Heresy 165

[Black Crow]

Essos, Shmessos. :D

Seriously, those events are taking place in Westeros. Thoros has given the last kiss in Essos before and no one rose from the dead. The pyromancers have been based in Westeros for a long time and just recently their power of wildfire has increased. Qyburn was a Westeros Maester himself, making a dead "man" walk again. He may have knowledge from the east too. But...

As to skinchanging and greenseeing, it is hard to say just how that power could be increasing. But the Halfhand says the old powers are waking and the trees have eyes again. I believe him. And the Stark wargs. How many years or centuries has it been since a skinchanger has openly wondered the lands south of the Wall, and even the Neck. And direwolves are now south of the wall also with their Starks.

...the dead rising again is concentrated in Westeros. And concentrated above in the north were the old gods are mostly revered as powers.

Qyburn and MMD are well studied people. MMD trained in Asshai where she met and learned from Marwyn too. Qyburn knows Marwyn, so exchange of knowledge there too I'm sure. But Marwyn is a Westerosi Maester and a well traveled and learned one mixing together all. So even MMD has a bit of Westerosi training.

Whilst I agree that the magic of Westeros seems to be more concentrated [and probably more powerful] than in Essos that may most likely reflect its proximity to the Ice. By the nature of the story being largely told through Westerosi POVs we see that magic but what we lack is comparative coverage of Eastern magic, although the dragons themselves are a pretty powerful demonstration.

What I'm saying essentially is that if we are thinking in terms of Ice and Fire then we are seeing the rise of magic in proximity to both but shouldn't be too surprised that it hasn't as yet evidenced itself dramatically in those parts of Westeros and Essos lying between.

[Armstark]

The last Heresy had a very interesting quote in it regarding the wakening of magic that seemingly applies to glass candles but has been missed (or at least I've never seen anyone discuss this)

Quaithe says that 6 months ago this man scaling ladders of fire could "scarcely wake fire from dragonglass" as if that was a relatively easy thing to do for a fire mage but was a task with which he personally struggled. This makes it sound like dragonglass burns easily, or at least fire can come from it easily, then if Quaithe is scoffing at this man's struggle to do so.

Glass candles seem to be made of obsidian, which is another word for dragonglass. If it's so easy to wake fire from dragonglass according to Quaithe, then why haven't the candles been burning before now? Quaithe makes it sound like any novice fire mage could have lit a glass candle with this remark that waking fire from dragonglass is simple.

In which case it doesn't sound like the glass candles burning is some new long lost power that only returned with the dragons... just a matter of not trying the right methods, which a fire mage would know how to do if they can easily wake fire from dragonglass

I think dragonglass is not a synonym for glass candles. If it is really supposed to be an easy thing to light a glass candle then why could nobody do it? We know for a fact that nobody was able to light the candle in Oldtown for decades until Marwyn did it. Xaro tells us that the same was true in Qarth:

It is said that the glass candles are burning in the house of Urrathon Night-Walker, that have not burned in a hundred years.

Its possible I suppose, but I rather believe that obsidian is rather too friable for that purpose, and therefore think it more likely that the reference is to turning on the neon light - or if used for communicating, the cathode tube. :devil:

I think when Quaithe says 'wake fire from dragonglass' she means something like a spell that makes the dragonglass burn or light a fire. It very well might be the same spell that can light glass candles but that was impossible until the comet/dragon which is why Quaithe would not say that it is easy.

This might also be one of the best arguments against wolfmaid's claim that magic is waxing because magical individuals are stirring. Glass candles could not be lit for at least a hundred years and it was not for lack of trying.

[wolfmaid7]

I think dragonglass is not a synonym for glass candles. If it is really supposed to be an easy thing to light a glass candle then why could nobody do it? We know for a fact that nobody was able to light the candle in Oldtown for decades until Marwyn did it. Xaro tells us that the same was true in Qarth:

It is said that the glass candles are burning in the house of Urrathon Night-Walker, that have not burned in a hundred years.

I think when Quaithe says 'wake fire from dragonglass' she means something like a spell that makes the dragonglass burn or light a fire. It very well might be the same spell that can light glass candles but that was impossible until the comet/dragon which is why Quaithe would not say that it is easy.

This might also be one of the best arguments against wolfmaid's claim that magic is waxing because magical individuals are stirring. Glass candles could not be lit for at least a hundred years and it was not for lack of trying.

actually its not, I didn't dispute magic as getting stronger. I said it hadn't disappeared which hadn't. I still assert that the reason for these things happening NOW is a concentration of magical forces being drawn to one region.

[Armstark]

actually its not, I didn't dispute magic as getting stronger. I said it hadn't disappeared which hadn't. I still assert that the reason for these things happening NOW is a concentration of magical forces being drawn to one region.

...that region being Westeros, correct?

What about Qarth then? Qarth has had a lot of magical people for a long time and nobody was able to light a candle or grow ghost grass.

Or are you saying that because magical forces concentrate in Westeros, magic in Qarth gets more powerful as well?

[Voice]

Plus we have mention of flint, and glass candles...

Edit: this was in reference to using obsidian like flint btw lol

[Black Crow]

...that region being Westeros, correct?

What about Qarth then? Qarth has had a lot of magical people for a long time and nobody was able to light a candle or grow ghost grass.

Or are you saying that because magical forces concentrate in Westeros, magic in Qarth gets more powerful as well?

I think, as I said above, that magic generally is awakening but as it emanates from the hearts of Ice and of Fire respectively [in whatever form they take] then clearly at this early stage it is going to be stronger nearer to the source and correspondingly weaker away from it, although I would stress that the power itself is neutral in so far as Mel discovers her Fire magic to be greater at the Wall nearer to the source of "Ice" magic.

[Rhaegarslance]

I think dragonglass is not a synonym for glass candles. If it is really supposed to be an easy thing to light a glass candle then why could nobody do it? We know for a fact that nobody was able to light the candle in Oldtown for decades until Marwyn did it. Xaro tells us that the same was true in Qarth:

It is said that the glass candles are burning in the house of Urrathon Night-Walker, that have not burned in a hundred years.

I think when Quaithe says 'wake fire from dragonglass' she means something like a spell that makes the dragonglass burn or light a fire. It very well might be the same spell that can light glass candles but that was impossible until the comet/dragon which is why Quaithe would not say that it is easy.

This might also be one of the best arguments against wolfmaid's claim that magic is waxing because magical individuals are stirring. Glass candles could not be lit for at least a hundred years and it was not for lack of trying.

Easy or not, you still would need a fire mage to attempt to light it. There were none before Thoros in Westoros, and who knows what Urrathon's family attempted.

Just because Quaithe and fire magic practioners might know they can light obsidian, doesn't mean that everyone else did.

[wolfmaid7]

...that region being Westeros, correct?

What about Qarth then? Qarth has had a lot of magical people for a long time and nobody was able to light a candle or grow ghost grass.

Or are you saying that because magical forces concentrate in Westeros, magic in Qarth gets more powerful as well?

From the Westrosi POV point of view yes,but again magical individuals from all over are being drawn to one region.It does not negate magic in other places that have been practiced.

Next lighting the glass candles is not a Qarthi practice so they would not be engaged in those things.But their other magical practices never went away.Ghost Grass is and always was present in Asshai as far as Yi Ti .It only just started growing in Qarth.

Magical forces are drwn to Dany because of the Dragons,they all want it or want to use her.When they all start heading out there concetration.Same thing will and is occuring in Westeros.If and when Dany head to Westeros and magical forces start following her and everyone ends up at say the Wall or WF.The same thing.

To this point i agree with BC, about how the magic emanates,there is a Nexus of power and forces will be drawn to it and drawn by the concentration.

[Armstark]

Easy or not, you still would need a fire mage to attempt to light it. There were none before Thoros in Westoros, and who knows what Urrathon's family attempted.

Just because Quaithe and fire magic practioners might know they can light obsidian, doesn't mean that everyone else did.

Why do you need a 'fire mage' to light a glass candle? Is Marwyn a fire mage? What's the point of the Citadel's initiation ritual with the glass candle if only fire mages can light it?

Or were you talking about obsidian in general? The guy climbing the fiery ladder is no fire mage either.

From the Westrosi POV point of view yes,but again magical individuals from all over are being drawn to one region.It does not negate magic in other places that have been practiced.

Next lighting the glass candles is not a Qarthi practice so they would not be engaged in those things.But their other magical practices never went away.Ghost Grass is and always was present in Asshai as far as Yi Ti .It only just started growing in Qarth.

Magical forces are drwn to Dany because of the Dragons,they all want it or want to use her.When they all start heading out there concetration.Same thing will and is occuring in Westeros.If and when Dany head to Westeros and magical forces start following her and everyone ends up at say the Wall or WF.The same thing.

To this point i agree with BC, about how the magic emanates,there is a Nexus of power and forces will be drawn to it and drawn by the concentration.

The source you provided in the last thread spoke only of ghost grass in Asshai, do you have one for Yi Ti?

How can you say with any confidence that lighting a glass candle is not a Qartheen practice? Xaro's statement is the first time a glass candle gets mentioned in all the books. Urrathon is the first known lighter of a glass candle. They are quite obviously engaged in those things.

[Blade of Sunlight]

From the Westrosi POV point of view yes,but again magical individuals from all over are being drawn to one region.It does not negate magic in other places that have been practiced.

Next lighting the glass candles is not a Qarthi practice so they would not be engaged in those things.But their other magical practices never went away.Ghost Grass is and always was present in Asshai as far as Yi Ti .It only just started growing in Qarth.

Magical forces are drwn to Dany because of the Dragons,they all want it or want to use her.When they all start heading out there concetration.Same thing will and is occuring in Westeros.If and when Dany head to Westeros and magical forces start following her and everyone ends up at say the Wall or WF.The same thing.

To this point i agree with BC, about how the magic emanates,there is a Nexus of power and forces will be drawn to it and drawn by the concentration.

I don't think there's a convergence of "magical" individuals in Westeros, the only clear cases are Mel and Jaqen H'ghar. The wrags/skinchangers are fleeing the LOAW (which technically was Westeros), Thoros was already there (and didn't come for magic, more like booze), Marwyn and Qyburn are both Westerosi, so are the alchemists.

[wolfmaid7]

Why do you need a 'fire mage' to light a glass candle? Is Marwyn a fire mage? What's the point of the Citadel's initiation ritual with the glass candle if only fire mages can light it?

Or were you talking about obsidian in general? The guy climbing the fiery ladder is no fire mage either.

The source you provided in the last thread spoke only of ghost grass in Asshai, do you have one for Yi Ti?

How can you say with any confidence that lighting a glass candle is not a Qartheen practice? Xaro's statement is the first time a glass candle gets mentioned in all the books. Urrathon is the first known lighter of a glass candle. They are quite obviously engaged in those things.

They being obviously engaged in that is not a surety.Quaithe mentions candles lighting at the Citadel.Why not mention it doing the same in Qarth.

It is said the Glass candle began burning after Dany burn down the HOU. A report that is suspect seeing as they themselves were magical,though they were sorcerers.Which in itself is an impediment.Go back a few Heresies where i talked about sorcery in relation to natural magic.She took away that block per se.

”It is said that the glass candles are burning in the house of Urrathon Night-Walker, that have not burned in a hundred years.

As to Yi Ti,i will get that proof for you i just have to pull it.I had it yesteday and thought i posted it.

Yeah the LOIA maps i couldn't get mine to load though do you have a copy? I'm on my tab and i have no clue what's up with it. This is what i got when i googled it.

"In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, ghost grass is described similarly to the TV series. The map collection called Lands of Ice and Fire shows ghost grass growing in vast quantities all around the mountains of the Shadow Lands, extending down to Asshai and east along the shores of the Saffron Strait, as well as northwest towards the borders of Yi Ti."

So a couple of places that are magical.

On mine it was on a small portion in Yi Ti "Jingi" or some crap like that

I don't think there's a convergence of "magical" individuals in Westeros, the only clear cases are Mel and Jaqen H'ghar. The wrags/skinchangers are fleeing the LOAW (which technically was Westeros), Thoros was already there (and didn't come for magic, more like booze), Marwyn and Qyburn are both Westerosi, so are the alchemists.

They are all converging there...What's native and what's not and if and when Dany comes everything and everyone is going to be in the North or at the Wall.

[Rhaegarslance]

Why do you need a 'fire mage' to light a glass candle? Is Marwyn a fire mage? What's the point of the Citadel's initiation ritual with the glass candle if only fire mages can light it?

Or were you talking about obsidian in general? The guy climbing the fiery ladder is no fire mage either.

The source you provided in the last thread spoke only of ghost grass in Asshai, do you have one for Yi Ti?

How can you say with any confidence that lighting a glass candle is not a Qartheen practice? Xaro's statement is the first time a glass candle gets mentioned in all the books. Urrathon is the first known lighter of a glass candle. They are quite obviously engaged in those things.

I'm using the term "fire mage" loosely as a term to denote people who practice fire magic. Under this understanding, the man climbing the fiery ladder is a fire mage seeing as we know that he can wake fire from obsidian, form roses of fire in the air, climb a ladder made of fire, etc. He can perform fire magic.

So under this understanding, anybody who knew fire magic should in theory be able to light a glass candle if a glass candle is made of obsidian and bringing forth fire from obsidian is as easy a task as Quaithe says it is for a fire mage.

The glass candle initiation ritual we are told is to teach maesters that they don't know everything. If no one at the Citadel taught them fire magic (and we of course don't know what magics are studied by the Valyrian steel link maesters), then no one would be able to light the glass candle, no? Hence everybody would fail. Which Marwyn himself hints at by saying this:

“If I tell you, they may need to kill you too.” Marywn smiled a ghastly smile, the juice of the sourleaf running red between his teeth. “Who do you think killed all the dragons the last time around? Gallant dragonslayers armed with swords?” He spat. “The world the Citadel is building has no place in it for sorcery or prophecy or glass candles, much less for dragons. Ask yourself why Aemon Targaryen was allowed to waste his life upon the Wall, when by rights he should have been raised to archmaester. His blood was why. He could not be trusted. No more than I can.”

He says that the Citadel is no place for sorcery or glass candles... which implies that they're purposely teaching the wrong stuff to acolytes so that they don't know magic, and can't light the candles. So everybody fails when they've only been taught what the Citadel teaches.

BTW, Marwyn being able to light the glass candles doesn't necessarily imply that he's a fire mage or that he personally knew anything special that the other maesters didn't know. As you pointed out, a glass candle was first lit in Urrathon's house (though we don't know who lit it - Xaro doesn't say that Urrathon lit it, just that it's burning in his house). Once one glass candle is lit, then you could easily tell someone else how to light another one using the first glass candle

“What feeds a dragon’s fire?” Marwyn seated himself upon a stool. “All Valyrian sorcery was rooted in blood or fire. The sorcerers of the Freehold could see across mountains, seas, and deserts with one of these glass candles. They could enter a man’s dreams and give him visions, and speak to one another half a world apart, seated before their candles. Do you think that might be useful, Slayer?”

It seems far more likely to me that someone (Quaithe?) used the glass candle already lit to tell Marwyn how to light one at the Citadel... not that Marwyn himself knew or discovered the secret to lighting them. Otherwise he'd have done so when he first returned for his travels in the east. Marwyn was told how to light one after someone else already lit another one.

[Blade of Sunlight]

They are all converging there...What's native and what's not and if and when Dany comes everything and everyone is going to be in the North or at the Wall.

If they're already there they can't converge, only Mel and possibly Jaqen H'ghar and Marwyn come to Westeros for magical purposes, it doesn't seem to me a sufficient number to call this convergence, to few in number to say their presence in Westeros is whats causing magic to bloom there.

[wolfmaid7]

If they're already there they can't converge, only Mel and possibly Jaqen H'ghar and Marwyn come to Westeros for magical purposes, it doesn't seem to me a sufficient number to call this convergence, to few in number to say their presence in Westeros is whats causing magic to bloom there.

Yes it is,it is a place where all these forces are meeting.We have the Old powers or lets say the ones native to the land.The Red lot courtesy Mel,Thoros and all there followers with their prayers singing "their songs".You think Mel and her followers chants and songs aren't doing anything? The powers of the Others making or have made their way down... i can go on.

We have the numbers and it's going to get bigger.

[Black Crow]

If they're already there they can't converge, only Mel and possibly Jaqen H'ghar and Marwyn come to Westeros for magical purposes, it doesn't seem to me a sufficient number to call this convergence, to few in number to say their presence in Westeros is whats causing magic to bloom there.

I agree. Convergence implies a conscious act. Thoros was astonished at what he had done. Mel was at first reluctant to go north and again seems pleasantly surprised that her powers have increased at the Wall. The magic is in the land not the practitioners

[Armstark]

I'm using the term "fire mage" loosely as a term to denote people who practice fire magic. Under this understanding, the man climbing the fiery ladder is a fire mage seeing as we know that he can wake fire from obsidian, form roses of fire in the air, climb a ladder made of fire, etc. He can perform fire magic.

OK, thank you for clearing up what you mean by fire mage.

So under this understanding, anybody who knew fire magic should in theory be able to light a glass candle if a glass candle is made of obsidian and bringing forth fire from obsidian is as easy a task as Quaithe says it is for a fire mage.

Again, obisdian ≠ glass candle. If it is an easy task to light a glass candle why has nobody done it for a hundred years? Yes, in theory anybody who knows fire magic can light a glass candle but it didn't work before the dragons/comet which is why Aemon speaks of glass candles that could not be lit.

It only started working recently again. So says Xaro, Quaithe implies it, Aemon says it and Marwyn's candle is further proof.

It seems far more likely to me that someone (Quaithe?) used the glass candle already lit to tell Marwyn how to light one at the Citadel... not that Marwyn himself knew or discovered the secret to lighting them. Otherwise he'd have done so when he first returned for his travels in the east. Marwyn was told how to light one after someone else already lit another one.

...or Marwyn knew before how to do it but the glass candle could not be lit.

It feels to me like you are running around in circles trying to stick to your argument. It is easy to light but yet nobody (including Marwyn) could do it. Makes no sense.

He says that the Citadel is no place for sorcery or glass candles... which implies that they're purposely teaching the wrong stuff to acolytes so that they don't know magic, and can't light the candles. So everybody fails when they've only been taught what the Citadel teaches.

To me it implies a very different thing: that the Maesters actively worked to rid the world of magic by killing the dragons and in contrast to your thinking this line of thought is supported by what Marwyn says. He does not speak about Maesters withholding knowledge from their students but he says the grey sheep killed the dragons.

It would be difficult to purposely teach the students of the higher mysteries wrong stuff especially when you consider that there are plenty of century-old books around in the library of the Citadel and elsewhere. Someone would have gained the knowledge somehow somewhere.

They being obviously engaged in that is not a surety.Quaithe mentions candles lighting at the Citadel.Why not mention it doing the same in Qarth.Xaro,to me seem to be referencing the Citadel.

As to Yi Ti,i will get that proof for you i just have to pull it.I had it yesteday and thought i posted it.

Quaithe does not speak of glass candles in Oldtown, here is what she says:

"No. Hear me, Daenerys Targaryen. The glass candles are burning.

Xaro is not referencing the Citadel. He is speaking of Qarth:

Xaro looked troubled. "And so it was, then. But now? I am less certain. It is said that the glass candles are burning in the house of Urrathon Night-Walker, that have not burned in a hundred years. Ghost grass grows in the Garden of Gehane, phantom tortoises have been seen carrying messages between the windowless houses on Warlock's Way, and all the rats in the city are chewing off their tails. The wife of Mathos Mallarawan, who once mocked a warlock's drab moth-eaten robe, has gone mad and will wear no clothes at all. Even fresh-washed silks make her feel as though a thousand insects were crawling on her skin. And Blind Sybassion the Eater of Eyes can see again, or so his slaves do swear. A man must wonder." He sighed. "These are strange times in Qarth.

There is zero indication that he speaks of Oldtown.

Here is the quote you posted yesterday:

Down in the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai, they say there are oceans of ghost grass, taller than a man on horseback with stalks as pale as milkglass.

And I can tell you right now that there is no mentioning of ghost grass in Yi Ti. source: http://asearchoficeandfire.com

It seems to me that your argument is built on sand.

[Black Crow]

It seems far more likely to me that someone (Quaithe?) used the glass candle already lit to tell Marwyn how to light one at the Citadel... not that Marwyn himself knew or discovered the secret to lighting them. Otherwise he'd have done so when he first returned for his travels in the east. Marwyn was told how to light one after someone else already lit another one.

Ah my son, the secret is a simple thing in itself but requires a knowledge of where the lines of power lie and how to recognise their portals. In some lands ye may recognise them within a plaque of polished white stuff in which are set three small rectangular openings set in the form of a triangle, but in other lands ye may see them as two small round openings close set side by side.

When you find such a portal then you must examine the candle to find an appendage curiously like unto a rat's tail but of indifferent length, and upon the end of this tail you shall find a round object like unto the size and weight of a pebble that you may enfold in your hand. One side of this pebble you shall find as flat and protruding from it you will find either two or three small brass rods, corresponding as to your location, but sad is the man or woman finding a pebble with three rods when the portal has but two openings or vice versa, for then you shall never light your candle until you may find a portal that corresponds with your pebble.

And then as a man places his prick within a woman do you thrust the brass rods of the pebble within the portals - taking very great care as you do so that no part of your body touches upon the brass or indeed with anything placed within the portals for such is the power within that you will surely fry.

Once the two are as securely locked together as the most ardent of lovers withdraw your hand entirely from the pebble and trace it back along the rats tail to where it enters the candle and there you shall, belike, find a small thing protruding therefrom which when pressed will cause the candle to light and throw forth a mighty radiance which does fill the room with a brighter light than the noonday sun such as no-one may look directly at it.

[PrettyPig]

“The world the Citadel is building has no place in it for sorcery or prophecy or glass candles, much less for dragons. Ask yourself why Aemon Targaryen was allowed to waste his life upon the Wall, when by rights he should have been raised to archmaester. His blood was why. He could not be trusted. No more than I can.”

This quote has always intrigued me. From the viewpoint of the Citadel, there is a risk should Aemon's Targaryen blood be allowed access to - something - to which higher members of the order are privy...spells? scrolls? prophecies? I am assuming this is magical in nature and may have something to do with dragons, because, Targaryen. (Is there mention of Aemon even having a Valyrian link?)

However, Marwyn says he also can't be trusted. But Marwyn HAS advanced to archmaester, whereas Aemon did not. Is Marwyn implying that he should not be trusted for the same reason - his blood? Who was Marwyn before he became a maester? Is Marwyn a dragonseed, unbeknownst to the Citadel? His age isn't determined beyond white hair growing from his nose and ears....

[Voice]

OK, thank you for clearing up what you mean by fire mage.

Again, obisdian ≠ glass candle.

Two things:

1. Maester Marwyn is known as "Marwyn the Mage." While that is likely a nickname, for all we know, he could be an actual fire mage. He's clearly studied the higher mysteries in great detail

Why don't you think glass candles are obsidian? Makes sense to me if they are. Dragonglass, Frozen Fire, Glass Candles. They sound like aliases for the same thing.

[Rhaegarslance]

This quote has always intrigued me. From the viewpoint of the Citadel, there is a risk should Aemon's Targaryen blood be allowed access to - something - to which higher members of the order are privy...spells? scrolls? prophecies? I am assuming this is magical in nature and may have something to do with dragons, because, Targaryen. (Is there mention of Aemon even having a Valyrian link?)

However, Marwyn says he also can't be trusted. But Marwyn HAS advanced to archmaester, whereas Aemon did not. Is Marwyn implying that he should not be trusted for the same reason - his blood? Who was Marwyn before he became a maester? Is Marwyn a dragonseed, unbeknownst to the Citadel? His age isn't determined beyond white hair growing from his nose and ears....

Funny, I've always found the quote odd for another reason: why does Marwyn think that Aemon could have come back from the Wall? He was a sworn brother.

Unless of course he's only saying that Aemon should have been raised to archmaester before he left

Two things:

1. Maester Marwyn is known as "Marwyn the Mage." While that is likely a nickname, for all we know, he could be an actual fire mage. He's clearly studied the higher mysteries in great detail

Why don't you think glass candles are obsidian? Makes sense to me if they are. Dragonglass, Frozen Fire, Glass Candles. They sound like aliases for the same thing.

We do know that glass candles are obsidian/dragonglass. Marwyn himself says that they should be called dragonglass.

The candle was unpleasantly bright. There was something queer about it. The flame did not flicker, even when Archmaester Marwyn closed the door so hard that papers blew off a nearby table. The light did something strange to colors too. Whites were bright as fresh-fallen snow, yellow shone like gold, reds turned to flame, but the shadows were so black they looked like holes in the world. Sam found himself staring. The candle itself was three feet tall and slender as a sword, ridged and twisted, glittering black. “Is that... ?”

“... obsidian,” said the other man in the room, a pale, fleshy, pasty-faced young fellow with round shoulders, soft hands, close-set eyes, and food stains on his robes.

“Call it dragonglass.” Archmaester Marwyn glanced at the candle for a moment. “It burns but is not consumed.”