Kymosian Wizards
The most important group in Kymos, and the one most often associated with the nation, is the Kymosian Wizards. Originally a dissident faction of the original Mulani magicians, they have evolved into the elite ruling class of one of the most evil and corrupt nations on Aralla.
Kymosian Wizards are almost always Mulani. It is forbidden by custom for a Kymosian Wizard to take on an apprentice who is not of Mulani ethnicity. Many do nonetheless if a Kymosian Rashemi or Calishite is of sufficient magical talent, and the other Wizards look the other way. They are the only group in Kymos allowed to wear red robes, anyone else foolish or ignorant enough to wear such robes is rewarded by instant death at the hands of the Wizards themselves. Outside of Kymos, most wizards avoid wearing their robes to prevent hostile reactions by foreigners who hate and fear them.
It isn't until an apprentice Kymosian Wizard gains a minimal proficiency in magic (minimal to the Kymosian being 7th level) that he or she is awarded any position of importance in Kymosian society or government. It is also at this point that the Wizards come under scrutiny from their superiors, as they are reaching a dangerous level of magical competency. These always-paranoid superiors are quick to see signs of defiance and traitorous tendencies, indicating that the apprentice is about to assassinate his or her master for greater status. (Assassins may make a splendid if often extremely short living in Kymos.) Loyalty tests and sudden apprentice deaths are common at these levels. It is for this reason that many mid-level Kymosian Wizards (5th-13th level) are spies, merchants, and agents for their sponsors, constantly striving to prove their loyalty.
The wizards choose eight representatives, or anarchs, from among their ranks, one for each school of magic. Anarchs are usually the most powerful member of each school, though occasionally the rank falls to the most politically astute. Competition for the position of anarch is intense, since anarchs are the most powerful individuals in Kymos.
Once elected to the position, a anarch serves for life. While this seems a simple rule, the complex nature of Kymosian society complicates the situation. If a anarch serves for life, what happens if he or she becomes undead, as in the case of Necromancy Anarch Zer-Koh Huelahr? By Kymosian law, a anarch can only be removed if he or she is destroyed utterly, beyond hope of resurrection or existence as a member of the undead.
Until recently, the Wizards were divided into two major factions the Imperialists and the Researchers. The Imperialists, who have had the most influence on Kymosian history, believed in the expansion of Kymos's influence throughout Aralla, whether through subterfuge and intrigue or through outright conquest. The isolationist Researchers, on the other hand, wished to keep Kymos safe within its borders, while perfecting their spells and gaining power in more esoteric areas than temporal realms. The repeated failures of the Imperialists to expand Kymosian power has always kept the Researcher faction healthy, if not powerful. Over the centuries, the two groups have largely balanced each other.
