Study and Art

The Duar culture has produced a two distinctive philosophies regarding the practice of magick. Through its cilivilation's long history, the Duar culture has endorsed a sense of order and propriety reflected in development of Orders of Magick, societies that promote the ethical, measured study of mystic forces. There are several such orders, all with their own philosophy on how magick can best be studies and used.

Conversely, where the Duar culture extends to the frontiers of the continent and flourish away from the city centers, a more relaxed appreciation of the mystic arts is endorsed. Here, an individual learns magick through a tradition master-apprentice method, where the arts are passed down in a generational manner. The study passed on by the master-apprentice method follow traditional areas of study, but the specifics of the practices vary from master to master.

The Orders (top)

The Orders of Magick are structured organizations, each dedicated to specific philosophical pursuits and specific mystical practices. Each Order occupies a place in the overall Duar culture and members tend to be consulted in matters that pertain to their area of study, much in the way any specialist might. The Orders are:

Ôrdô-Impiren: Dedicated to the study of the principles of deliberate and natural order, this "Order of the Emperor" has no real connection to the Red Empire or any hierarchical, governmental structure. Instead the Order focuses on intellectual and spiritual order and those occurrence of order found in natural structures. Their preferred method of magickal workings is Logomancy, or the use of mystical languages and grammar to affect change in the extant universe.
Ôrdô-Prâpônel: Dedicated to the study of the creative principle and the actualization of perceived reality into extant reality. This "Order of the Priestess" has a strong feminine bias in its teaching and its philosophy, but is not strictly regulated to female members only. The magicks of the Ôrdô-Prâpônel center around the maintenance and affecting of the physical body through the use of herbs, potions, powders, and other alchemical means.
Ôrdô-Hêrôfen: Dedicated to the study of esoteric, emotional, and spiritual power made manifest in the action of civilization, mainly how such things can be manifested throughout a society instead of on a personal level. Mages in this "Order of the Hierophant" practice ritual and ceremonial magicks and form societies with rigid hierarchical structures, learned degrees and mysteries, and a host of mystical items, locales, and rites.
Ôdrô-Éremôs: Dedicated to the individual pursuit of the intrinsic, essential self, this Order is something of an oxymoron. Other Duar orders of magery are structured and maintain a social hierarchy with themselves, but this "Order of the Hermit" champions instead the individual pursuit of enlightenment as each individual defines it. The Order looks within at the secrets of its own membership's psyche to find their way toward truth.
Ôrdô-Dêfá: Within all sentient minds, a darkness exists that runs as a river beneath their awareness. Within this darkness, hidden desires and the shadowy reversal of their true personalities exists, influencing conscious decisions with its undertow. The mages of the Ôrdô-Dêfá have mastered these energies and study them for their own erudition and, ostensibly to assist others in mastering their own inner selves.

Masters of the Art (top)

The master-apprentice method of mystic teaching focuses less on high-minded philosophical pursuits and more on practical, day-to-day matters. This method exists mainly in the outlaying communities and rural areas, where immediate results are necessary. This does not mean, however, that such esotericists are not concerned with higher meaning or cosmic matters such as life, death, and destiny, only that they believe such matters should be accessible to every individual rather than be preserved only for members of certain social orders.

Spiritwarders: Much as the profession of Warder scouts and protects the wildlands around a Mont, the Spiritwarders do the same, patrolling and protecting the Sacred Lands parallel to an area of a Mont, interacting with the spirits there. Just as the mundane ecology must be maintained, so too must the spiritual ecology be managed. Spiritwarders also deal with the spirits of Duar who have released their incarnation through death and are passing through the layers of reality to the All. They make certain such journies are as free from interruption as possible. The Spiritwarders work their magicks through the use of meditation and spiritual contacts, making allies with the denizens of the Sacred Lands.Through these contacts and alliances, Spiritwarders are able to affect change in this world as well as the Sacred Lands.
Strâden's Tools: Strâden's tools believe less in religious belief and spiritual intuition, following instead the careful collection of evidence and the power of simple observation. They view the mundane world (and those of higher planes) to be constructed as a careful balance of forces that function in predictable ways. While the believe in logic and rational understanding, they are not blind to the power of emotion and insight and factor such things into the observations and equations. Strâden's Tools work their magick through the use of mechanical apparati that channels esoteric energies from the environment. These apparati are supported by the use of chemicals, powders, and other natural substances.

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