Even in her absence, however, the Djinn's mark continues to plague Morden. The army that she raised and unleashed upon Hyphrates still battles the human rulers for control. Though she is no longer there to direct it, many who bear her Witchmark remain loyal to her cause. The vast numbers of banes that plague the land still follow her last orders, besieging and ravaging the countryside, even though the land's inhabitants have already surrendered to the Witches.
White witches and scholars of the Witches continue to disagree about what this means for Morden as a whole. Ancient legends posit that Witches are immortal. If this is truly the case, then the Djinn's absence is surely temporary. Many believe this to be true, because of the way her servants continue to prosecute the war even without her support. If this is true, then the undead Pharaoh Memmon is likely a puppet, just continuing to follow the plans that she had previously prepared.
Alternatively, some experts believe that its inherent Fey properties were enough for King Auberon's spear to actually slay a seemingly immortal Witch. Proponents of this argument insist that her workings remain active only because her death happened within the Summerlands. As she was not in the same physical reality when it happened, the repercussions have yet to be fully felt. Most of these experts agree that her workings are gradually losing potency, and that they may eventually fade completely. If this is the case, then those who bear the Djinn's witchmark—including the mummies behind Memmon-Aswar may soon see their powers fade. It could even be that the undead might return to their graves without the Djinn to eventually refortify her curses.
The important caveat to this argument is that scholars disagree about just how long the Witchmarks and other workings might take to fade. Some believe that it could just be a matter of a few more years. Others believe that it could take centuries before the powerful workings lose a noticeable amount of their potency. Even skilled white witches are unsure of the long term ramifications, as even the most accomplished wield only a tiny fraction of the power that the Djinn could apply at her slightest whim.
Wish MagicMany believe that the Djinn's magic was closely linked to the power of the Fey. The fact that a weapon of the Summerlands apparently vanquished her seems to support this argument. The theory goes that the Djinn permitted others to summon her because of her inherent connection to these fickle beings. Some believe that the Djinn could have once been a Fey who somehow came into greater powers. Others argue that she actually created these entities in her own image. The argument and legends associated with this discussion are ancient, and predate the arrival of humans to Morden. Not even the Unseelie Fey seem to know the truth of the matter—or if they do, they refuse to speak of it. |
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