Consortium

For centuries, many have believed **The Consortium** to be the hand that has secretly guided civilizations to prosper. Leading the nine cities to work together in peace, or, where necessary to war. They are present in every court across the mainland, and many others beyond. Another popular theory is that the Consortium is manipulating political agendas to better suit its own secretive goals, though this theory is dismissed as rebellious speculation.

### Notable Members

* Archmage Arius Pendergast,
* Professor James Rowington is a Human Wizard, leading teacher and Oracle of the Consortium.
* Magistrix Adna Azurevale is a Moon Elf Wizard, expert in transitive magics and the plane of Oblivion. She is a Magistrix of the Consortium.

### Faith

**The Consortium** are closely associated with 🧙‍♂️ He Who Weaves Incarnum, but the organisation is not a religious one.

### Sinister Reputation

Their nefarious reputation for control and manipulation is not limited to the political sphere, however. Through means not known to the general populace, when an Arcane Touched child is born, the Consortium are said to know of their birth. Nightmarish rumours of babies and children being taken or even killed by hooded magi are spoken in whispers across the mainland. Some claim that they take children as new recruits, others say they use their bodies as components for spells, but most agree that a child born with an affinity for the Arcane is not safe from the Consortium's grasp.

Few have circumvented their methods, these Rogue Mages are wanted and actively hunted by the Consortium and their allies where possible.

### Joining Prerequisites

To join the Consortium, you must be able to cast **at least 1 spell or cantrip** and your spellcasting modifier for this spell must be **Intelligence** or **Charisma**. Or you must have the Arcane Touched feature. Secondly you must to spend at least 1 year studying in the Vauxmire Institute before being granted official membership to the Consortium. Exceptions to this rule can be granted by a Vizier or Archmage.

### Accord

As bound by the Faction's Accord, **The Consortium** are responsible for the following remits:

* The Teaching and Regulation Arcane Practices *(Except Blood Magic)*
* Giving Advice and Council to Vari's Leaders
* Ensuring the Prosper of Technology and Civilisation
* Safeguarding Vari from Threats of Magical Origin.

As part of their duties, it is written in the accord that **The Consortium** have the legal power and freedom to regulate, capture, interrogate or even kill Rogue Mages, provided doing so falls under the above remits.

Though bound by the Faction's Accord. **The Consortium** are allowed to actively hunt Felstrider members and even kill them, as it is within their remit to hunt, detain or kill rogue mages. The classification for '**rogue mage**' was never truly defined in the accord except that if an arcanist that was not acting in the' best interest of the community and using their magic for selfish gains or to the detriment of others' they were considered 'rogue'. **The Consortium** now claim that their policies of registering and monitoring arcanists is in the best interest of the community at large. Any arcanists that are not part of their own order or on their registers, or taught by the order, are untrained, dangerous, unlicensed, and classified as illegal. This fact has been widely accepted for some time, and thus the accord allows it. This has lead the **Felstriders** to become a very secretive organisation that hides its intentions from **The Consortium** and other factions at all times. This loophole is the most glaring of the **Faction's Accord**, though others do exist in similar ways.

### Rank

Each 'rank' of the consortium is known as a circle. Starting with the initiates and ending with the Archmage. To achieve the next rank, exams and other practical arcane tests take place before a promotion is granted. Promotions can be granted by a Vizier or the Archmage, without these test requirements, in exceptional circumstances .

The nine circles of the Consortium are as follows.

* **Initiate** - During the first year of study within the Vauxmire Institute, initiates undergo a very strict form of education. After they pass the initiate's exam they are promoted to student.
* **Apprentice** - A student of the consortium, often assigned to an adept as an understudy. May be assigned field duties or further studies within the Institute depending on their vocation. They are still considered amateur arcanists and watched carefully by the consortium.
* **Neophyte** - A well embedded student, a Neophyte is considered responsible in how they wield their magic. Still regarded as a novice in their field.
* **Adept** - A well taught academic in their particular field of study. No longer thought of as a student and instead a graduate in their field.
* **Arcanist:** A highly regarded, well learned spell weaver who has proven theories or practical craft about their field. Is also regarded as a teacher or has accomplished a great achievement.
* **Magister/Magistrix:** A shining example of the pinnacle of the consortium. A magister (or magistrix) is often seen by the public as the most senior consortium rank. Their duty is often to administer law around the arcane, leading investigations into criminal activity resulting from use of magic.
* **Oracle:** An Oracle is regarded as an infallible authority on their chosen field and often the most senior of scholars. Their knowledge of their studies is unmatched by anyone but the Viziers and the Archmage themselves.
* **Vizier:** There are only ever eight Viziers. Each a high council member of the consortium, thought to govern its policies and act as political advisors to the ruler of the city they reside in. They are politicians, leaders and members of royal and/or noble courts. They are considered the most intelligent people in Vari.
* **Archmage:** The ninth and most senior member of the high council and the faction leader of The Consortium. Widely regarded as the most knowledgeable incarnum weaver in all of Vari. The Archmage is, without question, the absolute authority in all things arcane.

**Faction Benefits:**

Your chosen faction provides you will a set of additional starting equipment, in addition to that which is granted by your class. Including gold.

* apprentice robes of the Consortium
* a writing kit (small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a small penknife)
* a borrowed book on the subject of your current study
* a component pouch
* a pair of consortium gloves OR a consortium amulet (spellcaster focus)
* a spell book *given to you by your superior,* with two level 1 spells.
* pouch containing 10 gp
* a small animal to act as a familiar, kept in a small cage, tank or box.
* Feature: Library Access

**Library Access**

Though others must often endure extensive interviews and significant fees to gain access to even the most common archives in your library, you have free and easy access to the majority of the library, though it might also have repositories of lore that are too valuable, magical, or secret to permit anyone immediate access. You have a working knowledge of the consortium's personnel and bureaucracy, and you know how to navigate those connections. Additionally, you are likely to gain preferential treatment at other libraries across the Realms, as professional courtesy shown to a fellow scholar.

As deemed in the Faction's Accord, benefits are awarded for progression through the rank system of all factions in Vari.

* **Initiate:** No benefits. Not yet considered a true member of the consortium.
* **Apprentice, Neophyte:**
	+ **[ Arcane Understanding ]** After studying within the Vauxmire Institute for a year, You know the cantrip Prestidigitation and one other Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard cantrip of your choice. You gain proficiency in Arcana plus your choice of one from among History, Nature, and Religion. You gain one Language of your choice.
	+ **[ Icarnum Cogitator Data-slate ]** Your Incarnum Cogitator Data-slate is a flat and rectangular arcane powered knowledge storage device, linked to the **Grand Cogitator Data-Loom** in Whitestar. Each of these devices magically connects to the Data-Loom via the Percipience Leyline. Using this Data-slate, you have a **virtual library** at your fingertips, however it has limited daily function and limited stored data. You can access arcane versions of books, scrolls or documents that contain lore about historical events, legendary or famous people, ancient kingdoms, details of a faction, information on current events, past disputes, recent wars, and lost civilizations, provided that data is held within the Grand Cogitator Data-Loom. Your access level is restricted to your rank within the consortium. This device can be used once per day to "**look-up**" and "**transfer**" a copy of a document from the Data-Loom to the device. Transferring the digital document takes anywhere from one to eight hours depending on the size of the document. Once you have begun the data transfer, it will delete any previous document you have stored on the data-slate, then, it will transfer the new document without any further intervention and notify you via the equivalent of a 'message' cantrip once it is completed, provided you are within 30ft of the device, or once you return to within 30ft of it. The device can also be used to receive short messages, instructions and orders from superior members of the consortium.
* **Adept:**
	+ **[Mote of Incarnum]** (Requires attunement by a Adept or higher rank member of the Consortium.) This small sphere of blue energy is pure incarnum. While you hold this mote in your hand, you can use an action draw upon its energies and regain one expended 2nd level spell slot or two first level spell slots. Once you have used the mote it can't be used again until the next dawn.
* **Arcanist,** **Magister/Magistrix:** *Unknown*
* **Oracle:** *Unknown*
* **Vizier****:** *Unknown*