Tower of Apotheosis

The Tower of Apotheosis is a structure that floats high over the oceans of Tirisea between the two continents. The structure is home to the "Magi of Apotheosis", though the order is often referred to as the "Tower of Apotheosis" itself. Both the tower and its order are ancient, and many details about them are shrouded in myth and rumor.

The tower is officially a sovereign nation, owing loyalty to no civilization or race. It controls the land and waters beneath it and outwards from it for 25 nautical miles in all directions. In addition, it controls the airspace around the tower in all directions for 25 miles. The Tower has closed borders, warning any who would infringe upon them with "immediate magical protection of its borders." While not all countries recognize the Tower or its land, no major trade routes or airship routes invalidate the Tower's property lines.

The most elite members to ever live amongst the Tower were known as The Ascendant.

## History

### Origins

The origin of the tower is largely unknown. It is estimated to be thousands of years old, as journal entries from the origin of the Great Human Empire are the oldest historical documents discovered with references to the order. Its purpose was originally a safe haven for advanced mages to study in safety. Around the estimated time of inception, magic was widely distrusted and practitioners were often arrested or killed if they attempted to learn beyond a standard level. The tower was placed on a distant island away from any country's borders and was kept a secret for many centuries.

Over time, the tower flourished and evolved from a welcoming community of magical academics to an elite group of visionaries, and membership became exclusive. They announced themselves publicly, playing a large role in eliminating the stigma against advanced magics through revealing their research.

### The Golden Age

The public reveal of the Tower heralded what is currently recognized as the Golden Age of magic in Tirisea. Though the advancements of magic during this period were largely created by the Tower directly, the Tower also contributed by showing the value of talented magi. Nations moved from banning advanced magics to hiring advanced mages, and the profession skyrocketed to become the most lucrative globally. During this period the Tower introduced numerous innovations the world now take for granted, including persistent spells (such as constant-glowing light sources), magically-imbued items, waste removal, and eventually - teleportation.

Towards the end of the Golden Age, which spanned many centuries, the contributions of the Tower became less frequent but more impactful. One such notable contribution was a single book of equations which laid the groundwork for Artificary.

### The War of Magi, Into Seclusion

As time progressed through the Golden Age, it became apparent that the members of the Tower collectively possessed incredible power and knowledge. As people saw what kind of work they produced and released, they too began to speculate about what they had discovered and chose not to release. Governments, particularly the Great Human Empire at its height of power and reach, began to fear that the Tower could be hoarding terrible weaponry or doomsday devices. A few grouped together as a committee and eventually demanded the Tower open their doors to emissaries from the council on behalf of the nations. The Tower refused, officially declaring itself a sovereign nation, and the border policies it still enforces today.

The nations refused to acknowledge the Tower as a nation, and after many years of tense attempted negotiation from the council and hard-fast refusal from the Tower, war broke out. The council launched a massive force on the Tower, hoping to overtake it by numbers alone and to force the mysterious and unknown leaders to talk. The Tower did not possess terrible weaponry as feared, but it did have ways to protect itself. Magical barriers protected them from entry, weaponry, incoming magic, and so on. The seas and winds around the island fought as if alive against incomers. As the council's forces realized they could not take the Tower by force, they attempted to starve the magi out by cutting off magical travel to and from the Tower. Attempt after attempt was made, but the Tower would not be thwarted. Finally, the Tower rose up from the island itself and climbed into the sky, disappearing amongst the clouds. On this day, the Tower finally fought back, laying waste to all ships blockading their borders and killing thousands with spells of unrecognizable magic.

Since the War of the Magi's conclusion, the Tower became nearly silent. What once was regular announcements of new magic became infrequent and irregular secret divulging of knowledge to limited individuals.

## Inside the Tower

Very little is accurately known about what goes on inside the tower. Much of the following knowledge has been collected from sparse sources, and is not guaranteed to still be true.

### Recruitment

Recruitment is a mysterious process, and the subject of many a story. It is said the Magi watch those magically talented, from Wizards to Artificers to academics and all in-between. They appear to those who meet some standard and bring them back to the Tower. It is said that recruitment is not optional but mandatory, as there are none who tell the story of being offered and turning it down. Indeed, there are numerous reports however of prominent mages in the community suddenly disappearing, and the Tower has taken credit for a few of these (and remained silent on others). These disappearances all follow similar patterns as well, around the timing, surveillance magic failing, and even close family being clueless. The only information shared with outsiders happens after a member's death, at which point the body is stripped of all clothing and possessions of the order and returned to the closest family. It is still sometimes obvious that the person was a member however, due to markings or wounds on their body from magical study.

### Ranking and Membership

While little about the decision-making process within the order is known, it has been shared with outsiders that ranking within the Tower is based on a combination of each Magi's aptitude, knowledge, and power. The responsibilities and politics of these positions is unknown, but some information about the names and categorization of them has been gathered:

#### Archmagi

This prestigious group marks a complete mastery of a given field. An Archmagi has the knowledge needed to push the boundaries of what is thought to be possible in their field, and has already made significant advancements in it. In addition this knowledge must not be purely theoretical, rather an archmagi must be capable of working magic within these extreme realms of power.

Archmagi are very rare, and extremely elite. There have been many long periods throughout the order in which none held the position as none were worthy of the title. At a few points throughout history did two members hold the title simultaneously, and for a brief few moments there were three before one passed away. There is one clear exception however, during the Golden Age. At its peak, there were over a dozen archmagi at the same time. This council was known as The Ascendant (read more about them on their page).

#### High Arcanist

The title of High Arcanist is a high honor within an order of top magi. It generally represents the top member of the order, in terms of overall knowledge and ability. It is believed this position has some official power over the order, despite being not quite capable of "Archmagi". Occasionally multiple people will hold the title, in which they are designated as "High Arcanist of" some sub discipline. There is always at least one.

#### Torstavi

The Torstavi are believed to be a secret, militaristic sect of the order. A small unit, the Torstavi consist of some of the most dangerous members. It is suspected their responsibilities consist of tasks like protection of the tower, enforcing the rules (policing amongst the Tower), and assassin of any who would leak Tower secrets. Many theorize that the Torstavi are the main, or only members, to be allowed to leave the tower at will, and are responsible for "recruitment" and many external non-public-facing affairs.

#### The Tower Circles

Below High Arcanist are a series of "Circles" that consist of the majority of the Tower's members. These circles are hierarchical, providing a clear rank and metric of knowledge and ability. Details about the ranks are mostly unknown, and it is likely that there are teams subdividing these circles.

#### Circle of Prophecy

This Circle was tasked with most of the public-facing operations. Back during the Golden Age, members of this Circle were widely respected as representatives of the secret order. They advised political leaders on magical topics, worked with local guilds and universities on advancing the study of magic, and frequently shared the Tower's work with the general public. As time has passed, members of the circle became less and less frequent. It is now believed this circle has been disbanded, as interactions with the Tower are now shrouded in secrecy whereas the members of this circle would meet without hiding.