Court mages

From Davenrathh

The Court Mages were once the most influential body in the province of Aberdon. Originally founded as an office of Magical Police - the Department of Magical Affairs - the Mages quickly found themselves being continually consulted on magical affairs by various nobles. The Department of Magical Affairs saw this as an opportunity they couldn't refuse. Trading in the favours owed them by the Noble's, the Mages obtained titles for themselves, and officially became the Court Mages. The organization has changed quite a few times over the three centuries it's been in existence, but the form many were familiar performed the following functions: Magical Policework- all arcane magic-using members of the Guard are either members of the Court Mages, or subject to their authority (interestingly, this command also included psionicists, who were regarded as a different breed of magic-user) Magical Advice- The Court Mages were the leading authority on magical matters in the court, offering advice to the King and other nobles. Intelligence and Law Enforcement- With powerful scrying spells and magics, the Court Mages outperformed both the Aberdonian spymaster's network, and the Provincial guard, and absorbed them. They still rely on physical agents, many of whom are non-mages.

At the peak of their power, the Court Mages were ruled by the Archmage Althamas, a former adventurer. Despite his own formidable power (he was second to Mosslaide), Althamas was no match for Cromwell's Eye and Hand of Vecna. Althamas was crippled in battle with Cromwell, who then used magical diguise to take Althamas's place, and hunt down the Court Mages, one by one.

While Althamas managed to escape, he was too wounded to challenge Cromwell. He did help set up an ill fated resistance moment to the tyrant, but it was eventually crushed by Cromwell's demons.

With the death of Cromwell, and the return of a king to Aberdon, the Court Mages have also been reformed. Many of them are new, mages from Kelermere, Borland and Kol who wish to start again on a new land. They are led by those mages who survived Cromwell's purge (nicknamed the Old Guard). Just how the new Court Mages are going to fit into the blooming power structure of Aberdon is yet to be seen...