Guild of Arcane Lore

is often considered more of a loose association of scholars whose studies and practices involve esoteric knowledge than a. Some s practice (see ) some are students in obscure but mundane fields. The distinction is often obscure. The only entrance requirement is a demonstrable personal talent in magic, or one of the other arcane arts.

There are numerous secret societies and orders whose members practice the hidden arts; the Guild of Arcane Lore is simply an organization through which some practitioners of the esoteric arts, choose to occasionally represent themselves to the outside world.

The guild grants no franchises and there is no fixed structure. There may be apprentices and, but such is at the discretion of individual masters or chantries. While individual masters may enter the employ of outsiders, the guild will sell no contracts; members may come and go as they please. In general, those who practice the hidden arts are far too involved in their studies to take much notice of outsiders and their “trivial” pursuits.

This is a weak guild with some very powerful members.

The necessity for keeping certain kinds of knowledge secret from the majority of the population is established by the Libram of the Pantheon which states that the unbridled spread of knowledge once came near to destroying. Among educated persons, knowledge is regarded as the ultimate power, and the right to have knowledge as something that must be earned. The concept of “worthiness to know” is central to most schools of thought; if one man risks his life in the pursuit of knowledge, or invests hours of research time, it is improper for someone else to be freely given the knowledge. This has led to an attitude among scholars whereby knowledge is treated as a commodity. It may be bought, sold or bartered, but seldom is it gifted.

The Guild of Arcane Lore
The is a loose association of scholars whose study and practice involve esoteric knowledge. Some study magical phenomena; some practice magic, many are only students in obscure but mundane fields. The differences are sometimes unclear.

It should be noted that the information given on the structure of arcane applies almost equally well to institutions of mundane lore. Western n universities are generally organized along similar lines, the principal difference being the subjects of study.

Magic and Religion
There is a clear difference between and. A miracle is a religious event brought about by a, or , with or without the request of a lesser agent (such as a ). Miracles are not performed by men; they come from the gods. Little or no skill is needed to obtain divine intervention. Magic, on the other hand, is caused by the manipulation of non-sentient forces by a skilled practitioner, and requires no divine participation.

This distinction is very important. It is exceedingly improper to refer to a miracle as a spell, or vice versa. The Guild of Arcane Lore is concerned with magic, but has nothing to do with religion, which is the prerogative of the churches. While there are individuals (see Shamans below) who pass off their spells as miracles, or their miracles as spells, such frauds are generally held in contempt, if not vigorously persecuted. Theology is a proper subject of study for members of the Guild of Arcane Lore, and for mundane scholars as well, but the ability to perform miracles is not regarded as a sign of learning or skill.

Psionic talents are not generally considered to be divine intervention, although there are a few churchmen who consider them god-given. Since it requires skill, usually acquired through years of practice, to properly employ a native psionic power, talents are generally regarded as being within the sphere of the Guild of Arcane Lore. Possession of a usable or reliable talent may be the easiest criterion for entry into the Guild.

Legal Constraints
An important distinction between magic and religion is legality. In many regions it is illegal to conjure or consort with demons, or “dispose of souls”. These are, by definition, religious acts, and either trespass heavily on the prerogatives of the evil churches or, where these churches are proscribed, are considered witchcraft. The penalty for witchcraft is death, often in an extremely unpleasant manner. All temples also have special privileges which they guard jealously. If they are usurped, the usurper may be charged with breach of privilege, tried, and executed. Most sorcerers deem it wise to avoid all such charges of witchcraft by staying well clear of religious acts.

Magic itself is not illegal in most regions. However, the definition of witchcraft also includes the casting of inimical spells. One who believes himself harmed by malicious magic may charge his alleged tormentor. Such charges are hard to prove. One of the purposes of the Guild of Arcane Lore is to defend members from unwarranted legal action.

Origins and Development
No universal history of the Guild of Arcane Lore has ever been kept. Arcanists are individualists. Hence, while many loremasters have kept private journals, few have even attempted to compile a record of the Guild.

Sorcerers, astrologers, rune masters, and their various colleagues have been delving into their obscure fields since prehistoric times. Many chantries predate the formation of the Guild, and many arcanists existed before anyone thought of chantries.

The organization of the Guild was an evolution rather than a specific event. The fifth century saw guilds throughout Lythia gradually brought into a joint association called the “Mangai”. In some regions, the formation of the Guild of Arcane Lore had already occurred; in other regions, the establishment of the Mangai was the impetus needed to bring it about. Legislation pertaining to the Mangai offered legal recognition of guild rights and privileges. Arcanists, often the objects of outside interference, quickly perceived the advantage of communal security.

In 526, a conclave of arcanists was convened in Berema,, at the behest of the Shek-Pvar of Hârn and Emelrene who had been reasonably well organized since the first century. The conclave wrote the Guild charter, and it was quietly approved by the Mangai and various Lythian governments within three decades. It took somewhat longer to convince all of the independent chantries to join an organization based at Berema, but the charter threatened no one’s autonomy and allowed for the formation of regional divisions. The most significant sub-grouping is that of the eastern region of Lythia, which is headquartered at Kotyn in.

There is little contact between the east and west. The two major divisions meet separately, although each sends a delegate to the other’s conclaves. Within the Guild, there is a movement to reestablish overall headquarters at or near Hacherdad, which is far closer to the geographical centre of the continent, but few arcanists see much point to such a move.

Organization
The charter of the Guild of Arcane Lore is designed to establish legal and customary rights for its members. Qualification for membership is discretionary, and varies greatly from one region to another. Structure is a matter of local custom and expedience.

Chapters/Chantries
The basic organizational unit of the Guild is the chapter, or chantry, which is governed by a “Chapter Council”. The members of the council may be termed Councillors, Syndics or Collegians. They never advertise themselves; the presence of a chantry in a town may be unknown to virtually the entire population. Most chantries are located outside population centres, in pastoral or wilderness settings where the cost of property is low and there are few distractions. A list of the major Lythian chantries of the Guild of Arcane Lore, and those of the convocations of the Shek-Pvar, is given on page 4.

Guild Ranks
The following ranks identify a scholar’s abilities within his field. Honourary awards are sometimes made for political reasons, and it is sometimes possible to purchase or otherwise obtain one without meeting the normal requirements. The status of the ranks also varies by region. In some places, a Satia is a highly respected scholar. In others, he is regarded as a “mere student”. The entries given under Duration are the periods for which the rank is typically held prior to promotion to the next. This varies according to the field of study and the competence of student and teacher. The subject studied is usually appended to the rank; a master of alchemy, for example, would be referred to as a Shenava of Alchemy.

Promotion and Credentials
When a teacher deems that one of his students has learned enough, he may promote him to the next rank. He may not grant degrees higher than his own.

A teacher who is a resident member of a Chantry, however, forfeits the right to promote. Instead, he submits a petition for advancement to the chantry council. In some cases, the teacher’s affirmation that the student is ready will suffice, in other cases the student may be examined to test his competence. If the petition for advancement is rejected, most chantries will entertain another application after a specified waiting period, usually two years. Some chantries limit the number of petitions that may be submitted on a student’s behalf.

Obviously, ranks are only as good as the authority granting them. Chantries generally have the highest standards, but some independent scholars command great respect.

When a chantry grants advancement, the recipient is given a document identifying him and the issuing chantry and declaring his status (a fee is usually charged for this service). These credentials are presented in a ceremony before the assembled chantry. A scholar who is granted a rank by a chantry is thenceforth deemed to be a “member” of that chantry.

Mavari (Student)
To become a student of arcane lore, one need only be accepted by a mentor (Satia, Shenava or Viran). Often the most important qualification is cash. Most such teachers support themselves from tuition fees. Some are independently wealthy, but then they have no need to teach, although a promising or talented assistant may be of use. The contract between mentor and student usually gives the teacher the right to dismiss the student at any time. The relationship between student and mentor is one with which the guild rarely involves itself, even if the teacher is resident at a chantry. It is also possible for a student to be studying with more than one tutor at a time. A Shenava or Viran may accept any number or students, although most will not take on more than about a dozen students; three or four are the usual maximum. Virana rarely accept students below the rank of Satia.

The duties of the student and teacher are defined by a formal or informal contract between them. These vary greatly; a wealthy teacher, or one resident at a chantry may simply require that the student make regular payments, and show up at lectures if he feels like it. An impoverished teacher may require his student(s) to keep house for him. Almost all mentors may call upon their students for assistance with their own work. This is educational for the Mavari, and for the teacher it is cheaper than hiring qualified help. The contract never guarantees that the student will qualify for advancement.

As well as an understanding of his field of study, the successful Mavari will acquire a basic education in language and (at least) the local script. He will also be acquainted, although not necessarily conversant with, the basic concepts of philosophy, religion, history and geography predominant in the local region. He will also learn fundamental mathematical skills.

Satia (Bachelor/Journeyman)
Once the student has attained the rank of Satia, he is free to do as he pleases. Most go out and look for work. They may teach, conduct independent research, or otherwise exploit their status as they deem fit. This distinguishes the Guild of Arcane Lore from most other guilds, which almost universally require journeymen to work for guilded masters.

Some Satias opt to continue their education. As before he must find someone willing and qualified to teach him (perhaps his former teacher) and enter into a new contract. A Satia may also conduct independent research and, when he believes himself qualified, ask a chantry master to submit a petition for advancement on his behalf. If he is deemed worthy of the next rank (Shenava) it may be granted as if the Satia had been studying at the chantry.

It is also possible to petition an independent shenava or viran for advancement, which he may grant or deny as he sees fit. However, since the object of obtaining a degree is to have one's status recognized, it is rarely worth obtaining the document from an independent master; very few have reputations as far reaching as that of a chantry.

Shenava (Master)
This is the rank sought by those with a lust for learning and by those who desire a career in teaching. The Shenava is free to do as he pleases, although he has more status than a Satia. A scholar of this rank may apply for residence in a chantry; this greatly enhances his ability to attract students. However, there are considerably more Shenava than there are vacancies in chan tries. If the Shenava wishes to continue his education, he is on his own.

Virana (Academian/Doctor)
This rank is awarded only to particularly accomplished Shenava who are recognized by the awarding chantry (or independent virana) as having made significant and unique contributions to their fields. Virana are held in great esteem.

Honourary Ranks
Some chantries award ranks up to shenava to accomplished or important outsiders. In these cases, the cost is borne by the chantry, which may use such awards to increase its prestige or encourage donations.

Table of Fees
The fees charged for an arcane education vary greatly, according to what the market will bear. Better teachers may charge ten to two hundred percent more, but the following costs of education are typical for independent teachers:


 * Chantry or Superior teacher: add 20-300%
 * Advancement Ceremony and diploma: 36-240d
 * Room & Board in Chantry: 60-120d/month.

Chantries
A chantry is a community of scholars who have banded together for reasons of mutual security and communal economy. A chantry also serves as a social club, meeting place and hostel for transient at large members. The members' lounge is permitted to serve food and refreshments, and is often the scene of numerous (usually quiet) conversations. A chantry has two kinds of member: residents and members at large. Anyone receiving a degree of advancement from a chantry becomes a member at large of that chantry. A member at large has few tangible obligations to his chantry. Most return periodically to visit and make donations, but there is no way to enforce this duty.

Resident masters are Shenava and Virana whose principal homes are in the chantry building. Residents usually teach, and pay their rents by allowing the chantry a percentage of their tuition income. Some residents are wealthy and simply pay rent. Large chantries are the exception. Most have less than a dozen resident masters and fewer than thirty students.

Most residents are unmarried, sometimes celibate, and dwell at the chantry because it provides an economical environment conducive to study and allows a pooling of resources and the exchange of ideas. The staff provides for members’ needs, reminding them to eat and sleep, and providing them with a tenuous link with the real world.

The supreme authority in a chantry is the Chantry Council, known as the board of governors, board of syndics, the chapter council, or any of a dozen other titles. In a small chantry (most are in this category) all resident members may be on the Chantry Council. In a large institution, this is rarely the case; councils seldom have more than six or seven members. In some chantries the residents elect council members, in others it is a self-appointing body. All council members must be of at least Shenava rank.

Most councils meet on a regular basis, monthly, quarterly or yearly. Many council meetings are extraordinary, called to fill a vacant office or deal with crises. In most chantries, any council member may call a meeting if he perceives a need.

Officers
A chantry council has the right to delegate authority, which is generally exercised in proportion to the size of the chantry. The council may define powers and tenure, set fees, create or abolish offices, and appoint or dismiss any person to fill these offices.

Seneschal
Most councils appoint some kind of manager. He may be called a seneschal, chapter master, guildmaster, or any other name. He may be a scribe, a former teacher, a litigant, or have background in any one of a dozen fields. By whatever title he is known, he is the chief administrative officer of the chantry. Some councils grant him virtually unrestricted authority; some impose carefully defined limitations. Most councils give the seneschal a budget and allow him to hire whatever subordinates he feels he requires. Regardless of his degree of freedom, the seneschal may be dismissed by the council at any time. One who offends his employers may soon find himself the subject of an extraordinary council meeting.

Other Officers
The size of the administration of a chantry is determined by its population. Most have a housekeeping staff, although many chantries require their students to cook and clean. Some wealthy chantries have dozens of staffmembers, including litigants to liaise with the “real” world, mercenaries to protect the premises, physicians, chaplains and so on. Very few chantries are this wealthy.

Dues and Funding
Most chantries include guidelines for fund raising in their charters. This varies widely. One charter may say, “each member shall make reasonable donations to the welfare of the chapter,” another might specify that, “each member shall pay a half of his income on, or prior to, the sixth day of Nolus”.

There are a number of fundraising options open to the chantry administration. In most cases, about a half of the teaching income of each resident member is taken by the chantry. Any member may rent accommodations in the chantry dormitory, or in a private room (according to his status and funds). This courtesy may also be extended to members of other chantries, and to independent guildmembers, ostensibly to foster fraternal relations. Chan tries may also arrange for members of the public to purchase consultation services from its members for a reasonable commission. After tuition fees, the best source of income is probably endowments solicited from wealthy outsiders, often in exchange for educating their children.

The Chantry Compound
The typical chantry includes quarters and sanctums for resident masters, chambers and dormitories for transients and students, a kitchen, and a great hall or lounge. There is often accommodation for a guard detachment and servants’ quarters. Most chan tries have archives or vaults containing both individual and communal property. The facilities are limited by the wealth of the chantry and its resident members, and the imagination of the seneschal and his staff.

Societies
A large number of secret societies exist within the Guild of Arcane Lore. These are semi-formal associations of individuals with specific objectives, or who share a common school of thought. Any group of masters may form such an organization. A society with at least half a dozen members, or four virana, may be registered with the central guild. There is no limit as to the number of societies to which a member may belong, although some require their members to belong to no other group.

Among the largest of the secret orders is the Order of the Gentle White Hand, headquartered in the Cherafir chantry on. Comprised of masters of various disciplines, its purpose is to protect the guild’s interests by exposing fraud.

Central Organs
The guild maintains a central administration at the chantry in Berema,. Here are registered all recognized chantries and secret orders. The Berema chantry is the site of the “Berema Conclave”. Each chantry and registered order may send a delegate to the conclave, although many do not bother. Conclaves convene on the sixth of Agrazhar every six years, and generally last six days. The next is scheduled for 724.

The conclave elects a new grand guildmaster (and deputy), to take charge of central administration, but the conclave is really more of a social gathering. The few important decisions that are made are reached behind the scenes. The most important function of the conclave is to allow masters to exchange notes. Many of the arcanists who come from all over Lythia, with or without delegate status, are there to consult with their peers rather than to conduct guild business.

The Shek-Pvar
The Shek-Pvar (sorcerers’ guild) is a branch of the Guild of Arcane Lore. Sometimes referred to as secret societies, each of the six convocations of the Shek-Pvar is a separate discipline and maintains its own chantries. Members may also reside or study in chantries of Arcane Lore, especially where chantries of their own convocations are not available. The Shek-Pvar are detailed in the HARNMASTER rules.

Apothecaries and Alchemists
There is a special relationship between the Apothecaries’ Guild and those who study alchemy. The Apothecaries’ Guild has a monopoly on the growing, gathering, mixing, buying and selling of herbs, medicines, potions, and the like. Guild masters operate franchises, train apprentices, hire journeymen, and otherwise behave in the normal manner of guildsmen. Master apothecaries may also supply members of the Guild of Arcane Lore with materiel. Obviously, it behooves an alchemist member of the Guild of Arcane Lore to join the Apothecaries' Guild. This requires dues to be paid to both guilds, but enhances his professional reputation and legal position.

Apothecaries possess considerable alchemical expertise, although their emphasis on herbal, medicinal alchemy means that their knowledge does not overlap completely with that of the typical alchemist. Nevertheless, apothecaries and alchemists of the Guild of Arcane Lore do acknowledge each other. It is relatively easy for a member of either guild to obtain an equivalent rank in the other, although there is a limit to the number of apothecary master's franchises available. Since there is no equivalent in their guild, apothecaries cannot obtain Vir ana rank by this means.

Diviners and Mystics
Maintaining standards among the more mystical branches of arcane learning is somewhat problematical. One who makes predictions may be judged by his accuracy, but learned folk realize that accuracy is not solely dependent on the predictor; it also depends on the ability of principals to affect the course of events and on the nature of the predicted event. Apart from this, the only objective way to assess accuracy is to compare several independent predictions concerning the same event. This is usually impossible because of the difficulty in gathering several predictions on demand.

The usefulness of a prediction is considered far more important than its “accuracy”. Oracles, whether they are based on magic, miracles, psionic talents, or the reading of runestones, stars, divining sticks, dice, tea leaves, or the entrails of animals, are valued primarily for the fact that they help the questioner to assess his situation and options. The diviner is supposed to offer a new perspective, not an exercise in fatalism.

Roles of student and teacher in the field of prediction are considerably more ambiguous than in other disciplines of the Guild of Arcane Lore. Generally, any predictor may apply to a chantry council for membership. His ability may be as much a matter of native talent as of training. He will probably be judged and awarded a rank on the basis of his reputation. The exception to this general principle is astrology, which is based on a set of fairly neat rules.

Runemasters
The arcanists of Ivinia are predominantly runemasters, although there is a chantry of Arcane Lore at Fuhreling in and Jmorvi and Odivshe chantries in Beleka and Jarehm. Rune masters are either students of the artistic and phonetic values of runes, or arcanists whose magic focuses on runic symbols. These latter mystical runemasters employ a vast variety of meaning-symbols, primarily as foci and mnemonic aids. Runestones also enjoy widespread oracular use, in Ivinia and elsewhere, both by skilled runemasters and amateurs.

Shamans and Mystics
Both the Shek-Pvar and the Guild of Arcane Lore are universal organizations in the sense that there are few portions of civilized Lythia where they do not exist. In some wilderness regions, however, particularly those far from the nearest chantry, there are practitioners of the arcane arts who have never seen a chantry and never heard of the Guild.

While it is true that “barbarian” shamans and wilderness mystics may join the guild of Arcane Lore, only those who at least occasionally visit civilization ever bother to do so. Occasionally, a guild member may make a place for himself among wilderness tribes, but a shaman with an hereditary monopoly within his tribe has no real need for the sanction of the guild, unless there are guild members usurping his prerogatives. Most tribal shamans fall into one or more of the following categories:

Skillmaster
The mundane skillmaster has no mystical powers, although he may pretend otherwise. Instead he possesses wide environmental knowledge which he uses in the service of his tribe. He might know where to look for a particular plant or animal because he has studied their natural properties; to the ignorant, this may seem like magic, and the skill master's usefulness is not lessened by its mundane basis.

Talent Master
The talent master is a shaman who possesses a native psionic talent (see HARNMASTER). He may or may not attribute it with religious origin.

Drug Enhancement Shaman
The ingestion of certain drugs causes visions. Some drugs act on anyone; some affect only certain individuals whose metabolisms are particularly receptive or who, whether they know it or not, possess “dormant” psionic talents. Some shamans with a knowledge of these drugs use them on themselves or on their “congregations”.

Artifact Shaman
An artifact shaman is one who has come into possession of an enchanted artifact which gives him useful power(s).

Religious Shaman
The religious practitioner has no magical power, but derives his abilities from a divine or demi divine agency (god, demon or demigod). This has nothing to do with magic and is outside the sphere of arcane lore.

The Sindarin and Khuzdul
The elves and dwarves were practicing sorcery long before man ever reached western Lythia, but they do not ascribe to the same organizational system. Among the elder peoples, arcane lore is a family or clan tradition, handed down from one generation to the next. Adoption between clans, for the purpose of specializing in a particular field, is reasonably common.

The absence of an arcanists’ guild does not hinder the Sindarin, who boast some of the greatest loremasters in the world. The Sindarin are particularly adept at the practice of sorcery. Probably at least eighty percent of the elves practice magic of one kind or another. Roughly half of all Elven Shek-Pvar are of the Fyvrian convocation. While they do not “belong” to human chantries, and hardly ever take non-elven students, they occasionally study at human chantries, and may be welcomed as guests.

In general, it is the nature of the Khuzdul to be more concerned with practical matters than with arcane lore. Many clans specialize in useful crafts, few in pure scholarship. The Khuzdul are, as a rule, less proficient at magic than humans. When they practice magic, it is usually as a natural extension of ordinary crafts. Khuzan weaponcrafting clans, for example, generally include Jmorvi spells among the tricks of their trade. The dwarves are less likely to study outside their clans, but a chantry may occasionally number one among its students.

Major Chantries
The following is a list of some of the more significant chantries on the Lythian continent. Those with less than eight resident masters, numbering about one hundred, have been omitted.

Note that there is an unusually high concentration of arcane chantries in the Hârn/Mèlderýn/Emelrene region. This is because of the region’s special interdimensional esoteric properties. A secondary concentration, for similar reasons, is in in eastern Lythia.

Chantries are located by the nearest site or major settlement. Following the settlement name is that of the state or region it is in. See the LYTHIA module for further details of settlements and regions. Many of the chantries listed are actually located near to, but outside the indicated settlement. The number represents the usual maximum number of resident masters. Multiply this by three for the approximate number of students. The asterisks after the number reflect the chantry’s reputation from one star (poor) to three stars (average) to five stars (excellent).

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