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4-the-seed
It is the Other Side made flesh. The very stuff of magic.
— Malacus Quai on The Seed

The Seed is a stone, a relic of the Old Time. After Euz closed the gates to The Other Side, some small splinters of material from the Other Side were left behind in our World. The Seed is by far the largest piece. It possesses immense magical power.

Description[]

The Seed looks like nothing more than an uneven chunk of dark stone the size of a big fist. It is very heavy, and very cold. Some 'power' leaks from it, flooding out in thrilling waves; invisible, yet irresistible. It can only be touched by someone with Demons blood.

Power[]

Any normal person cannot touch The Seed, or they may succumb to a wasting illness which is caused by it; the illness is reminiscent of radiation sickness. Only someone with Devil-Blood can safely touch or hold The Seed. Prolonged exposure to The Seed can "change" even a Devil-Blood, causing them: to hear the voices of Demons, enhanced healing and strength, affinity with cold, and immortality of sorts.

The Seed has the ability to dramatically enhance the High Art of a Magus. High Art involves the Magus drawing power from The Other Side; The Seed seems to supercharge the amount of power that can be drawn. It is so powerful in fact, that it could be used to break open the gates created by Euz dividing our World from The Other Side. To use The Seed, the Magus must perform a complicated ritual which is very dangerous.

History[]

In ancient times, it is said, that our World and The Other Side were one and the same. Almighty Euz, a Devil-Blood, rose up against the Demons and banished them to the Other Side, and sealed the gates between, thus allowing humans to flourish.

Centuries later, Glustrod, the youngest son of Euz, became bitter at his brother Juvens’ gifts and achievements in the Old Empire. In secret, he studied forbidden sciences, and began to hear voices of Demons on the Other Side. The Demons told him where to dig for The Seed. Glustrod built an army and conquered Aulcus, the capital of the Old Empire.

When Juvens found out, his fury was terrible. He and his brother Bedesh made war on their brother, and besieged him in Aulcus. In desperation, Glustrod tried to use The Seed to open the gates to the Other Side. But in his haste, he made some small mistake, and the great power was released without form or reason. Glustrod destroyed himself and Aulcus was left a wasteland, forever poisoned.

When Juvens' army entered in the ruined city, they found The Seed. Although Juvens suffered no ill effects from the stone, an entire legion of soldiers were consumed by an unknown wasting disease, and soon died. For a time, Juvens gave The Seed to his brother Kanedias, who claimed he could turn it to a righteous purpose. While Kanedias possessed The Seed, his daughter Tolomei had prolonged exposure to it, and it "changed" her. However, distrust grew between the brothers, and eventually they agreed to journey to Shabulyan, at the edge of the world. They gave up The Seed to the Spirit of the island, to keep safe, and to yield it only to one who carried Juvens’ staff.

Before They Are Hanged[]

Bayaz and his crew journeyed to the distant island of Shabulyan, to retrieve The Seed to fight the Eaters of Khalul. They find a cave, and huddled around a meagre fire Logen draws the spirit. It arrives and offers Ferro the stone from its stomach that Juvens gave it. Bayaz investigates the stone and flies into a rage; this is not The Seed, but a trick of Kanedias to keep the power for himself. Bayaz declares the journey a failure.

Last Argument of Kings[]

Bayaz, Ferro, Quai and Yulwei go to the House of the Maker to get weapons to fight the Gurkish. While the others go get the Divider, Ferro explores the map and the series of moving rings above. In the centre she finds The Seed. However, Kanedias' daughter Tolomei reveals herself to be still alive, due to prolonged exposure to The Seed. Through her prolonged exposure to The Seed, she was ‘altered’. After she died, she lay in her grave in a state between life and death, and heard the voices of demons. She also seeks The Seed to throw open the doors that her grandfather sealed. While Yulwei fights her, Bayaz and Ferro flee locking them inside the House.

During the Battle of Adua, Bayaz prepares the ritual to use The Seed in the Square of Marshals. As the Gurkish break into the city, Bayaz orders Ferro to take The Seed out of the box. As the Eaters enter the square, the air around Bayaz shimmers, and the nearest Eaters explode. A mighty whirlwind builds destroying Eaters and Union men and buildings alike. Bayaz smiles through the destruction. Eventually, Ferro uses her last grain of strength to put The Seed back in the box.

After Bayaz' use of the Seed, a withering plague swept through Adua, reminiscent of the one that stuck the legions of Juvens centuries ago. Meanwhile, Ferro's prolonged exposure to the Seed "changed" her; she could hear the voices of Demons all the time and freeze things with a touch. Bayaz was also somewhat changed, looking younger and sharper, with even a few dark hairs in the grey beard. 

Sources[]

The nature of the Seed is described by Bayaz and Malacus Quai in Jewel of Cities, in Before They Are Hanged.

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