Arcanum

Leader

The Archmage of Theopolis is the leader of the entire order. The current Archmage of Heliopolis is Issanthor Saraval.  

Structure and Headquarters

Most large cities and towns have a branch of the Arcanum somewhere within the city walls. Each branch is governed by council, who elect a Chancellor from their numbers to represent the guild if called to a Conclave in Theopolis. Smaller communities may have a wizard of note who corresponds with the Chancellor in the closest city (either geographically or politically).   The Grand Ziggurat just outside Theopolis dominates the skyline of the city. Here the likes of Mordenkainen, Tenser, and Bigby studied and crafted the spells which still bear their names.

Resources

Members of the Arcanum may request access to the guild's mundane libraries and use of the magical laboratories of the guild. They may request to copy a spell from the guild's vast collection of spellbooks, but must gain at least one point of Prestige before requesting another spell. They still must pay the cost to copy the spell into their spellbook.   In cities and towns with a guildhall, members may request lodging. An apprentice may get little more than a cot in the dormitory, while higher-ranking members may request a suite of rooms.    

Renown

As members gain renown, their standing in the guild increases, and they gain access to more resources. Members gain renown by completing tasks assigned by the guild. Renown is also gained by letting the guild copy previously unknown spells or studying unusual or rare magic items. A member may lose renown by sharing the secrets of the Arcanum freely or by performing acts which cause distrust of magic or mages.    

Apprentice (1 Prestige)

Apprentices gain access to the resources of the Arcanum listed above. An apprentice may request lodging at any branch of the Arcanum, which also includes a Mage of the Order in smaller villages. The person or branch providing the lodging can request a service or two from the apprentice.    

Adept (3 Prestige)

Study at the Arcanum develops a deep understanding of a traditional spells that a mage has access to. Once an apprentice reaches the rank of an adept, they have mastered the detect magic spell, along with either the magic missile or sleep spell. These spells are added to the list of known or prepared spell for the Adept and cannot be replaced or substituted. If a wizard may prepare 7 spells or a sorcerer or warlock knows 5 spells, they still prepare or know those spells, but now add detect magic and the spells chosen as additional spells prepared or known.   The Adept may choose another Knowledge Skill (Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature or Religion) to add to their list of skills.    

Arcanos (10 Prestige)

Mages who have attained the ability to cast third level spells may choose to master the spell Fireball or Lightning Bolt. The spell is added to the list of known or prepared spell for the Arcanos and cannot be replaced or substituted. If a wizard may prepare 9 spells or a sorcerer or warlock knows 9 spells, they still prepare or know those spells, but now add the spells chosen as additional spells prepared or known.   Request to copy a formula for the creation of a common or uncommon magical item. The member may not request a new formula until they gain at least one point of Prestige. Any Mage who shares or sells a requested formula loses access to this resource.   Request the sigil sequence for an Arcanum guildhall or request to be teleported to another guildhall. Many cities and towns have at least one member of the guild who has a room set aside for a teleportation circle, courtesy of the guild. The member may not request either service again until they gain at least one point of Prestige, though they may be able to pay for a teleport if there is a member available.    

Magus (25 Prestige)

Mages who have attained the ability to cast fifth level spells masters the spell Teleportation Circle. The spell is added to the list of known or prepared spell for the Magus and cannot be replaced or substituted. If a wizard may prepare 9 spells or a sorcerer or warlock knows 9 spells, they still prepare or know those spells, but now add the spells chosen as additional spells prepared or known.   Request to copy a formula for the creation of a rare magical item. The member may not request a new formula (including common or uncommon formulas) until they gain at least one point of Prestige. Any Magus who shares or sells a requested formula loses access to this resource.    

High Magus (50 Prestige)

Access to formulas for very rare magical items, following the same rules as above. The High Magus can assign a task to an Apprentice, Adept or Arcanos. The High Magus is considered one of the leaders of the Guild and wields the executive powers of the guild with the approval of the Archmage.

The Arcanum was brought into being at the birth of the new Kingdom of Arvanor. In the new settlement of Theopolis, arcanists who fled Khepnefera during Gaius Arvanor’s exodus came together to pool their knowledge and further their craft. The arcanists wished to break away from the planar magic of Khepnefera, they felt that the ancient empire’s downfall would be caused by dealing with forces without sufficient knowledge. The Infinity Coil of Khepnefera wished to chain the whole of reality to the Sorcerer-Pharaoh, but took risks and made poor choices when working with immortals. The Arcanum would be founded as an institute for the study of magic and its effects, not as a tool for power hungry arcanists. Soon after its inception, the Arcanum began its practice of including only arcanists of a studious demeanor. The Arcanum became an almost exclusive Wizards Guild. Sorcerers, Bards and Warlocks could apply for membership, but had to prove that they were serious about their studies. As Arvanor grew, the Arcanum spread itself throughout the Empire except for the anti-arcane city of Calastan. Their policy of political and social neutrality meant that no Lord-Mayor or king would see them as a threat. The Arcanum sees its rival, the Prismatic Order, as an organization destined to fall to its own excesses. They see the lack of “proper study” in the Prismatic Order as a recipe for disaster, and they work to see that any magical items and lore find its way into Arcanum hands rather than the Order’s. The first Archmage of the Arcanum was the still-famed Mordenkainen and many of the mages whose names carry on in the spells they created such as Tenser, Otiluke, etc. were members of this august order.