The Mages' Guild

Intro

There is an old saying : "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." With this saying in mind, and considering the amount of power that a Hermetic Mage has at his fingertips, it is not surprising that the Mages' guild is a steaming hotbed of the most viscous back-stabbing.

The Mages' guild is seen, at least by outsiders, as a kind of university where scholarly old gentlemen sit in tiny rooms surrounded by arcane tomes. This image is certainly not incorrect, but it is also not complete.

When the art of magic developed into a science, the idea of a mages' guild was formed so people of like persuasions could get together and talk magic. As the power and potential of Hermeticism began to become apparent, the guilds became more formal, with entry fees and hierarchies. The modern form of the Mages' Guild was set with the discover of the Ritual Circle.

For more on Ritual Circles, see Hermeticism, but suffice to say they are almost essential for the casting of any significantly powerful spell. They can be set up with lengthy procedures and expenditure of vast amounts of power. Naturally, once one is set up, those that expended the power are keen to protect it.

So, once a guild became powerful enough, they would buy a large building with a large cellar and create a Ritual Circle in it. The guild would then become an organisation devoted to the protection and upkeep of the Ritual Circle, granting access to members of the guild and guarding it from misuse by undesirables.

As the science developed, and more and more powerful effects were possible through the Circle, it became increasingly desirable to protect the knowledge from irresponsible younger guildmembers. Access to the circle became more restricted, and the most arcane tomes were locked away. The guild hierarchy was formed, with the creators of the Circle at the top.

As time progressed, the hierarchy became more rigid, but the benefits of climbing that hierarchy made it ever more desirable to resort to underhand tactics to ascend. The Circle's creators began to suffer sudden and violent accidents, and had to be replaced. Often, and senior member would be caught in a compromising situation and plummet down the hierarchy only days before such a violent accident occurs to his then immediate superior.

Now the powers of the Hermeticists are second only to those of the gods, and with the Adventurers' Guild controlling Keese, advancement through use of force is becoming more acceptable. Status in the hierarchy is fought over with a ferocity that is in stark contrast with the image of scholarly gentlemen and that would put to shame almost any other guild in town.

The Hierarchy

If you wish to become a Hermetic Mage, you must join the Mages' Guild. If you don't, you will find it essentially impossible to learn any decent number of spells, and you will not be able to gain access to the Ritual Circle. Also you stand a good chance of having a large scary gentleman pursuading you to take your talents elsewhere (Stanilov for example).

You join the guild as an apprentice. This is in fact the second rank, above novice, but it is the lowest rank for full membership. As a novice, you can learn a basic understanding of how Hermeticism works, but no real magic. A novice is not a real mage.

As an apprentice, you will be taught the most basic spell components of a single Aspect. You will also be expected to lead a life of virtual slavery under a master until you have demonstrated sufficient aptitude to be initiated.

As an Initiate, you will be taught the remaining spell components of your first chosen Aspect, and will be given access to the basic Grimoires and very limited access to the Ritual Circle. You may now study on your own, increasing your apititude until you are worthy of progression to the next rank.

This process continues until you reach the rank of Mage. At each rank you are given access to more powerful techniques, and must show increased aptitude to warrant further promotion. Upon reaching the rank of Mage proper, you can no longer climb the ranks on the basis of ability alone. You are about to enter the realm of Mage politics.

There are a limited number of places in the higher echelons of the hierachy (there are only a couple of Arch Mages in Keese, and only one Grand Master in the whole Barony), and you can only hope to be promoted if a vacancy arises. As you cannot be demoted, a vacancy only arises as a result of retirement or death.

Few mages retire.

The Guild Ranks

Novice (Not full membership)
Membership is a flat rate of 25 banes, payable once only. For this, you may learn the theory of Hermeticism, but no real magic as such. You can gain supervised access to the ritual circle for a price (normally 10 banes an hour) if you book in advance. You may not call yourself a mage.

Apprentice
Full guild membership is 50 banes. In return, you are taught the first components of your chosen first Aspect of Realms Magic. You can have supervised access to the Ritual Circle for free, but must book in advance. You may call yourself a mage, and can begin your ascent up the guild hierarchy.

Initiate
Once you have gained a basic understanding of all the components of one Aspect, you will be initiated. You will still be under the direct control of a tutor, but you will have more freedom to study on your own. You may learn spells from the basic Grimoires, and may start researching your own spells. Access to the Ritual Circle is still supervised, but you're less likely to have your booking cancelled.

Practitioner
After you have demonstrated sufficient understanding of magic to research a spell of your own, you are promoted to the rank of Practitioner. You are no longer under the control of a tutor, and have much greater freedom to research and learn. Access to the Ritual Circle no longer requires constant supervision, but you need to get someone to authorize it for you.

Adept
Once you have attained at least a basic understanding of all the Aspects of Realms Magic, you are declared an Adept. You are finally given some degree of respect, and can get at some of the more advanced Grimoires. You can Access the Ritual Circle without specific authorisation, although it is understood that your supervisor is still responsible for your actions.

Mage
To attain this rank, and finally be entitled to call yourself a full mage, you must demonstrate a complete understanding of Hermeticism. You must research a spell which shows genuine originality, and impress the elders with your ideas. Only then will you promoted to the last aptitude-based rank, and be allowed full and unrestricted access to the Ritual Circle (subject to availability).

Arch Mage
As a senior member of the guild, you are now considered responsible enough to be allowed access to the most advanced Grimoires. These are the books that contain the techniques required to create a Ritual Circle, and you will be in part responsible for its upkeep. You have the authority to throw people off the Circle if they're mistreating it (or of you want it). On a more mundane level, you will be responsible for the promotion of junior members, and you will be allocated a number of apprentices to assist you in your researches.

Master
In Keese there are three Masters, one of whom is the Guild Head, one sits on the city council and one sits as Keese representative in the Inner Circle at Rasath. At this level of seniority, it is assumed that you know all there is to know about Hermetic Magic. You could (with a little help from your friends) set up a new Ritual Circle.

Grand Master
A Grand Master will certainly no longer concern himself with the local guild, but will be a part of the Inner Circle. These are the most powerful mages in the land, and the very highest level of authority and power. They jealously guard the most powerful secrets of Hermeticism, including the rituals for opening Permanent Portals to other realms of existence. There are only five members of the Inner Circle, plus a couple of junior members (i.e. Masters) from the major local guilds (Keese, Rasath, Paralyth).

Grand Vizier of the Inner Circle
The unequivocable, most powerful mage in the human lands.