The Wizards' Guild is a noble order of magic-wielding protectors—united by their ability to use the Source—who have upheld peace and justice throughout Imperia for over a thousand generations. As keepers of the peace, the Guild undertakes diplomatic missions at the request of the kings of Imperia, and pursues dangerous criminals across national borders. In contrast to the Warlocks, the Guild's historic foes who harness the dark side of the Source, the wizards draw their power from the light side of the Source. The Wizard Code serves as the mantra of the wizards' way of life, governing the behavior of individual wizards to the philosophy and training regimen of the Guild as a whole.

"Well, the Source is what gives a wizard his power. It's an energy field the flows from the Otherworld. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the Realms together."

Details

Ruler: The Circle (13× Archmagisters)
Seat: The Spire, The Capital, Generica

Tropes

Magical Society; Not-So-Omniscient Council of Bickering; The Order; Warrior Monks (Eastern); Weird Trade Union; (Group) Wizards and Witches

Perception

Origin and History

Back to the beginnings of recorded history, before the rise of the Marisu Empire, before even the Druidic Order, magic-users sought the secrets of the Source, and would pass what they had learned of it to other magic-users when they would meet. Many of these early wizards stood with the Emperor against the encroachment of Evil™ around 3000ya, and were afterward afforded an exalted status in the Empire. As the guilds formed (2000ya), the wizards organized themselves into a guild of their own and were given official charter within the Empire to keep the peace and dispense justice, and would later stand as a secular balance to the Imperial Church. As time went on, Guild wizards began, one by one, to be seduced by secretly-returning Evil™ and manipulated their way into positions of power within the Guild. When their conspiracy was eventually discovered, those wizards were cast out of the Guild and dubbed "The Enemy," traitors to the Source, and the two factions struggled for power in a Secret War that would ultimately result in the collapse of the Old Empire (and the disappearance of the Imperial Isle) around 1000ya. The Secret War continued, waxing and waning, until the Nefarian Conquest of Mankind (100ya), when the Enemy joined the the Overlord's Black Army, and were defeated. All of the Enemy were believed killed and condemned to the Abyss, never to return; the Secret War was ended. But the Guild has grown self-obsessed, blinded by hubris to its own corruption, and heeds not ridiculous rumors of the return of Evil™ or its insidious influence within the Guild.

Locations

The Spire, Headquarters of the Wizards' Guild

• The Spire
• Magisteries - thaumacratic equivalent to monasteries; referred to as [Such-and-such] Tower

Ranks and Forms of Address

See Rank and Status

• Magical Rank 5: (Archmagister X) The Most Honourable X, Archmagister of the Wizards' Guild; colors: white on grey
• Magical Rank 4: (Magister X) The Honourable X, Magister (of the Wizards' Guild) and [Officer]; colors: white on black
  • Seneschal/Marshal of the Wizards’ Guild
  • Tower-Master of the Wizards’ Guild (or [Town Wizards’ Tower])
  • Headmaster of the Wizards' Academy
• Magical Rank 4: (Magister X) The Honourable X, Magister of the Wizards' Guild; colors: white on black
• Magical Rank 3: Ser X, Knight-Wizard of the Guild; colors: white on sky-blue
• Magical Rank 2: X, Apprentice-Wizard of the Guild; white on brown (full tabard/robe)
• Magical Rank 1: X, [Officer] of the Wizards’ Guild (or [Town Wizards’ Tower]); white on brown (mantle only)
  • Master-Sergeant
• Magical Rank 1: X, Sergeant/Man-At-Arms/Initiate of the Wizards’ Guild; white on brown (mantle only)
• Magical Rank 0: X, Novice of the Wizards’ Academy; no colors
• f=Magistress

Current Circle Members

The Circle

*Archmagister Krypticus

• Archmagister Eldrik
• Archmagister Arkanus
• Archmagistress Cadabara
• Archmagistress Thaumia
• Archmagister Mistaro
• Archmagister Alkazam
• [Archmagister ×6]

Other Officers

• Magister Hokus, Headmaster of the Wizards' Academy
• Magister Codecs, Keeper of Records of the Spire

Practices

General

The Wizards' Cross

*Three pillars: secular, ecclesiastical, thaumacratic

• Members of the magistry (="clergy") of Rank 0+ enjoy legal immunities, free passage, claim to hospitality at chapterhouses, thaumacratic (="ecclesiastical") rights.
• Guild has total, separate authority to regulate thaumaturgical matters (sometimes contested by secular rulers), and hold and enforce a monopoly on all magical training
• Uniform is a robe/tabard/mantle/mantlet adorned with the Wizards' Cross; color denotes rank
• Well-financed by donations and grants (including possessions surrendered by recruits); sale of enchanted items, and basic goods and services; thaumacratic fines and fees. Due to the prohibition from rulership, they do not collect rents from their lands. Though not specifically demanded, donations are expected from rulers who request and receive the Guild's aid.

Recruitment and Admittance

• Potentials "ransomed" from their parents and taken to the Academy to be trained; amount of ransom depends on status, and the age when taken (younger is better)
• Adults/sub-adults can volunteer for service; expected to surrender their possessions & titles to the Guild, and/or pay their own ransom. Exceptions are made in special cases.
• Non-talented individuals accepted as retainers and servants (=lay brothers)

The Circle

• Promotion to Archmagister is based on reputation for wisdom and knowledge, and experience (Prestige)
• There are 13 Archmagisters at any time, and all are part of the Circle
• There is no official "leader" of the Circle, but the members tend to defer to the Archmagister with the highest Prestige
• When one of the 13 dies or abdicates/retires, a new Archmagister is chosen from among the existing Magisters
• Members of the Circle also assume the normal "Councillor" positions, though not as an official assignment, per se, but as their abilities make them best suited to the job. As such, any member of the Circle may execute Councillor missions normally taken up by another, as the need arises.

The Wizards' Academy

• Located at the Spire, in the Capital
• Novices are Rank 0, and not officially an Apprentice (Rank 1) until accepted by a Magister after graduation

The Wizard Code

The Wizard Code is a set of strict rules that governs the behavior of the Guild members. The Code has three main tenets: Self-Discipline, Responsibility and Public Service.

Self-Discipline

The Wizard must conquer arrogance, conquer overconfidence, conquer defeatism, conquer stubbornness, conquer recklessness, conquer curiosity, conquer aggression, conquer external loyalties, conquer materialism.

Responsibility

The Wizard must practice honesty, honor his promises, honor his apprentice, honor his magister, honor the Circle, honor the Guild, honor the law, honor life.

Public Service

The Wizard must honor his duty to the kingdom, and to the Faith, render aid to those in need, defend the weak, provide support.

Miscellaneous Tenets

• A Wizard uses the Source for knowledge and defense, never for aggression or personal gain.
  • Never for payment
• Wizards are the guardians of civilization, yet do not allow civilization to destroy needlessly.
• Guild wizards are discouraged from forming personal attachments, and are forbidden to marry.
• Wizards respect each other, and all other life forms.
• A Wizard must put the needs of the community above the needs of individuals.
• A Wizard must protect the weak and defenseless from evil.
• Wizards must always cooperate in battle or crisis.
• Wizards must not have wants; self-reliance must be shown.
• Wizards are forbidden from ruling others.
• A Wizard will not kill an unarmed opponent, or a prisoner.
• A Wizard does not cling to the past, and will not take revenge.

Foes of the Guild

Sorcerers and Free-Wizards

Basically, heretics or apostates to the Guild's "religion"

• Sorcerer = magic-user with innate powers rather than a traditional spellcaster
• Free-Wizard = non-Guild wizard
  • A wizard can renounce and leave the Guild at any time, or be expelled for breaking the Code (or whatever). Once departed, they can never return.
  • Training an adept outside the Guild is grounds for immediate, no-questions expulsion. The trainee is also barred from membership.
• While it is not strictly "illegal" to practice magic outside the Guild, the Guild tends to bring down the full weight of its monopoly on anyone found to be doing so (moreso, the more successful they are), to drive them out of business.
• Crimes committed with the use of magic, and liability for accidents/consequences, are tried in thaumacratic courts run by the Guild; free-wizards and sorcerers are judged far more harshly than Guild-members.

The Warlocks

• Sort of a "Saruman" thing: Guild wizards seduced by Evil™ to work against the Guild.

Rumor Has It…

• The Overlord is rumored to be a former Master-Wizard of the Guild turned to Evil™, but records of such a person are impossible to find
• It is whispered that a ranking member or two of the Guild secretly serve the Enemy, steering the Guild toward its own doom
• The Guild has been looking into the possibility of making free-wizardry a "secular" crime in addition to "thaumacratic." Some say this is an effort to protect their monopoly and waning prestige…

Behind the Scenes

• Obvious Jedi ripoff is obvious; also a bit of a SHIELD/Hydra thing
  • The Source (=The Force)
  • The Circle=Jedi Council
• Low-level initiates get tasked with mass-production of common magic items