Arcane Spellcasters
On Magical Theory
The source of magical power is not very well understood. By far the greatest authority on the nature of arcane magic was a man named Raakan el-Adakar. An Archmage who lived during the early Age of Expansion, Raakan built an impressive library on the nature and origins of magic.He was the first to determine that arcane magic emanated from a dimension parallel to the Material Plane, a place suffused with latent energy that could alter reality. Now colloquially referred to as 'The Weave' Raakan named this plane Numena, and the energy itself "numen."
According to his research, when mages cast spells, they slightly weaken the border separating Numena from the Material Plane in order to draw numen, and give their will physical shape and form.
Several theories have been put forth on what Numena actually is. One theory states that it's the original abode of the gods and formed the source of their power. Another says that Numena itself is a living entity attempting to shape our dimension to match its own. Others say that Ulmyr found Numena during her search for a suitable location to start the world and wanted to make Numena her Plane, to draw from its power.
Sadly Raakan did not live to enjoy the fruits of his labour. For his final magical experiment, he opened a portal to allow himself to physically enter the realm of Numena. He returned through that portal five years later, driven completely mad and speaking an unknown language. He spent his last days confined in Coldiron Keep.
Colleges of Magic
An ability as potentially dangerous as magic is kept under control by certain authorities, and magic users who attend a college have long been taught to respect this hierarchy.The Great Colleges of Ulmyr
Western Nordenland is the centre for arcane learning in the Bürach Empire, and certainly, they wish to keep it so. The capital of Erlefurt has the highest number of colleges anywhere on the continent, with The Great Colleges of Ulmyr being the oldest and most venerable of all.It is difficult for an aspiring mage to enter an Erlefurt College, but the Great Colleges of Ulmyr prove themselves to be exceptionally stringent. They choose only the best among their applicants, choosing not only those with high magical aptitude, but also those most likely to bring great honour to the school. In recent times however, their new headmistress Seraphine Chevalier has turned to scholarships to ensure that all who would meet the criteria have the chance to attend such a prestigious organisation, much to the ire of investors and alumni who place themselves above such common folk.
The Erlefurt Colleges see magic as a force that must be harnessed with wisdom, the kind that only those trained in the way of the Erlefurt mages possess. As such all students must swear to follow a set of rigid laws, listed in a tome called the Magician's Codex. Any Erlefurt wizard who breaks this code of laws is hunted down by the Enforcers, a group of elite abjurers highly adept at subduing one of their own. Once captured, they are taken to the magician's court and judged by the Grand Mage. If found guilty, transgressor's may be magically imprisoned or even executed. As for other arcane institutions who don't subscribe to these tenets, they are treated with contempt and even outright hostility.
Prospective students from all over Etharis are sent to Erlefurt for tutelage, even if there are plenty of closer options.
Ravencourt Sanctuary
East of Raevo's shores, hidden among the mists of its enchanted isle, the Ravencourt Sanctuary trains its mages in its own academy. Unlike its rivals, the Erlefurt Colleges, the Sanctuary believes that magic may only grow through freedom. Thus the Ravencourt Sanctuary has few laws to guide the actions of its mages. Their primary rule is that the mages keep the secrets of the Sanctuary safe. Apart from that, the Sanctuary is free to do what they will and teach whom they want.
Despite their seeming lack of laws, the punishment for breaking the primary rule is both harsh and unequivocal. Before they leave the Sanctuary, a Ravencourt wizard swears a vow to protect their academy’s secrets. They write their name on a page of an enchanted book and leave a drop of their blood on it. This creates a highly potent curse: if they should break the vow, the page tears itself from the book and burns. The wizard consequently dies an unspeakable death.
Due to the politics of the times, the mages of Erlefurt and Ravencourt Sanctuary are technically at war. Mages from either side have standing orders to annihilate each other on sight, though this is rarely practiced.
Sarmar Academy
Having lived for thousands of years as a people, the elves are no beginners when it comes to magic. In their capital of Tol Leyemil, they have established their own college for wizards: Sarmar Academy, famous for its abjurers, mystics, and war magi.The Sarmar mages believe that magic is learned and controlled through careful observation. By watching and listening to the natural world, the elves first learned to summon and shape numen. Thus they teach their students to pay close attention to detail and focus on what they can sense. The emphasis on patience makes teaching
slow. Often, education at Sarmar can last decades. For elves, of course, that’s a short period of time.
Being an entirely elven city, only elves may enrol in Sarmar Academy proper. The exception is Aemanyir House, a branch of the Academy located outside the
city limits. This program was begun decades ago by an elven mage named Alren Corynthios as an experiment in teaching the elven way of magic to non-elves. Most of the Sarmar academicians consider this a waste of time, but Alren’s persistence and connections with the elven nobility have kept the school going for many years, if just barely.
Renegade Colleges
There are several unrecognised colleges in Etharis that purport to teach magic. As they tend to produce subpar mages, they’re looked upon with scorn by the established colleges. At worst, they’re viewed as potential sources of magical mishaps, as without proper guidance, these mages may cause irreparable harm to the reputation of all mages—or worse, bring about a magical catastrophe.The Erlefurt wizards have made it their protocol to capture any “renegade” wizards and bring them to Erlefurt for processing and possible re-education. Those who refuse this polite entreaty are viewed as enemy combatants.
Hit Points at First Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per Artificer level after 1st, re-rolling allowed on a 1 or 2.
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: Thieves' Tools, Tinker's tools, one type of artisan's tools of your choice
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Sleight of Hand
Character Creation Note: When making an Artificer you need to think about how your character came to learn the profession, it is not something most people can just stumble on and discover on their own. Many Artificer's have mentors who are either gnomes, or one of their many widespread apprentices, who are family, close friends of the family or benevolent members of communities who take the role of a teacher for those with the right potential.
Hit Points at first level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at higher levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per Bard level after 1st, re-rolling on a 1 or 2.
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose any three skills
Hit Points at first level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at later levels: 1d6 + your Constitution modifier per Sorcerer level after 1st, re-rolling allowed on a 1
Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion
Character Creation Note: When creating a sorcerer you must choose your sorcerous origin. Please discuss this with me as where your powers come from may well affect your place in the world, and what sort of disguises you could take to hide your identity.
Hit Points at First Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per Warlock level after 1st, re-rolling allowed on a 1 or 2
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion
Character Creation Note: When creating a Warlock, you must choose your otherworldly patron. We will need to discuss your patron, and build them together. Think about what kind of entity they are, and the situation surrounding your pact; how was it formed, and how has your life been affected by it, do you get along with your patron, were you willing and aware of the dangers, or desperate and tricked into such a bargain?
Hit Points at First Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 + your Constitution modifier per Wizard level after 1st, re-rolling allowed on a 1
Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion
Character Creation Note: When making a wizard, certain choices about the nature of your learning have to be made. Which kind of college did you attend; a well respected place of learning at the forefront of arcane discovery? Or one of the many rising powers, seeking new and powerful students to carry their name into that upper echelon, perhaps by any means necessary. Or perhaps the morally grey Ravencourt Sanctuary in the Ostoyan Empire, shrouded in mystery and the place of learning for countless evil spellcasters over the years. Discuss with me the kind of Wizard you want to make and we can decide on the kind of college that suits your character together.
Societal Mistrust
Society is divided in its view of arcane magic. In the Bürach Empire, for instance, it was considered a means to maintain order, project power, instil obedience, gather information, and maintain the status quo.
However, with the coming of the Great Beast, magic is now treated with greater suspicion, as some have come to suspect that the entity was the result of an arcane experiment gone horribly wrong. The Hearthkeepers have not denied this notion, as it deflects their own culpability on the matter.
The Ostoyan view of magic is more varied. In the province of Soma, the lower classes fear magic as something they're incapable of understanding. They also stay clear of it to avoid inciting the jealousy and ire of the nobility. The Crimson Court believes that the use of magic is theirs by right; anyone else who uses it must either become their servant or be destroyed as a potential threat. Thus one often finds mages under their employ in their war against Raevo, and the Bürach Empire.
In the province of Raevo, magic is by and large an accepted part of daily life. The workshops and markets of Castalore are teeming with wizards and magical constructs, all under the watchful eye of the Ravencourt Sanctuary.
In the Charneault Kingdom, the elves treat magic as an integral part of their lives. They hold skilled mages in high esteem, even as they warn of the costs of seeking greater magical power. The dark elves have no such restraint; they plumb the secrets of mage craft with hardly a thought to the dangers involved. While they have attained great power, the price is often paid by the entirety of the kingdom, as is the case with the Dark Mist.
In the human-controlled lands of the Charneault, attitudes vary greatly. Mages are treated with respect in more learned circles, but among Knight Chapters they are treated with suspicion, and in the case of the Severe Templars, outright hostility. They hold elven magic accountable for the suffering endured by the populace and forego all arcane abilities in favour of strength in arms and divine fervour.
It is worth noting the Castinellan Provinces in particular when it comes to magic for the specific stance they've chosen: deplorably, the theocracy is hostile to all forms of arcane magic. It is the will of Empyreus, they claim, that people wage a righteous war against all magic users and those who harbour them. To undertake this task, the Arcanist Inquisition has assembled a host of knights and common soldier under the command of clerics and paladins. Backed by the power of belief, they call upon divine magic to locate arcane mages and neutralise them. As such, magic users must be careful when entering the Castinellan Provinces, lest they be arrested, imprisoned, and very likely put to death by the Arcanist Inquisition. Mages cannot even expect sympathy from the common folk; most peasants hold all magic as witchcraft and devilry, the power of daemons brought to Etharis. The Castinellans have yet to move against nations that employ magic, such as the Bürach Empire and the Charneault Kingdom. But should the theocracy grow more powerful, a "righteous war" would certainly be in the cards.
Artificer
Hit Points
Hit Dice: d8 per Artificer levelHit Points at First Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per Artificer level after 1st, re-rolling allowed on a 1 or 2.
Proficiencies
Armour: Light armour, Medium armour, shieldsWeapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: Thieves' Tools, Tinker's tools, one type of artisan's tools of your choice
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Sleight of Hand
Overview and Creation
The Artificers began with the New God of Invention Inaxi, it is a profession that runs in the blood of the Rock Gnomes within the Dwarven mountain strongholds. Though given that Inaxi, Mother of the Warforged, walked the Material Plane centuries ago during the Era of Expansion, the Gnomes have had plenty of time to share their knowledge. This being said, it is not something they share with a stranger. To learn the secrets of Artificing one must have a personal relationship with a Gnome, or have proven their potential to one of them, or one of their widespread former apprentices, it is exceedingly rare to find someone who didn't have a mentor. Artificers weave intricate magics into their inventions to enhance them and create marvels for both utility and combat. They are often still treated with suspicion through Etharis, save for the industrious cities of the Dwarves of course where their inventions have been wholeheartedly accepted. Many see their instruments of war as terrifying reminders of the destructive nature of mortal minds, and even artificers that turn their minds to healing are met with ungrateful looks, as if their methods are so unnatural it offends the very people they save. The path of an artificer is a tough one, as are many in Etharis, but tales of artificers and their amazing inventions spread far and wide.Character Creation Note: When making an Artificer you need to think about how your character came to learn the profession, it is not something most people can just stumble on and discover on their own. Many Artificer's have mentors who are either gnomes, or one of their many widespread apprentices, who are family, close friends of the family or benevolent members of communities who take the role of a teacher for those with the right potential.
Bard
Hit Points
Hit Dice: d8 per Bard levelHit Points at first level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at higher levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per Bard level after 1st, re-rolling on a 1 or 2.
Proficiencies
Armour: Light armourWeapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose any three skills
Overview and Creation
Everyone knows Bards, masters of music and performance that bring light and joy to the bleakest of taverns. Whilst their chosen mediums may vary, their acceptance generally does not. A bard is a welcome sight in Etharis, perhaps it is because their magic is so subtly and the weave so entwined in their melodies that many fail to recognise they are even being influenced at all, but they are an accepted spellcasting profession to the paranoid and distrustful citizens of Etharis, save for the Castinellan Provinces of course where all Bards are screened to ensure a lack of magic. Bard Colleges are all over Etharis and they come in all shapes and sizes.Sorcerer
Hit Points
Hit Dice: d6 per Sorcerer levelHit Points at first level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at later levels: 1d6 + your Constitution modifier per Sorcerer level after 1st, re-rolling allowed on a 1
Proficiencies
Armour: NoneWeapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion
Overview and Creation
Sorcerers may be common in Etharis but they are heavily shunned. When many citizens murmur about the dangers of magic, it is usually sorcerers they are referring to. Often inexperienced in the control of their magic, an untrained sorcerer poses a great threat to those around them. It is tales of a heated argument escalating to a burning town that gives them their bad reputation. As such many sorcerers hide their identity, or pose as alternative spellcasters to paint themselves in a better light. In the Castinellan Provinces, discovery of a sorcerous origin is often seen as a death sentence, and many will either go into isolated hermit living to save their loved ones or move entirely to somewhere with less of a crusade against arcane spellcasters.Character Creation Note: When creating a sorcerer you must choose your sorcerous origin. Please discuss this with me as where your powers come from may well affect your place in the world, and what sort of disguises you could take to hide your identity.
Warlock
Hit Points
Hit Dice: d8 per Warlock levelHit Points at First Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per Warlock level after 1st, re-rolling allowed on a 1 or 2
Proficiencies
Armour: Light armourWeapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion
Overview and Creation
Warlocks are another set of arcane spellcasters that are frowned upon, both by other spellcasters, and citizens of Etharis. The Arcanist Inquisition is quick to seek these individuals out, believing their untrustworthy patrons not worth the risk of enabling. For this reason many Warlocks who have patrons of questionable morality tend to hide their identities similar to sorcerers, though with no way to make their spellcasting look more appealing, many do their best to hide its existence all together in public. This being said, many arcane spellcasters know that the greatest danger a warlock poses, they pose only when untrained. Similar to sorcerers, Warlocks have their magic thrust upon them with little training, and as such are liable to explosions of power and potential far beyond their own understanding. For this reason many magic academies across the continent are eager to open their doors to such students, and ensure safety for any who cross their paths in the future. None are more interested in Warlocks though than The Keeper at the Ravencourt Sanctuary, finding these individuals to be much more easily pliable and manipulatable than others, after all they've already made one ill-advised pact.Character Creation Note: When creating a Warlock, you must choose your otherworldly patron. We will need to discuss your patron, and build them together. Think about what kind of entity they are, and the situation surrounding your pact; how was it formed, and how has your life been affected by it, do you get along with your patron, were you willing and aware of the dangers, or desperate and tricked into such a bargain?
Wizard
Hit Points
Hit Dice: d6 per Wizard levelHit Points at First Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 + your Constitution modifier per Wizard level after 1st, re-rolling allowed on a 1
Proficiencies
Armour: NoneWeapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion
Overview and Creation
The path of arcane discovery that is the most arduous and time consuming is certainly that of the wizard. It requires perseverance and there are very little opportunities to advance the rate of learning, each morsel of power must be earned. It is for this reason that wizards are some of the most accepted spellcasters, many having licences from their respective Colleges if they come from The Bürach Empire or the Charneault Kingdom. These licences prove that the user is in complete control of their arcane abilities and thus pose little danger to citizens, and at the end of the day all distrust in the arcane is rooted in a paranoid perception of the dangers of the unknown.Character Creation Note: When making a wizard, certain choices about the nature of your learning have to be made. Which kind of college did you attend; a well respected place of learning at the forefront of arcane discovery? Or one of the many rising powers, seeking new and powerful students to carry their name into that upper echelon, perhaps by any means necessary. Or perhaps the morally grey Ravencourt Sanctuary in the Ostoyan Empire, shrouded in mystery and the place of learning for countless evil spellcasters over the years. Discuss with me the kind of Wizard you want to make and we can decide on the kind of college that suits your character together.
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