The Society of Shifting Sands (CShaH)

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Admits: All who apply may try for the initiation, though there is a very good chance that many will not pass it to become full members.
Members: 200. At the present time, the society is comprised of 60 percent elementalists, 30 percent sorcerers, 5 percent sha'irs, 3 percent astrologers, and 2 percent mechanicians. The racial make up is as follows: 65 percent humans, 30 percent elves, 5 percent other races.
Initiation: The Society of Shifting Sands desires artifacts of ages past more than anything else. The initiation of a character consists of the following three parts:
The character must successfully identify three out of five magical items. Identification consists of telling whether or not each of these items is magical and if they are, what type of magic is used upon them. A character need only identify the school of magic used on one item, though naming it on more items will increase his status.
The character's contribution must be of real value and must be something for which the character still has a use. The society will take the contribution based on the character's level and relative wealth; for example, if a high-level wizard hands over a dagger +1, the contribution will count for much less than if it came from a poor wizard of very low level.
The test for initiation into the Society of the Shifting Sands involves entering an ancient city hidden by the blowing sand and returning with any magical item. The society is constantly searching for new sites to use for the test but, in some cases, must reuse a city. In this case, a magical item will be planted within the city by the society for the initiate to find.
No one is allowed to accompany the initiate during his test; he alone must prove himself to be worthy of the group.
Failing initiation into the Society of Shifting Sands is not fatal, but its members will do what they can to make the character forget what has transpired. Failing that, they may take the character far away and ensure that he will never find his way back to the society or anyone associated with it.
If a character fails the test and becomes belligerent about it, the society may decide to take care of him in a more permanent manner. Such characters are usually sold to the dao as slaves or concubines.
Description: The Society of Shifting Sands is a peaceful organization devoted to discovering and claiming the powerful artifacts lost beneath the sands of Zakhara. This society believes that there was a race before man who dwelt in the Land of Fate, and that race's ancient magics lie hidden within their lost cities.
The society has endeared itself to a number of small cities by setting up outposts there for a time, bringing in a large amount of new coin while chasing across the desert searching for artifacts, following maps long gone yellow and brittle with age. However, many of these little towns also become embittered when the society picks up and leaves them, just as poor as ever.
Rulers are not happy with the Society of Shifting Sands either as these wizards have a tendency to go where they want and dig up ancient cities, possibly unleashing who-knows-what in the way of curses. This has led to all manner of unpleasantness in the past and has forced the group underground even further than before. The society is extremely leery of making themselves known. They rarely approach anyone directly for admission. Instead, they spread rumors that they are in an area and wait to see who seeks them out. Divination spells and reliable informants help to keep the Shifting Sands out of trouble since it is almost impossible for someone to work through their network of spells and watchers. While this has kept the group ultra-secret, it has also limited the number of newcomers to the society. Over the last few years, the number of initiates has steadily declined, and now less than five new members are asked to initiate every year.
This has led to something of a schism within the Shifting Sands. Some of the members would like to bring the society out of the shadows and make peace with local rulers. This would give them a freer hand in operations and allow them to swell their numbers.
Other members of the society are happy with the group as it is. While it isn't large, the Society of Shifting Sands runs smoothly and efficiently and doesn't draw any attention to itself. In this way, the society has managed to gain quite a few prized artifacts without making enemies. This faction hopes to gain even more power through their artifacts so that when the society is revealed, it will have the power to withstand almost any assault upon it.
At the current time, the society is in a state of indecision as both sides wait to see how and when the power struggle will begin in earnest. For now, the society will retain its low-profile, but that could all change if another faction gains control. In that case, the Shifting Sands could easily become an invaluable aid to local rulers, bolstering local militias and guards in exchange for the rights to search nearby areas for artifacts. That will make other societies aware of the Shifting Sands and their actions, leading to possible inter-society conflict.
The current leadership of Shifting Sands is composed of the Triumvirate, a mysterious group comprised of a sha'ir, a ghul lord, and a mechanician. This unlikely trio has risen to power through their devotion to one another and their belief in the necessity to gain and understand ancient artifacts.
Below the Triumvirate, things break down quickly into independent wizards devoted to the cause but having no real leadership. There are a number of coordinators, but their power is limited and rarely heeded. Once a year all the society's members are drawn together and given their assignments. The majority of the members take the assignments they are given without complaint and devote as much time as is reasonable to finishing their tasks. The coordinators try to compile monthly reports on the progress of those who are, ostensibly, below them. These efforts are largely worthless as the average wizard just isn't willing to take the time to record their activities every single month. Most turn in detailed reports of the highlights of their year, but do little other paperwork.
Despite this loose organization, the Shifting Sands has accomplished much. Though somewhat haphazard in their record keeping, the members are dedicated to the cause and will rally to the defense of one of their own should the need arise. This is not a group to be feared, precisely, but respect is definitely in order.
Goals: The Shifting Sands are encouraging the covert recovery of a number of magical artifacts and are systematically searching for new ruins to examine. They have active members scouring the ancient nations of Nog and Kadar, and have a few scouts making their way into the Pantheist League. There they have had much more difficulty, as the Pantheists have a low opinion of those that they regard as little better than tomb robbers. Should the more open factions of the Shifting Sands take over the organization, the goals will expand toward becoming a powerful force within local governments.