Pengaldian Gray Robes

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The Gray Robes are the national mage corps of the Kingdom of Pengaldia. By law in Pengaldia, every person must be tested for arcane potential. This is done by Gray Robe Seekers. If a person is found to have arcane potential he is either sent into the Gray Robes or has his potential capped so that he can never develop it. In addition to arcane potential, the Gray Robes evaluate one's personal character and past history. Males and females are both recruited without regard to gender.
The Gray Robes are divided into five divisions, arranged here in order of prestige.
*Servers: Those who utilize their spells for different communities or for the King and his numerous delegates. This is the largest division.
*Makers: These Gray Robes are devoted to creating magic items and enchanting things like fortifications, ships, and seige engines.
*Guardians: Protectors of people and places.
*Seekers: Specialized in investigation, Seekers act as detectives and spies, and also seek out those with potential in Pengaldia. They also lead investigations of rogue wizards.
*Battlemages: The elite of the Gray Robes, only the most able can graduate to this level. The Battlemages are constantly training to fight the arcanists of the Empire of Trynser.
People selected for training by the Gray Robes are sent to Grimweade Academy near the capital city of Valorium. 40% of students become Servers, and another 20% Makers. 20% are made Guardians, and 10% each Seekers and Battlemages. Competition for these last two is brisk. Females tend to favor the Seekers and males the Battlemages, with a mix of about 80%-20% in each. Plenty are happy with being Servers or Makers though, because they have a better chance of staying close to home (as well as living to see their 30th year). Few choose to be Guardians, a corps full of those who couldn't get top marks. It is exceptionally difficult to transfer between branches, aside from being demoted to a lesser branch.
The Gray Robe's abilities are to be used for the benefit of the nation. A Gray Robe does not have the freedom to choose all of his spells, though they do work to develop one's aptitude. The typical Gray Robe has several spells which the mage has trained extensively with, as well as a few others required by his division. The Gray Robe has only a few discretionary spells at his disposal. If Pengaldia needs a particuar spell cast, they go to the Gray Robe who has mastered it.
HISTORY
Mages are notoriously hard to herd, and Pengaldian mages were never an exception. However, King Veldin the Mighty had the cooperation of Bengoveld the Gray, Court Magus to the Throne of the Iron Griffon during the ruinous Athalia War and the cleaning house that took place afterwards. After several brief but spectacular incidents between mages that wanted to work with the system and those who didn't Bengoveld set up the Gray Robes in much the way they exist today. The significance of the Gray Robes is that Pengaldia's mage corps has no ambitions, morality or concerns of their own other than to fufill the duties of their positions.
Other kings regard Pengaldia's dangerous organization of their wizard with alarm, but also with envy. Trynser scoffs at the Gray Robes, stating that no government can develop a mages potential as much as a mage looking out for himself can. In battles, the results seem to be even. Many times an group of Gray Robes who have been optimally matched up have overcome greater numbers of Trynsern mages, but other times single resorceful and flexible Trynsern mages have outdone groups of Gray Robes.
Category:Pengaldia
Category:Arcane Organizations