Magic the gathering - The cursed Land

Magic the gathering (05) 

The cursed Land

mana:

Every thing contains mana. Mana is a mystical energy wizards can "tap" (=manipulate or use).

The Nohrish:

Progenies of Nohr, who destoyed the Clan Tree that guarded the ways of every living thing and held them in balance. The Nohrish are cursed. Since the parting the Nohrish have not seen the light again because they don't have the light spell.

The Heanish:

Progenies of Haen, who protected the sacred tree. The Nohrish and the Haenish are sworn enemies.

Cridhe:

Name of the plain in which the story takes place. There are a lot of plains. A plainswalker can shift between them.

Characters:

Aylith:

Daughter of Logan the Keeper of the Memories of the Clan Tree. Her father protects the light spell that, every spring, brings the sun back to Inys Haen, capital of the Haenish. Aylith is the Mender. She is a good (magic-) weaver.

Nazir:

Ruler of Nohr and all her principalities. He can work a crowd. When he passes a certain point, he loses control.

Jedhian:

A healer and Ayliths cousin. He falls in love with Lorris. A Haenish.

Malvos:

The Sifter. He can tell a lie from the truth. He is a Sangrazul, a mana finder. He can live thousands of years. Tempe, a Plainswalker, jailed him in Cridhe because he consumed too much of her mana. He desperately seeks to leave this plain.

Lorris:

Daughter of RoNal. She herself is a Nohrish warrior. She falls in love with Jedhian

RoNal:

A soldier of Nazir. He does as he is told and keeps his feelings to himself.

Arn:

Originally Heanish, he was taken during a raid and lives with the Nohrish. His role model is RoNal, the brave fighter.

Story:

The story starts on the day of a festival. Although the Clan Tree's power binds the peoples lives and ist death will unmake the people, Nohr tries to destroy it. He is influenced by Malvos, who hopes that the destruction of the tree will unleash enough mana for him to leave Cridhe. Nohr is easy to influence because he is jealous of Haen's place in the society of the clan. When Nohr harvests the Clan Tree, the mana explodes and the world brakes. But Malvos doesn't succeed because Nohr also destroyed the mana-line. As a result Malvos decides to wait for another chance.

In its last moments the tree gave Haen a vision: Nohr's progenies are cursed, but the tree will grow again. There will come a Mender, who shall restore and heal.

The years pass by. Nazir, of the line of Nohr rules Inys Nohr, capital of the Nohrish. He is near to the insanity that, part of the curse, strikes every single of Nohr's line. because of his skills in magic, Nazir is Malvos' hope. Nazir orders Logans daughter Aylith to be kidnapped to make the Keeper give up the light spell.

During the raid Logan is killed but he manages to give the precious Memories, containing the light spell, to his daughter Aylith without leting someone realise it. But Aylith herself is caught by a Nohrish soldier, RoNal, who killed the Felonarchs nephew to protect her from being raped. Jedhian observes her being captured and follows the raiding party. When he follows the Nohrish party he fins an old sword, Tempe's sword Soulslayer, and takes it with him.

With Logan's death the winter returned and the Clan flees to one of the Far Clan to survive.

On the long journey to Inys Nohr Aylith's hope of being rescued dies. The land of the Nohrish is cold and devastaded for it hasn't seen a single beam of sunlight since the parting. Twilight and decay dominate the landscape.

Nazir is crafty, power-hungry and  a schemer. But he himself is used by Malvos who removes the stitches.

Jedhian followed Aylith to Inys Nohr, where the people are pale, poor and dying in agony.

Because of the sifting of Malvos, he and Nazir find out that Aylith has the Memories they desire. Feryar, an old elf, wants to convince the girl that she is the Mender but she doesn't believe him. This old elf shows her the crown of the old Clan tree, in Nohrish posession, bearing the only fruit of the sacred tree. When the girl speaks the Memories over the seed, she took, it will grow into a new Clan tree. Freyar, who can turn himself into an owl, rescues Jedhian when he tries to rescue Aylith. But a Nohrish soldier, Lorris, captures him. She doesn't kill the intruder. Lorris sees through Nazir's plans to eliminate everyone who threatens his power, also RoNal the liked leader of his troops. Because she wants to protect her father, she wants Jedhian to help her kill Nazir. But Malvos captures Jedhian.

Feryar frees Aylith and shows her a place to hide. He also tells her about Jedhian trying to rescue her.

RoNal, flogged and imprisoned, and Jedhian are kept in the same cell. The loyal soldier saves The Heanish in a last brave act.

Aylith in her hiding place, becomes aware of the fact that the Nohrish will kill Jedhian if she doesn't give over the acorn and the priceless spell. Lorris finds Soulslayer, the sword Jedhian lost in his attempt to rescue his cousin. She hands the weapon to Aylith.

When Lorris helps Jedhian to escape from prison and both run away Nazir fights with Aylith and stabs her with Soulslayer. But Feryar in the form of the owl carries the girl away.

An illness slows Lorris's, Jedhian's and Arn's, who joined them, escape.

Nazir thinks Inys Haen the only place for Aylith to go. Because of this he sends troops to the capital under his command.

During the escape Jedhian and Lorris fall in love. when the three reach Inys Haen they find it deserted.

Aylith is healed at Loch Prith, a place where not even Nazir can find her, by Feryar's wife.

The Haenish at the Far Clan think that the Memories are lost and desperately want to attack Inys Nohr to bring this to an end.

When Nazir's troops enter and capture Inys Haen Arn is sent for the people of the Far Clans and the surviving Haenish. They plan to capture Nazir.

Jedhian can stop Lorris from killing the Felonarch because the prophesy requires both lines to come true. She wanted to kill the murderer of her father when he was alone. As a consequence they bind Nazir.

Malvos is poisoned in the village by Soulslayer.

Nazir manages to escape the Haenish but nearly freezes to death. Arn escapes death and mobilizes the other clans that fight Nazir's troops.

Aylith leaves Loch Prith and regains the acorn and finds the defenseless Nazir. With the help of Lorris she heals Nazir who changes completely. As a consequence Nazir and Aylith speak the magical words together and bring back the light. The prophesy is fulfilled. A new Clan Tree grows. Arn becomes the new Keeper while Malvos dies. And finally the lines of Nohr and Haen merge again.

I liked this book because of the very complex story although it was sometimes difficult to follow the plot. The whole story is very well figured out and in the end you finally realise some hints on the end of the story.