Cabal of Yaren

The Cabal of Yaren is a Mageocracy that rules over the city state of Yaren, located in the east of Hepsut. They have a citizenship of mostly Sun Elves, and prefer to keep to themselves, isolating themselves from the rest of the world. The Cabal of Yaren are extremely secretive, with the city of Yaren locked off from visitors, and access only permitted on rare circumstances, meaning that little is known about their government and culture. 

The Cabal of Yaren is believed to have been founded pre the Age of Arcanum, putting it in contention with the Coven of Maran as the oldest organisation in Exorsia. The Cabal of Yaren are sometimes seen as rivals Coven to Maran, both of whom survived the Fall of Arcanum, both are ancient mageocracies, both are governed by a council of Archmages. Some even speculate that Yaren may have also formerly been one of the floating cities of Arcanum.

Because of their ancient origins, the Yarenese people maintain many ancient traditions, particularly those around the worship of Hecate, the God of Magic, and Helios, the patron God of the Sun Elves. 

The Cabal of Yaren are also notable for their tradition of shaved heads, magical piercings and ritualistic tattoos that cover their whole body, allowing them to use their own skin as spellbooks for their spells. This form of arcane focus is unique to the Yarenese and is a closely guarded secret, though other forms of magical tattoos have appeared across Exorsia, which are believed to originate from Yaren.

The Yarenese pride themselves on their wealth of ancient and magic knowledge, with the city of Yaren said to contain vast libraries of lost history and magical secrets that can be found nowhere else in the world. It is believed that the entire population of Yaren are magically trained, allowing the population to effectively use their limited resources and maintain their independence. Many scholars spend years attempting to get access to Yaren’s libraries to study the ancient historical records said to reside there.

Leader: The Yastari

Population: 30,000

Heraldry: Orange and Gold

Government

The Cabal of Yaren are led by a council of ten Archmages, known as the Yastari. Each member of this council represents one of the schools of magic, Abjuration, Chronomancy, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Graviturgy, Illusion, Necromancy and Transmutation. With each of the Yastari being masters of that school of magic, similar to the Coven of Maran. 

The Yastari Archmage of Enchantment, Varys of Yaren, also serves as the Archmage of Enchantment for the Coven of Maran, an ambassador for the Cabal of Yaren. 

The Yastari exclusively govern the city of Yaren and the lands outside of the city, but the inner workings of the government are unknown. The Yastari are powerful spellcasters and accomplished scholars, but little else is known about the role of the Yastari. It is believed that the Yastari are both political and religious leaders, charged with all aspects of the city, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Military & Local Guard

The City of Yaren is defended by an elite militia of spellcasters known as the Spellblades, specially trained mages that practice an exclusive magical art to the people of Yaren. These mages weave together both magic and martial capabilities, making them a significant threat in any situation. The Spellblades are believed to be managed directly by the Yastari. 

Religion

The exact details of the religion practiced in Yaren is unknown, but they seem to primarily worship Hecate - God of Magic, and Helios - God of the Sun and patron god of the Sun Elves. Accounts from visitors of Yaren suggest that there the Yaranese practise a policy of religious freedom, with minor temples to other Gods within the city.

Social Hierarchy

The social hierarchy of the Cabal of Yaren is unknown. 

Legal System & Laws

The legal system of the Cabal of Yaren is unknown. But it is speculated that all legal situations are brought before the Yastari directly.