The Academy

Formally The Conclave of Mages and Academy for the Conferrence of Occult Erudition , but known to almost everyone as simply The Academy. The Academy deals with the education and control of the magical arts and while the organisation had a humble beginning with a single mage trying to create order from magical chaos, the organization now spans most of the continent, has complete control of who is allowed to perform magic and considers national laws entirely beneath it.
Notes:

Magical disaster occured some 50-100 years ago involving chronomancy and the resilience effects of time. This event has been used by the academy to tighten their control and to create a new division of mage hunters. This division is known formally as the Magical Order Enforcement Enclave, but are most often referred to simply as the Hunters or Greycoats by virtue of their steel grey academy robes.

Known as the Niederung disaster among mages or the collapse by locals. News of it was deliberately spread throughout the upper echelons of all countries in which the Academy was working.

Public Agenda

All magic training must happen at the academy
All magic user must be licenced by the academy
Bardic magic, Binding magic, and innate magic users must have special licences and submit to regular inspection

History

The academy was formed by the archmage Eronin almost 2000 years ago during the Endless Night when the world lay in perpetual darkness. During this time almost all mages were self taught which was a highly dangerous proposition as accidents were common. Most who showed magical talent committed some small mistake when exploring the magic and ended up either turning themselves into delicious cream cakes or summoning a demon, neither of which are pleasant ways to end. As a result mages were highly distrusted by the population in general. Eronin was one of the few who managed to control his magic and he spent many years travelling in the perpetual gloom that lay upon the world during this age. On his travels he spoke to mages, monsters and otherworldy beings, travelled to regions long unseen by human eyes and delved into ancient ruins, all in search of forgotten lore and magical knowledge. Eventually however, age caught up with him and he decided to take on apprentices to ensure that his knowledge did not die with him. He therefore settled in the city of Acrux in the Kirant archipelago in the Southern Sea and formed the organization that is now known as the Academy. His apprentices continued his work and established chapters of the academy in all the major cities of the south. Initially the chapters were somewhat independent but as their influence grew they became distrusted by the local governments and in the Great Cleansing the Khart ruler attempted to expel all of the Academy chapters from his realm. The mages were unprepared and fled back to the original academy in Acrux. After regrouping however, they returned with a vengeance, assassinating the King of Khart and most of his lieutenants, installing academy loyalists in their place, essentially taking over the ruling of the country. Using Khart as a secure base the organization could rapidly expand, and it was at this time that it also started policing who was allowed to use magic.