IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF MAGIC

[sam33497 7356]

 

 

“True magic is repentant enlightenment,

like tiny grains of salt slowly gathering to form the sea.

 

Building a mountain from salt is perhaps the fastest way to reach the heavens.

 

Build mountains with repentant enlightenment,

For only duty and responsibility will bring you to your pinnacle.”

 

-Unknown Mage of Aevos

 

 

IMPERIAL MISSION

 

Lo, we the Empire of Man have, with merely sharp blades and hefty warhammers, avoided the extinction brought by angry, heretic gods. But we find ourselves displaced, the collective knowledge and understanding of Man paling before unknown threats. It is hardly the responsibility of the common man to understand such things, and yet we still face the dilemma of lands ravaged by countless, incomprehensible phenomena.

 

There are those within our Empire who have pledged their unnatural abilities to the Crown. To the surprise of few, trust is difficult to spare. It was within the memory of some alive that the city of Winburgh upon Aevos was razed, great and corruptive magics transforming it into a fiery hellscape. The function of the Imperial College of Magic is to provide a careful environment for such practices, which might enlighten the ears of those who defend our realm, whilst also maintaining close control over the ways in which magic is used. In times of absolute need such as our most recent hour, they shall be called upon to answer that sanctuary given, to destroy the chaotic forces which might spell the ruin of Man.

 

 

 

ON THE ETHICS OF THE USE OF MAGIC

 

☩  Man have always been warned by our ancestors to not trust in magi and to reject the power of magic.

☩  Despite this, its use seems to pervade our world endlessly, a constant that will follow no matter how it is snuffed.

☩ Many great tragedies have been wreaked upon Man at the hands of magic, and ignorance to it is mere irresponsibility in the eyes of the Crown.

☩ The primary concern of the Imperial College of Magic and all those within shall be the understanding and research of magic and the conveyance of its uses in moderation to the aid of Man.

☩  Magic exists as untempered chaos, obeying the vice of various, unconnected owners. As such the Crown charges the Imperial College with a creation of true united theories of magic, further than the weak scholarship that has produced the confusion of today.

☩  The use of magic to achieve one’s wishes is an act of hubris, an improper use for power which was not rightfully given. The Crown treasures power derived from society and hence charges the Imperial College to only use their magic when it is for the betterment of Man.

☩ Power for the sake of power is nothing except evil; while the Imperium exists to be a warden of unified humanity, mages can only be validated in their ability by contributing to a true and unselfish purpose.

☩  The special utilities of magic can be seen as a tool to mitigate disaster when mundane means fail, and hence the Crown charges the Imperial College with the creation of artifice designed to defend and not to destroy.

☩ If ever the use of magic within the Imperium falls outside the purview of the Crown, then it has lost the faith of society as a whole, and justification for any of its power to exist. As the path of any power is essentially self-sacrifice, so too shall the Imperial Mage struggle endlessly for the Imperium they bear power for.

☩ Should the ethics of the Imperial College be fundamentally violated, the fate awaiting the mage is the same as the tyrant who has rejected the social contract that gave them power; execution.

 

 

SCHOOLS OF THE IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF MAGIC

 

The Imperial College of Magic is divided into Schools which carry out the specific tasks designated upon the College by the Imperial Family. In this sense they are meant to act in an insular fashion and organize amongst themselves toward their purpose. Each School has at least one Primarch, which is tasked with the organization of the School, acceptance of its members, and direct communication regarding School matters to the Imperial Liaison or the Crown itself.

 

Mages in a particular school are not restricted from aiding in matters of other schools, but formal allegiance to a School is considered requisite to become a full Imperial Mage, and it should be considered their specialty.

 

School of Battlemagic

Symbol: Burning Bridge

 

The School of Battlemagic is charged with the application of magic toward the defense of the Empire and objectives deemed necessary for its success and survival. Its goal is not to produce powerful mage-fighters which might exist among the top ranks of warriors in the Imperium, but instead to develop and research methods for using magic in battle, toward strategic objectives or even espionage, or otherwise. The application of such magic is to be sparing and not something wielded by default, for petty or mundane disputes.

 

This School is the primary consultant for the Imperial Guard when encountering magical or unnatural threats plaguing the Imperium. Its magic is a tool to combat the unnatural rather than subjugate the weak.

 

Primarchs: Lucien Soltée  (Keening), Pepe de Trastàmera (MonteGiant)

 

Goals: To master the art of using magic in battle, and to precisely direct it toward the defense of the Empire, while avoiding misuse.

 

School of Creation | 

Symbol: Inverted Pyramid

 

The School of Creation is granted the profound goal of using the arts associated with destruction for its pure opposite. Though mages of the Void have historically undertaken such magical creation dangerously and caused disaster, the Imperial College is an environment which allows for responsible, precise, and yet unfettered development of magical artifice.

 

Though the public of the Imperium rejects the sight of magic, the School of Creation is charged with upholding and defending the Imperium from an intangible place, constructing enchantments which might find use and be revealed only in times of disaster.

 

This School is responsible for the creation of the badges of Imperial Mages and thus every Imperial Mage should have some basis in or communication with this School. Its charge is the one most aligned with the central vision of the Imperial College of Magic.

 

Goals: To create great artifice in the name of the defense of humanity, for times when mundane means fail or when such creations can improve quality of life.

 

Primarch: Rhae’lin Ashwood (FadedQuartz)

 

School of Esoterica

Symbol: Pupil-less Eye

 

The school of Esoterica possesses the most pressing and important mission among the Imperial College of Magic. Man is a mundane race that is constantly harassed by otherworldly threats, but they are not without wisdom. It is the charge of the School of Esoterica to advance the knowledge of Man by whichever means at their disposal.

 

Though a vast amount of methods must likely be employed toward this task, the particular matters charged directly by the Crown are both the development of a more cohesive and central theory of magic rather than vague notions of the Void, and also the investigation and reporting of various magical phenomena which might threaten the Imperium.

 

The goals of the School are quite particular and focused, and are expected less to interact with the rest of the Schools, with a focus placed upon cooperation with the Crown.

 

Primarch: ?

 

Goals: Perform research on the secrets of magic, form a unified theory of magic, and liaison with the Crown on matters of import and potential threats related to magic.

 

 

PATH TO IMPERIAL MAGEHOOD

 

Apprenticeship

A citizen of the Empire of Man who is interested in taking upon themselves the burden of magic must be accepted as an apprentice by a full Imperial Mage. Through this they may learn the practice of magic and even relatively master it, but will not be permitted to publicly cast magic lest they receive the trust of the College and Crown and are promoted to the status of a full Imperial Mage.

 

Fledgling

A fledgling of the Imperial College is a mage who has completed their apprenticeship or has otherwise become acquainted with magic before joining a School. It is their role to improve their craft and temper their loyalties until a Primarch accepts them into their School. One need not be a Fledgling long, for joining a School following an apprenticeship is possible.

 

Imperial Magehood

Once well-acquainted with their magic and accepted into a School, one becomes a full Imperial Mage and gains the qualification to cast magic in the name of the Empire’s defense. Each promotion to Imperial Magehood must receive explicit permission from a representative of the Crown. This approval will be represented by the form of a badge of Arcanium bearing the signet of the Empire of Man and personal identifiers of the mage, with the mage in question together with members of the College of Creation forging the badge once directed.

 

 

ON THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COLLEGE

 

Primarchs:

 

The Primarchs of the Imperial College are those who lead their respective Schools, determining their manner of organization and the acceptance of new Imperial Mages into them. The status of Primarch implies direct trust from the Imperial Family and as such those with this rank are emboldened to cast in the defense of the Imperium as they see fit, although misuse will find them quickly fleeting from their position.

 

Primarchs are appointed directly by the Crown, but may be appointed by the Imperial Liaison at times where the Crown waives the decision. They are not necessarily the most powerful or influential mages, but instead those who carry a high degree of trust and confidence from the Crown toward their ability to organize and lead.

 

Imperial Auditor:

 

The Imperial Auditor of the College is tasked with investigating the status of each School, as well as the progress of individual Imperial Mages and potential threats of apostasy and dark magic springing within the Imperial College. They are expected to prepare reports on the matters of the College and dossiers of Imperial Mages and convey them to the Crown and Imperial Liaison.

 

The Imperial Auditor should always be granted access to areas and information within the Imperial College, and attempting excessively to evade their notice is considered treasonous for mages. As such, the position of Imperial Auditor is to be held primarily by those sharing the objectives of the Crown and who will not misuse this access.

 

Imperial Auditor: Ark (Ewdrawings)

 

Imperial Liaison:

 

The Imperial Liaison is the highest administrative figure within the College, a necessary bridge between the Crown and magedom. They are expected to have both total loyalty to the Crown and additionally competence with magic, hence this role is reserved for mages historically trusted by or who have extensively aided the Crown.

 

They are trusted to speak the will of the Crown as it pertains to matters of enforcement within the Imperial College, as well as other matters of magic. They can grant approval for induction as an Imperial Mage and, so long as the Crown is notified, may issue such badges in the name of House Horen.

 

Members of the Imperial College of Magic are expected to obey the Imperial Liaison when authority is necessary to be invoked, but this does not mean that Imperial Mages are necessarily subservient to the Liaison; rather, to the will of the Crown he speaks, which can be appealed if necessary.

 

Imperial Liaison: Jude Amaranth (ninjayz)

 

AVE IMPERIUM!

 

 

[StingyParrot 1595]

It had been far too long since Arakawa had something to laugh about.

[Onnensr 1908]

cursed Alaric and Arthur both for the authority he'd lost... The authority he would seek again... Callahan's dream must come to fruition. 

[Minuvas 3193]

The King of all sorcerers did wage his eternal battles in the world beyond, marching on another rival fortress ...but we're he here in this plane, in this timeline, he would certainly approve of this endeavor...

[Wizzar 613]

The self-proclaimed Wizard King cracks his knuckles before making his way to the Empire of Man. 

[Gnomistry 1115]

The young monk scoffed under his breath, tossing the scroll onto the table with a sharp flick of his wrist. “Give a crackpot wizard a badge and call it progress,” he muttered, half laughing, half disgusted. “Give a lich a license, what’s next, Haense reborn? Nothing says progress like putting the undead on payroll.” He leaned back in his chair, smirking faintly. “When kings trust charms, ghosts fill their arms.”