The Great Council
The Great Council of Wizards, based at the Imperial College in Andarra (an-DARE-ah), the imperial capital is the supreme authority on magical practice in the world. The council varies at times, but generally is composed of between 600 and 800 wizards. Each wizard is a qualified Archmage and has practiced the art for at least 40 years, but most council members are over 80, and some gnomes may take over 500 years to earn their spot on the council. The council meets every month to discuss matters of import to the entire empire and beyond. There are many other council members-at-large who meet simultaneously in their respective nations, but as no communication is possible through the Great Ward of the Empire, the deliberations of the various councils are mostly communicated in summary by a designated member who travels outside the ward to teleport summary documents to each at-large council and receive their summaries in return. The council generally debates issues for a very long time, most council decisions take a decade or more, so the slow pace of communication is rarely of any concern.
The council is led by a Grand Magister who is assisted by a Magister. When a Grand Magister retires or dies, the Magister assumes the post. If the Magister retires, dies, or ascends to Grand Magister, a new Magister is selected by several rounds of secret ballot until at least 90% of the council agrees on a choice. Once selected the new Magister is invested during a ceremony that incorporates a magic ritual that ensures the Magister a natural lifespan sufficient to serve in the post for no less than 500 years. On ascending to Grand Magister, another ritual assures a full 500 years in that role, so that it is possible (though rare) for a single individual to serve for 1000 years (500 as Magister then 500 more as Grand Magister). The council is very careful to ensure the Magister and Grand Magister are not close in age and are not in one place together except during council meetings. This is done because the two individuals are the only persons who know the secret of Extinction and the critical control points for the Great Ward of the Empire. If both were to die without passing on that knowledge, the ward would collapse within 1000 years, and the magic of Extinction (a critical punishment for extreme evil) would be lost forever.
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