AN INTRODUCTION TO FLAME SORCERY

-and the chaotic nature of Pyromancy-

~ PART I ~

by

OLIGARCHUS DRACONIUS,

ADV. SORCERY INSTRUCTOR AT THE VINHEIM INSTUTE OF MAGIC

Pyromancy is an interesting art, different from the various sorcery developed across Lordran. Pyromancy was developed by a chaos witch after the creation of the Bed of Chaos; Quelana, the mother of Pyromancy, spread the art amongst her pupils, who in turn spread it among the rest of Lordran. Pyromancy differs from any other magical art in that it doesn't take intelligence, strength, or a certain dexterity to use; Pyromancy relies on one's willpower and ability to focus.

That being said, the art is oft mocked by the sorcerers of Vinheim for its rugged simplicity. Fire is unfocused, and therefore easy to lose control of, and in the hands of a novice, is as destructive as it is beautiful, burning as the element sees fit. The caricature pyromancer in the land of Vinheim is usually portrayed as a failure in the arcane arts, i.e. one who could not get in the Vinheim Institute of Magic.

This brings us to the curious case of a Mr. Tennerton, a young magician at our school who was dedicated in his research on what exactly Pyromancy was and how it had come to be. What we do know about Pyromancy is very little; it is in fact manifested in its core form as a small ember, not unlock those that the legendary blacksmiths of yore had used when forging weapons. These embers, commonly referred to as "Pyromancy Flames", channel one's will into fire itself. It is a very simple creation, and incredibly effective in usage as opposed to what the graduates of this great institution have said about it. These embers are quite easy to find; they are created as part of the nature of fire itself, and can be found among ashes with ease.

The Great Swamp in particular is the only place that comes to mind when one thinks of skilled pyromancers. The people of the great swamp are an incredibly proud race, strong, hardy, and adaptive. None would be more suited for the art, so it seems, besides them. Yet some from lands beyond, out of the reach of the Undead curse (touched on in a later argument), have developed some advanced, more sinister types of Pyromancy. One art in particular causes the caster to fill their lungs with toxins and spew them forth as a cloud toxic enough to kill a person in mere seconds. However, such pyromancies are frowned upon even in their own community, so the usage is not so widespread.

Pyromancy is often seen as the remnants of the long-forgotten flame sorcery, an art lost to time. Since the creation of the Bed of Chaos, the only beings known to use flame sorcery are the creations of the Bed itself, as all manner of observed daemonic origin have some affiliation with flame, and the stronger ones in particular seem to be able to control it as if it were an extension of their being, which, if we were to consider their creation, we would be wise to acknowledge in their presence.

This brings us back to Mr. Tennerton and his research, flame sorcery. 'What flame sorcery is', he says, 'is simply pyromancy from the soul- theoretically, far more powerful flames would be created this way, as with all soul-related creations, but the toll to contain it would be incredible. That's why the focused ember is better suited to channeling pyromancy than, say, a catalyst.'

'Yet, curiously, some catalysts seem completely at home channeling the flames of Pyromancy. Experiments with a catalyst recovered from the ruins of Izalith – specifically expedition 26-A, have revealed that Pyromancy is able to be cast with other mediums. This "Daemon Catalyst", as my colleagues have dubbed it, can create a weak, yet still very much alive, ball of flame not unlike those produced by Pyromancy Flames.'

Mr. Tennerton's research into the connection between Pyromancy and sorcery has heavily influenced the academic focus of this school, for the time being. Many a pyromancer are being collected in order to study their skill and explain the nature of their art. However, most data gathered ends up being more qualitative than quantitative; the intelligence of most above-average pyromancers is low, and as such descriptions tend to be simple.

The daemon catalyst, as our institute calls it, is an oddity in itself, the name paradoxical in particular. Daemon weapons are famed for both their rarity and refined properties when honed, but all bar this catalyst lack any magical properties whatsoever, yet attempts to etch ember into the weapons are met with a readiness not found in materials otherwise noted. Unlike other creations of daemonic origin, the daemon's catalyst possesses an innate magic unlike any other creation of modern sorcery.

This has been the centerpiece of Tennerton's research. When used to cast conventional sorcery, it fails to measure up to even the most basic of catalysts used throughout Lordran. This has been thought to be because modern sorcery is not meant to be used with the catalyst, as is Pyromancy.

Following this introduction is the complete collections of Albin Tennerton concerning his expedition to the daemon's ruins, the area surrounding Lost Izalith, in order to recover the secrets of the daemon's catalyst. This journal has been published with his express permission. Discretion is advised; the contents of this journal are not for the faint of heart.