Sylvan Stories: Dredge


 

All follow a path in life, some decide to follow a path filled with fire and light, others decide to revel in arcane arts so secretive that the most exuberant of individuals would dare not speak their names. While some yet choose to follow a different path. The path of the forgotten, the path of the world beyond this world and that, which moves in pangs of silence all around us. Some consider this path entirely putrid, horrendous, perhaps even taboo, while others revel in delight at its mere mention. But all seem to come to one singular conclusion, one idea that entwines the fates of all who succumb to its power – those who delve deep within our earth and bring to fruition what has been lost are truly brave souls indeed.

Some are researchers, while others are tinkerers, many are simply beings of intrigue. But those who decide to follow the path of the forgotten are among the bravest of all mages in existence. They have taken it upon themselves to revel in arts that many of not even the most experienced individuals would ever consider. Controlling powerful spirits, un-dead angels, and horrors beyond our wildest dreams, these mages refuse to falter, refuse to give up in utter devotion to their cause.

Some say they are stuck in the past, refusing to move forward, throwing the future out the window and only looking back. But the dredge mages know all too well, they have not forgotten the future, but prefer to learn from and utilize the past to achieve their end goal. A dredge mage in essence is a being of the present, acknowledging what is here and now, utilizing the tools of the once powerful to meet their needs. By doing so they elegantly attempt to achieve whatever ever goals they see fit.

However they must be ever vigilant for some of the beings they have dealings with are among the most dangerous in all of existence. Huge lumbering horrors, and massive plague filled beasts are but a few of the challenges a dredge mage must overcome. If their mind falters from the present even the slightest amount, a dredge mage can be easily overtaken by their own devices, falling to a world of darkness and oblivion. However if a dredge mage can overcome such dangers, then they are sure to reap the rewards of their continued efforts.

But oddly enough, a dredge mage is not susceptible in the slightest to any sort of mental magic. Their thoughts cannot be seized, their desires can not be cast away. For they create from the past, not the future. This is perhaps the dredge mages greatest strength. For they can never be swayed by manipulation, they stand strong in their cause, strong in their beliefs and will follow them to the ends of the earth and beyond.

However this can bode problematic as well. For a carefully placed ward, or magical device that feeds on the forgotten world will quickly hinder a dredge mage’s plans. They must be ever weary of those who wish to attack the past, of those who wish to change the world that had once been, into nothingness. The dredge mage has many defenses for such a situation, but even yet, sometimes those very defenses are not enough to prevent the forgotten world from disappearing forever.

All dredge mages must revel in other magics in order to keep the subtle balance they hold together so firmly. They must practice the arts of enchantment and ward destruction, as well as mental magic to prevent those who wish to oppose them from destroying everything they have come to work for. These magics, while seemingly counter intuitive to a dredge mages plan, serve to further their eventual goals and plans, and are viewed as necessary tools to reach what they desire.

The world of dredge is a dangerous path full of twists and turns. One wrong move could lead in utter devastation for those who wish to follow such a path. However those who do so successfully are sure to reap the rewards of their continued to struggle to understand the forgotten world which everyone else has passed aside as something precarious to the future’s might.

Thank you for reading! Sylvan Stories is a series where we create lore inspired pieces about various decks throughout Magic’s formats.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, or would like to suggest the next Sylvan Story, please feel free to leave it in the section below.

And as always, happy gaming!

zebotc

zebotc

Sylvan Studies Team
- A swords a day keeps the goyfs away.

Check out my personal work @
samuelperinart.com & Instagram
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