The Azure Spire
The Guild where all things Arcane dwell and serve in The Eastern Imperium
Description
The premier organization in The Eastern Imperium for magical knowledge and magical power, The Azure Spire is the organization which nearly all mages of the Imperium claim membership of, with the others being the Magical Squadrons of the Military, and the rare few who stay independent. It is led and overseen by Tamamo's personal Archmage, a position selected by her personally from all magically adept citizens of her nation. The Azure Spire is an incredibly closed group, and one can only gain entry through being selected, being granted membership as a reward, or being a graduate of Ninetail Academy and choosing to continue one's studies in The Azure Spire as an adult Mage. Alternatively, if a member of the Spire vouches for you and makes you their "Pupil", you can gain admission that way, but must serve the one who vouched for you for a year and a day and be considered worthy by your "Patron" to be granted membership. The Azure Spire also oversees and manages the distribution and bestowal of Magic Licenses, things which grant magic-capable citizens or visiting travelers or mercenaries who seek to stay in The Eastern Imperium for awhile the right to cast arcane spells within the cities of The Eastern Imperium.Arcane Licenses
There are Ten Levels of Licenses The Azure Spires can grant, each one granting access to spells up to a certain level(Level 1-9 Licenses, respectively). A level 10 license is granted exclusively to beings so unbelievably powerful that they can even go beyond Ninth-Level spells. Level 10 licenses are scarcely known of, much less given out. There hasn't been one granted in several centuries. Licenses cannot be "bought". They must be earned by first being accepted into the ranks of The Spire's members, then working your way up the ranks of the Spire through study, work, and dedication in a process that often takes years. Alternatively, if a sufficiently powerful noble vouches for a magic user and they prove capable, they may be given a license. However, that often indebts that magic user to the house for a certain period of time. If a magic user does a great enough service to The Eastern Imperium, they could be rewarded with a license if they wished. Travelers or mercenaries visiting The Eastern Imperium either just accept not casting magic, or find a noble house to support them and sponsor them so they may get a license. There is a black market for licenses, and they can be bought in secret, but being caught with a fake license is punishable by mutilation at the least and death at the worst. All licenses are marked with an arcane sigil enchanted by Tamamo-No-Mae herself or sometimes her Archmage to prevent forgery. For this reason, markets for forged Licenses or Imperial paperwork are a niche and incredibly dangerous one because 99% of the time it's impossible to fake them, as generally no amount of spellcraft can reproduce the mark, for the mark is a divine gift.Structure
The Azure Spire is led by none other than The Royal Archmage of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Kitsune Queen herself. The position is chosen by her and her alone, and the Archmage rules the Spire for as long as he holds the position of Archmage, which can last lifetimes or as little as decades.
Beneath the Archmage who rules the entire Azure Spire with the title of "Lord Ascendant", the Spire is broken up into 10 different other "Spires", to represent the 9 schools of magic and the general Universal starting point all mages start on during their magical careers. Each of these ten spires is lead by a supremely powerful Mage who holds the title and rank of "Exalted", who rule their respective spires as champions of their respective studies...beneath them are the rest of their spires, who each have ranks that signify their status and rank within their spire and the larger Azure Spire itself.
After them, the Lord Ascendant himself rules over the unofficial eleventh spire of the Azure Spire, the Ascendant Spire. This spire is reserved for those students of The Lord Ascendant, the particular gifted, or more commonly, those who undergo an extensive and extremely rigorous Graduation Ceremony from their respective spires...those who pass this graduation are granted access to The Ascendant Spire, where only the most truly gifted and noteworthy reside beneath the watchful and personal tutelage of The Lord Ascendant, Archmage to Tamamo-No-Mae, The Kitsune Queen.
The ranks of The Azure Spire tend to have "Brother", "Sister", or "-One" tacked on before after them, as a sign of respect. Only The Lord Ascendant and the ranks of the Disciples are exempt from this rule, as the Lord Ascendant's greatness transcends all honorifics and the Disciples have not yet earned theirs. Such as an exalted called "Exalted Brother or "Sister Exalted", or a Visionary referred as "Visionary One".
These ranks are listed below, from highest to lowest:
- Lord Ascendant - the singular master of the entire Azure Spire. Rules the entire organization and The Ascendant Spire, where the most gifted and elite go to train.
- Exalted - the lords of the various spires. There are only ten in existence at any given time, representing each of the ten spires that belong to The Azure Spire. When required, they are selected from amongst the ranks of the Visionaries by The Lord Ascendant.
- Visionary - the highest ranking members of the spires beneath the Exalted. They have all developed or innovated some new facet of the field they study, and furthered their spire's cause significantly. Each typically has a unique signature spell or style of magic. These are those who have mastered and completed their theories or things they thought up as Disciples, and seen them through to completion.
- Unbroken -the middle rank of the members of the spire. These are the members of the spire whose theories, innovations, or things that got them promoted to Risen have borne fruit and allowed them to create truly wonderful things. They have shown promise, and a sound basis in Arcane Lore, and have innovated greatly and/or shown much promise to the higher ranks. Those who discover their chosen thing lacking are sent back to the ranks of the Risen to try again.
- Risen - the second lowest rank of the spire. Those of this rank are Disciples who have proved their dedication to the Arcane through some innovation, creation, theory, or other contribution to the spire or to Arcane Lore in some promising way. Those who fail this dedication or discover their presented innovation or such thing is unworthy are demoted to Disciples to begin the journey again.
- Disciple - the lowest ranks of the spire. Signifies those who have only just begun on their path to knowledge and ultimate power. Each Disciples presents some grand theory, notion, field, concept or some other topic or item they wish to study and further the cause of during their lives and journies within the Azure Spire.
- Journeyman - A unique rank outside the normal structure, given to those of the spires who are tasked with or who desire to wander and explore the world to further their spire's cause rather than study in the spire itself. They are treated as equals to Disciples.
- Transcendant - A catchall rank given to all who gain entry into The Ascendant Spire, beneath The Lord Ascendant. All are of equal rank in this spire.
Public Agenda
The Public Agenda of The Azure Spire is to further the studies of The Arcane, Magecraft, and to give all mages a place to study as a family.
Assets
As a state-sponsored organization, The Azure Spire has a plethora of assets. It has locations in most major cities in The Noble Lands and The Ursidae Dynasties, and is not only rumored to have an elite army of Magic Knights at its command to defend the Spire and its interests to carry out whatever desires it needs fulfilled, but to have money, funding, and other assets given to them by The Eastern Imperium itself.
History
The Azure Spire was founded a few years after the founding of The Eastern Imperium as Tamamo-No-Mae found the need to give all the Arcane Mages who had served her during The Unification Wars and give them a place to continue to serve her after the country's founding.
Always progress, Always move forward.
Founding Date
1410 AF
Type
Guild, Mages
Alternative Names
The Spire, The Azure College, The Mage's Guild
Demonym
Azurite
Leader
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Comments