Gorstvise

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## Members

### Other Roles

MerchantsWitches

**Gorstvise** is a riverside village in the Tangled Wood.

A murky village between Wispwillow Grove and the Driftwood Drag, Gorstvise is a once-great highway town that makes most of its money off of passersby, whether by selling much needed supplies or simple theft. Shadowflight at large has an alliance with Dragonhome, and Gorstvise in particular has a storied history of harboring Earthflight travelers and merchants on their way to Dragonhome.

## Lore

#### The Village

Gorstvise is on a well-traveled road between the bogs of the Driftwood Drag and the forests of Wispwillow Grove. The road runs alongside the Scraithe River, the largest river in the Tangled Wood. The Scraithe runs from Dragonhome to Driftwood. Another river, the Abian, begins as a spring in the heart of the Sunbeam Ruins, running across the border, through the Drag, and into the Central Sea, but not before it joins the Scraithe. And precisely where these two rivers meet is nestled Gorstvise.

Lightflight dragons used to have to travel along the Abian to Gorstvise and then go along the Scraithe if they wished to reach Dragonhome. Shadowflight has a strong alliance with Earthflight, despite the stark difference between the powerful, united Earth and the nonexistent structure of Shadow, so while traders from Lightflight traveling to Dragonhome were largely protected from the thieves of Shadow, it was still hugely beneficial to Shadowflight settlements to have those merchants traveling through the heart of the Tangled Wood. However, Lightflight has struck a deal with Waterflight; Light architects and builders are assisting with rebuilding efforts, in exchange for a searoute to Dragonhome. Even with protection from robbers, a journey through the murky wood was slow and unpleasant, especially for those accustomed to the Sunbeam Ruins.

While it was previously a booming trade village, Gorstvise is now experiencing a decline. The Shadowflight residents don't seem to mind much, since both citizens and whatever can pass as authority in Shadow have no reservations about theft, and besides, just because Shadow dragons are tricksters and criminals doesn't mean they're cruel. The land is bountiful, and communities care for one another.

#### Shadow Magic

Shadow magic, like all elemental magic, can be used in three ways. The most common is by sorcerers, or "regular" mages; those who were born within Shadow and so have an inclination towards Shadow magic. This type of mage still has to study, but doesn't need any sort of objects to cast, other than a simple channel. Most dragons possess this latent elemental energy by virtue of being dragons, but it takes work to shape that raw energy into something useful.

Wizards are those who were born either in one element but work with another, or were born without magic at all. This second scenario is very rare for dragons. Through use of runestones, casting circles, and using ingredients to prepare spells, as well as rigorous study, wizards can become masters of elemental magic as well. It takes more effort and more time, so it's less common than sorcery.

The third and most rare mages are witches. Witches use nature to learn magic. Sometimes witches are in the same situation as wizards but seek a different channel, sometimes witchcraft is used in conjunction with sorcery, and some Beastclan witches are practicers of traditional Beastclan modes of magic that are rooted in the natural world. Witches, like sorcerers, can use ley lines, and like wizards use ingredients for spells, but their spells draw on the latent elemental energy in the environment around them. As such, they are often more subtle yet more powerful than the other mages.

Shadow magic in particular usually deals with illusion and madness. Sorcerers can cast illusions, trick opponents, and the most powerful can destroy minds. Wizards can cast illusions and charms as well. Shadow witches mostly deal with small charms and potions, and many find work with guiding travelers through the wood by clearing paths and avoiding or neutralizing natural danger.

#### The Hunter Gloom

The Hunter Gloom is an organization of elite Shadowflight hunters. Dragons must go through years of combat training to apply to join. There's few rules and the organization is very secretive; there aren't meetings, just scattered members throughout the wood.

While they are called Hunters, there are several specialties one can apply for. There are actual hunters, both those who hunt actively with weapons and trappers, there are warriors who fight monsters (there was one legendary battle in which almost the entire Gloom fought against an Emperor who wandered in from the Sunbeam Ruins). There are mercenaries, and guards for the border (all voluntary, of course; Shadowflight has no central government other than Shadowbinder, who doesn't bother doing any governing. As far as she's concerned, when all her dragons are flitting about tricking and stealing from each other her flight is running smoothly).

Hunters work together with mages, who are called Glooms. These mages can be of any sort, though sorcerers work best with warriors, and witches with hunters. To apply for the group, Hunters must already have a mage partner who they've trained with. That's why mage partners are not assigned. There must already be a connection and training as a team.

Glooms and Hunters work voluntarily on whatever they like. Some choose to work for the better of the entire flight, while some serve their communities. Some only work for profit. In Sornieth, there is no global currency, and the worldwide economy works on a barter system. Mercenaries will make an offer to a village, that in exchange for housing and food for a month they will kill the monster terrorizing them, for example. Some hunters work for their own gain, and some for free.

#### Shadow Witchcraft

Shadowflight, with its lack of large cities and wealth of wilderness, has a lot of small, local witches practicing in every part of the wood. Unlike in some other flights, there is no organization or regulation of witches, so they are free to practice more uncouth forms of witchcraft.

In all elements, witchcraft is the most balanced type of mage; every spell they cast must come from nature and return something to it. It's also the most difficult and complicated, magically speaking. Sorcery and wizardry are different ways to achieve the same goals: two sides of the same coin, and that coin is used by manipulating the raw elemental energy in the world. They are flashy and impressive, and can achieve great feats, but even the most complicated sorcery spell doesn't hold a candle to what some powerful witches can do.

Witchcraft uses forms of energy that have already been transformed into the world. Rather than using raw elemental energy (with the exception of ley lines, which witches can use), witches manipulate the energy saturated in nature, which requires more precision and effort.

Witchcraft is usually passed down through traditional knowledge, rather than something that can be learned through a book or by classes that organizations create. Most other flights do have organizations, but they are made up of mature witches, and the purpose is to provide a social space for witches to trade tips, instead of creating rules or schools to teach the craft.