The Royal Academy of Wizards
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It is known that there is magic in this world, and to delve into it and study its workings is the most noble of goals.Grand Wizard Lord Grimsby
History
Gentlemen with an excess of both time and money often find hobbies that most others would find unattainable. This is how the Society of the Scholars of Magic started. Shortly thereafter they rebranded as the Royal Academy of Wizards when the sitting monarch of Mendaris officially recognized their abilities to cast spells of the arcane sort to be a boon to the nation.
They enjoyed a healthy stipend for several decades, but after the king died the money stopped. Ever since the members are usually required to pay a healthy annual fee. This has had the counterintuitive effect, where aspiring socialites have taken to becoming members for the bragging rights of being wizards, even if it is in most cases in nothing but name.
About
Most of the members reach a level high enough to cast one or two simple cantrips, as per the Arcane Dabbler or Magical Talent traits, but very rarely more than a level or two in wizard.
The Academy grounds sport an extensive library devoted to theoretical studies of magic stretching back over centuries, with several real spells hidden away among the dusty tomes. The problem is finding and identifying them amidst the shelves upon shelves of ramblings on obscure and misleading research into subjects which only those whom have invested decades of work into said field would find even remotely fascinating.
There is also the "oddities-collection", which house several magical items of varying potency. Many of these stem from ruins found by recent frontier explorers on the leadwards continent, but most are ones found closer to home - in the Mistwreath, Fellfen, or Mendaris. As the Royal Academy has several wealthy patrons, they can afford to have a standing bounty for new and exotic items and writings of a magical nature. Many an amateur archeologist has walked out of the Academy with a significantly heavier coin purse than when they entered.
Locations
Hirearchy
The following is the membership hirearchy, with number of seats for each title.
- Grand Wizard - 1
- Chairman/High Wizard - 7
- Including Logan McDowell
- Wizard of the 1st circle - 13
- Wizard of the 2nd circle - 27
- Wizard of the 3rd circle - 33
- Member of the Academy
- Including Mortimer Wylde and Claire McDowell
The High Table
The High Table and The Chairs were originally established by request of the Mendarian parliament to aid in matters of a magical nature.
Presently there are few matters requiring the aid of the wizards, and whenever they are summoned there are inevitably discussions around their unelected nature, and their undue influence on Mendarian politics.
Statistics
The Royal Academy of Wizards[T]
Demographic(s): Humans
Centers of Activity: Mendaris (Ashminster, Hartminster, Camor, Wahlminster)
Requirements
Admittence: Nepotism, and at times meritocratic criterias.Dues: depends on degree. Otherwise annual fee
Membership benefits
- Access to the great library of the academy. Where the occasional actual spell can be found among its many centuries old tomes.
- Contacts and training in wizardry.
- Rights to conduct lectures in the academy halls for a cut of the admittence fee. Approval from at least the 3rd circle is usually required.
Notable Members
- Lord Reginald Cecil Grimsby - former Grand Wizard
- Glen McDowell - former Wizard of the 1st circle
- Logan McDowell - current High Wizard
- Mortimer Wylde - member
- Claire McDowell - member
Notable magical artifacts in the vaults at Oxfold
- Keen Limning Cold Iron Gladius +1
- Found on the body of Marcus Betucius Verres during the shadows of the past
Classes
New members are often already bookish or scholarly. After some levels of "preparations" they start out on their proper magical studies by either adding levels of wizard, and possibly retraining levels.
Usual classes are:
- Scholar
- Magus
- Wizard
Other prepared "study-based" arcane magicians may also be suitable, as well as archetypes with wizarding themes.