Ten Magic Warriors

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The Ten Magic Warriors were ancestral heroes of the Zenj tribes of the Mwangi Expanse and disciples of Old-Mage Jatembe. According to legend, they assisted Jatembe in protecting civilization in that region following the destruction of Earthfall.

A modern-day magic warrior inspired by the Ten.

History

During the Age of Darkness, Old-Mage Jatembe challenged his apprentices to give up everything, including their own names, in order to help the people of the Inner Sea region. From that point forward, each Warrior hid themselves behind a golden, animal-faced mask and took on a new name. In -3502 AR, they began reintroducing wizardry that had not been practiced since the devastation of Earthfall.

Jatembe and the Warriors defeated evildoers such as the King of Biting Ants, whose stronghold was the Doorway to the Red Star. They became advisers to and protectors of the people. The Warriors also aided Jatembe's creation of the Ring of Nine Facets.

Some credit Jatembe and his Warriors with the destruction of Ird, a lost city whose surviving relics paint a picture of a foul and decadent culture.

Members

The earliest warriors, led by Jatembe, included:

• Azure Leopard, the Patient Warden, a human woman and founder of the Tempest-Sun Mages whom legend says could tame storms.
• Black Heron, the Wings of Knowledge, who united the Shory people into the Shory Empire and shared Jatembe's knowledge of aeromancy magic.
• Carmine Jaws, the Hyena who Looks Between, who may have either been a kholo or a human. Either way, Carmine is why the Magaambya has a tradition of accepting kholo students without question.
• Elephant, the Conjured Chronicle, who chronicled the deeds of the warriors and founded the Uzunjati.
• Golden Snake, the Tireless Guide, who was almost certainly a serpentfolk based on historical evidence; some argue he was a nagaji.
• Ibex, the Flourishing Field, who pioneered herbal medicine and healing.
• Shifting Frog, Storyteller of the Past and Future, an Ekujae elf, suggesting that the Magaambya's close relationship with the Ekujae elves stretches back to its very beginning.
• Verdant Spider, the Speaker of Needs, who fought for the rights of ordinary people and inspired the Magaambya's history of service. They were also known as a shy baker from somewhere in southern Garund.
• Whistling Kite, the Vigilant Seer, a prominent emancipator always depicted as an intelligent hawk.
• White Bull, the Horn-Forger, an iruxi known for several prominent achievements in architecture.

Among the Zenj, some arcanists proffer disputed claims that as many as three of the Ten were themselves arcanists.

Legacy

Artwork depicting the Ten Magic Warriors decorates columns in Nantambu.

The greatest students of the Warriors founded a center of magical learning in -2832 AR called the Magaambya in the city-state of Nantambu. The Warriors are represented in mosaic on the ten massive terraced towers of the Magaambya, but there are no known tombs for any of them.

Black Heron eventually turned on Jatembe and left the Magaambya. This broke Jatembe's heart and was the beginning of the withdrawal of the Ten Magic Warriors from the world.

The Iobane consider themselves spiritual successors to the Warriors as they defend the Doorway to the Red Star.

Today, there are still spellcasters who follow in the footsteps of the Ten Magic Warriors. They hide their identities behind animal masks and take on a new identity, refusing to give up their original names. This can lead to mistrust among those who are unaware of this tradition.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.