Circle of Sages

The Circle of Sages is a non-governmental organization (although they are funded by various governments around the world) dedicated to the collection, storage, and dissemination of knowledge. Their ranks are made up of scientists, field researchers, engineers, librarians, lecturers, and historians.

Structure

There is no one true governing body of the Circle of Sages. Rather the Circle operates as a loose confederation of various schools and libraries. Every intellectual organization whether it be a library, school, or research team but be accepted into the circle by an already recognized body of enough prestige.
Once part of the circle the organization but adopt certain traditions and standards of the Circle. For example: Sages are required to wear the traditional sage robe as to distinguish themselves from the general population. The articles and books they write must be written in common and must follow the proper format and peer-review process. Every accepted member and organization is recorded in the Annuals of the Sages held at the Great Library.
The leader of the Circle of Sages is traditionally an Elf with ties to Erudwen Lanagathor, the Circle's founder who presides over the Great Library.

Public Agenda

The Circle's main objective is to collect, record, catalog, and protect any and every piece of knowledge around the world. All officially recognized stances must be peer reviewed, scrutinized, and voted on by the whole circle.

Assets

The Circle owns and maintains The Great Library. Inside, is the entire body of work of all of the Sages. Besides this individual patron organizations, countries, or persons fund individual work or sages self fund to do research.

History

The Formation of the Circle

As the War of Ascension raged entire civilizations crumbled, cities were destroyed, the geography changed. By the end of the war huge swaths of knowledge and history vanished overnight.
According to the Sages, the first sage was a young elven refugee (by elven terms) named Erudwen Lanagathor. When the dust settled she returned to her home city of Alatyalin to find it a ruin. She vowed to preserve the knowledge and history of her people and began to make a record of their history. She established a team of elves to help her, and soon found out that other elves were doing the same all around Aasha. Erudwen then created a standard by which these teams could collaborate on their research and record and archive their records.
As the histories of the lost cities were recorded or found among the ruin, it became apparent that there needed to be a better centralized place to store them. So Erudwen and her fellow researchers and historians established the Great Library of Alatyalin in 325AA and called the keepers of the records Crithla'golodh - or the Circle of Sages or Circle of Lorekeepers in Elvish. Once the library was established word among the other mortal races spread. Curious humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings started to gather to Alatyalin and assist in the work. They brought with them their own histories and research gathered from all around Aasha.
Erduwen, now managing hundreds of researchers and librarians, decided to formalize the Crithla'goldh in 352 AA. She was named Mein'goldh - the First Sage - and set many of the Circles first traditions and procedures.
The Circle continued to grow and advance their mission to find, record, and protect the knowledge of Aasha. In 521, The Circle established the College of the Sages to formalize the training of new researches, librarians, and historians. In 788AA Erduwen, now close to her 900's retired from her position as Mein'goldh. The circle decided that her first student Faelar Shaxidor would continue her work. Faelar would oversee what the Sages call the First Divide.

The First Divide

In 1000AA the The Mages' Guild decreed that the Mages' Guild and them alone would be the keeper and regulator of Arcane knowledge. This caused much distress among the Sages given that thier collection of Arane texts and histories was the second-largest in the world and held at the Great Library. The Mages demanded that the Circle of Sages surrender their arcane knowledge, and first the Circle refused but when the Mages steered their floating city of Adara above Alatyalin and besieged it, Faelar Shaxidor and the Circle relented.

The Second Divide

By the late 3800's space in the Great Library had greatly diminished. And so the Mein'goldh Emmyth Morwynn decided that that any records, history, or collections related to art and not science to be moved out of the city to a secondary location. It was decided that they move these precious pieces of art, poetry, song, and fiction to the infamous ancient fortress city Urostos. They gathered donations from across Aasha and built the Art Vault - a museum of art and library of art history.
So impressive was the Art Vault, that the city was renamed Maitos the Artists' Fortress. The Sages at Maitos renamed themselves the Circle of Curators who follow a similar structure and code as the Sages, but work exclusively on preserving art's history and future.

Knowledge is the power of mortals

Founding Date

325AA

Type

Educational, Society

Demonym

Sage