The Cabal of Concordance is the ruling body of the Magocracy of Thouran, composed of eight master magi—each representing one of the eight foundational schools of arcane magic: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation. Bound by tradition, they govern The Floating City of Thouran through collective discourse and spellwrought diplomacy.
The Cabal exists not only as a political council but as a living embodiment of arcane scholarship, ensuring the preservation, expansion, and ethical stewardship of magic throughout the known world. At the center of their power lies the Cathedral of Concordance, an arcane spire whose central chamber houses the radiant Nonagon of Schools, a magical table inscribed with the glyphs of each arcane tradition.
The Cabal operates under the guidance of an Archmage, who is also known as the Avatar of the Air—a title of spiritual and magical significance handed down since the days of Archmage Kelak Nilfard, the last Archmage before the ascension of Guy the Grateful.
Founding & Origins
The Cabal’s origins trace back to the early Fourth Age (Dawn of Man), when a conclave of rogue wizards, seers, and magical exiles uncovered the shattered remnants of an ancient Mythar floating city hidden deep within a crescent mountain range in eastern Tolria. Within its crystalline ruins, they found forbidden knowledge—magical theories that predated even the Vanir of Itelion (from the third age - Age of the Elves). Among these relics was the Concordant, a magical construct that defined the eight known schools of magic in perfect balance.
Realizing the magnitude of their discovery, these founders built a new city upon the ruins—Thouran, the Metal City. The first Cabal of Concordance formed to prevent any one school from dominating the rest, and the tradition of maintaining eight equal seats was established, with a ninth for the Archmage—who would only act to resolve stalemates.
Structure & Membership
The Cabal is composed of the following seated positions:
- Magus of Abjuration
- Magus of Conjuration
- Magus of Divination
- Magus of Enchantment
- Magus of Evocation
- Magus of Illusion
- Magus of Necromancy
- Magus of Transmutation
The Archmage presides over the Cabal but refrains from day-to-day governance unless a consensus cannot be reached.
Current members of the Cabal include:
- Magus Huldra Runebraid – Abjuration.
- Magus Alzurae Veynocht – Conjuration.
- Magus Selmira Valcorin – Divination.
- Magus Ozwald Crinn – Enchantment.
- Magus Braxigar Flintbone – Evocation.
- Magus Velvess Mournbloom – Illusion.
- Magus Varnexus the Undying – Necromancy.
- Magus Marquellin – Transmutation.
The Archmage, recently ascended, is Guy the Grateful, Avatar of the Air.
Philosophy & Purpose
The core doctrine of the Cabal is Equilibrium Through Insight. Magic is not to be hoarded, abused, or allowed to fester in ideological silos. The eight schools must coexist in arcane symbiosis, with no tradition allowed to subsume the others.
They believe in:
- The ethical application of magic
- The pursuit of truth across schools and planes
- The safeguarding of magical balance from divine, arcane, or imperial overreach
It is said that any Magus may challenge another’s theory or motion, but only through duel of discourse—a ritual of magical and logical debate that is older than the city itself.
Symbol of the Cabal
The Symbol of the Cabal of Concordance is a Nine-Pointed Nonagon, each corner representing one school of magic. Radiant lines weave between them, forming a crystalline lattice to signify their interconnection. At its center is a feathered quill—symbol of knowledge, transcription, and the preservation of magical theory across time.
Recent History
In the Fifth Age, the Cabal has come under mounting pressure from the Empire of Bastile, whose technological advancements in Rift Magic, clockwork computation, and rumored breakthroughs in machine cognition threaten Thouran’s arcane dominance.
Notably, the Clockwork Cranium, an artificial intelligence device unveiled by House Aventus, may signal the Empire’s crossing of the Turing Threshold—a matter of grave concern to many in the Cabal, especially Magus Varnexus.
A tense ideological divide has emerged:
- Progressive Magi like Marquellin, Alzurae, Ozwald, and Selmira favor collaboration with Bastile.
- Conservative Magi like Huldra, Varnexus, and Braxigar fear imperial espionage, theft of magical secrets, and subjugation through arcano-technological supremacy.
The Cabal currently remains unified, but cracks have begun to show—each a glimmering fault line across the glass sky of Thouran.