by Nataraj, 2/98

One hundred years before the Wild Magic Surge disrupted the flow of magical power in the world, there existed a mage of exemplary ability. Her name was Kopanitsa. She was often called "the Scalpel" because of the razor precision with which she manipulated the power of magic. Her contributions to magic theory in general, and to the mage training facility on k’Ling at the Satrapy of Luapa in particular, had made her a legend in the magical circles. That ability also made her a cursed demon to the extremist arm of the T’Warians known as the Mage Hunters, of course. The elders still alive today remember her as an enthusiastic imp, always seeking after playful, creative ways to use her talent. She delighted in complex practical jokes, several of which have been made into humorous songs by local bards. She is most renowned however, for her indirect contribution to the field of cartography.

Kopanitsa loved to use her magic to fly. She never walked when she could fly. Her peers, and some of her teachers (who should have known better) scoffed at her pretensions, considering her flagrant use of power as wasteful. The chiding of such folk were simply wasted breath to Kopanitsa. She reckoned their admonishing to be equivalent to telling a runner not to run because she’d get tired. Of course. And after a rest, the runner could run on, refreshed. Her magic was no different. Gathering power was no more difficult than sleeping, and with two Ley lines crossing k’Ling, she was seldom without ample power. So she flew. During a period when she was experimenting with how high she could fly (ignoring the dire warnings of those who said it was certain death to fly higher than a strong bow could loft an arrow), she noticed that she could see not only a large part of the coast of k’Ling, but she could also see the shores of k’Pan some twenty-five miles to the east. Excited, she assumed that if she flew higher, she would be able to see all of the islands of Peligo. Her attempts and research occupied her for most of a year. It took time to understand the problems facing her. It seemed that when she flew higher, it became harder to breath, and the cold cut through her desert robes like a jambaya, the curved knife of the desert nomads. In the end it was simply a clever use of relatively simple spells combined with a willingness to expend power freely that allowed her success.

It really was simple in hindsight. To her flying spell, she added one of warmth, and one of free-breathing. This allowed her to fly higher and higher, and remain aloft until she was too exhausted to continue. She always talked of keeping the spells active and sleeping there, some two miles up in the air. But the wind never ceased and she was afraid she would blow away and wake up in some strange realm. Her passion for this form of exploration blazed out of her like heat from a stove.

One evening she was enjoying a few ales at the Burnt Umber public house with one of her teachers. A young man at the next table, who was well into his cups, without invitation swiveled his chair around and responded to Kopanitsa’s tales. He was a moderately successful cartographer employed by a consortium of sea captains. While he loved to travel and to make maps, he found that being at sea for weeks was not at all glamorous, and he found his interest waning. He boldly proclaimed he’d fly to the moon with Kopanitsa if he could get accurate maps completed quickly. It would be, he proclaimed most solemnly (and somewhat drunkenly), his magnum opus at the tender age of twenty-eight.

The potential to illuminate a practical application for her efforts appealed greatly to Kopanitsa. That it would also be fun and profitable only added honey to the tea. She set to thinking at once on the problem of taking two to such heights, or even greater heights. Her enthusiasm, buoyed by several pints of the Burnt Umber’s spicy ales, led her to make hasty preliminary arrangements with the drunken cartographer. His name, m’Catur, and a scheduled second meeting at the research lab of the mage school were secured.

A broad picture of the project was painted the next day when they met. m’Catur was responsible for the task of mapping, and negotiating with the consortium for a substantial bonus if the mapping were completed well in advance of the promised delivery date. Since the captains expected the mapping to take years, promising a fine delivered product in mere months should be worth no little amount as they would have a distinct advantage over other sea traders. Kopanitsa’s end of the bargain was to get them high enough, for long enough, for m’Catur to gather the information and sketches needed to complete the maps.

The problems requiring solutions, Kopanitsa reckoned after m’Catur had left, were breathing, freezing, and flying with two. All of these required half again the power as doing it solely for herself. In addition, m’Catur would likely require a drafting board of some kind, plus pens and ink. In short, he needed a work desk. The solution revealed itself to her as she walked home through the trade district. Watching a merchant beat the days’ dust out of a fine rug got her to thinking about how lovely it was to sit upon such a rug, and wouldn’t it be grand to have it under her and the cartographer while they worked? And why not, she mused? Casting the flying spell on a carpet would take no more or less power, but would be somewhat easier since it was inanimate and unlikely to resist the effect of the spell as a person, even a willing person, would. With a fine rug to sit upon, a small, light lap desk could be used, and fatigue could be postponed. Along the same vein, other objects could be employed to receive the warmth spells. She turned and ran back to the lab, eager to start testing at once.

Several days of testing, a dozen ruined rugs, serious smoke and fire damage to the lab, and numerous bruises and lacerations, finally yielded success. Kopanitsa, sallow-eyed and pallid, collapsed from exhaustion and hunger with a smile on her lips. Being young and hale, within days she was on her feet again, ready to cast the spells for the real project.

m’Catur, who had missed witnessing the more spectacular failures, was filled with confidence and showed not the slightest trepidation. Perhaps a blind eye to the consequences of failure is a required component in the making of an heroic person? With the first light of day, the spells were cast, and the two daring adventurers stepped with pomp and ceremony onto the carpet. The many well-wishers from the school who had contributed thoughts and ideas to the plan all watched with glee as the carpet lifted, hovered, moved left and right, then fore and back. Assured that all was well, Kopanitsa directed the carpet straight up.

Up and up they rose. The cleverly designed furnace which contained the heat-spelled rocks, yet wouldn’t burn up the carpet (for at least a day) functioned perfectly, blasting heated air from the windward edge of the carpet. Ornate silk scarves tied across nose and mouth provided spell-enhanced air to breath. When they reached a height that m’Catur estimated as four miles up, they realized the furnace could not provide sufficient heat, nor the scarves sufficient air, to remain so high. With some disappointment, they descended half a mile. Their disappointment quickly turned to awe as they began surveying their view.

Unfolding before them, the islands of Peligo were revealed, floating in the gentle teal sea. To the east, lay k’Pan. Sweeping south from east to west lay Dazmiir, Dafwir, Taxim, Kashlima, d’Temain, zBek, d’Oum, and zDur. To the far south lay the exotic islands of Aribique, Soka, and Qu’Ral. Due west was tiny d’Key. To the north lay only the sea. For more than an hour the two simply sat and were mesmerized by the never-before-seen vista.

Nearly 18 hours they remained aloft. m’Catur sketching feverishly, and taking copious notes. When Kopanitsa tired, and needed sleep, they descended. They slept at the school, taking meals hastily, and returning as soon as possible to their lofty vantage. After nearly two weeks, m’Catur regretfully announced that he probably had enough material to complete thorough maps, including the primary currents of the sea, an unexpected bonus.

Kopanitsa’s portion of this tale ends here, having firmly marked her place in history. Other tales tell of her numerous contributions to the body of magical knowledge. m’Catur’s portion goes some months more, but is summed up as follows. He created the greatest maps of his time, and his cartographic methods have been copied throughout Peligo. Born on Kopanitsa’s wings, he truly had created his magnum opus.


[Note from Nataraj the Bard: As a sidebar to this history, a herdsman in the central portion of k’Ling was reported to have been struck dead by a chunk of frozen excreta that fell from the sky at great speed. While there is no conclusive evidence to indicate Kopanitsa and m’Catur, it does seem likely that at some point they would have emptied their chamber pot over the edge of the carpet without thinking about what would happen next.]