The Ascendant
The ruling elite of Arcenveld, The Ascendant is a mysterious group of scholars, military experts, merchants and power brokers that monitor the nation, protect it from magical disasters and establish all laws and regulation.
The requirements to become a member of the Ascendant are largely unknown, though there are whispers that one must have achieved a truly great accomplishment - a revolutionary invention, victory against impossible odds, amassing great wealth or delving into the depths of arcane knowledge to discover a new spell - to even be considered for the honor. Technically, anyone could be eligible, but it is rare that an Ascendant is picked from obscurity.
What is known is that there are rules - no matter how obscure or strange - to keep the organization afloat. Great rivals, even mortal enemies, have existed in the Ascendant at the same time, suggesting that there is something more at play then standard politics. Many common citizens believe that Aeyar, the God of Magic themself, hand selects new members and will even purposefully include those with dissenting views to create a more diverse panel of experts.
Once a new member has been accepted into the ranks of The Ascendant, they can not be removed from the position until death or resignation. While this means that members can gain great and terrible power, it also means that they have a permanent target on their back. Each member of the organization controls a web of bureaucrats, spies and even assassins that will attempt to undermine the others, leading to huge shifts in power dynamics over time. The other problem that permanent membership creates is the sense among the people that the Ascendant are old and out of touch. The youngest member of the Ascendant is currently just above 70 years old and he is considered the most progressive member of the group. While Arcenveld is known for its wizards and great-thinkers, most of the population is made up of a farmers, fishermen and laborers who just want to know that their government is serving their interests.
The number of confirmed Ascendants constantly fluctuates - having had as few as three and as many as twenty-seven. Currently, it is believed there are nine.
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