Archmages of the Lilac Vine

Archmages of the Lilac Vine is a book discovered in the ruins of the Guild of the Lilac Vine.

## Description

Serving as a historical compendium of the various individuals that have held the title of Archmage of the Guild of the Lilac Vine, one of the Ten Guilds of Ahlus, this tome gives a brief overview of the history of the Guild through the key details of their leadership. Included amongst the text are notes about the founding of the Guild, its transition away from the School of Necromancy, and later still its reorganisation during the Astedian Ascendency.

## Reading

### Completed by Rinn Zelnolar

Before reading further, it should be noted that a Guild is not defined by its Guildmaster, for it is instead each and every individual that builds it, and yet still, despite this, it is upon the shoulders of those that have been chosen to rule, or otherwise prove themselves competent to do so, that many with place boons and burdens alike.

#### Fortuna Shinegulley (0AG-136AG)

Sister of the River King Maicen Shinegulley, Fortuna was the human founder of the Guild of the Lilac Vine. Having been led to the isle by a vision from the Sovereign of the Nychthemeron, whose blessing she bore for the entirety of her life - for which she claimed the third-eye in the centre of her forehead was testimony to - she located a great deposit of Iviniuum, at the heart of the isle. Immediately acknowledging the arcane potential of the substance, the Guild was constructed immediately adjacent to it, much as the others were at the same time elsewhere on the continent on similar sites.

During the years immediately after Aita's Second Gift, the Ahlusian Sixteen were said to walk amongst the people of the lands. Fortuna was said to have acted as one of the conduits of Divinus' intentions, spreading their teachings of dominion over the arcane, as well as aiding them construct all manner of magical objects, from wands carved from the timber of Primal Trees that brimmed with elemental power to the colossal orrery at the heart of the Guild of the Lilac Vine from where mortals could study the Wandering Worlds.

#### Fushud Zemperones (136AG-410AG)

Following after Fortuna proved a burdensome task for the gnome Fushud, who approached the role of Archmage with a stalwart determination and sternness. Quickly dubbed the Sharp Song in some scholarly circles, Fushud came to specialise in treating with Archfey and Fiends alike, skirting their way round numerous pacts and contracts with a deft tact and skill, and knowing when to utilise a refined sharpness of tone that they claimed echoed with authority sufficient to bring even the most unruly extraplanar entity into line. Despite this, it was japed that they did not seem to have the same level of control over their facial hair, perpetually tangled and knotted - whether by choice of design or lack of interest in resolution.

Unfortunately for many apprentices, acolytes and other students, this tone was just as freely utilised within their teaching theatres should anyone have the audacity of drifting off during one of their lectures - many of which were known to continue over the course of many days at a time, with but only short breaks for refreshment scattered throughout.

#### Norris Iscalon (410AG-412AG)

Many history books falsely ascribe the demise of Norris Iscalon to the extensive burns that they experienced whilst an apprentice wizard affiliated with the Guild, to which he bore the scars for the rest of his life. Norris declined regenerative medicine or magic, wearing these scars as a display of the dangers of the arcane wielded without thought of limitation and safety. In their short tenure, they strengthened ties with the Guild of the Speckled Aspen in Sunstone, encouraging students to take electives to the establishment to bolster their knowledge of abjuration magics.

In truth, Archmage Norris' demise was instead most likely of their advanced age for a human, having taken to the title at eight-two.

#### Tura Fryft (412AG-493AG)

Tura Fryft is credited with commercialising the Guild of the Lilac Vine, to the praise of many aristocratic households across the continent, and the bemoanment of numerous scholarly organisations. Seeing the potential for her students to help fund the ongoing investigations, studies and experiments of the Guild by selling their services, mages affiliated with the Lilac Vine soon started to appear across the continent in a wide number of roles in far greater numbers than ever before - helping to transport people, creatures and goods, as well as aiding in construction efforts. Most exclusive and expensive amongst these services were the creation of numerous demiplanes for the rich and powerful of the continent, a demanding arcane skill known only to a few within the Guild's membership.

Under Tura, the Guild expanded greatly, taking on larger cohorts of students than ever before, necessitating further conquest of the isle from the wilds.

#### Deslin Swiller (493AG-730AG)

Originally intending to be a cleric of the Thunderqueen at the behest of their priestly parents, the gnome Deslin Swiller experienced a turn of faith to being enrolled in the Guild of the Lilac Vine shortly after his youth. Nonetheless, their interest in the domain of the Daughter of the Veil remained, and their deep understanding of the School of Necromancy aided significantly in the revivification of several key politicians during the ongoing struggles of control in the city of Westdell throughout their tenure.

Deslin achieved particular prominence during the Year of the Faceless Lord in 626AG, in which they led particular efforts to expunge the presence of the layer of Shedaklah on the Material Plane, before its abrupt end a few months later.

#### Casaki Vrye (730AG-746AG)

Though by no fault of his own, the human Casaki is often seen as a turning point for the Guild of the Lilac Vine, for it was during their tenure that the previously thought-to-be-endless supplies of Iviniuum were finally exhausted on the isle, requiring the Guild to look elsewhere for its procurement, a significant drain of their annual funds. Casaki found themselves forced in response to increase tuition fees for the Guild, in line with actions already taken by many of the others amongst the Ten Guilds, as well as spending many of their years repeatedly petitioning the surrounding Realms for financial aid.

To this effect, Casaki was involved in a number of expeditions beyond the Prime to the Elemental Sphere and the Wandering Worlds. They failed to return from a particularly ill-fated trip to the Elemental Plane of Earth, alongside all that travelled with them.

#### Korrinkas Duus (746AG-789AG)

During their early years in the position, Korrinkas Duus was well-regarded, particularly amongst the residents of Codorne, Galykr and Kingbourne, with the numerous expeditions organised by the Archmage into their Realms uncovering all manner of forgotten histories, reinvigorating interest and attention to numerous sites across the Realms. Further still, Korrinkas maintained a close relationship with the court of Atralran, even taking the nephew of King Leopold II Goldlor as an apprentice.

It would not be until over decades into their tenure that the exhaustive list of their malign actions would be uncovered, including abduction, coercion and corruption of students, the collection of humanoid souls for sake of experimentation, forced duplication and consumption, research into the manipulation and stabilisation of undeath in both humanoids and those of draconic lineage, as well as the affiliation with cultists of the Keeper of Whispers, the worship of whom was outlawed in the Edict of Yaldin. They were subsequently sentenced to death, but escaped before said execution could be carried out, resulting in a crazed manhunt that unofficially continues to this day.

#### Yinlen Yarrow (789AG-998AG)

Yinlen Yarrow, hailing from the Realm of Kingbourne, proved exceedingly patient in their ascension through the ranks of the Guild of the Lilac Vine, establishing themselves as a pre-eminent researcher and scholar before consideration for the position came. With a particular interest in the Primordial Elemental Princes of Nuldomul, Scothyx and Vapocaenum, hoping to utilise their dominion over Conjuration magics to terraform the Lilac Isle into a more hospitable environ for students, visitors and all others besides, their original opportunity to assume the title of Archmage came in 730AG, but they lost out in favour of the human Casaki Vrye. Sixteen years later, they would be passed over once again - which, unlike rumoured by the younger students did little to dissuade Yinlen who instead focused further on their research - with the role being given Korrinkas Duus.

After the crimes of the Archmage Korrinkas were subsequently uncovered, Yinlen finally assumed the role of Archmage, overseeing the shift of focus for the Guild of the Lilac Vine into a place of study primarily towards that of Conjuration-magics. They would serve in the role for over two hundred more years, overseeing another upheaval during the Astedian Ascendency, before eventually retiring in 998AG, their replacement Jeras Graylock.

#### Jeras Graylock (998AG-1067AG)

The first Archmage to be chosen at the behest of the Increscent Six, there were fears amongst some that the instalment of an Astedian Archmage that had received their training not at the Guild of the Lilac Vine itself, but rather that High College of Claxinns would prove a troublesome transition. These worries fortunately proved unfounded, Archmage Jeras' natural charisma and charm quickly winning them the support of numerous long-standing members of the Guild. Continuing to utilise the funding afforded by their connections to the College, both the Guild and the College would work closely, freely sharing their brightest minds in the name of continued research.

After their passing in 1067AG, their replacement, Nerle Drumwind, proclaimed their intention to continue what had become a yearly tradition of making a trip to one of the Wandering Worlds with the newest recruits - a popular and consistently oversubscribed opportunity to experience the Outer Planes in person with the intention of providing context for the lectures and lessons to come.

#### Nerle Drumwind (1067AG-Present)

Already making waves as the first dwarven Archmage of the Guild of the Lilac Vine, Nerle Drumwind has achieved much and more in their first year tenure in the position. With the construction of the Steel Wind Tower, in which students can practice their spells without fear of damaging their surroundings, the campus once again grows under the guidance, while they spend their time conversing with nobles, rulers and generals alike, both in the Imperial Capital and the wider continent itself. They recently returned from a successful trip to Wilderness of the Beastlands, taking half a dozen first-year students with them to experience the Wandering World for themselves.

With Nerle proclaiming freely their aspirations to guide the Guild for "as long as the Sharp Song, and a little longer still", the Guild surely revels in the wonders surely to come in the full duration of their station.