Purpose / Ownership
Early in the coast's history, when the first
mages took their steps towards rebuilding the
magical abilities of the human lands, some of the forward-thinking wizards knew that there would be times when they would be looked at with fear and distrust, as had happened before the
Dragonscourge. Others pointed out that teaching new mages and researching new magic could be a somewhat haphazard undertaking capable of causing wide-ranging damage.
Taking these points into account, several mages took steps to acquire lands that could always remain in the hands of their brethren even in times of trouble. They negotiated with several of the burgeoning cities, trading services in exchange for land. The end result of these dealings were the mages agreeing to provide permanent magical protection for any city over a certain size in exchange for permanent ownership of a large island just off the coast, residing in the gulf originating at the mouth of the Lasair River. The negotiations establishing this agreement formed the basis for the creation of the
Lasair Compact the following year. Over time the mages would acquire the two other major islands in the gulf as well as a small group of islands farther out to sea. Practically all magical teaching, research, and policy-making is performed on the largest of these islands, which has come to be the central home of most of the mages in the land.
Geography
The Ordered Realm
The largest island under control of the mages is located in the Lasair Gulf to the west of Kolar-Malara. Dubbed the "Ordered Realm" by the more high-minded of the residents under the belief that the magic present would keep the island under control. The island is connected to the mainland by a glowing purple bridge of pure force magic, forming a sort of drawbridge that can be instantly removed in times of threat.
Cities
The island is not home to major cities the size of the major
City-States, though there are certainly permanent settlements with a significant population.
- Tower City is where many Mage Schools maintain their primary place of focus. A number of towers dot the land around a central field, with smaller residences spread out between them. These towers host periodic conclaves of mages of each school, educational opportunities for apprentices, and public-facing offices for when dealing with the non-Mage population.
- Referred to simply as "Library", the center of the island is dominated by a sprawling complex of buildings dedicated to the storage and organization of knowledge of all kinds. If there is human knowledge that can be found, it is likely that a copy of that knowledge is recorded here. Access to the Library is limited, however, to senior Mages and those in their good graces.
- City of Artifice is a smoky, noisy place - hence its location near the edge of the island. Mages and others with a tinkering bent spend much time here creating devices and other magical tools.
- Council Peaks: atop the highest point on the island, a single tower stands, reaching into the sky. Admittance to this tower is magically limited to the most senior member of each Mage School and invited guests. Here, matters of political and magical import are decided upon.
Other Islands
Light Island
The result of magical experimentation gone wrong, Light Island is completely denuded of vegetation - and glows brightly in the night. Casting a moon-like glow over the western waters of the Lasair Gulf, the island has no inhabitants but
does serve as a navigation beacon for ships traversing the gulf.
Waste Island
Another result of magical waste, this island is where broken or malfunctioning devices are disposed of. There is no organic life upon the island, though the raw amount of loose magic on the island has animated a large number of devices, which crawl around in shambles. The odd device may pick up enough magical power from other pieces that it creates enough self-awareness to begin repairing or modifying itself. When this occurs, it is not uncommon for fighting to break out between several such self-arranged "golems".
Sanctuary
Located far to the west of the core Mage Islands, Sanctuary is often forgotten about by the
City-States population at large. This small cluster of islands is used by Mages who desire a remote location for magical experimentation, whether for safety or to shy away from prying eyes.
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