The Hidden Spark
The Guardians of The Hidden Spark, or simply The Spark in more common parlance, is a secret guild of mages aiming to make practicing magic available even to those with no means, as it is something otherwise locked behind the cost and restrictions of an education at Sreaganlore University. In The Spark, all magic is allowed as long as it is judged not to come at the cost of others (and in some cases even that is ignored).
Structure
Due to the combination of wanting to be available to all yet stay hidden due to it's illegality, they do have to take some extreme measures in terms of secrecy. All who join must make a magically binding promise never to divulge the organisation to the uninitiated, with the caveat of interesting those who might join; a promise that has sometimes proved fatal when broken.
Speaking of joining, this is a somewhat complicated process. Anyone interested must either make some display of magic talent to impress a potential mentor, or somehow complete the nearly impossible task of tracking down the building The Spark is located in (See "The Moonlit Halls"). A student who has found a willing teacher will then make the vow to keep The Spark hidden, and can start their education. If someone finds The Moonlit Halls on their own, they will by some mystical force be guided to someone meant to teach them.
This mentorship continues until the teacher thinks them ready to be responsible for their own magic, and then lets them set out to do whatever they wish to accomplish. Explore the world, conduct research within the halls, become something like a great warrior; whatever it is they desire.
The Hidden Spark also accepts mages of essentially all stripes. While Clerics and Paladins on the one hand, and Druids and Rangers on the other are already guaranteed to be taught by the church or the Wychkeepers respectively, all other mages lack the natural guarantee to hone their skill. Sorcerers and Warlocks have a particularly surrounded by stigma, since their magic is seen as unpredictable, wild, and dangerous in nature. In The Hidden Spark, on the other hand, even they may find mentors to help them learn to wield their power; there have even been cases of aspiring mages unlocking such powers after finding the halls.
History
The only thing known for certain to be older than the mages of the Hidden Spark is the Moonlit Halls themselves. They have always been in Ghearas, though their secrecy has depended on the era. When the practice of openly learning magic was accepted, they were more like an openly acknowledged yet anonymous benefactor of the study of magic. When magic has been more restricted in it's use, as now, they've lurked in the shadows, trying to stay out of the way of petty politicians who would seek to hold them back.
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