Artificer

The Artificer is one of the three core academic titles at the Arcane Lyceum, equivalent in status to the Arcanist and the Sage. Artificers are masters of applied knowledge, engineers, inventors, architects, and craftspeople whose work turns theory into function. Unlike their Arcanist counterparts, not all Artificers practice magic. In fact, many are entirely mundane in terms of magical ability but command extraordinary understanding of mechanics, structure, alchemy, and arcane-adjacent sciences. Their contributions are measured not by spellcraft, but by brilliance, ingenuity, and the lasting utility of their creations.   To attain the rank of Artificer, one must have made a recognized and significant contribution to an applied discipline, such as designing a revolutionary bridge that defies weight limitations, creating a non-magical device that replicates a common spell, or engineering a fortress that can withstand both siege and sorcery. Their knowledge is hard-earned through years of experimentation, practical work, and collaborative effort with other disciplines. A submitted body of work, peer review, and the ability to teach others effectively are prerequisites for the title.   Artificers are deeply involved in both instruction and research. They do not teach only advanced students or apprentices; their lecture halls are often filled with a diverse range of attendees, Savant-rank students, Apprentices, Arcanists brushing up on structural resonance theory, or even non-magical staff seeking to understand better building techniques or tools. Their subjects vary widely, from advanced metallurgy and architectural harmonics to siege defense theory, golem repair, or water-purification systems.   While some Artificers do use magic, especially enchanters and magical engineers, their core role at the Lyceum is not bound to it. They often collaborate with Arcanists to help refine spellcraft through physical design, or with Sages to preserve historical knowledge in permanent, accessible form. The greatest Artificers bridge the mundane and the arcane, creating magical items that function with precision and longevity, or machines that function with no magic at all.   Artificers are granted full access to the Lyceum’s laboratories, foundries, material vaults, and restricted technical texts. Their living quarters are typically located near the workshop wings or in specially modified towers to accommodate machinery, blueprints, and sometimes entire prototype constructs. They are also provided a stipend, material budget, and assistance for ongoing projects.   In many ways, Artificers are the invisible architects of magical society, not always spellcasters, but always builders of the future. They leave behind bridges, machines, buildings, and tools that shape how the magical world lives, studies, and fights. Where Arcanists reshape magic and Sages reshape thought, Artificers reshape the world itself.