A short essay on the nature and organization of wizards in the amazon Kindle novel The House Yugen.

1. Of Wizards
Within 200 years the Istŕǽ formed the 6 houses and created the Tupcrǽn, the counsel of 7.
The elected leader of the counsel is called the Houstrë. In the beginning, both men and women
were in the order. Anyone born into the 180 would bear the birthmark of the Uptähsét somewhere
on their bodies. So the cycles began. When the end of the seventh cycle came, the male wizards
far outnumbered the female. This was one of the imbalances the Q’Dâm Chu Atin was supposed
to correct. A powerful wizard from the House Túziŕ led a revolt against the Sentaté and expelled
all women from the orders. They began referring to themselves as the Ëlléân, which is the
masculine form for magician in the ancient tongue. This wizard, Goshem, also found the toddler
Q’Dâm and killed her. During the next cycle, the followers of Goshem managed to kill her again.
Magic began to diminish.
Thus the imbalances in the world have increased over the 24,000 years since the last
Q’Dâm Chu Atin had been able to heal Oshmä. The wizards have grown substantially weaker
since and this is one of the great secrets of the orders. The Sentaté have not only shared in this loss
of power, but they have been denied the formal training and access to the libraries of the wizards.
After the eighth cycle they were reduced to low-level spells, potions and healing salves. Women
who could not channel magic began to join the order and their numbers grew. People called them
witches, a derogatory term propagated by the wizard orders. About 120 years ago the Sentaté met
and formed a counsel for themselves. They then dedicated their order to the protection of the
Q’Dâm Chu Atìn. However, here at the end of the 9th
Cycle, revenge against the wizards is just a
great a motivation. The Sentaté, when ovulating, are very distracting to the wizards and the more
powerful the wizard the greater the distraction. Currently there are 23 Sentaté and some 12,000
women who have joined their organization all across Oshmä. They choose select males to mate
with their Sentaté sisters hoping that the Q’Dâm Chu Atìn will one day be born among them.
The wizards currently have 156 members with a single male member they cannot find. As
their power waned their ability to identify other wizards, as well as the Q’Dâm Chu Atin, has
faltered. This weakening of magic within the fabric of the world is a very closely held secret among
the wizards. All six houses are in Illien, though wizards live in three cities in Brendon. One house
is in Preshto, Sendü, Ghwandir, Illen Marta and Triél while two reside in Ishpaniti. The wizards
swear allegiance to no king though they have enjoyed the protection of Illien for most of the 9th
Cycle.
The six houses are: 1) Cåstenhâr, those who control rock, dirt, water and stone 2) Neinír,
those who control light and heat 3) Zaphlaŕ are those who control metals 4) Grǽn who can control
time and thought 5) Túziŕ, who can teleport from place to place and 6) the Anene-tiŕ who have a
mix of all powers, though they cannot achieve the highest levels of proficiency of any of the
particular houses. From each house a leader is chosen for a counsel called the Tupcrǽn. The head
of the Tupcrǽn is called the Houstrë. Candidates for the Houstrë position are chosen from among
any of the houses and live apart from any house for five years at the monastery of Mâssim Nìmih,
in the center of Illien.
Now there is a split in the ranks of the wizards. Some, such as Xümien, realize they need
the Q’Dâm Chu Atìn to restore the balance of magic in the fabric of Oshmä. He has discovered

2. that each time a wizard casts a spell, more energy is lost and not replaced. Xümien’s faction wants
to protect and nurture the Q’Dâm Chu Atìn and the Bésta Atìn. However, he is outnumbered by
the wizards who want to continue to kill the anointed one.
Also wizards fear the dragons who can breathe fire. For some reason never recorded,
wizards completely lose their ability to cast spells when near a fire drake. Most attacks from
Et’Danel have come two to three years after large dragon migrations. It takes a dragon 1 ½ to 2
years to breathe fire. Wizards can be killed like a human and suffer the same ills and pitfalls. They
do live longer and are tougher to harm and know many healing spells.
The wizards also have a cadre of non-wizards who serve them and can learn basic arts such
as potions, healing and basic spell casting. These wizards are called hìstoico, those who assist.
These people keep up with everyday chores, keep the finances, cook, and manage the lands of the
wizards for them. Many of the compounds the wizards live in, called nórcrem, have farms and
dairies attached. They earn monies by selling products according to their abilities. There are metal
workers, famous sword shops and armor makers, candy shops, pottery houses, and medicine
producers. The items made by the wizards are renowned for their quality and are highly sought
after. Thus, the istrǽ also maintain a good working relationship with the guilds, especially the
sailing fleets.
Within the orders the wizards wear colored robes to show their ability level. When a student
becomes a full wizard, he is free to do as he pleases and is under no restraint to follow any particular
leader. However, tradition dictates, he will voluntarily humble himself to those who know more
than he does. Those who sit on the Tupcrǽn are in charge of the houses and each house has its
specific rules. If a wizard chooses to live in a house, he must abide by those rules or leave the
house. Normally all are encouraged from an early age to obey the rules. They are necessary to keep
students from hurting themselves or others.
When a wizard dies, his replacement is born within six months. The Houstrë has a secret
way of finding the child, using magic, that is secret. If a woman of the power is born she is ignored,
or in some cases found and killed. At ten years old the child is brought before the Tupcrǽn and his
abilities are ascertained. Once it is decided where his talents lie, the student is sent to the proper
house for training. Presently, the allotment of wizards is filled except for one. The wizards do not
know if this wizard simply has not been discovered or if he does not exist. The Tupcrǽn had to
search for twelve years the last time a wizard was born. Their magic has become so weak they
cannot see where one is born without great difficulty.
Now the great struggle begins for the Istŕǽ. With the orders split on what to do about the
Q’Dâm Chu Atìn, they must find a way to restore magic, the istrǽm, before they lose their power
and political standing. For with the use of magic, they have obtained large amounts of influence,
respect and wealth. All is in jeopardy now that they know a Q’Dâm Chu Atìn exists.
To further complicate matters, the Sentaté are also searching for the Q’Dâm Chu Atìn. Never have
the female wizards forgotten their persecution by the Istŕǽ. The few surviving mothers are
planning to find the chosen woman and protect her hoping the restored magic will even the
imbalances between the male and female wizards. Knowing that the Q’Dâm Chu Atìn retains
considerable political power as well, the women want their proper places restored in the orders as

3. well as on the Tupcrǽn. So the women have been quietly searching and building an organization
of women in every major city of the world to search out this anointed woman.