Urdrevan magic is taught by apprenticeship rather than classroom learning, and by oral tradition rather than books and scrolls. As a result their mages are idiosyncratic, and there is a limited tradition of magical research. Urdrevan mages favour air and water, they like good weather and good omens much more than fireballs and walls of stone. The megafauna that many bands train or take to battle are a big investment of time and expertise that are worth magic to care for and keep alive. Urdrevan mages looking to advance their mastery must either bargain for secrets from denizens of the spheres or draw it from the grimoires of settled mages – a fact that contributes to their synthesis patchwork of traditions.
Urdrevan exists on the move – with little opportunity to set up laboratories or magical forges. As a result enchanters are more likely to work by imbuing an already crafted weapon/armour/talisman than they are to smith it from scratch. Those Urdrevan lucky or rich enough to wield enchanted wargear often have it festooned with charms and painted incantations that are the hallmark of the enchanter’s art.
Travelling by horseback is not friendly to alchemical glassware, so Urdrevan alchemists tend toward styles favouring herbalism rather than chemistry. Their travels and trades give them ready access to exotic components, so alchemists are one of the few pro-experimental areas of the Nation.
Urdrevan Starseers fulfill the ubiquitous need for pathfinding among the bands, divining the future in the stars they use to navigate through the sphere of Oracle. Those artisans and enchanters who set aside the bonds of band and family to devote their lives to excellence in their work are known as Craftsworn. Among the Urdrevan there are healers renowned for ranging far and wide in search of rare herbal reagents; these Woundbinders are often in the thick of adventure and are seldom short of patients.
The Constellations
The Urdrevan mark 11 major constellations;
The Thunderfoot – a constellation interpreted as a long-necked dinosaur, with a sweep of stars from head to tail, sometimes also called “The Cascade” and depicted as two waterfalls with a pool between them.
The Direwolf – A constellation interpreted as the heavy shouldered predator, sometimes also as a Buffalo, Cave Lion, or Short-Faced Bear.
The Mammoth – A constellation interpreted as the head of a Wooly Mammoth, with offshoots making up a trunk, tusks, and ears. Portavian Navigators call it “The Octopus”, and among The Wonder it is called “The Roots”.
The Trail – stars that resemble an alternating series of footprints, like a fossilized track-way, sometimes also called “The Chase” and depicted as a pack of predators chasing after a prey animal.
The Claw – stars in an arc like the claw of a Utahraptor, astronomers among the more settled Nations might call it “The Sickle”.
The Mother and Cubs – a large constellation with two offshoots, traditionally depicted as bears or less often as Stegosaurs.
The Thief and the Egg – a large oval constellation with a smaller offshoot, traditionally depicted as a small feathered dinosaur approaching an egg, the creature is sometimes depicted as a reaching hand.
The Maw – a constellation that hinges at a single joined point, traditionally depicted as the open mouth of a large predator like a T-Rex or Sabre-tooth Tiger.
The Elk – a constellation interpreted as the many points of a magnificent crown of antlers.
The Antelope – a constellation interpreted as a long-legged gazelle in full sprint
The Herd – a long constellation with many upper and lower offshoots, interpreted as a herd of animals on the move, the offshoots form heads or trunks or horns variously depending on the species in the depiction.
Magical Creatures
The Urdrevan live alongside many beasts that folk from other nations would consider fantastical, particularly those that can be found in the depths of the rainforest. That being said even the most intelligent of the Inspirational Beasts cannot speak without the assistance of magic, and even then cannot be said to have intellect approaching that of human beings. There are some creatures and spirits that are rare even to the Urdrevan, and feature in the stories they share around their campfires…
Alkardai
Said to be a variety of spirit that appears to people with guilty souls, or people who come from families who have committed bloody crimes that have gone unpunished. Normally appearing as a stranger with long black hair, or sometimes in the form of a mare, the Alkardai’s true form is said to be horrific – with spitting snakes hidden by their tresses, brass fingernails, and cruel teeth of iron. The Alkardai is reputed to appear in dreams as well as in person, and to leave those close to their victim with terrors in the night so that they wake up exhausted. If the Alkardai is not appeased then sickness will follow the night terrors, until many people have perished and its victim has either died or fled the band. Folk who flee are said to be followed by the Alkardai and are never seen again.
Zilant
Said to be immense snakes that fly with feathered wings. They are capricious creatures susceptible to flattery but also quick to take offence to perceived slights. They are ascribed a variety of magical powers including prophecy, wish granting, and the bestowing of curses. They are reputedly the monarchs of all snake-kind, and are able to send lesser serpents on errands as their messengers and spies.
Iyesi
Watering holes and natural pools are said to be watched over by spirits which can take the form of human, fish, or cats. When the waters have been disrespected or fouled the Iyesi can react angrily towards newcomers, pulling them in and drowning them if they are incautious. When in human form the Iyesi can be identified by water stains on the hems of their clothing.
Itbarak.
In the very wildest and most inhospitable places of the world are said to live a kind of shapeshifter. Their natural form is believed to be akin to a person with a dog’s head, but since they have mastery of shape they can appear as whatever manner of beast they choose. The Itbarak are said to be spirits that never gave up the freedom to choose their shape, and regard the beings that did as accepting a sad limitation in exchange for a little security. In tales they regard the Urdrevan much like the Urdrevan regard the settled folk, with pity and a sense of superiority. Young Itbarak are said to be curious about the human world, and use their powers to spy on people who catch their interest. Relationships between humans and Itbarak in the stories usually end in tragedy, when the nature of the Itbarak is revealed and it flees into the wilderness. Some lineages of Urdrevan Beastmasters and Mages claim to have learned secrets from the Itbarak, or to be the descendents of unions with the magical creatures – who can say for sure whether these claims are true?
Upior
Urdrevan storytellers frighten their audiences around the campfires at night with tales of the Upior. These monsters are said to arise from a cursed corpse left unburned that becomes possessed by unquiet spirits. They are described as swollen and ruddy in colour from the blood they must drink nightly to sustain themselves. An Upior is said to have great strength, to be nigh impervious to weapons, and to have the power to quieten beasts so that they do not alert of its approach. The creature’s weakness is that it must bury itself below ground before dawn, as the light of the sun is fatal to it. The bane of many Upior in the tales are the brave Liberator priests who come from among the Urdrevan, who invent creative ways to trick them into being above ground at daybreak. Perhaps the most famous of such tales is of a cunning Upior who avoided many hunters looking for its grave by dwelling at the bottom of a lake during the day and holding onto a large stone in order to stay submerged. The clever Liberator sought out a large hollow geode that they filled with sand, and capped off with bread dough which they baked in a fire. This they left on the lakeshore at the place the Upior used to emerge. Sure enough at the end of the next night the Upior carried the Liberator’s false stone as it waded into the lake, but while it waited on the bottom the bread became soggy and was nibbled by fishes – so that the geode was unplugged and all the sand ran out. The furious Upior floated to the surface without the weight of the stone to hold it down, and burnt away to black tar in the sunlight