Card of the Week: Tranquility

There's something truly tranquil about a gentle river.

Peace and Quiet

My first years after becoming a mage were a difficult time. I left my home behind me, one step ahead of the inquisitors of the Church of Tal. I escaped with my life, but by doing so was thrown into a greater world of conflict and war with only the first glimmers of what I could do to defend myself. I became aware of other mages, each of them intent on battling me for what little magic I had. And to survive, I found myself exploring dangerous lands ever in search of new ley lines and greater spells.

It was a decade or more before I discovered the Savannahs of Parma, a new home that welcomed me. I learned that the Paladins of that land were unlike their brethren in Alsoor and did not persecute the use of magic. I discovered the first of those potent ley lines that can draw upon more than one color of mana. And I found something far more important to my spirit: peace and Tranquility.

While exploring through the woods and fields, I came upon a river. It was small, no more than waist-deep and probably prone to becoming even shallower in the dry seasons. In places it dashed itself against the rocks in its course, and even plunged over a waterfall at one point. But it was not the violence of the river that fascinated me, it was the stretches of calm where the surface perfectly mirrored the surrounding trees.

I stood and stared at the water for a long while, then sat down when my legs became tired and watched it still. It was peaceful. The water was calm, but not still—each shift in the current hinted at what lay beneath, but did not allow it to upset the water’s flow. The river may have been turbulent underneath, but it did not mar the beautiful Tranquility of the surface.

As I looked upon the river, I was struck by a revelation—like the surface of the river, I need not be affected by the turmoil of my situations. No Gloom need stifle my spirits, no Underworld-borne Dreams need haunt my sleep, no Blood Moon need hang precariously over me. I could just...let my problems fade away, if I could but find Tranquility in myself.

It is, of course, an easier thing to say than to do. Finding Tranquility is difficult in the best of times, let alone when in the midst of combat. To do so requires the investment of time to reflect, or the sacrifice of more direct action. It may not be easy or convenient, but sometimes it is the only thing to do.

Still Waters

It is no surprise to me that like me, many find Tranquility symbolized in calm waters. There is certainly something soothing about the quiet splashing and bubbling of the stream, the play of light on the rippling surface. I might guess that the symbol is especially effective given the contrast of water’s destructive potential. While a Raging River or a Hurricane can change our lives for the worse, the Tranquility of  a gentle river remains to soothe our pains.

The Kinnickinnic River, below the lower dam in River Falls, is my personal river of Tranquility and my favorite place in the world.

Remaining Calm in the Face of Adversity

Experienced mages do not often call upon the soothing magic of Tranquility. Those who have access to white magic tend to prefer the direct means of Disenchantment, which is not only more precise in removing harmful enchantments while leaving beneficial ones in place but can also be used to destroy artifice. The duplicitous blue mages might seek to prevent such enchantments from forming in the first place. But those who dabble neither in white magic nor blue may find Tranquility to be useful, especially if they employ no lasting effects of their own or already employ green magic.

Tranquility: it's good for what ails ya!

The use of persistant magic is not widespread enough amongst seasoned battle mages, and so sacrificing more direct magic in favor of Tranquility is not a strategy that’s commonly employed. Instead, the magic of Tranquility is more often reserved for only when it’s sorely needed against catastrophic effects such as The Abyss or Moat—effects that utterly ruin a mage’s strategy. Tranquility may not be versatile enough to employ at all times, but is indispensible when it’s needed.

Danatoth of Alsoor


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