The School Of Carthage

Eyes are the windows to the soul.The Candlelight stems from the eyes. Upon this realization, we agreed on the only logical step left in our risky experiment: we wondered what would happen if we removed eyes from the equation…

— Arthur Luden, a founder of the School of Carthage

The school of Carthage does not reside in the ruins of Carthage nor is it truly a school. The school is located on the coast of Italy. The school is known for its eccentric alumni, The Magicians of Carthage , who possess some of the most powerful abilities of any medium in the world. This power comes at a cost. when one furthers their study, and in turn increases their Candlelight, they reach a point where the eyes become a liability. It is unclear exactly why this is the case. The Magicians keep the facts hidden away from most of their own members.

History

The concept of what the magicians would become first came about in ancient Egypt. Certain cults of the old gods ventured into the desert fleeing persecution as the nation slowly drifted towards monotheism. The rise in Atenism posed a direct threat to their way of life. They traveled and found a cave with many ancient texts they previously thought have been destroyed contained within. These texts are filled with the secrets that The Magicians hold dear. As time went on they inevitably ventured out of the desert, but would not survive the many tragedies of history. The last time these cults would be mentioned in history is around the time of the bubonic plague, which claimed the lives of almost all its members.

Fast forward many years and in the late 1960s, a group of scientists would flee their own persecution. Wishing to delve further into Candlelight they left The Alexandrian University and established a small camp in Italy. The began subjecting themselves to all manner of experiments intended to increase the candlelight they possessed. Many would not survive but a select few did, only doing so because they chose to cover, avert, or completely remove their eyes.

No historical records indicate what actually happened and why the eyes needed to be covered, but this led to a profound discovery: Candlelight is projected and taken in through the eyes. The years went by and more individuals traveled to the school of Carthage for the purpose of training to become a magician, a profession that instills both fear and wonder.

The Rise of Psychic Surgery

The magicians of Carthage are the only producers of Bliss and are the only one's capable of using Psychic Surgery. This began shortly after the school's founding. They offered to help erase memory, cure incurable ailments, and more to any and all who asked. Sadly, this kindness was abused, which directly led to the Lotus Eaters who wander the school's halls.

The School In The Modern Day

The modern day has changed the school. They no longer allow magicians to keep their eyes, they no longer offer healing to just anyone, and they have adopted an isolationist policy with other organizations in The Web. They avoid contact if possible, and with an ever increasing average candlelight, this is easier now than ever before.
The school now resides on an island off the Italian coast. You wont find it on any map. No one with such low candlelight can even see the island unless they are walking on its shores. The magicians have shrouded the island using psionic power. They filter it out of perception. The only way to get there is to know how to get there in the first place.

Facilities

The Island features many sturdy concrete buildings. Statues of the founders are found outside in front of each, the building bearing the founders name. The buildings vary in size, though none are smaller than a small office building. Each building has a purpose. One is used for visitor housing, one used for housing alumni. One is used for study and research, and another is used to house the Lotus Eaters. They never seem to have a loss for reasons to build more, as the island facilities grow routinely.

Relations in The Web

The School has isolated itself from The Web. The only organization it maintains constant contact with is The Alexandrian University. Its past relations with other organizations left a sour taste in their mouths. They rarely get involved unless it is an absolute emergency, such as The Helheim Incident, where Heimdal fell under attack by a cult operating in the region.

Hierarchy

Their is no true hierarchy of the school. Those who possess higher Candlelight are considered at a higher level, but rarely are there any rules of authority. The only division lies between magicians and students, the latter being directly under the former.

Agenda

The agenda of the School of Carthage is simple: Study the metaphysical and take the path of candlelight as far as it goes. They do this constantly. They seek out new horrors to expose themselves too just to increase their own understanding of reality. They take in eldritch knowledge, consuming what they cannot comprehend not for understanding, but to see what could happen.