Supreme Patriarch

Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic  and one of the Empire's greatest wizards of the age. The position of Supreme Patriarch is the highest attainable position by a wizard within the Empire. The patriarch is responsible for advising Emperor Karl Franz  in all decisions dealing with the arcane.
Every few years each of the eight Colleges of Magic elect one of their number to duel with an equal counterpart. The victor of this arcane duel receives the office of Supreme Patriarch and the right to wield the ancient Staff of Volans.
Balthasar Gelt is the most recent winner of this exalted position. Such is his skill in the art of magic that he managed to defeat the former Supreme Patriarch, Thyrus Gormann  of the Bright Order, in single combat, replacing the long-standing prominence of Fire within the Colleges with that of Metal.