Magister Prima

Only the most tempered minds and exacting souls ascend to the rank of Magister Prima. A candidate must have risen through the Arcanii with distinction — no less than a decade spent as a Lexmagus, with a judicial record unmarred by controversy or censure. Their mastery over Rift-manipulation must be beyond question, demonstrated in both sanctioned trials and unscripted crises.

Most significantly, the aspirant must have authored at least one binding amendment to Codex law or led a Tribunal whose outcome reshaped Arcanii doctrine. Legacy and charisma are irrelevant. Merit — and the scars of wielding it — are all that matter.

Ascension to the Prima's mantle demands more than knowledge. It requires proof of the soul's capacity to bear flame without flinching. The candidate must undergo the Rite of Binding, fusing their essence to the Codex Exilia through arcane flame and oath-etched sigil.

They must be of human or Riftborn lineage, untouched by divine pacts or aberrant bloodlines. Perhaps most daunting is the Visioning — a rite during which the aspirant confronts the memory of the Rift Moon Tharaxis. Those who survive the visions emerge altered. Those who fail are unmade.

The candidate is chosen by a supermajority vote of the sitting High Conjurants and confirmed in ceremony within the Oculus Tharaxis. The seal is branded onto their soul by the Magister Primus Emeritus (if alive) or by Council ritual.

The Magister Prima is not a figurehead. They are the quill that sharpens law, the torch that cauterizes the wound. Above all, they are the interpreter of Tablet IV — a living bridge between spellcraft and statute. They preside over Tribunals, where the fates of rogue casters are sealed. They alone possess the authority to grant magical clemency or to outlaw entire schools of arcana.

Each Prima must also shepherd the Arcanii itself: maintaining its cohesion, quelling internal dissent, and preserving its purpose — to bind power to the service of civilization.

At the heart of the Prima's daily burden lies the guardianship of arcane equilibrium. They are the first to be alerted when Riftflow patterns stutter or swell — phenomena that could prelude calamity if left unchecked. During times of magical unrest or anomalous incursions, it is the Prima who summons the Custodians and commands them with surgical clarity, ensuring that enforcement does not decay into wrath.

Maintaining the Registry of Licensed Casters falls solely under their purview — not merely a ledger, but a living map of sanctioned power across the Imperium. Each name, each spell, each restriction flows back to their desk like blood through a nation’s veins.

Lastly, the Prima holds the unique authority to sanction, restrict, or entirely ban branches of magic itself — a power exercised rarely, but with seismic effect when invoked.

The station brings with it treasures both arcane and earthly. The Prima holds sole access to the Codex Annexum, a vault of pre-Exilic magical law too volatile for common eyes. They dwell in the highest chambers of the Council Spire, surrounded by wards of ancient make.

Their stipend, drawn from the Arcanii Tithe, ensures independence from senatorial coffers. But the true benefit is less tangible — a whisper of authority that causes even the Imperator to pause, and a legacy bound to flame and parchment alike.

Every Prima bears the Sigillum Obscura, a medallion wrought of Riftsteel and copper that records every magical pronouncement they utter — a safeguard against corruption and a symbol of finality. Their Flamebound Staff, carved from Riftwood and capped with a Tharaxis shard, pulses with bound judgments.

Ceremonial robes of deep indigo, threaded with copper runes and marked with a hexagon seal, complete the regalia. These vestments are not worn for vanity — they are armour in a war of words and will.

Only the full Arcanii Tribunal may strip a Prima of their rank. The accused must be proven to have violated the Codex, failed in judicial conduct, or succumbed to corruption. Removal is followed by the Rite of Severance.

Since its creation, the role of Magister Prima has shaped every major arcane policy. From the Wyrmblight era to the Night of Reversal, the Prima is both torchbearer and tether. Their decisions echo across Rift and realm alike.

The Prima is viewed as the embodiment of lawful arcana. In art and myth, they are often depicted as balancing flame and scroll, judgment and restraint. Their visage adorns courtrooms, Tribunal halls, and the inner temples of Tharaxis.

Varellian the Bound — The first to bear the title, he forged the role in the crucible of chaos, ensuring that no spell would rise unchallenged within the Imperium.

Aurelia Quint — Architect of the Riftwatch Quarter, she is credited with establishing the modern infrastructure of arcane surveillance.

Eloria Narses — Known as The Flame That Judges, she reshaped the Codex in the wake of the Night of Reversal, binding arcane law to the survival of the realm. Her tenure is marked by decisive reform, unyielding doctrine, and a reputation that haunts both her allies and her adversaries.