Grand Mystic Royal Order

# The Grand Mystic Royal Order of the Sagacious Brotherhood of Enchanters, Alchemists, and Magikal Knockabouts

## **General:**

The Grand Mystic Royal Order of the Sagacious Brotherhood of Enchanters, Alchemists, and Magikal Knockabouts is an order of hobbit mages. Brought together by ties of the Craft and the family bloodlines in which it runs most strongly, the Brotherhood is informal and fraternal, a lodge of like-minded spellcasters.

## **Devices and Uniforms:**

Members ("Brothers") of the Mystic Order do not have any particular uniform. All Brothers have signet rings with a letter or mystic symbol which they wear. The symbol may or may not have any particular significance; if it does, it is most likely only known to that particular Brother and perhaps a few of his friends. They are quite likely at meetings ("Conventicles") to wear any amount of mystical knickknacks-pendants, rings, keys, swords, chains of office, embroidered gloves, masks and cloaks, arm and wrist bands, torcs, collars, hoods, engraved ivory-handled daggers, wands, staves, animal bones, and whatever else they choose. Most Brothers wear whatever they find comfortable; the Mystic Order has no particular dress code.

The true symbol of the Mystic Order is a small golden ideogram of a cockeyed gallant's hat. All Brothers will wear this symbol about them somewhere in view at all times--the trick is to see how cleverly one can conceal it while still having it be visible. To this end, the "Mystic Hat" (as it's known in common parlance) is worked into brooches, hatpins, belt buckles, and any number of other unusual, crafty places. Only a perceptive eye can spot the typical Brother.

The number three, while having no one agreed-upon significance, turns up all the time.

## **Deity:**

The Brothers have never been especially concerned with who worships who, or what, or when. The worship of Marritte is the most common faith among them, but none of the Brothers would think of worrying himself about the personal faith of his Brethren.

## **Dominion:**

The Mystic Order is dedicated to the spread of magikal knowledge, the sharing of enchanting tricks, fine food, splendid liquor, and a having a bloody good time, not necessarily in that order.

## **Goals:**

The goal of the Brethren is to get together from time to time, share stories of humor and enchantment, pass mystic knowledge on to their neighbors, get a little besotted, and occasionally, through no fault of their own, uncover the magikal secrets of the universe.

## **Territory:**

The Mystic Order is entirely based in Orenvale. Its members can be found throughout the Shires. As far as the Brethren are aware, there are no members outside the Hobbitshire; if they found out there were, they most likely would raise no objections, as long as the outside Brothers showed proper decorum. The Brotherhood is most strongly represented in Sylphmoor, the oldest dale in the Shires.

## **Genesis:**

None of the Brethren could really tell you how the Grand Mystic Royal Order of the Sagacious Brotherhood of Enchanters, Alchemists, and Magikal Knockabouts was formed, though every one of them would probably tell you they could. As far as can be determined, a few members of the most prominent families with magikal leanings formed the Order in order to exchange trade secrets and have an excuse to get a little tipsy once or twice or three times a month.

This is only a cover story, of course. The Brethren whisper that the Order was founded by the goddess Marritte herself, imparting to the first Brother (who no one knows much about, though the stories of him are nearly as common as those about the origin of the Order itself; the only widely-recognized "fact" was that his name was Nibbins) all knowledge of magik, which has since faded out everywhere outside the Order; others say that the migration of the hobbits to Xaria was brought about by the first Brethren, to escape some titanic evil, and the Order established to train mages for the eventual return; some say that spirits of the Netherworlds select Brothers to join, for unknown but possibly subversive purposes. There are as many origin stories as there are Brothers, and no one really seems bothered by conflicting tales--they only serve to preserve the mysticism of it all, and perhaps hobbits aren't meant to know everything, after all.

## **Present:**

The Mystic Order is a confederation of enchanters and other magikally-inclined hobbits from throughout Orenvale. It is more a lodge of good friends than anything else.

Those who dismiss the Order as a bunch of old sots smoking pipes and chuckling to themselves are doing the Brethren a disservice and making a serious mistake. While most of the time at Conventicles is indeed spent drinking, smoking, and chuckling, there is actual knowledge of some magnitude passed from ear to ear and from one generation to the next. The Brethren are content to let the outlandish props and excessive mysticism cover some very real magikal talent. If there were ever a real threat to the Brotherhood (and who would threaten a bunch of nice old hobbits fiddling with pocket chains and silly hats?), or to Orenvale itself, the Order could pull together--in surprisingly little time--an assortment of spellcasters and enchanters of some magnitude. The Brotherhood serves to make and strengthen social bonds between and among those with the Gift in the normal hobbitish informal style.

## **Alliances:**

Since trades tend to run in families in the Hobbitshire, many prominent families with magikal talent in their blood are tied by their common membership in the Order. While many in Orenvale (and many more outside it) consider the Brethren less than threatening, few hold it any ill-will.

## **Enemies:**

The only enemies the Brethren may have are disgruntled hobbits who were not accepted for membership. There is no organized opposition to the Order as far as anyone is aware. A very few hobbits are of the opinion that the Order does exist for some nefarious purpose, but no one seems to be able to make such a charge stick in any serious way, nor can the detractors really define what that nefarious purpose might be.

## **Leadership:**

The Mystic Order adheres to a massively complex internal order, and each individual Lodge more or less makes its own rules based on long-accepted convention and the current whims of its members. The Brethren are nothing if not democratic. Each Lodge meets somewhere between once a fortnight and four or five times a month. Approximately once a quarter ("On or about the Fourth Moon since the last Gathering"), there is a High Gathering, where the leaders of each of the Lodges (the Reverend Viziers and Knights of the Oracle) meet. The main differences between the High Gathering and a common Conventicle is that the food is generally better and the attendees a bit older and rounder.

## **Divisions:**

Ranks within the Order are somewhat important. Each and every member of the Order has a title of rank--if a new Brother is accepted and there is no title available, one is created for him. The leader of each Lodge is known as the Reverend Vizier and Knight of the Oracle. A Vizier is elected informally once every three years or whenever someone remembers. Below the Vizier is the Wizened and Portentious Holder of the Seals, who is supposed to keep some sort of record of what goes on at the Conventicles. The Imperial Magistrate, the Baron Warlock, the Majestic Battlecaster and Keeper of Sigil, the Favored Servant of Runes, Rites, and Sendings, and the Tyrant King of the Spirits are all old and well-loved positions, and each has some duty specific to his office, but which tends to vary from Lodge to Lodge depending on whose serving as what this week. There are a plethora of other titles which belong to Brethren who are not in officer positions, and none of them tend to have any duty beyond that which they take upon themselves.

While election to each of these offices may be frequent, the oldest and most respected Brethren tend to rotate among each of them. There is no stigma attached to moving from a higher to a lower office--it would be an odd Lodge indeed which had the same Reverend Vizier and Knight of the Oracle for more than a season. Many of the oldest Brothers have served as Viziers dozens of times during their tenure. The only exception to this rule is the Wizened and Portentious Holder of the Seals who, as the only one who usually has any knowledge of the finer points of order for the Brotherhood, ends up with the office for years on end and couldn't give the position away if he tried.

Each office does have a chain and pendant associated with it, which belong to the Lodge as a whole. Ornate writing, mystic symbols, and other engravings cover the pendants, though how those markings are interpreted depends very much on who you ask and how late it is. The chains of office are only worn at Conventicles, and all of them are kept between meetings by the Right Honorable and Trusty Potentate of Antiquities, and any Lodge of any stature has probably misplaced several of theirs over the years.

## **Code and Prohibitions:**

There are very few unbreakable rules which govern the Brethren-most of them only apply at Conventicles, and none of them are written down; they are understood and passed on. Each Lodge may have its own rules, so check when you attend.

Protocol demands that no Brethren should reveal the deep magikal secrets of the Order to any outsider--each Brother pretty much determines what constitutes the deep secrets. Also, it is very bad form for any Brother to call into question the validity or seriousness of any of the trappings associated with the Mystic Order. All symbols, signs, oaths, regulations, and conversations are to be held in esteem and consideration (as long as anybody of importance is listening). Most Brothers would not even think of belittling anything associated with their beloved Order, though humor is the bedrock of any good Conventicle.

## **Recruitment:**

Membership in the Mystic Order is granted only by full consent of all members the Lodge. If a hobbit wishes to become a Brother, he must be sponsored by a current Brother (known as the Advocate and Honorable Yea-Sayer). The potential member then attends the next Conventicle, brought there in ceremony and secrecy. A Trial of Initiation then begins, which--again--varies from Lodge to Lodge, but normally consists of the Candidate for Acceptance from the Great Beyond (even potential members are given titles) being made to wear some elaborately-embroidered robes, hold some kind of tree branch out in front of him, and be peppered with questions by the current Brothers for upwards of three hours. These questions often regard the Candidate's reasons for wanting membership; his past associations and political leanings; his hygiene and eating habits; whether he could spare a pinch of that excellent tobacco; and range to bizarre riddles and requests for the Candidate to sing, stand on his head, or juggle napkin rings while reciting limericks.

The only qualification which every Candidate must fulfill is to show some magikal talent--it may be paltry, unimportant, or even pointless, but there must be some demonstrable magikal ability. No one without some magikal ability is accepted: no exceptions.

## **Typical Member:**

While most Brothers tend to be older men, there are a good number of older women among them as well (all members of the Mystic Order are called Brother, however; this doesn't seem to faze the female Brothers at all). Young people are welcome as well, and most Lodges have at least a token few young folk. While possessing magikal ability is the only hard and fast rule of the Order, most members are from families known for magikal ability.

All current members of the Mystic Order are hobbits. If a non-hobbit wished to join, the Brothers would most likely find the idea tremendously amusing; but as long as he didn't go against protocol and established himself as a "good chap," there would most likely be little resistance.

## **Generally Known:**

Few outside the Shires even know of the existence of the Order. What most outsiders know about the Grand Mystic Royal Order of the Sagacious Brotherhood of Enchanters, Alchemists, and Magikal Knockabouts is that they are a collection of nice old blokes who dress up and mutter to one another in smoky dens and burn off their eyebrows with the occasional attempted spell. If asked about the Order, most hobbits will smile a little slyly and give you exactly that story.

## **Quote:**

*Mmmm…. yes, this is it, I think… Sagachem's Magical Portent Pouncer… deucedly fine tobacco, by the way… Mmmmm… takes a pinch more arrowroot, there's a good lad. Stir it around, there. Not quite so briskly, it'll bruise the cucumber… Erm, wait… Gracious me. No, a cloud of purple moths doesn't seem quite right, does it? Let's try again, there…*

## **Red File:**

There is currently no Red File on the Mystic Order.