C5 Silver Consortium, School of Magic, Mages Guild

At first, the structure is as solemn as a tomb and seems as old as time itself. Vines stretch themselves over the dark stone facade, and tall stained-glass windows tell the stories of mages past. Initially, the building seems chaos of libraries, classrooms and meeting halls, along with numerous illusions, and magical transportation between some rooms. However, as you explore further into this campus, you see that a mishmash of additions have been constructed over time. They pop out like unruly toadstools from the main building. There is a tower twisted like a wrung rag, a glass dome filled with floating lights, and a squat structure that seems to be in a different place every time you blink.

Located in the civic center of Verbobonc, the Silver Consortium stands as a grand institution, intertwining the study of magic with the rich political and cultural tapestry of the city. This comprehensive article delves into the intricate details of the Consortium, exploring its lore, infrastructure, historical significance, and its integral role within the community.

Facilities and Learning Environment

The Silver Consortium boasts an array of mystical and architectural marvels designed to foster an advanced learning environment for the magical arts. It includes:

• Architectural Diversity: Structures within the compound vary from traditional halls to magically enhanced spaces that defy conventional architecture.
• Learning and Research Facilities: Equipped with extensive libraries and state-of-the-art magical laboratories, the Consortium is a haven for both theoretical and practical magic education.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Consortium is staffed by distinguished mages and scholars, each dedicated to nurturing the arcane abilities of their students and advancing magical research.

• Faculty Excellence: Renowned magicians and scholars lead rigorous programs designed to cultivate the intellectual and magical capabilities of students.
• Student Development: Learners are encouraged to explore various magical disciplines, contributing to a dynamic and innovative academic atmosphere.

History and Evolution

From its controversial inception to its status as a revered institution, the Silver Consortium has played a pivotal role in shaping the magical landscape of Verbobonc.

• Establishment: Founded in 562 CY as an offshoot of the Society of Enlightened Mages from Veluna City, the Silver Consortium was initially viewed with suspicion and fear. With the blessing of Viscount Wilfrick, it sought to establish a new center of arcane learning away from traditional hubs.
• Evolution from Reviled to Revered: What started as a "reviled den of sorcery" has, through persistent efforts in education and community integration, become the pinnacle of magical education in the region. This transformation has played a critical role in altering public perception of sorcery and the arcane arts.

Relationships and Politics

The Consortium's strategic relationships with Verbobonc’s political and religious factions highlight its influence and the complex dynamics it navigates within the city.

• Government Collaboration: It frequently collaborates with civic leaders to ensure that magic serves the public interest.
• Inter-faction Dynamics: Balances its relationships with various religious and magical groups, navigating a landscape of alliance and competition.

Goals and Motivation

The Consortium is driven by a mission to demystify magic and promote its ethical use, striving to integrate it into everyday life and governance.

• Academic Excellence: Maintaining high standards of education and magical research, the Consortium strives to push the boundaries of arcane knowledge, continuously innovating and improving its curriculum and facilities.
• Community Integration: Works to foster a society where magic is understood and appreciated by all, reducing fears and misconceptions.
• Influence and Integration: By integrating more deeply with the civic, cultural, and economic fabrics of Verbobonc, the Consortium seeks to establish itself as an indispensable part of the city’s infrastructure.

Enemies and Allies

Navigating a world of complex relationships, the Consortium has both adversaries who fear the power of magic and allies who champion its development.

Allies

• Viscount Wilfrick Verdanhart: The Viscount of Verbobonc and the Church of St Cuthbert relies heavily on the Consortium for magical support in civic projects and defense. This strategic alliance enhances both the political power of the Viscount and the influence of the Consortium within the city.
• Major Nobles: Many of Verbobonc's nobility depend on the magical artifacts and services provided by the Consortium, creating a mutual dependency that enhances the guild's status and economic power.
• Society of Enlightened Mages, Veluna City: As an offshoot, the Silver Consortium maintains strong ties with its parent organization, sharing resources, knowledge, and political support.
• Merchants and Traders: The Consortium’s advancements in magical items and spells are vital for the prosperity and safety of local and regional commerce, ensuring the support of the merchant class.

Adversaries

• Churches of Divine Magic: The local clerical organizations view the practice of arcane magic with suspicion and often disdain, promoting divine magic as a superior and more moral choice. This creates a fundamental ideological rift.
• Radical Anti-Magic Factions: Within the city and surrounding areas, there are groups who fear the unchecked power of magic. They see the Consortium as a threat to natural order and traditional values.
• Rival Magical Institutions: Other schools and magical organizations, particularly those aligned with different philosophical or magical disciplines, may view the Consortium's growing power as a threat to their own standings and influence.

Public Perception

• Love-Hate Relationship: The general populace holds a bifurcated view of the Consortium. While they respect and marvel at the wonders produced by its mages, there is underlying fear and mistrust towards the power and potential misuse of arcane magic.
• Efforts by Juelihm: Grand Headmaster Juelihm has initiated several outreach programs intended to improve public perception. These include open lectures, magical demonstrations of benign uses of magic, and participation in public safety and welfare projects.

Security Measures

The Consortium employs robust security measures to protect its knowledge and community, ensuring a safe environment for the pursuit of magical studies.

• Magical Defenses: Utilizes a range of spells and wards to secure its premises against unauthorized access and magical threats.
• Physical and Magical Protocols: Enforces strict access protocols for both physical and magical entry points to prevent espionage and sabotage.

Mages Guild

The clutter that fills every inch of space on counter, shelf, and desk in this chamber is evidence of at least a dozen experiments and works in progress. Tomes both common and rare are stacked with purpose, but in such a way that makes no sense to you at first glance. One table is cluttered with alchemical equipment such as beakers, flasks, bottles, and alembics, many of which are currently in use. A simple ritual circle has been laid into the stone floor in silver wire, easily adapted for various rituals given enough time and chalk. And everywhere—everywhere—there is parchment and paper.

The Mages Guild within the Silver Consortium is a hive of arcane activity, research, and experimentation. This area of the Consortium is dense with magical energy, bustling with mages and apprentices deeply engaged in their studies. The guild is adorned with an array of magical and alchemical tools, stacks of rare tomes, and ritual circles, providing an environment that fosters both traditional and innovative magical research.

Facility and Security

• High Security Measures: The guild areas are secured with permanent wards against all forms of scrying and have additional protections like lead-lined walls to prevent spell penetration.
• Experimentation and Research: The clutter of ongoing experiments signifies the guild's dynamic approach to arcane discovery, featuring alchemical setups and complex ritual sites.
• Restricted Access: Access to the guild’s more sensitive areas is strictly controlled, with arcane traps set to deter unauthorized entry, ensuring that only those with the proper clearance can navigate these spaces.

Goods/Services

The Consortium provides various services and facilities to cater to the needs of its patrons, ranging from reading assistance to research support. These include attendants available for reading assistance, scribes for copying materials, and researchers for specific information retrieval, all for a nominal fee.

• Reading Assistance: Attendants available for 5gp/hour to read for the illiterate.
• Copying Services: Scribes available for 5gp/page or 30gp/map to copy non-magical materials.
• Research Support: Researchers available for 30gp/subject (or more for detailed research) to find specific information.

Library

If a school is a temple of knowledge, then surely this is heaven. Books by the hundred and scrolls by the thousand stuff each rank of shelves. Floating lights, like the ghosts of lanterns, bob through the stacks. But this is not the only sign of magic. Some shelves stand wreathed in flames that do not burn, or shadowed by an unnatural darkness. Others seem encased in ice or enwrapped in vines. These are illusions, surely, but why?

The library within the Silver Consortium serves as a repository of knowledge, offering access to a vast collection of books and scrolls across various subjects, including magic and the occult. It is divided into different sections catering to different interests and needs of the patrons.

• Public Library: Open to all for a daily fee of 5gp, containing books on common subjects and non-magical knowledge.
• Occult Section: Accessible to all with a detection for evil upon entrance, offering books on occult subjects and demon lore for a daily fee of 10gp.
• Magic Area: Available to the public with heightened security measures, housing arcane spells up to 4th level and materials for spell copying, with a daily fee of 10gp.

Cost

The Consortium offers educational programs through its School division, accommodating students of varying skill levels and aspirations in the arcane arts. The cost of enrollment varies depending on the level of study and includes extensive class time with limited free time.

• Basic Arcane Studies: Accepts students of 1st-3rd level mages/bards/sorcerers at 50gp/month with 100 hours of class time per week.
• Mid-Level School: Accepts students of 4th-9th level at 100gp/month with no free time during classes.
• High-Level School: Exclusive program for students of 10th-15th level with rigorous testing for enrollment, costing 500gp/month and offering access to advanced arcane feats and spells.

Verbobonc Locations Referenced by Type

THE SILVER CONSORTIUM by 3orcs

Notable People in the Mages Guild

• Juelihm, Grand Headmaster: A conjurer of notable skill who has propelled the Consortium to prominence in the region. His leadership is marked by an openness to both ancient and innovative magical practices.
• Headmaster Terrence D’Arcy: serves as the Secretary to the Grand Headmaster of the Silver Consortium and as the personal aide to Juelihm.
• Master Markessa Dufraine: As the Head of the School of Divination, she asserts her authority with clarity, often reminding others of her powerful status within the guild.
• Master Aereth Fanye : This elven mage from the prestigious house of Tillahi specializes in enchantment, bringing a blend of refined Celene magic and practical application to his teachings.
• Master Obble Quillkeeper Humbleburrow Har: An outspoken critic of some of Juelihm’s policies, he leads the School of Illusion with a flair for the dramatic and a penchant for debate.
• Master Del Tain: Heading the School of Abjuration, he maintains a mysterious aura about his past in Keoland, focusing on protective magics.
• Master Gina Arris: The youthful Head of the School of Transmutation, following in her late father’s footsteps, she brings a fresh perspective to her role.
• Master Derek Krakow: As the head of the School of Necromancy, he delves into the darker, often overlooked aspects of magic, overseeing instruction in the occult and fringe magical studies.
• Estrella the Librarian: An ageless Sylph, Estrella is a fount of knowledge and perhaps the oldest being in Verbobonc, overseeing the vast archives of the Consortium.

Founding Date

562

Type

University / Educational complex

Parent Location

C1-16 Civic Centre

Owner

Juelihm

Owning Organization

Mages Guild of the Silver Consortium

Characters in Location

• Aereth Fanye
• Del Tain
• Derek Krakow
• Estrella
• Gina Arris
• Juelihm
• Markessa Dufraine
• Obble Quillkeeper Humbleburrow Har
• Terrence D’Arcy

Security Measures

The Silver Consortium takes its security seriously, employing a blend of magical and physical defenses to protect its valuable knowledge and the people within its walls.

• Guarded Entrances: Entrances are manned by guards skilled in both combat and the detection of magical threats, ensuring that only authorized personnel gain access.
• Glyphs and Wards: Strategic placement of magical glyphs and wards around entry points and sensitive areas provides a powerful deterrent against unauthorized magical entry or espionage.
• Password Systems: A robust password system is in place for both students and faculty, required for accessing various sections of the building and certain sensitive information.
• Invisibility Spells: Windows that appear transparent are actually reinforced with invisibility spells, making them impregnable barriers that prevent spying from the outside.
• Limited Access Points: Despite appearing to have numerous entrances, the building strategically contains only four actual access points, minimizing vulnerabilities and simplifying surveillance.
• Surveillance Spells: Magical surveillance spells are used to monitor all activities within the premises, ensuring that any unusual behavior is quickly noticed and addressed.
• Anti-Teleportation Measures: The Consortium employs anti-teleportation fields around critical areas to prevent unwanted magical entry or escape.
• Restricted Airspace: The airspace above the Consortium is monitored and restricted, with spells in place to prevent unauthorized flying creatures or magical items from entering the perimeter.