Wardens of the Wellspring
Protectors of the wellsprings, and prominent mages guild throughout Aecenys. They also serve as teachers to those proficient in magic, founding schools for wizards and sorcerers.
Structure
Because of the organizations militaristic diligence, the hierarchy of titles are absolute and provide a direct line of command. At the head of the wardens is the Archwarden, typically a spellcaster with the most experience, power, and affinity towards the ancient wellsprings. From there, the chain of command is as follows:
- Archwarden - Leader of the wardens who wields the most influence and typically plays a political role in the quest for arcane magic acceptance. Commonly referred to as the archmage.
- Vicewarden - Nearly as powerful as the archwarden, the vicewardens lead divisions of mages either in an educational or militant capacity.
- Warden - Typical spellcaster within the organizations ranks. They spend their lives in the study and practice of arcane magic, and offer counsel to those in power. Their primary role is to seek and protect wellsprings throughout Aecenys.
- Apprentice - Novice arcane spellcasters who serve wardens or attend school. They perform menial work such as cooking and cleaning in exchange for education in the ways of magic.
Public Agenda
The mission of the wardens is to preserve and protect the ancient wellsprings while also predicting and identifying the location of transitory wellsprings. Once a transitory wellspring is identified, the wardens investigate the area to see if any births have occurred during the surge of arcane energy.
Once any spellcaster is identified, the wardens encourage enrollment at one of their arcane universities such as the Conflux Arcana in Riven. This not only protects those with an affinity for the arcane arts from the Temporal Guardians, it also bolsters their ranks and promotes a more positive opinion about utilizing magic.
Assets
The wardens are extremely wealthy due to the income generated from spellcasting services, tuition at their universities, and general support from factions supportive of their agenda. They also receive funding through the Church of Ettuna to not only provide protective services when on missions into hostile territory but also to supplement the education of novice spellcasters. Because of all of the wealth they have been able to amass, the wardens have been able to construct several universities throughout Aecenys as well as a grandiloquent headquarters in Athilor.
History
The Wardens of the Wellspring were established in 24 AR as protectors of the Ancient Wellspring that arose after the revelation of Ettuna. Even after years of study, there were many unknowns about the wellspring including lasting effects from overexposure, leading the elves to cease all interaction with it. After a council was formed to decide how best to proceed with the wellsprings, the wardens were formed to not only protect them but also to learn as much as they could from the source of arcane magic.
Upon learning of other wellsprings that began to surface all over the continent, the wardens decided their role would be beyond borders, and not strictly with Athilor. Their numbers grew as well as their influence, helping factions like the Corinian Empire and the Kingdom of Ardor build fonts to effectively tap into the wellsprings in a controlled way.
Everything changed after the Doom of Corinia. No longer were the wardens accepted within Corinian territory. Instead the Corinians established the Temporal Guardians, a military force used to seal and destroy any wellsprings as well as any arcane spellcasters. The wardens role evolved into a more protective force, seeking to safeguard those knowingly and unknowingly exposed to arcane magic.
After the region of Tusnya was settled by both the elves of Tol Annûn and the humans of Ardor, the wardens used this opportunity to spread their knowledge in a more educational regard. Instead of only protecting the spellcasters within the region, they decided to educate them as well, forming the Conflux Arcana. The university served as a pivotal moment in their history, as the wardens focused more on teaching the other factions the magic the elves were blessed with.
Ancient and Eternal
Founding Date
24 AR
Type
Guild, Mages
Demonym
Warden
Leader Title
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments