@@TreespeakerOfTheLand if i remember correctly (which i might not its been a little while lol) the vrondi followed the Heralds when they cast "Truth Spell" so as long as the Heralds were allowed through both Vassal States it should cover them as well, also i think in the later series's Lineas and Baires technically didn't exist anymore having been integrated with the rest of valdemar? that part i am also no super sure of.
@@lostpupper2632 Well, some Vrondi are bound to the Web, so I guess they just summon Vrondi that are not bound for the truth spell. I mean, Elspeth´s quest for a mage to train her took her to a mage´s school and no one there was affected.
@@TreespeakerOfTheLand the mages school wasn't within the border of valdemar, it was in Rethwellan the town of Bolthaven which became a mage school after the skybolts moved to valdemar and lost its entire mage contingent due to the vrondi (if memory serves me right at least) ((also want to add this is a fun conversation :D ))
Vanyel was so smart to set this up, using the vrondi's pen natural curiosity to get them to do what he wants. He lured few thousand with the promise of power, knowing that all the other vrondi in the area would mimic the bond ones meaning he now has potentially millions of watchers for the price of a few thousand
I was reading Foundations in autumn, and By the Sword last week; both has situations were mages tried getting into Valdemar but had to turn away. I can't help but chuckle. They don't know what their messing with, and I doubt any of Valdemar's enemies are capable of breaking the spell Vanyel weaved. I can only conclude Vanyel IS the greatest Herald Mage in history. His influence and actions are directly felt today and his songs are still sung by the Bards.
given what I have read so far of his adventures in the last Herald Mage Van seems to be as a powerful Magic worker as King Valdemar himself and perhaps as good as a certain White Winds Witch and her magic sword Need
It was really simple. Vanyel made a request of the Vrondi "Watch for mages." That was all. It is not Vanyel's fault that outside Mages could not handle the simple fact that they were under surveillance 😉
Vanyel wasn't expecting Herald-Mages to go extinct. Ideally, there would have been Herald-Mages who could check on any mages visiting Valdemar. But the gods wanted Valdemar to forget about magic as part of their plans. Elspeth really should have found some way to kill Vkandis and the Star-Eyed for that. 😀
the things are really more childlike and curious than anything else. but just knowing that *something* is wise to your tricks literally drove people mad. nobody fucked with dark magic after the Vrondi were set up.
"or any magic" very true and it wasn't so much of them knowing what tricks you are up to and more the constant staring and the longer you stayed in the boarder the more came and stared at you, waking or sleeping always staring that drove mages mad.
I think the negative implications of the vrondi watching is less a description of them, and more a description of how the foreign mages felt about them. After all, if you know you're doing something wrong, wouldn't you automatically assume any protector would be disapproving and angry?
@@mooneyes2k478 I was talking about her founding series of books. I understand that they talked about about the founding of the Kingdom in the last Herald Mage
Oh what terrible terrible doom, i quake in my boots! Let them watch then, let the vrondi witness, what do i care? Call up the old gods and watch them disperse in terror, spell or no spell. Mages! Feh! bunch of children who need handholding through spells. Vanyel's spell bade the vrondi watch for non Herald mages, and inform the closest Herald mage. Sadly.. he was the last of that breed till Elspeth came along, and vrondi not being the sharpest tacks in the box , just kept watching and watching drawing other vrondi to them who were curious to see what was so interesting. Mages ! Even Hulda Elspeth's nurse, hid her power inside Valdemar! Her i can understand but Quentin? The skybolts war mage? Some war mage, unnerved because he was watched! Why in the names of the star eyed, did he not cast a spell to tell him who or what was watching ? Don't know!
Because his school of magic didn't actually know of Vrondi. Not many beyond Tayladras do. Maybe in parts of the Eastern Empire, but not anywhere close to Valdemar itself. There are many, many, many different types of elementals upon Velgrath, and no one culture had found them all. Sorta like how only Karsites could use what they called Demons. Funnily enough, Quentin and Kethry's school, The White Winds, should be the one that knows, since it was supposed to have been founded by a Hertasi, but... Anyway... So, that is one of the scary parts about it - You know that something otherworldly is watching you, but you have no idea what it is, nor how strong it might be, nor what else it could do. And because there are literally millions of the lil' buggers doing so, your instincts scream at you that there is a lot of power concentrated upon you, because every single Vrondi is a slip of power by itself.
This gives me chills when I hear it. I mean, I love it- but it's so blasted creepy! Just think about it for a minute, having a thousand eyes constantly staring at you... O_O
Have it in my campaign, not the main campaign but somewhere the players may visit - a Theocracy where arcane magic is heavily restricted. The country has some mages, but they are constantly monitored. Cast an arcane spell, and these eyes will begin watching you (and through them, the church) until you leave the border. Break any laws while being watched, and you become hunted by the church, for minor offences of 'Restricted Magery' - you have a cursed item that prevents you from using arcane magic, and stops magic being used on yourself (Basically a modified permanent version of the antimagic spell in a bracelet that lasts until the curse is lifted by a remove curse spell). The bracelet isn't like, a symbol of shame or anything, many people use them including the high priests to prevent arcane magic like scrying or charm spells from being used against them. (That would make it unfun imo, like a double punishment instead of something that can be worked around or even used to advantage in many ways) For major offences its the usual - jail time, stripping of personal belongings, branding ect. This has the subsequent result of the nation having a massive black market for arcane magic items (especially one use items like scrolls), as the eyes have a loophole of focusing on whatever cast arcane magic, any individual may use smuggled magic items to do their dirty work and not alert the church. These items get smuggled over the boarder and fetch a high price, so you're able to find nearly anything there, but it will cost a lot of money. It also has corruption/politics to dig into if the players so choose, but its very much a 'What happens if we had the Medieval Catholic Church/Vatican rule a powerhouse country in D&D'? It started as a way to make higher level main magic users think before just using their godly levels of magic to just do whatever they wanted all the time, you know, add consequence and a place where they can't just bend officials to their will with spells, and kinda spiralled from there into an entire nation they may have to deal with/plead for help from.
Well, the second mage was certainly antagonistic, and the witch sounded pretty shifty, but the first mage not so much. The song said he fled from Karse, which is known for burning mages whether they're evil or not, so he might not have been an antagonist.
@@Jaann1919 You would need it ! They were set to watch by Herald Mage Vanyell, and centuries later still respond when Heralds of Valdemar cast the Truth Spell...
Evil mage: "I gotta go to Valdemar, I should get my magical VPN to stay untrackable"
the only way to stay untrackable by the vrondi is to not cast ANY magics while in the border of valdemar :D
@@lostpupper2632 Yeah, that´s true. I do wonder if the spell also worked in Lineas and Baires, seeing they are Vassal states.
@@TreespeakerOfTheLand if i remember correctly (which i might not its been a little while lol) the vrondi followed the Heralds when they cast "Truth Spell" so as long as the Heralds were allowed through both Vassal States it should cover them as well, also i think in the later series's Lineas and Baires technically didn't exist anymore having been integrated with the rest of valdemar? that part i am also no super sure of.
@@lostpupper2632 Well, some Vrondi are bound to the Web, so I guess they just summon Vrondi that are not bound for the truth spell. I mean, Elspeth´s quest for a mage to train her took her to a mage´s school and no one there was affected.
@@TreespeakerOfTheLand the mages school wasn't within the border of valdemar, it was in Rethwellan the town of Bolthaven which became a mage school after the skybolts moved to valdemar and lost its entire mage contingent due to the vrondi (if memory serves me right at least) ((also want to add this is a fun conversation :D ))
Vanyel was so smart to set this up, using the vrondi's pen natural curiosity to get them to do what he wants. He lured few thousand with the promise of power, knowing that all the other vrondi in the area would mimic the bond ones meaning he now has potentially millions of watchers for the price of a few thousand
I was reading Foundations in autumn, and By the Sword last week; both has situations were mages tried getting into Valdemar but had to turn away. I can't help but chuckle. They don't know what their messing with, and I doubt any of Valdemar's enemies are capable of breaking the spell Vanyel weaved.
I can only conclude Vanyel IS the greatest Herald Mage in history. His influence and actions are directly felt today and his songs are still sung by the Bards.
Just wait until you get to Elspeths tale
given what I have read so far of his adventures in the last Herald Mage Van seems to be as a powerful Magic worker as King Valdemar himself and perhaps as good as a certain White Winds Witch and her magic sword Need
I think that the Bards still singing his songs is as much the fault of Stephan as Vanyel
It was really simple. Vanyel made a request of the Vrondi "Watch for mages." That was all. It is not Vanyel's fault that outside Mages could not handle the simple fact that they were under surveillance 😉
I always got the impression that Vanyel never got the chance to properly calibrate the Vrondi, per se. Cuz you know, Magics Price.
He got started himself at least once
@@margaretbruhn4376 i believe in one of the winds books maybe the third that his ghost states just that lol
Vanyel wasn't expecting Herald-Mages to go extinct. Ideally, there would have been Herald-Mages who could check on any mages visiting Valdemar.
But the gods wanted Valdemar to forget about magic as part of their plans. Elspeth really should have found some way to kill Vkandis and the Star-Eyed for that. 😀
are these the same magic creatures that king Valedmare set free?
the things are really more childlike and curious than anything else. but just knowing that *something* is wise to your tricks literally drove people mad. nobody fucked with dark magic after the Vrondi were set up.
or any magic
Well that and they forgot that it existed
"or any magic" very true and it wasn't so much of them knowing what tricks you are up to and more the constant staring and the longer you stayed in the boarder the more came and stared at you, waking or sleeping always staring that drove mages mad.
I think the negative implications of the vrondi watching is less a description of them, and more a description of how the foreign mages felt about them. After all, if you know you're doing something wrong, wouldn't you automatically assume any protector would be disapproving and angry?
I listened to this over and over back in the day! Last Herald Mage is one of my all time favorite trilogies!
I believe King Valedmare brought them with his family
You'd be wrong. Vanyel makes a pact with the Vrondi. He offers them a ley-line, and in return, they'll STARE at any mage that isn't a herald.
@@mooneyes2k478 I was talking about her founding series of books. I understand that they talked about about the founding of the Kingdom in the last Herald Mage
love this haunting song
2/3 ofthe way through Beyond and this has been stuck in my head!
Hey, that’s my name 👀
Cool!
I personally believe that this is the song Lena found in foundations
I wish this music was on Apple Music so badly.
Same, ive been trying to use itunes to have it on my apple music but nothings working :I
@@majora748 Unfortunately I believe that Firebird Arts is keeping hold of the copyright.
@@colinmoore7460 In between releasing things they don't have any rights to.
Oh what terrible terrible doom, i quake in my boots! Let them watch then, let the vrondi witness, what do i care?
Call up the old gods and watch them disperse in terror, spell or no spell. Mages! Feh! bunch of children who need handholding through spells.
Vanyel's spell bade the vrondi watch for non Herald mages, and inform the closest Herald mage. Sadly.. he was the last of that breed till Elspeth came along, and vrondi not being the sharpest tacks in the box , just kept watching and watching drawing other vrondi to them who were curious to see what was so interesting.
Mages ! Even Hulda Elspeth's nurse, hid her power inside Valdemar! Her i can understand but Quentin? The skybolts war mage?
Some war mage, unnerved because he was watched! Why in the names of the star eyed, did he not cast a spell to tell him who or what was watching ? Don't know!
Because his school of magic didn't actually know of Vrondi.
Not many beyond Tayladras do.
Maybe in parts of the Eastern Empire, but not anywhere close to Valdemar itself.
There are many, many, many different types of elementals upon Velgrath, and no one culture had found them all.
Sorta like how only Karsites could use what they called Demons.
Funnily enough, Quentin and Kethry's school, The White Winds, should be the one that knows, since it was supposed to have been founded by a Hertasi, but...
Anyway...
So, that is one of the scary parts about it - You know that something otherworldly is watching you, but you have no idea what it is, nor how strong it might be, nor what else it could do.
And because there are literally millions of the lil' buggers doing so, your instincts scream at you that there is a lot of power concentrated upon you, because every single Vrondi is a slip of power by itself.
Be stared at. And know you're stared at. By hundreds of eye, constantly, every minute of every day.
See how long you last.
This gives me chills when I hear it. I mean, I love it- but it's so blasted creepy! Just think about it for a minute, having a thousand eyes constantly staring at you... O_O
Erm, that was the point!
I think this series might be the next series I read after I finish malazan
Amazing
the 11 people who disliked this song are incorrect.
Edit: 19.
They didn't like being stared at by countless blue eyes...
Now 14, possibly one of those perverted mages that got monitored by vrondi's eyes while peeping ... Now they hate the song..
Damn 'em unregulated mages
This would be a great DnD thing
Shh...soon
Have it in my campaign, not the main campaign but somewhere the players may visit - a Theocracy where arcane magic is heavily restricted. The country has some mages, but they are constantly monitored. Cast an arcane spell, and these eyes will begin watching you (and through them, the church) until you leave the border. Break any laws while being watched, and you become hunted by the church, for minor offences of 'Restricted Magery' - you have a cursed item that prevents you from using arcane magic, and stops magic being used on yourself (Basically a modified permanent version of the antimagic spell in a bracelet that lasts until the curse is lifted by a remove curse spell). The bracelet isn't like, a symbol of shame or anything, many people use them including the high priests to prevent arcane magic like scrying or charm spells from being used against them. (That would make it unfun imo, like a double punishment instead of something that can be worked around or even used to advantage in many ways) For major offences its the usual - jail time, stripping of personal belongings, branding ect. This has the subsequent result of the nation having a massive black market for arcane magic items (especially one use items like scrolls), as the eyes have a loophole of focusing on whatever cast arcane magic, any individual may use smuggled magic items to do their dirty work and not alert the church. These items get smuggled over the boarder and fetch a high price, so you're able to find nearly anything there, but it will cost a lot of money. It also has corruption/politics to dig into if the players so choose, but its very much a 'What happens if we had the Medieval Catholic Church/Vatican rule a powerhouse country in D&D'?
It started as a way to make higher level main magic users think before just using their godly levels of magic to just do whatever they wanted all the time, you know, add consequence and a place where they can't just bend officials to their will with spells, and kinda spiralled from there into an entire nation they may have to deal with/plead for help from.
Reminds me of Witch Hunters, because most of the antagonist in this song are mages.
Not everyone. The Vrondi sing the courus.
DerAntiker you don't know what an Antagonist is do you?
No, I know what an Antagonist is. But that changes nothing.
DerAntiker than you do realize that your comments is completely nonsensical right?
Well, the second mage was certainly antagonistic, and the witch sounded pretty shifty, but the first mage not so much. The song said he fled from Karse, which is known for burning mages whether they're evil or not, so he might not have been an antagonist.
Very good!
Can anyone help make a bass tab for this?
If I was one of the mages I would've simply incinerated the eyes
Good luck with that. They're air elementals, and ones that most mages are unfamiliar with.
👀👀👀you could burn the air but than what would you breathe?👀👀👀
@@juliawolf200Id grow gills like a fish and walk around with a fishtank on my head!
@@EyeOfEldThank you for the luck!
@@Jaann1919 You would need it ! They were set to watch by Herald Mage Vanyell, and centuries later still respond when Heralds of Valdemar cast the Truth Spell...
I listened to this over and over back in the day! Last Herald Mage is one of my all time favorite trilogies!
I can absolutely agree! When my friend asked me to tell her my favorite of the Valdemar albums, this one definitely called first place!