Epicentran Magistrate

To gain recognition as a Magistrate, a person must complete a seven year course at the Spellsong College at Orkand and take the Magistrate's Oath.

The specific wording of the oath is permitted some variation, but must include words to the following effect;
"I, [name], do swear that I will well and truly serve the civilised lands in the office of magistrate, and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. So help me [divinity]."

After taking the oath, a newly sworn magistrate usually travels with a more experienced magistrate for a year or two in preparation for discharging their duties.

After completing this mentorship period, they are granted the rank of circuit magistrate, although in times of need the mentorship period has in the past been dispersed with.

As a magistrate ages, or if they suffer an injury or sickness that leaves them with restricted ability to travel, they have the option of entering semi-retirement to become a sitting magistrate. Sitting magistrates take up residence in a city, town, or village, or return to the Spellsong College, and continue to discharge their duties from a central location. Those who return to the College do so to take up teaching positions.

The head of the college performs an administrative function and sits on the Orkand city council, but has no especial power over any other magistrate.

Magistrates recieve a yearly salary from the college, and are issued with scrips to retrieve hard funds from any Vassian church should they need to secure material resources in the course of their duties. The majority of their funds are retained by the college and presented to the magistrate in scrip or trade good form upon retirement, whether to a sitting position or full retirement.

Magistrates are usually welcome wherever they go in Epicentre. Their duties are primarily in arbitration and record keeping - they are not police, and serve justice over any material concern. As such, together with their performance and spellsinging skills, they rarely have to pay for accomodation or supplies. Most villages look forward to the periodical visits of a circuit magistrate and the news they bring.

Magistrates have four key duties;

Firstly, they are record-keepers. They keep track of and record the conditions in the lands they pass through, including crop failures, population booms or busts, monster attacks, incidents of banditry, and arbitrations made. Every three months, they return to the conservatory they are based in to make reports. These reports are then collated by the scribes at the conservatory, and copies sent to the college in Orkand.

Secondly, they are legal arbitrators. When people have a dispute, or are accused of a crime such as theft or assault, the magistrate hears the cases on the parts of all involved and makes a decision as to the correct way to resolve the incident or punish the criminal if they believe that guilt has been satisfactorily proven. They are guided in this efforts by precedent, and are expected to follow similar rulings made by magistrates in the past.

The magistrates' third task is to find youths and individuals who show promise, who they believe will make a good magistrate. To these talented people, the magistrate extends an offer to travel to Orkand and study at the spellsong college, along with an escort if the prospective student does not object to completing the magistrate's circuit with them.

Finally, they are champions and healers. If a village has medical or monster problems they cannot deal with, the magistrate is responsible for solving the problem with spellsong or knowledge if they can, and for aquiring more specialised assistance if not.

• A musical instrument
• A melee weapon
• A ranged weapon
• A set of light armour
• A book of precedents
• A fresh book of records
• A writing kit
• Travelling supplies

There are many dangers inherent to being a circuit magistrate, and some of them follow into retirement. Circuit magistrates must contend with inclement weather, bandits, changebeasts and animal attacks on the road. Occasionally they encounter new changepools on their routes, although this is rare.

Sometimes, those they rule against form grudges. Though they rarely strike directly at skilled magistrates, they can sometimes pose a threat to rookies or retirees.