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The Concordia Illuminata (often shortened to simply “The Concordia”) is an institution that is devoted to the study and practice of the various forms and functions of magic and mystical elements of the natural world. They maintain academies throughout most of the explored worlds and control several of the largest repositories of knowledge in existence. The size of the campuses vary, ranging from the very small where only one or two of the teachers will have reached Magister level, to the very large where some of the most advanced magical research is done in large facilities with dozens of Magisters. All of the seven schools of magic (Sanguistry, Elementalism, Illusion, Necromancy, Divination, Evocation, and Numerology) are studied at the Concordia and each has a recognized Magister title as described below.

 

The Concordia began as an Illaran institution, funded and supported by the Republic. It’s primary library and headquarters are still on the Illaran world Makinae. However, over time the Concordia found that it was lacking proper collaboration with other nations and they managed to navigate the politics necessary to be allowed to separate from the Republic. Now they are considered bound to no government or nation and are officially neutral in all conflicts. However, some people do not trust the autonomy of the Concordia and believe that it still acts in the best interest of the Republic.

 

Hierarchy of the Concordia

The hierarchy of the Concordia is straight forward, but is rife with internal politics.

 

Students are accepted to individual Colleges within the Concordia, but being accepted to one gives you certain rights and privileges at all of them. Being in good standing with the Concordia gives you access to their libraries and the ability to audit classes at institutions that are not your own. Only the classes taken at your own College will count toward your mastery. Students who have spent enough time learning and understanding one, or several, of the seven schools magic can be submitted for mastery by their teachers. Mastery is not a rank so much as a certification by the Concordia and requires a panel of Magisters be convened to test the candidate and bestow the honor. In some less populated worlds this can be difficult and can take months to occur.

 

Anyone with mastery in a particular magic is qualified to teach courses on the magic and assist and research with a Magister. Often the Concordia finds itself with an abundance of such teachers hoping to make money while they work on other magics, or hoping to move up the ranks from this powerless position. Very few manage to move beyond.

 

The Magisters are teachers who have proven they are powerful in a particular style of magic and have shown a dedication to the Concordia and its students. Magisters are chosen from those who have achieved mastery and, typically, are teachers within the organization. The Head Magisters choose who to elevate to the Magister level, and while there are no set numbers, they choose to keep the four Colleges of similar size and keep the numbers of Magisters stagnant. When one becomes a Magister they take a Magister title associated with the style of magic they have mastery over.

 

Each candidate picks a magical specialty when they take the rank of Magister and assumes the title associated with that magic. Magisters who choose Divination magic take the title Illuminar. An expert in Elementalism becomes a Nativarian. A practitioner of Sanguistry is referred to as a Sangitiam. One who specializes in Numerology becomes a Forminteri. A Necromancy specialist takes the title Animaris. Illusion masters are conferred the title Umbranox. Finally, Evocation magisters are called Prolium.

 

Each College has a Head Magister who oversees the direction the college will take in its research and curriculum. These Head Magisters are chosen by the Magisters below them. The four meet regularly to address issues that come up and vote on decisions when consensus cannot be reached. Few who study within the Concordia will ever come across a Head Magister, but they hold significant power over the direction of the organization.

 

The Concordia is overseen by the Chancellor. Their job is to coordinate logistics and provide a public face when dealing with nations and other organizations. They do not set the curriculum or determine resource allocation, except in the case of a tie between the Head Magisters where they cast the deciding vote.

 

The Colleges of the Concordia

The Concordia has four main branches of research and study that they refer to as the Colleges. Early in the history of the Concordia, the Colleges were split up along the lines of the seven schools of magic. The schools of magic are identifiably and quantifiably different than one another. Practitioners of the arts can feel that a spell cast with Elementalism is different than one cast with Divination, even if the effect of the spell is very similar. It became clear that siloing the experience of mages of the different schools would hold back magical research, so the Concordia opted to separate their colleges along the lines of magical philosophy rather than the hard separation of the schools of magic. Today, all of the colleges have practitioners of all the schools of magic and instead focus on their application of magic.

 

The College of the Viscera

Known colloquially as the Viscerium, this school focuses on internal magics of the mind and body. Spells that enhance one’s self, or directly affect another. Members of the college spend time researching the different functions of the body and the mind and ponder the nature of the soul and how all three connect to magic. Members of the College of the Viscera typically display the symbol of the Concordia in red.

 

The College of the Externas

This College deals primarily with magic that manifest outside the body. Magics that transform energy and manipulate non-living objects fall under this category. Members of this College seek to gain a better understanding of the limits of magic and what can be done with its power. Members of the College of the Externas typically display the symbol of the Concordia in blue.

 

The College of the Imperious Antiqua

Mostly referred to as simply Imperious Antiqua, this College focuses on artifacts of unknown origin and ancient magics not fully understood. They spend much of their time researching ancient methods, divining methodology, and attempting to recreate these methods in the modern era. Some of their more intrepid members conduct field research in an attempt to uncover lost truths about magic. Members of the College of the Imperious Antiqua typically display the symbol of the Concordia in brown.

 

The College of the Formists

The College of the Formists, or simply the Formists, seek to research and understand magic that falls outside the normal structure of spell casting. They focus on styles of magic that require implements and tools such as runes, crystals, and alchemy. Their focus is in finding ways to use these external forms of magic to try and discover new efficiencies and further enhance the use of magic for everyone. Members of the College of the Formists typically display the symbol of the Concordia in grey.

 

Members of the Concordia of Note

 

Chancellor Umbranox Eurentian Liviana

The current Chancellor of the Concordia has seen a lot of interaction with many nations regarding the Concordia’s role among the worlds. She is a serious, sharp witted, Azoth woman, and an expert in illusory magic. Under her guidance and advice the Concordia has increased its field research, seeking out lost secrets of history, and has made great strides in sharing information with other nations that hold repositories like the one on Makinae.

 

Magister Illuminar Tenebris Draegan

The College of Imperious Antiqua performs the most field research of anyone in the Concordia. Top among them is Magister Illuminar Tenebris Draegan. To the untrained eye, Draegan would appear more as a common visitor to the land than a Magister in the Concordia. He is an adventurer at heart and still seeks the secrets of antiquity hidden across the stars.