Arcana Guild

The Arcana Sect

The Arcana Sect is dedicated to the original purpose of the Arcana Guild, to track down, register, and train mages. It is no easy task, and generally the Sectmaster of the Arcana Sect focuses on urban environments, where magic is of much greater risk to the general populace, but it is far easier to track down the magically awakened. Mages would be abducted and taken to the Barlshire University of Magic to be registered and were forced into training, exile in remote parts of the country, or even execution, in the case of uncooperative and powerful magic users. The aggressive and tortuorus practices where costly however, had began to cause problems. Magic was dangerous, and the Guildsmen abducting these mages where often little more then glorified bounty hunters. A few failed attempts at abductions and collateral damage was drawing uwanted attention. An incident on the 4th Dilumensis, 1023 MH, where a group of angry students assassinated the Lord Arcana after their abduction lead to a stark change in policy. In the modern age, any magic user that is discovered will be required to register, but there is no compulsion to train, if they choose to leave however, this is on the understanding that any attempt to further their magical abilities will be punished.

There are benefits to being a registered mage of course, you will largely be ignored by authorities, even to the point were this can be abused, particularly if they employed within the Guild. A registered magic carries with them a certain level of authority, if you are doing something illegal, the average is hardly going to be able to stop you. As far as they’re concerned, it’s a job for the Arcana Sect to deal with. In addition, if one does pursue a career within the Guild, there will be ample opportunity for work. Nobility of forbidden from employing mages for the household and so the vast majority are dependant on the Guild mages for their magical remedies. The inevitable ‘exception’ to this are the noble houses lucky enough to have mages among their families, and while it technically does not excuse them from the rule, it would be a foolish house that would let such a vital commodity slip from their influence.

Hedges

For some mages however, particularly weaker casters in rural and remote areas, it is not uncommon to go ones entire life without being troubled by the Arcana Guild. With travel being awkward a ‘village wizard’ is not as uncommon as the rarity of magic may suggest, (although again, these are seldom experts of magical craft), but those who travel are typically called ‘hedge mages’.

Hedge magic has no clear discipline, it is universal term for a magic user who travels from place to place, earning money from their abilities. Hedge mages tend to be more powerful than most, this almost being a requirement to travel alone safely. Particularly powerful hedge mages face being tracked down by the Arcana Sect and forced to register and, although they are still able to continue their profession, there is a prevailing and popular belief that true hedge mages must be unregistered. The aim of avoiding the Arcana Sect has become something of a sport in certain areas, with the mage doing ever more spectacular feats of magic to attract the attention of the powers that be, only to disappear from beneath there noses. Acclaim and notoriety follow these individuals, such to even allow nobility to turn a blind eye and even employ their services without the scrutiny of prying eyes.

The Rerum Sect

While the Arcana Sect deals with mages, these are far from the only magical threat to the country. The Rerum Sect deals with the supernatural and arcane creatures that roam the world.

It is a long known fact that the limitations that seem to exist within sentient life do not typically apply to non-sentient or otherwise magically animated creatures. An example of this would be golems. These a creatures of magic, they are not born but created and yet they exhibit far more intelligence than has been conveyed by any mage on an inanimate object. Despite regular pursuits of magical intelligence, few if any, have been able to imitate the albeit extremely modest intellect of most golems.

The problem here of course, is that these creatures can also be incredibly dangerous, especially to the unaware and the non-magically inclined. This is were the Rerum Sect competencies lie, to protect the people from these beasts. Conflict arises in how this should be done of course. A ruling by the Peer’s Bench has lead to golems being protected under the law, so in cases where a golem is acting recklessly, the first course of action is to placate it. Stone golems are the most common type in Palingvyre, and are generally docile. It will often be a case that they simply need relocating, or suitable signage being erected to warn the general public. Only in the most extreme circumstances will a golem be killed.

On the other hand, in the control of the Nauseous of the Wrens, insectoid like trees capable of mimicking faces and even voices, (although not able to form cogent sentences), a scorched earth policy was pursued. Wrens in Palingvyre and south of the Forest of Wren are often extremely hostile, for most countries with a reliance on lumber they pose a serious threat. The solution in Palingvyre was a broad scale cull, with hundreds of pyromancers sent from the Rerum Sect to purge many of the isolated forests. The Wrens are now are an extreme rarity in the country.

The two schools of thought, whether the creatures should be worked with or protected is conscientious, but by and large the country has been moving towards a tolerance.

The Reliquary

The Reliquary is by far and away the smallest of the Sects and has been under constant pressure since its inception to close or reduce its powers.

It was initially conceived as a body to register and control the transfer and sale of magical items, even having powers to confiscate these, if they were deemed to be too dangerous to be in the hands of the general public. In actuality, of course, the rarity and cost associated with magical items, meant that these generally went straight to the nobility. In turn, the creation of the Reliquary disproportionately affected those who could lobby against it; No noble would willing give up an item they they had gone to great expense to acquire or create. Further still, there was the implicit threat that these items could be used against them, should they fall on the wrong side of the Arcana Guild. In many was it was a project destined to fail.

The lobbying was successful in cutting back the remit of the Reliquary and the confiscation or seizure of magical items was removed. Registration of magical items is only compulsory for noble houses, although there is rarely much oversight on this. The Reliquary does still store some artifacts, but only those confiscated in relation to crimes committed or those that are genuinely cursed. These rare items justify the continuation of this sect, even in its minor role.

The Bellicus Sect

The military within Palingvyre does allow private regiments to serve, in a pseudo-mercenary manner, these often come from Guilds and the Arcana Guild is no exception. The Bellicus Sect takes the best and brightest volunteers from the Guild and trains them in the art of war.

Unlike typical martial roles, the Bellicus Sect has a heavy emphasis on free form thinking, believing it is better for a mage to learn to be adaptable than the regular drilling and discipline of other branches of the military. Given the studious nature of magical study, mages will often find themselves steered towards the role of strategic advisors, saved from the thick of the fighting unless they are needed to counter other mages. This does not mean however, that the destructive power of a Bellicus mage should be underestimated as they are, of course, trained to fight.