The Path of Veils

It is fitting that the origins of this path have been made legend, and that there are very few facts to back this story. It is often told that the origin of this path was caused by a tragedy – a ship from Aregon sailed too close to the mists of D’Remes, and was thought to be lost. A decade later, the ruins of the ship sailed out from the mists, and slid quietly and gracefully into the harbour. Those who braved the ship found the entire crew had vanished – all save for the cabin boy. The young lad had not aged a day, but his eyes were the most piercing green, and he saw things that nobody else could see. As he grew, he could draw his visions into the world, showing what he saw. The stories differ on what happened to the boy at that point.

A person can not simply learn how to become an illusionist. Instead, the apprentice is led to a place with a strong connection to the faeries, and sent on a dream quest – passing the realms of sleep and sending their soul into Faerie itself. Those who recover from the experience are often gifted with the ability to see glamour, and if they recover from the maddening event, their teacher begins the process of showing them how to shape this glamour and become a true illusionist. Even once the apprentice has recovered their sanity, it is often a question about what is real, and what is illusion. Some illusionists treat their glamour constructs as real people, while dismissing the world around them as a convenient ‘lie’. Others question the borders placed between the world of glamour and the physical world. Many simply do not recover fully, entranced and addicted to the raptured of glamour, fading away over time, or wandering off to join the faeries.

Those who have studied this path have learned that the glamour provided to the illusionist is granted by the Aesir – the powers that rule Faerie. These primordial entities do not explain why they grant a portion of their power to mortals, and there is very little rhyme or reason to the decision. This power, however, is dangerous in the hands of those with weak will, as using glamour produces a feeling of rapture, causing the emotions of the user to becoming heightened and refined. A sorcerer who is feeling playful may find themselves giddy and giggling, while one in the throes of rage are a terror to behold.

While illusionists begin with the knowledge of how to create phantasms, as they grow experienced and expand into other forms of magic, their glamour becomes more real and solid. In essence, all illusionist spells are illusions, just some seem more real than others, and have a realistic and lasting effect upon the world. Those who are immune to illusions (or can not see illusions), are somewhat protected from the Path of Veils. Anything short of true immunity provides half their normal protection against any spell from the Path of Veils, and full protection against Phantasm Spells from this Path.

Titles: Illusionist, Glamour Mage, Dream Mage