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Warging
🕑 Added 2023-02-09 19:21:51 +0000 UTCGreywater Watch-288 AC
The Godswood used by the people of Greywater Watch is unique in Harry’s opinion. Where Winterfell’s Godswood was found in the middle of a forest and surrounded by nature, the Godswood Harry and Lord Reed went to for magic training was situated on a small island in the middle of the lake that the castle was resting on. The Hearttree in the middle stood as the sole tree on the island, otherwise there was dozens of plants, bushes and flowers scattered all around. Most astonishing was that he recognized a lot of them as potions ingredients.
There was nothing truly potent. There were no Venomous Tentacula plants or Mandrakes but there was Wolfsbane, Deathcap, Daisies, Mint and a dozen other plants that he recognised as potions ingredients.
Harry couldn’t remain patient now that he has discovered he might be able to practice some form of magic from his old life, even if it’s his least favourite branch of magic. “What are all these plants for?” He asked with the most innocent expression he could muster.
Lord Reed never even slowed his walk up the path leading to the Hearttree as he called over his shoulder. “My people have long since discovered how to use the magic in plants and some animals to create different potions, with different effects.”
Scrunching his eyebrows in honest curiosity, Harry asked. “What effects?”
Lord Reed slowed his walk now that they had nearly reached the top of the incline and were now within a dozen or so metres of the Hearttree. He released a sigh that carried a hint of melancholy. “According to our legends, my ancestors were once capable of creating potions that could heal all but the most serious injuries, poisons that could kill a man in a few breaths or put one to sleep for eternity. They could create tonics that made them unable to be burnt or able to breathe under water for a short time. Some legends even say they had potions that allowed them to run for a full day and night without tiring, and others that allowed them to lift as much as ten men.”
He looked around at all the plants with sadness. “ Much has been lost, magic doesn’t affect plants and animals like it used to when it was strong. Many recipes were also never written down and were lost when those that knew them died. Now we can create a few healing remedies, they work, but are nowhere as strong as what the legends describe them as. We have poisons found nowhere else, but they take time to take effect. We have potions that can increase stamina for a short time but nowhere near as long as the potions in the legends. The most often used potions we have are those that can grant us sight in the darkest of nights or increase our other senses. Others we have allow our people to walk in complete silence and to hide our scent. There are a few more but those are the major ones.”
Harry found himself both happy and disappointed by what Lord Reed said. He was happy because the potions effects sounded remarkably similar to what he was used to from his first life. People had obviously never taken potion making as far as what he knew they were capable of but they were still able to make some potions that sounded very useful in the right circumstances.
He was disappointed because Lord Reed said that with the weakening of magic many plants had lost their latent magic and were no longer useful as potions ingredients. He guesses that’s why they grow these plants around a Weirwood tree. The magic it gives off to its surroundings probably gives the plants magical properties. He doubts the properties are as strong as what he was used too, meaning potions are probably weaker, but having potions that work are a great boon regardless.
He wasn’t so upset about the fact that they had lost many of their recipes. He was never that interested in potions, but his knowledge probably far surpasses anybody in this world. It shouldn’t be a huge issue to recreate some of the more useful ones provided he can find the right ingredients that were grown in a magically saturated environment.
That’s if potion making works the same way in this world.
And if he can find the necessary ingredients in the first place.
Once they had stopped in front of the Hearttree he decided to ask. “Are these all the plants you grow for potion making my lord?”
He hummed. “With magic so weak, most plants lose their magic if grown away from a Weirwood tree. That’s why we have only plants here and no other trees but a Hearttree. It’s to save space so we can grow as much as we can. Fortunately this is not the only Weirwood in The Neck. There are dozens scattered around. Most of them are normal Weirwood trees but there are a few Heartrees. Every few moons Greywater Watch will be moved. Floating along the bogs and rivers until we come to another Hearttree, where we will stay for a time. We grow ingredients at these trees too. We grow some different plants by each tree but most of the plants grown are the same at each one. As those are the ones that are used most commonly. Even when we move on from this area, some will still come here to make sure everything is healthy and thriving. It has long been one of the more sacred duties of my people.”
Harry rubbed his chin and gazed at the plants in thought. According to Lord Reed, most of these plants are grown at a dozen other different sites in The Neck. It doesn’t sound like there are a large variety of plants but there is a decent quantity grown. It’s not nearly enough, but it is a good start.
He decided that he would start growing a few plants in the Godswood of Winterfell. Some for emergencies where he may need a potion of healing, but mostly just so that he can experiment and try to remake some of the more useful potions he remembers.
He is snapped out of his thoughts by Lord Reed sitting on the floor before the Hearttree. The Lord of Greywater Watch spent a few moments just staring at the solemn face of the tree before he turned and gestured for Harry to join him.
Shrugging his shoulders, Harry decided to humour him and unceremoniously plopped himself down on the floor next to Howland.
Nodding his head in satisfaction Lord Reed began to speak. “What do you know about magic Lord Stark? What do you know about the Old Gods?”
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know much about magic, the library in Winterfell was lacking in the topic. l do know some of the old stories however. There are stories of wargs and greenseers who used to appear among those of First Man descent. I have only had some success with warging, I haven’t tried greenseeing. I know the Rhoynar would practice water magic and the most powerful of them are said to have been able to lift rivers and flood lands. The Valyrians used fire magic, prophetic dreams and their dragons to conquer much of the world. There are supposedly shadow binders in Asshai by the Shadow that can control shadows and darkness. The Red Priests in Essos are supposed to be able to glimpse into the future in the flames. Faceless men are said to be able to take the appearance of different people. What the limits of each of these types of magic are though? I have no idea.”
Lord Reed looked at Hadrian with a keen glint in his eyes. “I’m surprised you have had any success in warging my lord. It is a difficult and dangerous skill. If one is not careful they take too much of the animals instincts into themselves. The stronger your bond with the animal the more the instincts bleed through. Many wargs have been known to go mad because of this. It is even more dangerous if you are young. Children haven’t properly developed into the people they will be. It makes it easier for animal instincts to take root into their being. The fact you appear to not have developed any of these instincts is both lucky and remarkable.”
He paused and scratched his chin in thought. ”That could be because of your Stark blood. Starks in the past were incredibly powerful wargs. Despite that, none have ever gone mad. Which is remarkable, as the more animals a man is bonded to, the more likely they are to lose themselves to the instincts of those animals. Even our wargs must be careful to only form bonds with a few animals at a time while some Starks in our histories are said to have been able to become dozens of different animals at once with ease. Some are said to have developed certain cravings or certain animal instincts but they were generally small things, more often than not some of those instincts could even be seen as a positive trait. In the histories we have in Greywater Watch, never has a Stark lost themselves to those instincts completely. The blood of the Kings of Winter is powerful indeed….” He trailed off.
Harry thought of what he said. In truth, warging wasn’t that difficult for him to learn. At-least until he got to his current level where he started stagnating. Harry always put that down to the fact that he is experienced in magic, but could Lord Reed be right? Could his Stark blood also play a role?
Harry isn’t sure. He has been using occlumency to keep the animal instincts out of his mind when warging with Padfoot and he completely suppressed them when dominating other random animals, but now that he thinks about it, he found it remarkably easy to do so. It might also have something to do with being the Master of Death or just his hard earned skill in occlumency but there is no way to know for sure. If Lord Reed is right and his Stark blood plays a role then the only way he can know for sure is by teaching his family occlumeny and warging and seeing their progress. A thought for another time.
Whatever the reason, he is grateful he doesn’t have to worry very much about losing his mind.
Lord Reed’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. “And the Old Gods?”
Harry gave a brief recital of what he knows. “The Old Gods are the gods of the forests, rivers and stones. They are said to listen to us through the Hearttrees. There aren’t very many rules to their worship, the major ones are to respect guest rights, not to kill your kin and not to practice slavery.”
Lord Reed nodded. “A good answer, if an incomplete one. The Old Gods are the gods of nature. They are said to watch us through the eyes of Weirwood trees, true. But they do not speak to us through them, they talk through nature. Through the animals in the forest and the wind in the trees. It is our job, to learn to listen. My father taught me, as his father taught him, that the gift of warging was given to us by the gods so that we could understand animals and nature more easily. So that we might be able to listen to the gods with greater clarity.”
The Lord paused and looked up at the top branches of the Weirwood tree, where a hawk was resting. “Come, let us test your ability with warging. Try and become the hawk .”
Harry glanced back at Lord Reed in confusion. “I thought you said it was dangerous to warg into too many animals? That their instincts can change you?”
Lord Reeds lips twitched. “Aye I did say that. Perhaps I should have been more clear. The instincts don’t bleed through immediately. Rather the longer you are connected to the animal, the more you start to think like the animal. When you dominate an animal to become it for a short time, you completely suppress its instincts. The level of the bond between yourself and the animal you are warging into also plays a role. The deeper the bond is, the more the exchange goes both ways.“
He scratched his chin. ”How to explain this? If you were to raise a dog from a pup into adulthood you would care about the dog more than you would care about another random dog you came across. That plays a significant role. You trust your dog, you care for it. That makes the connection between you more open from both sides. The dog trusts you and as such you will be able to slip into its skin with ease. You trust it and therefore its instincts will bleed through your bond with greater ease. Whereas the random dog will not trust you. You can warg into it if you are powerful enough but the level of connection will not be as deep. You won’t gain as great of an understanding of the animal and how it thinks but you will also not be as affected by its instincts if you are careful. Repeatedly warging a random animal will deepen the connection however, so even if there’s no bleed-through the first time you warg it, there might be some on the third time and even more on the fifth. All wargs need to keep vigilant for this. By understanding the instincts and where they came from they can keep greater control over them.”
Harry nodded. It made some sense. Warging into a random animal is difficult but if he overpowers the creature it is possible to become it. In that scenario he is dominating the creature and will therefore feel its instincts less as he is suppressing its mind. If it is an animal he has a bond with it is much easier to slip into its skin but it is more like a partnership. Therefore he will be more aware of the animal, its instincts and how it thinks. Making it easier for its instincts to affect him.
Harry closes his eyes and focuses on the hawk. He imagines what it feels like to see from its eyes, the feel of the wind across its feathers and the bark of the tree under its talons. With an effort of will he pushes the magic out of his body focusing on the bird the entire time.
There is a moment of resistance, as if the bird is fighting back against this intrusion. The resistance isn’t that great though, not for somebody who once had to fight off being possessed by Voldemort, arguably the most accomplished practitioner of the mind arts in his generation. It only takes a small amount of power and focus to subvert the will of the bird. Pushing its thoughts and instincts to the back of his mind until it is merely background noise.
The next instant Harry is looking over himself and Lord Reed in a vision that is clearer and sharper than anything he has ever seen with before. With a small effort of will the hawk takes flight and lands on top of his shoulder.
Harry winces. Even though he is in the mind of the bird he can feel that his shoulder is slightly injured. The problem with dominating creatures will like this, is that he is the one in absolute control. He doesn’t have any of the instincts of the bird nor does he understand its body and its strength.
Luckily he has had plenty of practice warging into birds over the years. The first time he tried to fly as one was an embarrassing moment in which he flew straight into a tree.
It took him many hours of practice before he could do so with any type of skill.
Lord Reed’s voice had him turning the birds head in his direction. “Good, good. I see you did it easily my lord. That is quite remarkable. Normally it takes years for a warg to be able to learn how to do it this quickly. Please fly the bird back up to the tree and leave its body so I can speak to you properly.”
With a flap of his wings Harry sent the bird soaring into the air. He flapped a few more times, doing a small lap around the Weirwood tree before he had the bird come in for a landing. The landing was rougher than expected, he underestimated the speed he was traveling at, but it was still an acceptable landing nonetheless.
Withdrawing his mind from the bird Harry opened his eyes.
His gaze was drawn to the hawk when it released an angry screech at him before it took off quickly into the air with a ruffle of feathers and flew away over the trees.
Lord Reed brought Harrys gaze back to his grass green eyes when he spoke. “You are remarkably powerful my lord. Most grown men would only be able to do something like that after years and years of training. Even then, they would still struggle more than you did.”
Harry scrunched his eyebrows together. “If it is so difficult then why did you ask me to do it?”
He smirked. “You said you had warged before. I wanted to see if you could do it.”
Harry frowned in annoyance. “ How do you normally start training wargs then?”
Lord Reed chuckled at the annoyed look on his face. “All children are given a fledgling bird of prey as a companion once they reach seven namedays. They are made to raise them into adulthood. For those who have the gift, there will often be signs. They will start to have dreams where they can see through the animal’s eyes or their birds will sometimes show an intelligence that is beyond normal, reacting to unspoken commands or behaving in ways birds normally wouldn’t. Once we have identified if a child has the gift, they will go for further training in order to learn how to control it. It starts small, just trying to see through their companions eyes or using their other senses without trying to control them. Once they are developed enough and can do this on command, they are then taught how to change into their skins properly. First from close to their animal, then from further and further away. If they master that and they are trusted enough, they are given the option to learn how to control random animals that they have no bond with. While some will be able to find some measure of success doing this, most will not. Most are unable to completely dominate random animals like you can. It is only the very rare few who can. I have only met three others who could do so in my life. Thank the Old Gods.”
He looked at me seriously. It was probably the most serious I had ever seen him. “While it is truly amazing that you are able to warg this easily my lord, I ask you not to dominate animals like this unless you have no other option.”
Harry blinked. “Why? I thought you said it wasn’t dangerous to dominate them like this.”
He shakes his head. “No, I said that their instincts won’t bleed through into you, as you dominate their beings and suppress those instincts. Not that it isn’t dangerous.”
He sighed. “What do you think warging is my lord?”
Harry shrugged. “I’m sending my mind into the animals. “
He shakes his head vigorously. “No, it is much more than that. You aren’t sending your mind into the creature. Or at least that’s not all you are doing. Rather you are extending your soul, your magic, outside of your body and making a portion of it, a tiny slither really, connect to theirs. When the bond goes both ways, like with the dog that you raised, while there will be some bleed-through of instincts if you aren’t careful, that is all that will happen. It can become a serious problem if allowed to go too far, yes. But generally there won’t be any negative impacts on your soul as long as you are careful. When you are dominating a random animal, it is your soul dominating theirs, telling it to submit. When you dominate something on such a profound level, it can leave an impact on your soul in other ways. People who have done this too much, who have lived years doing this, have changed their souls in other more malicious ways than just gaining a few foreign instincts. Some have been known to lose all compassion they have towards their fellow men, they have lost their ability to feel any emotions at all, except for the most extreme emotions. Many times these people become even madder than those who are changed too much by the instincts of animals, driving themselves to do more and more heinous things just feel any emotion at all.”
Harry's face was pale and his mouth was open in horror.
Lord Reed nodded. “It isn’t an issue if only done rarely. It takes time for a change that large to overcome a person’s soul. For you I would think it is even less of an issue due to how much magic you give off. That shows you have an extremely strong soul. Still, I would rather you be safe than to push it.”
Harry nodded. Lord Reed’s words made sense. Even in the wizarding world, magic was connected to a person’s soul. His even more so than a normal wizard once he had claimed the Deathly Hallows. There were plenty of types of magic that could have negative consequences on the user. Those were always classified as dark magic and Harry always made sure to stay away from those types of spells. So to come across it and to have been practicing it accidentally for years was horrifying.
In truth he isn’t upset at knowing he can’t dominate an animals mind without consequences. Harry always felt it was wrong to do so, in the beginning he was extremely hesitant to even try and he only continued once he learned that it had no negative impacts on those animals he did it to.
The only reason he did it at all was because he was desperate to have access to some type of magic. For him, going from living and breathing magic to not having access to any at all was a terrible experience. His magic is the only thing that kept him sane when everyone had died.
Regardless of how much he misses what he had, Harry vowed that he wouldn’t dominate any more animals unless he had absolutely no other choice. He would rather form a proper bond with one and make sure he doesn’t develop any negative instincts than risk losing the ability to feel emotions.
He knows that occlumency is able to filter out these instincts when the bond goes both ways as he has been doing it with Padfoot since he first started warging.
Lord Reed stood up. “Come my Lord. I feel that is enough for today.”
Harry stood and started to follow him down the path. “So how did I do my lord?”
He smiled. “In truth, I do not believe there is much that I can teach you when it comes to warging. You seem to have a remarkable grasp on it already.”
Harry supressed his disappointment. He wasn’t that surprised, but he hoped he would be able to take the art further.
Lord Reed still must have seen the disappointment on his face as he smirked. “I wouldn’t worry my lord. While there isn’t much more you can learn about warging there is still some other things for you to learn.”
He instantly felt his mood turn a little brighter. “Oh, like what?”
“You will of course be taught how to make a few potions, but the skill I am sure you will be most interested in is not one that I can teach. In fact, I’m not completely sure if you can even learn it.”
Harry looked at him in confusion. Lord Reed answered his unasked question. “In every thousand men, there is one warg born. In every thousand wargs there is one greenseer born. I am not sure if you have the ability my lord, but based off of your magical presence I think there is a strong possibility that you do.”
Harry felt a mixture of emotions. While the legends do make it seem like a powerful ability, Harry isn’t sure he wants to know the future. He has been involved in enough prophecies in his life already. The only reason he is considering it at all was that it was said one could use it to see into the past.
He released a small sigh. “How will I learn it, if you can’t teach it?”
Lord Reed smiled. “There is an old woman who lives in a small hut just outside my keep. I’m sure I can convince her to teach you.”
Thank you for reading. I hope you all enjoyed. As always criticism is welcome as long as it’s constructive.
Next chapter Thursday 16 February 2023.
