Enclave of Arcanists
The Pinnacle of the Educated
Spells do not discover, craft, or perfect themselves, no, they require the knowledge of an arcanist to glean them from the River. The Enclave of Arcanists is dedicated to the study of spellcraft and the arcane alphabet: discovering new spells and improving the efficiency of casting for spells that already exist. In all my days of schooling I was always so terrible at arcanology, yet I always found it interesting and amazing. It is awe-inspiring -- the intelligence of the arcanists of the enclave. To just sense what motions and words and inflections will draw out a new spell is an ability far beyond any I possess.
The main goal of the Enclave is the dissemination of knowledge to as many magic users as possible. Most of the best mage schools and training institutions are funded and/or run by the arcanists. The teachings of these schools is not limited to the study of the arcane, however. Mages, necromancers, druids, and even some priests are trained at these schools. I myself have had the supreme fortune of studying at the famed Dar'El Druida academy of Jin El Aethis, and I should think that nearly all of my success as a young druid is due to the teachings of the arcanists there.
There are a few ranks in the organization -- though nothing too formal. Joining is a simple matter of application. Potential initiates are given an in-person examination with an experienced mentor who will assess how skilled the applicant is, and where they should start their training. It is impossible to fail this examination, the belief of the Enclave being that anyone, no matter how little-skilled, can be taught at least the very basics of their desired art. Before discussing the examination further, it would be beneficial for me to discuss, quickly, the differing ranks within the Enclave, so that the discussion on the entrance exam makes sense to you all.
Initiate: An initiate is the lowest rank of the order, and there are many, many subdivisions of this rank alone that I shall not go into. For our purposes, think of the initiate as that person that is eager to learn their art (druidry, magecraft, sorcery, necromancy, etc.), but knows relatively little about it and likely could only cast cantrips, if anything at all. There is no shame to start here, and many great magicians and arcanists have begun as lowly initiates before they climbed their way to fame.
Adept: An adept is a learner who has a grasp on the basics of their art and can cast many of the simple spells, remember simple incantations, and knows the basic knowledge of the field they are in. For example, when I was an Adept druid (oh, how long ago that was!), I could cast many simple spells to heal a sick animal or plant (I mostly focused on the art of healing rather than battle), I could cast very basic defense spells, like causing the thorns of a plant to shoot off at my target, and I knew the very basics of druidry: how to tell what sort of plant I was looking at, the common healing salves that can be made from common plants, things of that nature. Many students who seek only to learn basic knowledge of some sort of magical art will stop here -- and there is no shame in doing so! Some students prefer to be an adept at many different arts rather than being a master of one, and they are equal to such masters in the eyes of the Enclave.
Teacher: Unique to the Enclave of Arcanists is the practice of forcing students to become teachers before they can continue their studies in their area of expertise. All those adepts who so desire to rise in the ranks of the enclave must spend three years teaching initiates the basics that they (the adepts) have learned in their training. The idea is that teaching the material will cause the teacher to become even more well versed and proficient at the foundation of their art than if they had simply continued on the path to more complex teachings. For many, it also serves to strengthen the sense of kinship with their fellow Enclave members, and promotes a healthy relationship between students and teachers.
Professional: Another stopping point for many students is the rank of professional. A professional is well versed in many complex forms of their art. They have the capacity to quickly learn simple spells that they do not know or recall from past lessons, and are well sought after for dealing with more pressing issues than an adept could handle. For example, to cull a sudden swarm of rabid fox-wolves (a horrid experience I once had), a professional druid would handle the situation. While, as I have stated, an adept would know many of the simple things, and could likely make a plan to solve the situation, any unexpected difficulties may prove too difficult for an adept to overcome with their limited knowledge. Thus, it is often considered too dangerous to send adepts on missions that could be deadly, and professionals are preferred.
Master: There are few masters in the Enclave compared to professionals. Becoming a master requires years of work and dedication to the art -- tireless and determined work. To transition from teacher to master, you must have taught for three years and successfully passed your trial. This trial is different for every master, and may not even be staged by the Enclave. For example, when I was attempting to become a master, there was a plague in a local forest that was killing the trees and turning the animals rabid (the nasty work of an undead wight). I had been called upon to be part of a team to eliminate the threat, which we did quite efficiently. I, having discovered the source, defeated the wight, and found the cure for the disease, was made a master thereafter, as the Arcanist council thought that my mission had been difficult enough to qualify as a trial. As you may have guessed, each person's trial can be quite dangerous, and some do not live to pass. Those who die are awarded the highest honors, as their dedication to learning was such that they were willing to sacrifice their lives.
Grandmaster: Not to be confused with the representative of the Enclave at Nörn, grandmasters are the highest ranking, most honored members of the Enclave. Becoming a grandmaster takes a lifetime of work and dedication, and a record deserving of the honor. There is no formal way to become a grandmaster, you must be selected by the Enclave's high council to receive this honor. Each and every grandmaster has completed some gargantuan task, often saving whole towns, nations, and even races from annihilation. Once a suitable act of greatness has been achieved, a council of other grandmasters of the Enclave is called and the master is assessed along with his accomplishments. If the record of the individual in question is deemed fit, he/she will receive the ultimate honor. Merely being in the presence of a grandmaster is a high honor. They are often revered community leaders, praised for their wisdom and sound judgement. Grandmasters bear the most responsibilities within the order, however, and are called upon to handle the most difficult tasks in Ultor. Their jobs can be incredibly dangerous, but the death of a grandmaster is still a relatively rare thing. Praise to the Lady for that.
Now that we have gotten a grasp on the ranking within the order, let us return to the topic of the entrance exam. The applicant will first select which rank they should like to qualify for, from initiate, adept, or teacher. It is not allowed to select master or grandmaster right away. Based on this choice, the prospective arcanist will be guided through a small training course relevant to their choice. This training course consists of a myriad of challenges that are considered to be of median difficulty for the chosen rank. Trainees can also select a specialization (I chose healing druidry for mine) which will affect the training course. The course itself is quite impressive each and every time that I see it. It is not a fixed thing. Rather, a certain grandmaster Kinbadd (master of mechanisms, stoneworking, and building of all sorts) creates each course specific to each individual. He holds the all-important position of overseeing the training and entrance of new arcanists into the order. Kinbadd, though he specializes in mechanisms and building has a surprisingly broad knowledge of many different arts which allows him to build courses for nearly every single specialization without researching any spells! Upon completing (or failing) the course, the trainee is judged as to whether or not he is fit for the role that he seeks. There is no shame in failing, and, in fact, it is considered noble to even have tried. Being placed in a lower rank than originally desired is not a mark of shame or stupidity, but is done, rather, for the protection of each learner.
Initiate: An initiate is the lowest rank of the order, and there are many, many subdivisions of this rank alone that I shall not go into. For our purposes, think of the initiate as that person that is eager to learn their art (druidry, magecraft, sorcery, necromancy, etc.), but knows relatively little about it and likely could only cast cantrips, if anything at all. There is no shame to start here, and many great magicians and arcanists have begun as lowly initiates before they climbed their way to fame.
Adept: An adept is a learner who has a grasp on the basics of their art and can cast many of the simple spells, remember simple incantations, and knows the basic knowledge of the field they are in. For example, when I was an Adept druid (oh, how long ago that was!), I could cast many simple spells to heal a sick animal or plant (I mostly focused on the art of healing rather than battle), I could cast very basic defense spells, like causing the thorns of a plant to shoot off at my target, and I knew the very basics of druidry: how to tell what sort of plant I was looking at, the common healing salves that can be made from common plants, things of that nature. Many students who seek only to learn basic knowledge of some sort of magical art will stop here -- and there is no shame in doing so! Some students prefer to be an adept at many different arts rather than being a master of one, and they are equal to such masters in the eyes of the Enclave.
Teacher: Unique to the Enclave of Arcanists is the practice of forcing students to become teachers before they can continue their studies in their area of expertise. All those adepts who so desire to rise in the ranks of the enclave must spend three years teaching initiates the basics that they (the adepts) have learned in their training. The idea is that teaching the material will cause the teacher to become even more well versed and proficient at the foundation of their art than if they had simply continued on the path to more complex teachings. For many, it also serves to strengthen the sense of kinship with their fellow Enclave members, and promotes a healthy relationship between students and teachers.
Professional: Another stopping point for many students is the rank of professional. A professional is well versed in many complex forms of their art. They have the capacity to quickly learn simple spells that they do not know or recall from past lessons, and are well sought after for dealing with more pressing issues than an adept could handle. For example, to cull a sudden swarm of rabid fox-wolves (a horrid experience I once had), a professional druid would handle the situation. While, as I have stated, an adept would know many of the simple things, and could likely make a plan to solve the situation, any unexpected difficulties may prove too difficult for an adept to overcome with their limited knowledge. Thus, it is often considered too dangerous to send adepts on missions that could be deadly, and professionals are preferred.
Master: There are few masters in the Enclave compared to professionals. Becoming a master requires years of work and dedication to the art -- tireless and determined work. To transition from teacher to master, you must have taught for three years and successfully passed your trial. This trial is different for every master, and may not even be staged by the Enclave. For example, when I was attempting to become a master, there was a plague in a local forest that was killing the trees and turning the animals rabid (the nasty work of an undead wight). I had been called upon to be part of a team to eliminate the threat, which we did quite efficiently. I, having discovered the source, defeated the wight, and found the cure for the disease, was made a master thereafter, as the Arcanist council thought that my mission had been difficult enough to qualify as a trial. As you may have guessed, each person's trial can be quite dangerous, and some do not live to pass. Those who die are awarded the highest honors, as their dedication to learning was such that they were willing to sacrifice their lives.
Grandmaster: Not to be confused with the representative of the Enclave at Nörn, grandmasters are the highest ranking, most honored members of the Enclave. Becoming a grandmaster takes a lifetime of work and dedication, and a record deserving of the honor. There is no formal way to become a grandmaster, you must be selected by the Enclave's high council to receive this honor. Each and every grandmaster has completed some gargantuan task, often saving whole towns, nations, and even races from annihilation. Once a suitable act of greatness has been achieved, a council of other grandmasters of the Enclave is called and the master is assessed along with his accomplishments. If the record of the individual in question is deemed fit, he/she will receive the ultimate honor. Merely being in the presence of a grandmaster is a high honor. They are often revered community leaders, praised for their wisdom and sound judgement. Grandmasters bear the most responsibilities within the order, however, and are called upon to handle the most difficult tasks in Ultor. Their jobs can be incredibly dangerous, but the death of a grandmaster is still a relatively rare thing. Praise to the Lady for that.
Now that we have gotten a grasp on the ranking within the order, let us return to the topic of the entrance exam. The applicant will first select which rank they should like to qualify for, from initiate, adept, or teacher. It is not allowed to select master or grandmaster right away. Based on this choice, the prospective arcanist will be guided through a small training course relevant to their choice. This training course consists of a myriad of challenges that are considered to be of median difficulty for the chosen rank. Trainees can also select a specialization (I chose healing druidry for mine) which will affect the training course. The course itself is quite impressive each and every time that I see it. It is not a fixed thing. Rather, a certain grandmaster Kinbadd (master of mechanisms, stoneworking, and building of all sorts) creates each course specific to each individual. He holds the all-important position of overseeing the training and entrance of new arcanists into the order. Kinbadd, though he specializes in mechanisms and building has a surprisingly broad knowledge of many different arts which allows him to build courses for nearly every single specialization without researching any spells! Upon completing (or failing) the course, the trainee is judged as to whether or not he is fit for the role that he seeks. There is no shame in failing, and, in fact, it is considered noble to even have tried. Being placed in a lower rank than originally desired is not a mark of shame or stupidity, but is done, rather, for the protection of each learner.
Structure
At the top of the order is a council of grandmasters. Each and every grandmaster presently living is given a voice on this council, and even the dead are occasionally consulted in times of crisis. Those grandmasters who are actively part of the order are also assigned an administrative post suited especially for them. Those posts that cannot be filled by a grandmaster are filled with a willing and capable master-rank arcanist. Within the organization itself, I have heard that the heirarchy is quite complex (much too complex for this accounting!), and is based on rank, reputation, status, and a good many other things.
Public Agenda
The Enclave seeks primarily to distribute knowledge throughout Ultor. Devoted arcanists fervently believe that the dissemination of knowledge will foster peace and prosperity all over the world.
A step towards knowledge is a step towards salvation.
Type
Political, Activist
Alternative Names
Order of Arcanists
Demonym
Arcanist
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