The Arcana Council
Also known as the Council of 8, this is one of the three main councils within the Tricouncil of The Noble Territories. Their job is to oversee the use and misuse of magic within The Noble Territories, as well as to provide research, advice, and manage magical artifacts.
Current Members
The Council has 8 seats, one of which is left vacant (Necromancy), and each seat represents a school of magic. The current members of the council are:
History
Formed after The Unification they have slowly fallen out of favour with the king and have become more withdrawn, but they still pass laws.
Their main reason for being formed was to ensure that the events at Crater Lake never happen again, especially to those in power.
Location
Their main headquarters are in the City of Qorith, in the Gemstone Keep. Within this building lies their great library, research rooms, and council room.
The Eight Seats
The main councillors are the branch of government that report to The Noble Territories king. Their main purpose is a political legislative branch who pass laws regarding the use of magic. A lot of this is boring paperwork, however during times of emergancy the representatives will meet in the council room to discuss a plan on action.
Their opinions on the schools of magic are below:
Abjuration. Most defensive forms of magic are safe to use and are also employed by the Council itself to protect its agents and the citizen body as a whole. However, they recognize the importance of spells like nondetection and forbiddance and their ability to deny magical scrying and teleportation for both themselves and the enemy. In addition, spells that produce antimagic like counterspell and antimagic field are deemed to be very potent, whereas the Magic Council must strike a balance between using antimagic to fight against arcane threats and keeping antimagic out of the hands of the enemy.
Conjuration. Being able to instantly transport objects and people is a valuable ability that the Council takes advantage of whenever possible. The Council is wary of spells that summon planar outsiders, but at minimum approves of the summoning of elementals as long as they do not break free from their master's control.
Divination. Information is everything. The Council constantly employs divination magic to spy on their enemies and to acquire as much intel as possible before committing to a plan of action. In turn, the Council emphasizes the use of abjuration magic to deny attempts by the enemy to use divination magic.
Enchantment. Enchantment magic is extremely dangerous due to its ability to bend other creatures, including agents of the Council, to its will. However, it can also be used by said agents to acquire information from the Council's enemies, or to manipulate them in order to advance the Council's goals. Thus, while the Council might openly discourage the use of enchantment magic, it is often used by high ranking agents for the purpose of information and espionage.
Evocation. Evocation is the most direct school of magic in how it is often oriented towards dealing direct damage. Spells like fireball have the potential to kill dozens of innocent people, but can also be used against evildoers to great effect. As a whole, the Council views evocation magic just like arcane magic: it is a tool, rather than something that is inherently risky or evil.
Illusion. Illusion magic is often employed by the Council to mislead the enemy and to deny them accurate information. In particular, spells like disguise self, illusory script, and invisibility are often employed by the Council as a part of their espionage operations. Its usage is niche yet potent, so the Council makes sure to invest in divination magic as a way to counteract any illusions that are employed against them.
Necromancy. Due to respect for the dead, and concern over exploitation from raising the dead, spells that do such a thing are strictly banned by the Council. Other necromancy spells like circle of death and inflict wounds are similar to damaging evocation spells yet cause more suffering for their victims, and thus are generally banned no matter what.
Transmutation. Transmutation spells vary wildly in effect and tend not to deal direct damage. Thus, the Council uses them on a regular basis, and tends not to place too many restrictions on their usage. In particular, the use of transmutation magic to manipulate the elements is taken advantage of by the Council to create new buildings and structures.
Other Branches
Regulation of Trade
The council as an entity controls all major magic trading shops in The Noble Territories, and they all require a license to operate. Whilst this license is not difficult to obtain, it does regulate the trading of goods.
Any illegal magic smuggling or selling rings are promptly shut down. It is technically illegal to copy a book without this license but the law is rarely enforced.
The Vault of Artifacts
Under the Gemstone Keep lies a twisting maze of corridors and rooms known as the Vault of Artifacts. This vault is heavily guarded by both wizards and their creations, and contains all the powerful magical items and artifacts that would be dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands.
Nobody has ever successfully removed an item from this vault.
Research
While not its main goal, the Arcana Council is also involved in academia, particularly that which relates to the study of magic. While they might have their own research endeavors, the Council mostly prefers to let others do this work, which it encourages by providing funding and aid to other institutions that are dedicated to magical studies. At its worst, the Council might perform its own research for the purpose of advancing its own arcane arsenal.
Politics
Through the council it strives to maintain the political power held by the current King of the Noble Territories.
Within this land the Arcana Council enforces it's laws and regulations through the Kings Guard, which are the realms general police force consisting of generic Humanoids.
Within the Kings Gaurd are a seperate unique group called the Magisters Guard who are trained in magic to help enforce it. Any medium to large group of Kings Guards are likely to have atleast one Magister Guard.
Elsewhere the Arcana Council includes operatives and special agents who are scattered throughout the region to serve as spies, enforcers, or seekers of artifacts. They also have agents in other realms.
Enemies of the Council
One of the core functions of the executive branch is to stop the misuse of magic. Their most common enemies are necromancers and fiendish cultists, both of which dabble in the use of energies and the summoning of creatures that are associated with evil.
Other enemies include evil clerics that worship dark gods, mages gone mad with power, and any other "magical threat" that they come across.
The Council is also opposed to those that would threaten its member nations, which may also apply to revolutionaries and radicals that wish to overthrow an unjust government.
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