College of Mysteries

The College of Mysteries is the dominant organization for the training of mages within the nations of Borczeg. It is governed and monitored by Val Royeaux's First Spell Lord and is guarded and supervised by religious warriors known an the Templar Order.

## History

Magic in Borczeg was once more widely accepted than it is today. While there have always been those who feared it or were suspicious of it, it was always seen as a part of the world. But things changed a thousand years ago when the Council of Eight arrived in Borczeg from lands unknown and used their magic to defend Borczeg from the machinations of the dragon Artax. The Council was vital in the death of Artax and continued to serve the people of Borczeg for the next two centuries. They were based out of a fortress located in the Temerian capitol of Val Royeaux, which they called the College of Mysteries, where they accepted all who sought counsel and trained young mages in how to wield magic.

However, the Council's leader--Elraxus the Blue--decided the best way to protect mortalkind was to enslave it and rule the people of Borczeg with magic. He allied with the Thay Imperium and declared war on the world, laying waste to all who opposed him with terrible blood magic and necromancy. Their greatest achievement was the destruction of the Elven nation of Eregion, turning it into the grey, cursed wastes of Nidal, capturing the capitol of Thyferra after slaughtering the royal family. It was only by the effort of great heroes and the only surviving members of the Council, Elraxus' former friends and allies, that he was stopped in the Sodden Lands. Elraxus died there and his spirit forever tainted the land with his evil. The world was saved but it would never be the same.

As magic had been the source of Elraxus' power, it was all but banned throughout Borczeg. Blood magic and necromancy were completely forbidden. As panic and fear ran rampant, it was unclear how to deal with them. It was the Emperor of Temeria, together with his Primarch, that decided to confine those who practiced arcane magic in the College of Mysteries, the former fortress of the Council of Eight.

Since then, it has become the dominant force of magic regulation in Borczeg, with children from all over the South being taken here to be trained in the Art. It's not a perfect system, and some say it is actively oppressive or abusive, but in the minds of many, it's better than having their magical children out in the streets or caught without a license.

## Background

The College is allowed to take any child (usually aged six to twelve, though they can be older or younger) from their families as soon as they show signs of magical ability, including those from royals and nobility. As such, they are taken from their families while still children. All children who attend the College must forfeit any right or claim to a throne or claim of inheritance. Children do not use their own last names many times and instead either use a bastard name from their homeland or take the surnames "Wise", "Magi", "Arth" or a color connected to their attuned Sphere (Scarlet for Evokers, for example, or Gold for Conjurers).

Upon joining the College, mages undergo a process as apprentices of having a few drops of their blood taken by the First Enchanter and placed in a phylactery. This ensures' the mage's compliance and the ability to track down any mage who decides to run away, since a Templar and Witch Hunters can track anyone through their blood.

The child is then raised and trained by various instructors at the College, even in spheres of magic to which they are unattuned or opposed to. When they reach the Age of Majority (15 for humans, 20 or 30 for some other races) they must either undergo the Harrowing or be made Tranquil.

Due to the diverse population of the school, the College maintains a neutrality policy as a rule but wizard graduates are often sent to aid the Pathfinder Society in its goals and some serve as Court Wizards or swear oaths to orders like the Varlokkur. A mage cannot serve as a Court Wizard to a noble unless they are a native to that country.

The institution has a very mixed reception among mages and non-mages alike. Despite the restrictions imposed upon its members, it is not a system of slavery and mages themselves--while not "free"--are not owned by the government or the church and are not forced into servitude on its behalf. Nevertheless, due to the limitations of personal freedoms, such as the confinement of the mages in the College, it is often seen as tantamount to a prison. By law, the College is supposed to respect certain rights of its mages. Ambiguity or inadequacy in regulations, however, such as a weak First Spell Lord or the priesthoods' penchant for corruption and abuse, can affect how much these laws will be respected.

The daily life of a College Mage is a simple one. Mages come into the College with basically nothing since they must leave behind all personal possessions from their previous life. Instead, the College provides for the new apprentices with standard issue robes, education and room and board. The quality of which is...debatable. The relatively humane conditions are rumored to have a dark undercurrent, where rumors circulate about the Templars abusing the mages and the Tranquil physically, emotionally and sexually.

Apprentices live communally with no private rooms and are taught by Enchanters in small classes. They are allowed no contact with their families or anyone from outside the school, with the exception of mail privileges (which can be taken away or inspected at any time). They pass the days studying and research the spheres of magic, as well as alchemy or magic item creation.

The College's livelihood is maintained by the selling of the College's services to those who request it through formal channels (at great expense), most commonly the Pathfinders Society.

Romantic unions with mages are discouraged by the College, but that doesn't stop the mages from carrying on love affairs in secret (a very common occurrence). Should such an affair produce children, any child born to a College Mage belongs to the Church. Should that child be born a mage, the child would be sent to the College without their parents ever being informed that it is their child.

Some consider the confinement of mages to the College of Mysteries unjust persecution of the mages' gods-given rights; others believe they are necessary sacrifices to protect both the general populace from the dangers of magic and the mages from the bigotry and superstition of the outside world.

## Hierarchy

The College follows a six-tier hierarchy where all residents fit; although the Tranquil do stand outside this progression. The Varlokkur also follow these title conventions.

* The **First Spell Lord** is the College's direct representative to the Church and Temerian government. The First Spell Lord is chosen by the Primarch.
* The **First Enchanter** is the leader of the College, akin to a Dean or Vice Principal. They directly govern and manage the school day to day.
* The **Senior Enchanters** are a small council of the most experienced mages present in the College. Newly appointed Senior Enchanters are presented in a ceremony to the Emperor/Primarch. This is the highest rank attainable by the Varlokkur.
* The **Junior Enchanters**, based on their title, can be seen as the deputies of the Senior Enchanters or even their chiefs of staff.
* The **Enchanters** are mages who tutor apprentices. They specialize in various fields of study.
* The **Mages** are residents of the College who have passed their Harrowing.
* The **Apprentices** are students training for their Harrowing.

## Fraternities of Enchanters

The mages of the Circle are also divided into several fraternities, the equivalent of political parties, which hold diverse views of how mages should act and their place in society.

## The Harrowing

The Harrowing is a secret rite of passage that the College administers, without warning, to adult apprentice mages. The exact nature of the Harrowing is unknown to those outside the Circle, but it is known that if the apprentice fails, they die. If they succeed, they are considered full-fledged wizards.

## Tranquil

Mages who are too weak of will to resist demonic or spiritual possession or appear to be dangerous are forced to go through the Rite of Tranquility, which involves magically lobotomizing them and making them unable to dream. As a side effect, their emotional center is utterly destroyed. They keep to themselves and, if asked directly, will readily agree that having the opportunity to live out a peaceful life and useful existence is far preferable when compared to what their alternatives would have been.

## Apostates

Also called Hedge Wizards, an Apostate is a Temerian Wizard who is not involved with the College, either through escape or hiding. They are considered dangerous, though if they have their license, there is little the College can do to force them to go to there.

## Notes

* It is only mandatory for Temerian wizards to attend the College. Mages from other lands are not legally required to attend the college, but for many the hope of a better life is preferable to the life of an Apostate.