Arcane Order

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Greyhawk Organization
Arcane Order
Alignment:Nuetral
Leader:Japheth Arcane
Members:Wizards
Headquarters:Mathghamhna

The Arcane Order of Enchantment and Exposition[1] is an organization of wizards who draw spells from a common repository of magical energy.

Description

"The Arcane Order is "a well-established college of wizardry. Students and masters alike engage in deep arcane studies, sharing with each other many of their own special insights into rare bits of arcana or spellcraft."[2][3][note 1]

The most unique and notable feature of the Arcane Order is their use of the "Spellpool" by accessing the Spellcrux, a magical artifact maintained by the Order which is a repository of arcane energy. Guild mages can use this repository of spells to draw any spell stored in the Spellcrux to themselves and cast as if it had been memorized. The member of the order uses a personal focus prepared with a specific ritual to do so.

History

In a previous Age, Mathghamhna was a fortress which stood in the Baklunish Empire.[note 2] It was assaulted by Pholemus (known as the Warlock), a "renegade Baklunish sorcerer who defected to the Suloise Empire"[5] during the Baklunish-Suloise Wars. Despite the ravages of the wars, the citadel still stood after the Suel had tried to annihilate the Baklunish by using the Invoked Devastation. In retaliation, the Baklunish Empire's mage-priests brought the Rain of Colorless Fire upon the Suloise Empire, creating the Sea of Dust.

The founder and Chancellor of the Order, Japheth Arcane, discovered catacombs beneath Mathghamhna while still a young apprentice. He returned nearly twenty years later with a group of followers and purchased the ancient citadel, and began refurbishment and revitalization of it. Japheth declared "the mighty doors of Mathghamhna were once again open, ... accepting wizardly applicants to the magical academy now named The Arcane Order of Enchantment & Exposition!"[1]

Members

Members of the Arcane Order are traditionally all wizards, although in the third edition description of the Order, sorcerers, bards, and other spontaneous spellcasters are allowed to join.[6][7][8]

Membership dues are only 30gp p/month,[9][10] and members must be present at the college at least once every six months.

Student tuition is 200gp per year.

Notable members

Chancellor and regents

Guild mages

  • Abyll Dolen (LN female human Wiz7)[19]
  • Baeren (NG male gnome Wiz9, Illusionist)[19]
  • Carriossa Blackwell (MG female human Wiz10, Conjurer)[19]
  • D'Amor (NG male elf Wiz7)[19]
  • Dalstrom Deschul (NG male human Wiz12, Transmuter)[20]
  • Lucinda (NG female elf Wiz8, Abjurer)[20]
  • Melody the Enchantress (NG female human Wiz14, Enchanter)[20]
  • Rolvsbakken (NG male human Wiz12, Evoker)[20]
  • Sabina (NG female human Wiz8)[20]
  • Turial Edemont (N male human Wiz5/Mage of the Arcane Order 4 CR14)[21]

Headquarters

"The Arcane Order is based in the ancient stronghold of Mathghamhna, a castle-like collection of towers and vaults carved from the flanks of a long-dead volcano."[2]

Mathghamhna is ancient and survived the Invoked Devastation.[5] "Mathghamhna was somewhere in the [former] Baklunish Empire (for example, the northwesternmost spur of the Yatil Mountains"[5][note 3]

Organization

Alignment

Structure

  • Chancellor. Japheth Arcane—head of the Order[12][11]
  • Regents—leaders of the Order (always 10th+ level)[10][11][22]
    There are Regents assigned to various duties in the College, though these vary in different sources. In some cases regents are known as "Masters" instead of "Regents of-", [10] Some of these positions may overlap.
    • Regent of Internal Concerns[23]Kaylisidee[15]—"the inventory of the food cellars, the availability of ink, the level of the water reservoir, the condition of the tower supports, the crops put into the garden, and the disposition and happiness of the staff."[24]
    • Regent of Pure Research[23]Liwendyll—"Coordinating all the research conducted on the Language Primeval."[14]
    • Regent of the Syllabus[23]Morgan Wyn—overseeing the progress of students, choreographing the schedule of every guild wizard and initiate, and seeing to it that each member instructs according to his or her strength and magical specialty."[16]
    • Regent of the Sword Arm[23]Shardea—military defense advisor and captain.[13]
    • Regent of Financial Concerns[23]Abendroth—responsible for budgets, bookkeeping, payrolls, and investments.[17]
    • Regent of External Concerns.[23] Dapfern Gerth—responsible for public relations and trade.[18]
    • Regent of Archaeology Dirganun[13]—searching for Lores amongst ancient and abandoned ruins of a long forgotten Age.[25]
    • Master Collegian[10]—head of the College (not the Order) and overseer of the students.
    • Master Librarian.[10]—
    • Master of the Spellpool[10]—
    • Master Diviner[10]—
    • Master Warder—"responsible for Mathghamhna’s security and the conditions of the grounds."[10]
  • Guildmages[26] (or "guild-level mage",[26][27] also called "Guild Wizard"[28]—usually 5th[10] or 7th level[29] and higher)
    • Scholars[10]—researchers and lorekeepers at the College
    • Collegians[10]—instructors at the College
    • Associates[10]—typical itinerant member of the Order
  • Initiates[30] (or Novices)[10]—1st+ level
  • Apprentices[31]

Resources

  • Spellpool—the most obvious and notable resource of the Arcane Order is access to the spellpool via a spellcrux.
  • Cassock of precaution—Each initiate receives the customary garb of the Order; a traditional long-sleeved, full-length, close-fitting robe with a mantle and cowl. It functions as a cloak of protection +1, and can cast shield once per day. Recharged by a monthly ritual of renewal, taught only to full guild members and is equivalent to a fourth-level spell.
  • Grand Library—At its headquarters, Mathgamna, the Order maintains "a huge collection of arcane knowledge that contains a plethora of esoteric magical knowledge of use to wizards of 6th level or less, including a host of volumes containing many common and uncommon spells of 1st through 3rd level."[30] "No wizard who is not a member of the college is normally allowed in the Grand Library."[32] As many as twenty-six members, ranging from apprentices to guild wizards, can be found in the library (and its reading rooms) at any hour.[33]
"Any attempt to remove a spellbook from the library through teleportation, dimension door, or simply walking through one of the doors triggers a magical trap. The trap first teleports the book in question back to its point upon the shelf, while at the same time teleporting the miscreant to a waiting dungeon cell ... sans equipment (which remains in the library)."[33]
  • Sealed Archive—"This exalted library contains tomes contributed by Japheth, the regents, and other guild wizards. The tomes found in the Sealed Archive generally contain spells from 4th to 8th level, and specifically requested rare texts may be made available as well. Access to the Sealed Archive eliminates the need to maintain a personal library for spell research."[29] The grand double doors of the Sealed Archive are ensorcelled to prevent entry by any wizard of less than seventh level.[34] "No wizard (even if of the appropriate level) who is not a full member of the college is allowed in the Sealed Archive."[35]

"The Sealed Archive expands upon the works found in the Grand Archive, exploring radical theories and philosophies of magic, touching on topics that are often too rarefied for the uninitiated to comprehend let alone put to good use. There are even a few books dealing with the Dark Arts, however, these particular volumes are under lock and key so as not to provide too tempting an avenue of research. The books in question are stored on heavy oaken shelves that rise to the 25-foot high ceiling (many of the volumes are accessible only through the track ladders that can be rolled to a specific location)."[34]

Rumors and legends

Publishing History

The Arcane Order originated in second edition's College of Wizardry (1997) by Bruce Cordell. The sourcebook was entirely about the Order, and included five chapters about their history, members, structure, goals, et al.

The Order reappeared in Tome and Blood (July 2001) for third edition for the "Mage of the Arcane Order" prestige class.

Later, in August 2001, the prestige class would be customized as the "Guild Wizard of Waterdeep" in Magic of Faerûn.[7] The organization itself became the "Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors"[36] This version slightly raised the prerequisites for entry into the prestige class.

The prestige class was again revised in Complete Arcane for the 3.5 revision. Though the benefits of the class were somewhat updated to 3.5 rules and tweaked, the prerequisites for this version were the same as in Tome and Blood.[27]

According to gaming historian Shannon Applecline:

"...the academian Drake from [College of Wizardry] is also found in Return to the Tomb of Horrors (1998). That's not the only tie between the College and the Tomb: this book also mentions a Bleak Academy, which appears in Skull City in Return to the Tomb of Horrors. ... The Bleak Academy is just a sidenote; the real heart of College of Wizardry is the Arcane Order. They'd recur in numerous D&D 3e (2000-2007) books, beginning with Tome and Blood (2001)."[37]

See Also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Though intended to be placed in any setting, College of Wizardry describes the Arcane Order's inclusion in the World of Greyhawk (among others) and replaces portions of the history found in the supplement with elements from Greyhawk.[4]
  2. ↑ College of Wizardry gives a complete history of the organization and its headquarters, but much of the details are explicitly replaced or altered for use in Greyhawk.[4] The History information is a summary of the sourcebook's replacement[4] for the history of the "Elders" and the summoning of the Dragon of Shades and the following cataclysm.[5]
  3. ↑ The Order might also be "a reclusive branch of the Wizard Guild in the Free City of Greyhawk or pacifistic refugees from Nyrond."[5]

Citations

  1. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.14.
  2. ↑ a b Tome and Blood (2001), p.23.
  3. ↑ Complete Arcane (2004), p.181.
  4. ↑ a b c College of Wizardry (1997), p.8.
  5. ↑ a b c d e College of Wizardry (1997), p.9.
  6. ↑ Tome and Blood (2001), p.60.
  7. ↑ a b Magic of Faerûn (2001), p.26.
  8. ↑ Complete Arcane (2004), p.48.
  9. ↑ Tome and Blood (2001), p.23.
  10. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Complete Arcane (2004), p.182.
  11. ↑ a b c College of Wizardry (1997), p.20.
  12. ↑ a b Complete Arcane (2004), p.183.
  13. ↑ a b c d College of Wizardry (1997), p.38.
  14. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.36.
  15. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.34-35.
  16. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.37.
  17. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.30-31.
  18. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.32.
  19. ↑ a b c d College of Wizardry (1997), p.39.
  20. ↑ a b c d e College of Wizardry (1997), p.40.
  21. ↑ Complete Arcane (2004), p.50-51.
  22. ↑ Tome and Blood (2001), p.62.
  23. ↑ a b c d e f College of Wizardry (1997), p.27.
  24. ↑ College of Wizardry (1997), p.34.
  25. ↑ College of Wizardry (1997), p.33.
  26. ↑ a b Tome and Blood (2001), p.60.
  27. ↑ a b Complete Arcane (2004), p.48.
  28. ↑ Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn (2001), p.26.
  29. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.19.
  30. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.18.
  31. ↑ College of Wizardry (1997), p.15.
  32. ↑ College of Wizardry (1997), p.58.
  33. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.59.
  34. ↑ a b College of Wizardry (1997), p.61.
  35. ↑ College of Wizardry (1997), p.62.
  36. ↑ Magic of Faerûn (2001), p.19, 26.
  37. ↑ College of Wizardry (2e), Product History. DriveThruRPG.com. OneBookshelf. Retrieved on 4 June 2023.

Bibliography

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

Abendroth Non-player character Male, Human, [Mu12], College of Wizardry 31
Abendroth's Magical Accountant (LVL2) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 31
Adamant Grasp (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 79-80
Baklunish Empire Kingdom College of Wizardry 9
Baklunish {Bakluni} People Group People, College of Wizardry 9
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), College of Wizardry 9
Bloat (LVL8) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 84-85
Carroissa's Appalling Dash (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 81
City of the Gods Settlement Arn (Blackmoor), Settlement, College of Wizardry 9
Conceal Features (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 80
Confer Resistance (LVL9) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 86 (Strip Resistance)
Continual Wind (LVL2) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 77-78
Dehydrate (LVL8) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 84-85 (Bloat)
Descry (LVL7) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 83-84
ESP Barricade (LVL3) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 78-79
Estrange (LVL7) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 83
From the Ashes box set Publication Supplement, College of Wizardry 9
Gaslungs (LVL3) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 79
Greyhawk, City of {Gem of the Flanaess} Settlement Greyhawk, Capital, Free City, (576 pop: 53000), (591 pop: 69500), College of Wizardry 9
Invoked Devastation Adventure College of Wizardry 9
Iterative Mnemonic Negation (LVL8) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 84
Lucid Vista (LVL1) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 77
Melf's Minute Meteors (LVL3) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 81
Mnemonic Negation (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 81
Nyrond, Kingdom of {Nehron} Kingdom (585 pop: 1375000), (591 pop: 2618200), College of Wizardry 9
Oerth {Oerthe, World of Greyhawk} Geographical feature Planet, College of Wizardry 9
One Question (LVL2) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 78
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 81
Sea of Dust {Ashen Desert} Region (591 pop: Unknown), Wasteland, College of Wizardry 9
Shout of Ruin (LVL6) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 82
Slip (LVL1) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 77
Steadfast Perception (LVL3) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 79
Strip Resistance (LVL9) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 86
Suel Imperium {Suel Empire} Kingdom College of Wizardry 9
Suel {Suloise} language Verbal communication Language, College of Wizardry 9
Terminate Scrying (LVL9) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 85-86
Timejump (LVL6) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 82-83
Weapon of Words (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 80-81
Wizards, Guild of {Wizardry} (City of Greyhawk) People Group Guild, College of Wizardry 9
Yatil Mountains {Yetil} Geographical feature Mountains, College of Wizardry 9
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