churchmen were the 
guardians of the written word. Countless monks patiently recorded the 
works of Aristotle and Plato and Pythagoras, of historians and 
philosophers - the monks defined the architecture of the universe, and, 
re-defined history. The picture was one of wonderful plentitude and 
majestic logic, that no man should dare to tamper with without peril. 
Roger Bacon was a paragon among wizards. Most of the friar's strength 
derived from his charity he generously distributed. He was saddened by 
the greed of his fellow man throughout his lengthy life, and eventually 
resolved that the knowledge he had recorded was not meant for fallible 
mortals, and its burden had become to heavy for him to bear. He built a 
bonfire for his Key of Solomon and his Arabic Picatrix, his Persian 
Canon and his own studies. Cast onto the flames, the gilded pages 
curled and blackened. "In that flame," says one account sadly, "burned 
the greatest learning of the world."  His prisms, mirrors, and 
astrological equipment he gave to the more threadbare of his students. 
The aged friar then retired to an anchorite's cell built into the wall 
of a church, allowing admittance to no one. There he died, two years 
later. 

Bacon was not, of course, the last worker of magic. Other wizard's
followed him, and witches too. But among the watchers of the universe 
who dared to alter its order, the kindest and best was Roger Bacon. It 
is fitting that affectionate memories, cherished tales of his prowess 
survived for centuries, long after he had gone to dust. 

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the wizards that succumbed to
corruption lived joyless and frantic lives, shadowed by horror. Nowhere 
is this more evident as in the history of Doctor Faustus. Centuries 
after his death, he was made into a kind of hero, but the early Faustus 
legends tell a different tale. Faustus became a greedy and contemptible 
manipulator and paid the price of a particularly lurid and horrific 
death. 

A month before his death, he began to read the gospel and pray. He
lectured his drinking companions on the dangers of vice, and dreaded 
being alone. On the eve of his reckoning, chilling screams and 
blood-curdling howls were heard from the inn chamber that Faustus 
retired to. None would enter the chamber until dawn, and when they did, 
the chamber was a charnel house. Walls and ceiling were splattered with 
blood and torn flesh. The remains of Faustus' body - bitten, clawed and 
cruelly distorted - was found in the stableyard below the room, flung 
across a pile of horse dung. For decades after that - until it was torn 
down, in fact - no one would live in that inn at Wittenberg. 

The climate of magic had changed completely, and emphasis was placed
upon the deeds of corrupt wizards like Faustus. Any who practiced the 
craft were ostracized, persecuted and ruthlessly hunted and destroyed. 
Witchcraft became the catchcry and matters of magic became known as 
black occult and evil. A successful superstitious taint that has 
survived to this day. Modern day wizards, be they skilled scholars or 
have naturally inherent attributes remain, reticent and reclusive. 
Wisdom's they impart are, in the main, cryptic and difficult to 
decipher; like the writings of Nostradamus for instance. They do not 
seek public recognition, fame or fortune. 

War is never pretty, and a war between mages worse than most. And a war
between two of the most powerful mages in the entire world could very 
likely destroy that world. Fortunately for the world, however, neither 
of those great masters entered into battle themselves. Instead, each 
employed armies of lesser mages, soldiers, and magical creations. For 
the evil Ma'ar, that meant using the makaar, mishapen, mutated winged 
creatures that were poor imitations for Urtho's graceful gryphons. And 
when one of those great gryphons was the self-styled Black Gryphon 
Skandranon, that meant a great advantage for Urtho and his forces. But 
not even Urtho and Skandranon could hope to hold back the full strength 
of Ma'ar's forces, especially when their own armies included mercenary 
wizards who would switch sides for the right amount of money...or the 
chance to get revenge against those who rejected him. Can Urtho and 
Skandranon and all the people and creatures that look to them possibly 
survive this war? 

The use of a certain ritual action to bring about the intervention of a
supernatural force, either in human affairs or in the natural 
environment, for a specific purpose. Magic has existed universally 
since ancient times, and varies in form from primary rituals involving 
the well-being of an entire community, to minor, peripheral, private 
acts of magic. All forms of magic are traditionally secret arts taught 
only to initiates, although in some cultures magical knowledge can 
sometimes be bought and sold or can be passed on through inheritance. A 
distinction is usually made between black magic, used destructively to 
bring misfortune or death, and white magic, which is used to ward off 
such attacks as well as to prevent natural calamities. In itself magic 
is not good or evil, it is the magician's intentions that make the 
difference. The very earliest forms of magic were designed to produce 
some desired effect, such as rituals for successful hunting. This 
simple magic, also called sorcery, involved practices such as tying and 
untying knots, blood sacrifices, and sticking pins in wax images or 
little dolls or poppets. Sorcery is also called sympathetic magic — by 
imitating the desired result, it will happen in reality. Harmful 
sympathetic magic usually requires some personal effect of the victim, 
such as a lock of hair, a fingernail or article of clothing; it is also 
important that the victim be aware of the spell, which increases the 
likelihood of a successful result. Magical acts may be performed by 
individuals on their own behalf, or a magician with specialized 
knowledge of the rites that may be consulted. In some societies, 
associations of magical specialists exist. Magical practitioners may be 
called witch doctors, wizards, sorcerers, diviners, witches, 
warlocks,wise women, cunning women, and so on. By the Middle Ages in 
Europe magical arts had become divided between low magic, such as 
sorcery, and high magic, which meant exploring the esoteric traditions 
of the kabbalah and hermetica, often through elaborate ceremonial magic 
(see Freemasonry, Order of the Knights Templar, Rosicrucians). In 
ceremonial magic the aim of the ritual is to commune with God or a 
deity to achieve a higher consciousness. The spiritual and mystical 
elements of hermetic knowledge and the Jewish kabbalah were aimed at 
facilitating the communication between human beings, spirits and the 
Divine at different levels of spiritual consciousness. Magic was 
discredited by the Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth and 
eighteenth centuries, but interest revived in the nineteenth century, 
and various occult societies and magical fraternities were established 
(see Crowley, Aleister). Modern neo-pagan witchcraft (or wicca), 
includes both low sorcery (but not black magic or blood sacrifice) and 
high ceremonial magic. Practical and Divine Theology Meet Celestial 
magic is one of the hardest arts to pin down to specifics due to the 
vast range of beliefs and methods it covers. Among these beliefs there 
are a few constants which can be found, however, which embody what has 
become known as "Celestial Magic". Many practitioners of the art do not 
even acknowledge that they are using a form of magic at all, yet 
undeniably their practice focusses on what is classified as "magical 
effects". To attach a loose definition on Celestial Magic, it is the 
study of the interaction between deity and mortal, and the process of 
invigorating a deity to cause earthly change. There are a few things 
which are universal to the practice of Celestial Magic, as well, which 
help to identify consistencies in the overwhelmingly wide variety of 
techniques and beliefs. First among the consistencies which define 
Celestial Magic is the mechanism of the art itself. Commonly known as 
"prayer", the principle method of communication between a chosen deity 
and the pracitioner is a pseudo-telepathic link, emanation, or synergy 
brought about to gain audience with the deity. Prayer is a way for the 
practitioner to contact whichever entity they are concerned with to 
perform any of a few duties. Among the common activities of prayer are 
worship of the deity, appreciation (common in Gaia faiths), 
purification, sanctification, entreating blessings, entreating favours, 
asking for guidance, giving cares and worries over to the care of the 
deity, or (rarely) asking the entity to withdraw from a situation. This 
is nowhere close to an exhaustive list but should give a decent idea of 
what prayer entails. Prayer is the primary method of communciation 
between magician and deity in Celestial Magic. The second constant of 
Celestial Magic is that the deity is always "spiritual". Celestial 
Mages do not pray to one another directly, as this would be telepathy 
(Magecraft, if by some chance it worked at all). The Celestial Mage has 
been named "Celestial" because they pray to non-physical deities with 
intellgence, and usually some kind of power over and beyond the 
terrestrial realm. Some deities are ethereal, some are astral, some are 
stellar (living among the stars, reputedly), and some are infernal 
(sometimes called "sub-planar"). Other spirits exist in an undefinable 
space, perhaps because they exist on multiple levels or because they 
change levels. Among the undefined deities are the Egyptian gods, the 
Judaic God "YHVH" ("Yod-heh-vau-heh", which is anglicized "Yahweh"), 
and many other cultural gods. There are far too many gods and deities 
to list here, even given a lifetime of study. The definition of a 
Celestial deity can be summed as what is commonly called a "greater 
spirit". This is the differentiation between Summoning and Celestial 
Magic, as well. Summoning works with spirits that are largely still 
within grappling power of the Summoner. If something goes awry, there 
is a very good chance that the caster has a fighting chance against it 
since the spirits of summoning are also terrestrial. In Celestial 
Magic, spirits far above and beyond the realm of the caster are called 
to intervene as they can. The last constant is in the workings of 
Celestial Magic itself. There are typical skills attributed to many 
Celestial mages that define the abilities of the art, in a sense. Among 
these common skills is that of Divine Intervention. This is the most 
notable skill of the Celestial mage because of the opportunities it 
present, and the distinct advantage of the allowed complexity of a 
spell. Praying to a deity assumes a few things, but chief of these are 
that the deity is an intelligent being. Most spells by other casting 
arts adhere to the "Dumb Energy" rule wherein the respective complexity 
of a spell is by conscientious design. In Celestial Magic, this is not 
an issue. Given that a deity can (usually) be trusted to have some 
degree of intelligence and ability to identify the many factors in a 
situation, the Celestial mage can send spiritual beings to perform full 
goals instead of only tasks. This is a incredible asset for the 
Celestial mage, since they can essentially give an entire situation 
over to the care of a deity and cease to worry about it any further, 
trusting that the deity not only can perform a function but keep tabs 
on changes which occur between their evocation and the fulfillment of 
their goal. Second among these skills is protection from a deity. Many 
times, in almost any Celestial lore or scripture, there were occasions 
for a deity to protect the caster. Greco-Roman mythology is rife with 
examples of deities protecting those they take interest in, the Bible 
has many stories where followers were kept from harm, Once again, a 
defining comfort of this style of magic is that the deity can observe a 
situation as it progresses and, usually, can adapt to circumstances as 
they develop. Because of the nature of higher beings, they often can 
either work with energies that exist, somewhat like having an archimage 
at your side at all times, and causes changes which will make a 
situation safe, or can actually impose their own essence and being on a 
situation and cause change by exerting a portion of themself. Lastly, a 
common skill among Celestial Mages is the overpowering of lesser 
spirits. Having the power of a greater being at one's disposal, 
terrestrial forms can be overpowered, lesser demons can be vanquished, 
and many simple servitors can be dispelled. Ensorcerelled and enchanted 
items can be negated, occasionally, and other disturbing factors can be 
alieviated from the Celestial Mage if the deity of their choosnig is 
willing to exert its power. Overall, the mainstay advantage of 
Celestial Magic is that of having intelligent deities to aid as is 
appropriate. They may know more than we do. they may have existed 
longer, they may be more familiar with magic than we are, and have the 
ability to consciously care for our actions and lives. There is a 
downside to this, too: Intelligent beings, like human or any other 
creature, may not like you. They may decide you are not thinking 
clearly and will do as they see fit, or perhaps will deem it "in your 
best interest" to withdraw from a situation and allow the practitioner 
to weather things out on their own. These aside, however, many people 
prefer the relationship aspect of Celestial Magic and consider it a 
wonderful form of magic (or religion). Of necessity, any article on the 
history of magic must be relatively brief. To cover the entire history 
of magic since the dawn of time would require years of study and 
research and once completed would take almost as long to write. It 
would fill several tomes. For the purposes of our site, our aim is to 
cover a very brief outline of the history of magic within a timeline 
framework. There are many references to Magic in the Bible and in 
ancient manuscripts. The three Wise Men are also referred to as the 
three Magi. A magician, at the time of Christ, known as Simon Magus was 
considered to be the Copperfield of his day and even managed to 
entertain his audiences by flying from one end of a room to the other! 
Much of modern magic as an art form and profession can trace its roots 
back to the ancient Egyptians. It can also trace its roots back to the 
ancient Chinese civilizations. One of the oldest effects in magic is 
known as The Chinese Linking Rings in which, several solid metal rings 
link and unlink themselves. Today, many magicians still use this 
effect. To be fair to modern magicians, they are quite different to 
their predecessors. Today's magicians consider themselves as 
Entertainers. Their ancient predecessors were either charlatans, 
mountebanks, impostors, conmen and thieves. Quite often a combination 
of all five. Back to Egyptians. A man known as Dedi entertained, with 
magical effects, the slaves that built the pyramids. He made chickens 
and pigeons disappear and reappear. He had the heads of chickens 
removed and replaced. He is also credited with inventing an effect 
called " The Cups and Balls" in which a ball placed under one of three 
cups, appears under another and then another. Finally, it disappears 
and is replaced by a larger ball. This effect like the Chinese Linking 
Rings has also withstood the test of time and is still being performed 
today and can even be seen on television shows and in top showrooms of 
the world. Magicians were hired by temple constructors to make doors 
open, apparently by themselves, on the arrival or departure of a 
person. Quite often a royal personage. These royal persons had no idea 
how the effect was performed they simply believed that they were 
responsible for these magical occurrences because of some divine power 
that they alone possessed. (top) Magicians also created effects to make 
stone gods talk or spew flames from their mouths. Magicians during 
those times were considered as Sorcerers and were quite different from 
the modern magical Entertainers of today. Ancient Magicians went to 
great lengths in order to convince their audiences to believe that they 
possessed supernatural powers. In the Middle Ages, many Palaces and 
Royal Courts had a resident magician. He was usually a soothsayer and 
an astrologist as well. Many of them through the use of magical effects 
gained a reputation of turning base metal into gold. Magic could be 
found in the travelling road shows and in the London fairs of the 18th 
century. Drawings dating back to 1721, about Bartholomew Fair and 
Southwark Fair depict a magician named Fawkes doing a trick with a 
dove. Fawkes had a successful career running the fairs in England and 
it is reputed that he made a large fortune, lost it and made another 
large fortune. In 1735 an American magician named "Filadelphia" came to 
Europe. Frederick, the Great, became his benefactor. He and Frederick 
became so close that some nobles conspired to banish him from the 
court. Filadelphia decided to leave in splendid magical style. 
According to records from the time, when he finally left Berlin, his 
carriage was seen leaving at the same time from the four gates of the 
city. John Henry Anderson, known as the Wizard of the North, performed 
before the young Queen Victoria. During his magical career he travelled 
some 250,000 miles throughout Britain, Europe, Australia and America - 
a remarkable feat in itself considering that it was well before the era 
of Transatlantic jets. Another famous magician, Dr. Walford Bodie, was 
equally innovative. Bodie used Laughing Gas which, at the time, was 
used by Physicians as an anaesthetic. Bodie used the gas on volunteers 
from the audience to induce uncontrolled laughter, which also provoked 
the rest of the audience to laugh hysterically. Also in the middle of 
the XIX century an attraction named "Pepper's Ghost" arrived at London. 
There were several versions of that effect. However, what is noteworthy 
is that the public paid to watch the magic show. They entered a small 
room where there was a stage with a chair; someone from the audience 
was chosen, went on stage and sat in the chair. The audience watched 
with bated breath as they saw the volunteer slowly dissolve into thin 
air and without the usage of any covers or boxes; he was replaced by a 
gorilla. Equally fascinated they continued to watch as the gorilla 
slowly dissolved away and the volunteer appeared once more just as 
surprised as the rest of the audience. A few years later, having read 
Robert-Houdin's 'Memoirs of Robert Houdin' an Austrian card manipulator 
named Erik Weiss became so enchanted and amazed by the principles that 
Houdin stood for, that he changed his persona and became Harry Houdini. 
In 1873, an English magician named John Neville Maskelyne with his 
colleague, Cooke, opened a showroom in Piccadilly, London. The show was 
so successful that it played uninterrupted until 1903, when the show 
moved to St. George's Hall, with a new associate David Devant. Devant 
in his own right later went on to become equally famous and a bronze 
bust of him holding a set of Multiplying balls is on display at The 
Magic Circle headquarters in London. The bust is set on a revolving 
platform and is the centrepiece of the room appropriately called the 
Devant Room. Digressing for a moment, it is well worth visiting this 
room and the rest of The Magic Circle in London, England. A unique and 
magical experience all by itself. Now back to Maskelyne. Maskelyne's 
show was the first experience that many young people had of a live show 
at that time. Although at the turn of the century it was not considered 
quite etiquette in polite society to take young women to a common 
music-hall show, Mr. Maskelyne's show was considered as perfectly 
acceptable and respectable. Those who continued to avoid the music 
halls missed a lot of good magic shows. Carmo and his lion 
disappearance inside a cage, Dante with his fountains, Goldin and last 
but not least, Chung Ling Soo Many of these famous magicians filled 
showrooms around the world. (top) The Zig-Zag Girl ( Mismade Girl ) A 
frequent presence at Maskelyne shows was Robert Harbin, not only an 
excellent artist in his own right, but also one of this century's 
greatest creators of magical effects. He invented an effect, very much 
copied and imitated, called ZIG-ZAG. A young lady assistant was placed 
in an upright box and it was closed. At this point only her mid-section 
was visible. He upper torso was moved to one side and her lower body 
was moved to the other side. At all times the audience could see her 
mid-section. Once she was 'Zig- Zagged' parts of the box would be 
opened revealing her upper torso to one side and her legs on the other 
side. Her mid-section remained in the centre. Sometimes she would 
extend her hand and wave to the audience. The partially open box would 
then be closed and the entire door opened and out would step the young 
woman none the worse for wear. The original prototype of this illusion 
can be viewed at the Magic Circle in London. (For a look at the actual 
sawdust Harbin created while building the prototype, you'll have to 
visit the home of Michael Bailey, where it is securely kept since 
Harbin first presented the not-yet-complete illusion for Michael's 
input - SD). Harbin died in 1978, having successfully performed on 
stage, cabaret and television. Many professional Magicians consider him 
to be the first Grand Master of Magic. The Indian Rope Trick Many stage 
magicians performed an act called "The Indian Rope Trick". There is 
much illusion within the world of Illusion. There is, even today, among 
Magicians and Historians hot debates as to the fact if such an effect 
ever existed. Marco Pólo brought a story from China about a man who, in 
the open air, threw a rope into the air which, a young boy climbed 
until he disappeared. Over the years several professional magicians 
have visited India offering large sums to anyone who could perform the 
effect. The effect remains a great topic on controversy. There are 
those who have claimed to have seen the full Indian version in the 
open. In this version the Indian magician tosses a rope of about 18 
feet in length into the air where it remains suspended. A young boy 
then climbs the rope and disappears. The magician then climbs the rope 
armed with a large hatchet and also disappears. Screams are heard and 
the boy's limbs, covered in blood fall to the ground. An assistant 
gathers them up and places them in a large basket. The Magician 
descends and upon reaching the ground opens the basket and the boy is 
found inside, whole and unharmed. In 1938 the owner of a circus in 
Britain offered 2000 dollars to anyone who could perform the effect at 
the famous Lord's cricket ground at St. John's Wood in London. The 
offer was doubled by "The Magic Circle" but was never claimed. Although 
several versions were presented on stage, apparently it was never 
performed in the open air. As stated earlier this is only a brief 
outline history of magic. Details on many great names such as 
Dunninger, Thurston, Blackstone, Cardini, Kellar, Bautier de Kolta, 
Robert Heller, Professor Hoffman, Herrmann, John Scarne, Paul Curry, 
Harry Baron, Bruce Elliot and an extensive list of similar notables 
have not been included yet. This, is a work in progress...to be 
continued. Give me time! 

Wizards Wizards are another type of Magician, as different from
Hermetics or Shamans as they are from each other. Wizards may learn any 
type of spells, but gain no bonuses in any category. Spell fetishes and 
focuses provide only half normal benefits, unless specifically designed 
for use by Wizards. Adepts While there are Wizardry Sorcery and 
Physical Adepts, they follow the normal rules. Wizardry Conjuring 
Adepts may interact with any type of Demons, in a manner similar to 
standard Conjuring Adepts. Initiates Wizards cannot join in Initiate 
Groups with any other type of Magicians, execpt Necromances, Sorcery 
Adepts or Physical Adepts. However, groups which mix these types do not 
suffer the normal penalties for such. When Wizard Initiates make an 
Astral Quest, they must travel to one of the alternate dimensions. Note 
that Wizards are the only type of mage who can project to these 
alternate dimensions, just as Shamans are the only types of mages who 
can project to the Totem Metaplanes E Warlocks Just as Toxic Shamans 
are Shamans with a Threat Rating, so Warlocks are Wizards with a Threat 
Rating. Warlocks can add their Threat Rating in summoning and control 
contests with Demons. ________________________________________ 
Summoning Wizards summon Demons (Lesser and Greater), a type of spirit 
whose home plane is another dimension. Once summoned, both types remain 
around until all services are used. Each 24 hours that elapses after 
summoning burns one service. Note that since the Demons are 
Extra-Dimensional Beings, rather than being drawn from the fabric of 
Astral Space, they cannot be Quickened. The summoning is an Opposed 
success test pitting the summoner's skill against the Force rating of 
the Spirit. If the Demon gets more services than the Summoner, then the 
Wizard owes those services to the Demon. If the Demon does not become a 
Free Spirit (as per normal rules), then the "24 hours burns one 
service" rule still applies. If the Demon does become a Free Spirit, 
then those services remain until used. The Summoning can be attempted 
again to adjust the number of services, but the target number for the 
Wizard goes up by 2 for each successive attempt, making it a risky 
proposition. As with other types of Conjurors, Wizards can have a total 
number of spirits (lesser and greater) in attendance up to his/her 
charisma rating. Lesser Demons Takes one action to summon (using 
Shamanic rules). Use Elemental Statistics based upon summoning medium 
(as per Elemental rules). Each summoned Demon has one power. Choose 
from the following: Accident 	Alienation 	Binding Concealment 
	Confusion 	Enhanced Senses Fear 	Guard 	Inhabitation Movement 
	Paralyzing Touch 	Search Physical Combat 	Remote Service 	Skill 
(specify) All Lessor Demons exist in Manifest form (Dual Natured). This 
form is basically humanoid, but shows their elemental bent. They cannot 
Manifest in Great Form. Greater DaemonsGreater Summons occur by Ritual 
(as Hermetic) in Places of Power. The type of location and general 
surroundings determine the base stats of the Daemon (use the most 
similar Nature Spirit's stats). They have a number of powers equal to 
their Force rating. Any of the above powers are possible, as well as: 
Telekinesis 	Influence 	Aid Study (specify) Possession 	Sense Link 	Aid 
Sorcery (specify) Dispelling 	Shielding 	Aid Initiation Greater Daemons 
function as normal spirits, with their primary state being astral. They 
all have the ability to Manifest (as per normal rules). Greater Daemons 
can be given Great Form. IN GENERAL THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT 
INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF MAGICIAN BUT NEVER IS ENOUGH 
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW  MORE ABOUT THE MEANING OF MAGIC THEN YOU SHOULD 
READ STORIES LIKE THE WAR OF TWO WORLDS TO KNOW HOW EVEN THE MAGES 
CANFORM SOCIATIES OF MAGIC. 

SINCERELY: CMCC CARLOS2004MAILACCOUNT.COM CHARLES M. CAMPOS


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