Guild of Wizardry

Founded in 393 CY by Zagig Yragerne, the so-called Mad Archmage, the Free City of Greyhawk's Guild of Wizardry is the principal seat of magical research and training in the Flanaess. Membership in the Guild of Wizardry is open to all wizards of any race or alignment (although membership may be refused to those of an undisputably evil disposition and to those who would pervert the guild to their own ends). Membership fees are relatively high at 100 gp a year, but the benefits of membership outweigh the material cost. Guildmembers receive instruction at 10% less than normal cost and, depending on their tutor's assessment, can expect the very best choice of new spells. The guild also carries an extensive stock of spell components available at reduced prices for guildmembers and also a store of magical items for sale to guildmembers. Discounts and prices can vary considerably from guildmember to guildmember. The guild looks favorably on those who take an active interest in the organization. The guild is always on the lookout for rare spell components, and a guildmember who donates a share of the powdered lich dust he acquired on his last adventure, or makes a gift of the odd quart of black dragon blood here and there, will find that the services and the facilities of the guild are more freely available to him, and cheaper too.   The guild also accepts commissions for the production of customized magical items (they are currently working on thieves tools of opening for Org Nenshen, master of the Thieves' Guild). The production of these items provides a valuable source of extra income for the guild. The guild also casts spells for various organizations within the Free City, most especially for the Jewelers and Gemcutters Guild in return for specially cut or powdered gemstoPes for spell components.   Kieren Jalucian (Master of Guild of Wizardry, Principal of Greyhawk University of Magic Arts Kieren is 6'3" tall, weighs 200 lbs. , and appears to be in his early 30s. His true age is unknown, although he is undoubtedly very old indeed. He is a large, heavy-set man who sports a mane of sandy blond hair and dresses in colorful, billowing robes of the finest Celenian silks. Kieren is fastidious about his appearance, always appearing clean-shaven and smelling of the finest scents and perfumes.    Kieren enjoys city life to the fullest, and is equally at home in the lowest dive of the River Quarter or at the most fashionable social gathering or cultural event in the High Quarter. Kieren cultivates an almost frivolous attitude to his work, which belies the seriousness and conviction with which he undertakes it. This attitude has made him much more approachable than the average studious and condescending mage, and he has become a great favorite of the people and has done a great deal to improve the public image of the magical arts, which most people still distrust. Kieren is also highly amused by the serious politicking of his fellow members of the Directing Oligarchy and refuses to get involved in what he sees as their petty rivalries.    Kieren has satisfied what lust for power he ever possessed and intends to enjoy it, using it for the common good rather than abusing it. Kieren is very much enamored of Jallarzi Sallavarian and the two of them will often be spotted touring the town on Kieren's carpet of flying, or dining at the Golden Phoenix. From time to time the adventurous spirit overtakes them, and they will travel incognito into the seedier areas of the Free City, where Kieren enjoys a good arm-wrestling contest or similar feats of physical prowess, sometimes Gust for fun!) enhancing his own considerable muscle power with a surreptitious strength spell.   Apart from his carpet of flying, Kieren has few personal magical items. He can, however, draw at will from the collection maintained by Kondradis Bubka, the Mage of Exchange.   Kieren can be encountered virtually anywhere in the city, sometimes in disguise and often in the company of Jallarzi Sallavarian. To keep up appearances, Kieren always attends major social and cultural events within the city and is a major protagonist at the Feast of Fools.  

The Porters

The dwarven porters are responsible for the security of the Guildhall and the University and are charged with maintaining law and order within the walls. The Porters will be the first of the Guildhall's many denizens that visitors will encounter. The porters are all uniformly strict in the enforcement of the rules and regulations of the Guildhall and stalwart in the performance of their duties. Under no circumstances will they admit anyone who is not a Guildmember or enrolled as a student at the University (and they keep lists-long lists!).   Guests are allowed in at the express invitation of a Guildmember, but their names must be entered in the guest book before dusk the previous day. The only exception to this rule is visitors willing to buy, sell, or exchange magical items and spell components with the Mage of Exchange. These individuals will be escorted to Kondradis's study and back by two of the porters. No amount of bribery will persuade the porters to do otherwise, despite the legendary dwarven greed for precious metal. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to force an entry via magical means will discover that the great black adamantite gates have a 75% chance to negate all spells cast at or through them, and the great magics used the casting of all mind-affecting spells such as charm person. The use of teleport or dimension door to gain entry is also impossible (but these spells can be used to get out). One further, slightly disturbing, aspect of the gates is that the peephole for the porters to peer at visitors prior to admitting them, although at dwarven eye-level on the inside of the gate, can appear anywhere on the outer surface.   The porters are always gruff and give short shrift to strangers or those whom they perceive as inferior or undeserving of respect. It's an entirely different matter with those in positions of authority, who will always be greeted with the utmost respect: "A very good morning to you, Mr. Jalucian, sir; Miss Sallavarian awaits you in the refectory, sir," or "Good afternoon, Mr. Tenser, sir; important message from Mr. Bigby for you at the porters' lodge, sir."   Damak Khorshkan (Head Porter, Guild of Wizardry) Members of Damak's family have been porters at the guild since its founding and are extremely proud of their tradition of service. While successive Principals, guild wizards, and students have entered and left these hallowed halls, the Khorshkan family has watched the gates and upheld the sanctity of the Guildhall and the University.   The Khorshkan family was first brought to Greyhawk by none other than the fabled Zagig himself, who was quick to realize that dwarves with their innate magic resistance were ideally suited to guard his palace and treasures. When the Guild of Wizardry and the University were founded, the Khorshkan family even helped plan and construct the building, and members of the family have been installed in the Head Porter's apartment in the gatehouse ever since.   Damak will almost always be encountered at his post at the gatehouse. He does on rare occasions visit the Barge Inn and other dwarven hangouts with a few of the apprentice porters.  

The Guild Library

The library of the Free City's Guild of Wizardry is purported to be the finest collection of magical tomes in Oerik. Among the many and varied scholarly and studious volumes on the magical arts are rumored to be the spell books and notes of Zagig the Archmage. The library itself is a vast, windowless hall filled with rank upon rank of shelves that stretch from floor to ceiling and groan beneath the weight of many centuries of accumulated magical knowledge and theory.   While the library's collection of spell books contains every single spell yet known to mankind (and maybe even a few long forgotten among the thousands of books), wizards cannot simply wander in and start copying them down. Guildmembers will only be allowed access to a particular requested spell after the request has been approved by a senior guildmember-and in the case of spells of greater than 4th level power, with the additional consent of Guildmaster Kieren Jalucian himself.   In addition, a charge will be levied for each spell to be copied. The cost will vary from 1 00 gp to 1, 000 gp per spell level, depending on the member's standing within the guild. Guildmembers who contribute actively to the guild by supplying components, additional magical items, and the like will pay less; members who merely visit now and again to use the facilities of the guild will pay more.   The library is officially closed at dusk and opened at dawn (although this is obviously not the case for the most senior guildmembers) . The collection is watched by 8 beholders, which have been magically domesticated (a forced alignment change) and rendered invisible. Each creature has been assigned a section of the library to guard, and it will do everything in its power to prevent any damage or theft of the books in its area of responsibility. The beholders do not ordinarily communicate with one another, so as not to disturb Jawal Sevemain, the librarian, and generally know best to just leave him to his studies.   Jawal Sevemain (Librarian, Guild of Wizardry) First-time visitors to the library are often shocked when they gaze upon the sharp aquiline features, inky black skin, silver hair, and piercing violet eyes beneath the librarian's cowl-for Jawal is a renegade dark elf who has devoted his life to the cataloguing and maintenance of the guild's library of magical texts. Except at the request of Kieren or members of the Circle of Eight, Jawal rarely leaves his precious collection. He has a pallet bed in a comer of the library, and the porters bring him all his meals; those who would consult with him must do so on his own territory. Jawal is more than 400 years old and has spent at least the last 150 years closeted in " his" library.   Jawal detests bright lights, and the library is a dark and gloomy place where the shadows seem to have a life of their own. Visitors will be sure they are being watched by someone or something at the edge of their vision.   Jawal is well respected by the Circle of Eight, and his knowledge of the contents, history, and whereabouts of magical texts is second to none. Jawal's monastic existence and devotion to his work has led him to view most others as his inferiors; he has little respect for anyone but archmages and acknowledged masters of " the Art." Over the years Kieren and Jawal have become firm friends, and he is generally on good terms with the membership of the Circle of Eight. Jawal, how ever, loathes Kondradis Bubka , the Mage of Exchange , and Heironymous Tigana, the Guild Alchemist, both of whom he perceives as lacking true dedication to the magical art and being merely "in it for the money." Surprisingly, Jawal and Darnak Khorshkan, the Head Porter, get along extremely well. They both see in each other the same devotion to their allotted tasks and respect for tradition, and Darnak will frequently drop in for a pipe and a drink on his late-night rounds .   Kondradis Bubka (Mage of Exchange) Kondradis is 5'10" tall , 152 lbs . , with gray hair (balding at the crown and cut very short) and slightly rheumy gray eyes which betray his 57 years . He dresses very simply, in a plain gray robe without decoration. Kondradis handles all magical exchange , buying, and selling for the Guild of Wizardry. He specializes in divination spells, and he has developed his own variant of the identify spell. He keeps this completely secret, even from other guild members , and under no circumstances will he be willing to let any PC see the spell book with this spell inscribed in it .   A special point concerning Kondradis is that he strongly dislikes elves, and will buy from and sell to them at a further 5% benefit for the guild above the noted margins. This animosity is due to an unfortunate experience in Celene, where a court bard sang a witty verse or several mocking his disheveled appearance, and to a lapse of character when he made a pass at Fioranna Aielestriel and was rebuffed in no uncertain terms.   This animosity, and his uncaring neutral alignment, means that he is happy to accept dead elves and also other "creatures" from the Shapechangers, buying their supplies quite readily and passing them on to Heironymous Tigana (see below) for his work, with which Kondradis sometimes assists him, for neither man wishes it to be widely known what they use in alchemical work. Awkward questions might be asked if this was known to Kieren Jalucian, the Guild Master, or to Jallarzi Sallavarian (see below). Kondradis takes pride in making good money for the guild, and doesn't wish it to be known how this is sometimes managed.   Kondradis may easily be encountered if the PCs wish to buy, sell, or exchange magic, of course. Any attempt to do this anywhere in the city will always result in the PCs' being referred to the guild and, hence, to Kondradis. In addition, the mage may rarely be found in the Savant (location Cll), taking dinner and a small tipple, and he can sometimes be found in the Wheel of Gold, Nerof Gasgal's gambling house, where he attempts to socialize with the well-to-do and any Directors who might be around (who usually treat him with patient respect, which just masks their terminal boredom with the dry-as-dust fellow).   Heironymous Tigana (Alchemist, Guild of Wizardry) Heironymous is a spectacularly ugly man. At 4'11", with sparse tufts of gray wiry hair atop his bumpy-knobbed scalp and bulging gray eyes on either side of his huge, red-veined nose, he looks like a slightly elongated alcoholic and geriatric gnome. He is, however, notably sprightly and dextrous for his 71 years, and his intelligence has not dimmed. He dresses in a leather jack and apron (this is not treated as armor), and smells horrid-there is a miasma of stale sweat, acidic vapors, and boiled cabbage about him. He is irritable, and has time only for his work.   Heironymous has his own laboratory in the basements of the guild house, where he insists on total privacy and seclusion for his work. No guildmembers will enter without making an appointment through Kondradis (usually at least two days in advance) unless there are exceptional circumstances (fire, threat to the city itself, etc.). This enables Heironymous to go about his work undisturbed, and he will cheerfully slice, dice, grind, boil, puree and simmer whatever it is that he needs to use, whether it is wing of griffon or the bone marrow of a comely elf.   Heironymous labels his materials in an old Suloise runic alphabet which is known to no one else in the guild except Kondradis, so that a casual inspection might not reveal what the bottles (opaque to conceal appearances) and urns hold.   Heironymous accepts useful materials from whoever will supply them. Usually such people come to Kondradis, who also deals with the selling side. Heironymous has shelves of books with almost all known alchemical recipes, and he knows all of the common potion recipes (healing, ESP, flying, invisibility, and the like). For each type of rare potion (dragon control, super-heroism, etc.), there is a 90% chance that Hieronymous knows the recipe.   Word has gotten around that if one wants a potion, Greyhawk is the place to get it, and the biggest demand of all is for potions of longevity. After all, who does not want youth returned and life extended? This is why elf bone marrow and blood (used in the recipe for a potion of longevity) are so valuable to Heironymous and Kondradis, and why they eagerly deal with the Shapechangers.    Heironymous sits and sulks down in his laboratories, staring at the glasswork and equipment most of the time. However, he is also an alcoholic, and he has expensive tastes in wine. He will not trust anyone else to buy his wine for him, so from time to time he is forced to venture out into the better markets to purchase his own. He then takes back his cases of unseen servant to push along a Tenser's floating disc with the wine atop it. He has tried to send an invisible stalker out to do this shopping, but the merchants refuse to deal with such a creature, and so Heironymous is forced to make this trip every week or so. Also, on rare occasions, a half-drunk Heironymous uses invisibility and fly to make a perilous trip to Old Mother Grubb's; amazingly, he has not yet collided with any rooftops on this bumpy journey. He only gambles there, and never risks significant sums; he just likes the seedy atmosphere of the place. The predatory staff of this dubious establishment knows that Heironymous's disappearance at their hands would be very dangerous for them, since magical scrying and determined investigation would lead Kieren and the other mages to their place, so they have not attacked the old alchemist.  

The University

One of the guild's major functions is the training of wizards, both the novice and the experienced. Every year, new freshfaced students arrive to begin their studies and learn their first spell (which is always read magic).   Trainee mages enrolled at the University can expect the very best in training and preparation for their career in magery. The University can draw upon the considerable resources of the associated Guild of Wizardry and includes some of the most distinguished practioners of the Art among its tutorial staff.   The University encourages both established wizards and students (under supervision) to undertake research into various aspects of the magical arts, and there are several secure laboratories beneath the Guildhall.   Tobin Potriades (Senior Tutor, The University) Tobin is a genial old man of about 90 years of age (although his exact age is uncertain, and Tobin himself gave up counting long ago) with a pronounced fondness for good food and wine. Tobin is responsible for the instruction of all mages who come to the University for training, and although he rarely lectures these days he still takes an active interest in his students and their studies.   Tobin's eyesight is dwindling rapidly, and his hearing is bad at best. So far he has refrained from using magical means to correct these problems; he wears thick half-moon spectacles and carries a large, unwieldy ear trumpet. Tobin is accompanied wherever he goes by Tiddles, his changecat familiar that generally retains the form of a moth-eaten old tabby cat.   Ephraim Blackrod (Master of Ceremonies) The position of Master of Ceremonies was written into the founding charter of the Free City's Guild of Wizardry and University by Zagig the Archmage. Holders of this position ( which is normally passed from father to son) have a duty to ensure that the correct ceremonies and rituals are observed.   Dressed in his ceremonial robes and clutching his staff of office, Ephraim Blackrod, often accompanied by the Head Porter, tours the halls and buildings of the guild and the University, performing the multitude of small tasks and rituals essential to the well-being of the guild. It is the Master of Ceremonies, for example, who must procure the fifteen halfling trampolinists to perform at the annual pickled quails' egg banquet on the last day of Fireseek, or to ensure that the principal is wearing his ceremonial moosehead at midday every Starday. It is also the Master of Ceremonies who organizes the Desportium of Magick and the first- year students' annual raft-race down the Processional.   Ephraim is a dour, serious man who (like all his predecessors) takes his job very seriously. Although many might see him as a figure of fun, students and guild members normally know better than to laugh at him or his duties. Many a firstyear student has winced at the lash of his acid tongue and (for Ephraim has power vested in him by the founding charter over the student body) spent the rest of the day whitewashing the garderobes with nothing more than a songbird's feather.   Over the years many have questioned the necessity and economy of the post of Master of Ceremonies. Revisionists in the Guild argue that such ridiculous nonsense is worthless in today's modem age of magical science. Yet Ephraim still remains in office. The truth is that the post was delineated clearly in Zagig's founding charter, and no one can be sure that the Master of Ceremonies does not play a crucial part in preserving the powerful magics wrought in the construction of the building.