The Protectorate

**The Protectorate** is a wizard's guild dedicated to the regulation and control of magical knowledge and its practice throughout much of the realm. Originally, it was a small organization of powerful wizards whom sought to collect and preserve arcane knowledge, but overtime it has evolved to oversee almost all magical activity in the realm. The only areas not under its influence are the eastern nations: Belthar, Tel'lun, and Ber'dun. Each of these nations have their own magic regulations that are enforced by the church.

Members of the guild receive many benefits, including training, services, and education in the established laws regarding the proper use of magic. There are small guild halls in every city and capital where the guild reigns. The Protectorate's headquarters, the Arcane Citadel, is located in Tylost City.

## History

### Origin

The Protectorate started in the early years of The Age of Peace. In its early state, it was only based out of Tylost and was comprised of only a handful of mages.

Darmin "the Eldest" of Tylost City, the king's court wizard and student of the famous Hardel "the Wise" of Yantis, began organizing users of magic in the southern kingdoms. At the time, this gathering and conduction of magical experiments in populated areas was considered unacceptable. Even more shocking, Darmin proposed to make magical items, potions, and even spells available to any member of the general public who could afford to pay.

Darmin was brought before Hardel and the King of Thavia, Robert II, and made to state the intentions of the organization he was forming. Although it's not recorded what he said to convince them, the charter was approved, and The Protectorate was born.

### Expansion

Like a virus, The Protectorate spread all throughout the realm. Although initially the guild was rejected in some areas, eventually it was accepted and became a powerful force in The Northerlands.

When the Raenoric movement was in full swing, the Eastern nations expelled The Protectorate to replace them with their own magical organizations.

## Infrastructure

As begun by Darmin "the Eldest" of Tylost City, the guild as an institution is ruled over by a council of eight wizards known as the "Arcanes". The bureaucracy is highly political and sought after due to the vast power the guild controls. Arcanes are chosen by the council and in the case of it becoming completely vacant, the provincial leaders. Arcanes can be removed from power if the rest of the council is able to make a vote against a certain member. As a result, it is a constant popularity contest to remain in power. As Darmin himself said bitterly when he was expelled from the guild, "The Protectorate has become nothing more than an intricate morass of political infighting."

In each kingdom that sponsors the guild, there is a national chapter that is overseen by a provincial leader elected by the crown. For example, the Poxian Chapter has much less influence than the Candarian Chapter. The Poxian crown is less comfortable with regulation and so the king's provincial leader ensures the guild has no control over magic regulation in Poxia. Provincial leaders don't have any say in the guild's decision making, but they directly control the amount of influence the guild can have on local laws and policies. Thus from a certain point of view, they are more important than the Arcanes.