Sages of the Court (DnD Other)
Description[edit]
This guild is a medley of wizards, sorcerers, psions, and whathaveyou. This is the sister guild to the Court of Battle and they are similar in many ways. Joining is easy enough, since the request can be made of any member and invitations are given between friends freely. No obligation is required and the benefits are exceptional, especially the social benefit of putting members in contact with many other fighters of their own caliber in their town.
While no commitment to the guild is necessary, requests for taking up responsibilties and defending the guild are often made. Many opt to take a larger role in the guild and thus begin to move through the ranks of the guild.
Relations[edit]
On the personal level, the large number of members makes generalizing impossible. Higher ranks begin to see the utility of all walks of life in battle, but this does not mean they become more open-minded.
On inter-guild relations, they treat other guild with respect and caution, losing their distance only after years of safe, beneficial co-operation. The Court of Battle works closely with the Sages, providing them physical assistance in various ways in return for the service the more mentally and magically strong member of the Sages can provide.
History[edit]
The Sages of the Court haven't been around that long. They were formed about half a century ago, after the founding of the Court of Battle, one of the arcane archers decided that for the integrity of the Court they would have to have a permanently allied mages guild, rather than co-operating with any others who were friendly at the time. This spell sword proposed this idea to the Court and it was declared. The first members of the Sages of the Court were arcane archers, eldritch knights, psionic fists and psychic warriors. They formed the initial First Sages and there were also a few of the Second Sages within this group but they also got some of their friends to become the founding members of the Sages.
Rules[edit]
There are few rules for learners, just that any serious injury to a fellow member or unwarranted violence at anytime may result in punishment. For Scholars, restrictions are plentiful and training is rigorous, bringing the average Scholar up to or well surpassing the level of many professional or governmental mages' group.
Above scholars, rules become slightly more lenient and power begins to accumulate for Gurus and higher. Upon reaching the rank of Pundits, many are content to wait for their turn as a member of the sages, but some actively seek it, challenging Second Sages weekly. While there are actually fewer rules and more guidelines for First Sages, they generally follow a strict code imposed by their fellows.
Goals[edit]
The goals of this guild is to create an environment for mages to meet their fellows, allow members to interact with the much-needed fighters of other guilds, and improve the lives of people in the towns it has chapters in.
They work to ensure a balance of power with other guilds of spellcasters, gauranteeing diversity rather than personal power.
Headquarters and Locations[edit]
Headquarters are easily found, many of them because they are located on the top floors of quiet libraries and public laboratories. They hang their guild emblem in the window of their establishment for all to see.
Hierarchy[edit]
| Rank | Standing | Member | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Sage | 1st | There are ten of these. They participate in the Court. | As the higher members of the court, they are the leaders of any factions of the court, since they are elected by the Second Sages. They vote on matters and voice their opinion. Some are assigned special duties and responsibilities, like Keeper of the Treasury and Order of the Court. |
| Second Sage | 2nd | As the lower members of the court, they elect and support First Sages. There can be as many as 30 to 50 of these, depending on the needs of the court. | They voice their opinion on and make suggestions for the business of the court. They also assist the First Sage they support with any courtly duties he may have. |
| Pundit | 3rd | Next-in-lines for the rank of Second Sage, there are usually one or two hundred of these. | Pundits are usually the subcommanders in any military endeavor the guild might undertake, answering to the First and Second Sages. They have several Gurus that serve under them. |
| Guru | 4th | Direct underlings of the Pundits, each Pundit has three to ten gurus in his service. | They follow their Pundits, whether it be into battle or into court. They have an entourage of Teachers, one of who they promote to personally train as their Savant. |
| Savant | 5th | While some choose not to have one, almost every Guru has one Savant training under him. | With more rigorous training than Teachers, these are the Guru's favorite and their heirs within the guild, inheriting the Guru's rank should the Guru advance in rank. |
| Teacher | 6th | Teachers are the selected of the scholars that may train under the Gurus and may be selected by them as their Savant. Teachers have most of the duties of a Scholar, but with a few more benfits and some more specific training from the Guru they follow. | Teachers receive a moderate stipend, receive training, and perform task such as gaurding gates, organizing small platoons for exploration of a newly discovered location, and generally all the duties they enjoyed as a Scholar. |
| Scholar | 7th | This is the second most populous rank, with over a quarter of the guild's many members. From this rank, many members put more effort into moving upward through the guild. | Scholars are the Learners who have decided to take a more active role in the future of the guild, devoting themselves to its benefit. At this rank they receive good training and a slightly better stipend. They may be required by the guild to defend their honor when the guild comes into conflict. |
| Learner | 8th | This is the most basic rank of the court, with thousands of members never moving upward in the rankings. This rank consists of more than fifty percent of the guild's members. | Benefits for members of this rank are mostly social, as the rank brings together so many casters from many walks of life to improve their skills. Learners can request training from their fellows or higher ranks. Learners receive a very meager stipend. |
Ranks[edit]
Rank Descriptions[edit]
First Sages: First Sages are the movers and shakers in the guild, the only members authorized to vote on Court business and the organizers of most events. They are elected by their peers from the Second Sages. There are only ever ten First Sages. Four of them have a special title, and therefore position and duty, on top of being a First Sage. These titles are Order of the Court, Keeper of Business, Ceremonial Master, and Speaker of the Guild.
Order of the Court: The primary purpose of this First Sage is to keep the Court running smoothly during a meeting and ensure the other titled courtiers collaborate on and complete their duties.
Keeper of Business: Scribe and Treasurer of the Court, keeping documents of meetings, advancements of rank in the guild, and changes in allies and enemis of the guild.
Ceremonial Master: This sage oversees voting, ran advancement, special rites, and the services obtained from fighters guilds, though he does not obtain the fighters guild's assistance himself.
Speaker of the Guild: Liaison to other organizations, including rival guilds, fighters' guilds, factions, and government, the work of the person holding this title includes acquiring and lending assistance for and from his guild. He represents the entire guild for meetings with any officials.