Torith
Ruled by Mages as the capital city of the Magisterium of Torith, the city of Torith is a nigh utopia for Mages and those seeking knowledge.
Demographics
Torith is the fourth largest settlement on the peninsula after Brancion, Amatar, and Drak Zortemar.
The population of Torith appears to be majority human, however almost all humans in the Magisterium have some measure of elven blood in their veins due to Magisterial attempts to breed 'magical potential' over the centuries. The degree and strength of this blood varies in potency, with some families appearing almost half-elven, while others visually appear to simply be human.
The second most numerous race in Torith are halflings, their presence encouraged by Magisters for generations since the founding of the Magisterium. As most halflings do not share the ambition that drives most Magisters, and many tend to prefer going unnoticed, they make the ideal servant class, with few halflings pursuing the magical studies to an extent required to become Magisters. The curiosity most halflings feel also makes them perfect assistants in the search for knowledge. Within Torith itself the halfling population is much smaller than it is in the countryside, however they are still commonly seen as servants, assistants, traders and craftsmen.
Surprisingly, dwarves make up a relatively high percentage of the population of Torith. Most of these dwarves hail from the Harmonised caste of their society, being dwarves with natural magical potential, or too much interest in studying the arcane. Usually having little money at their disposal to pay for tutelage at the College of Arcane Technique or to fund their own endeavours in dwarven lands, and with elves being highly secretive with the teaching of their magic, many dwarves with magical interests or abilities make their ways to Torith in the hope of entering the service of a Magister or learning from a Mage in the city.
Gnomes, elves, tieflings and dragonborn can be found in Torith as with most cities, though their numbers are generally lower than the above. The city is also one of only two places on the peninsula where a traveller can potentially see more than a single genasi at any one time, the other being Amatar.
Government
The Governing body of the city and the wider Magisterium is the Hall of Magisters, comprised of fifty mages. Every five years, a tournament is held in Torith to determine who the Magisters for the next term will be based on magical ability above all else. The total number of seats available may be either forty, if the Lord Magister is not a member of the Founding Families, or forty one if he/she is. The Magisterial Tournament itself varies in size each time, with being over the age of sixteen and a resident of the Magisterium as the only official entry requirements, as long as you have a friend to vouch for your good character. All participants are issued mahogany staffs to use as their focuses for usage during the tournament, to prevent cheating in this avenue.
Similarly, every five years the Magisters collectively vote for one among their number to lead the Hall, who adopts the title of Lord Magister. This is both functional and ceremonial, as the Lord Magister is typically considered the most powerful magic user in the Hall and so wields considerable influence, as well as their vote being an automatic tiebreaker should it come to that. The current Lord Magister is Galibron Seredir.
The ancient history of the city has it founded by human refugees, with ten mages at their head. In the modern day, nine families descended from these mages are considered the "Founding Families". According to the law within the Magisterium, these families will always have the right to seat a Magister in the Hall of Magisters, and are not under requirement to take part in the Magisterial Tourney every five years.
Founding Families:
After the disappearance of Torina, nine mages led Torith. Their descendants remember them in the names of their families. Gender of the original nine mages is indicated.- Seredir, descended from Sered (M)
- Dormenor, descended from Dormen (M)
- Neridian, descended from Nerida (F)
- Loragan, descended from Lorag (M)
- Hamorin, descended from Hamor (M)
- Elorin, descended from Elori (F)
- Corvoril, descended from Corvor (M)
- Anvarin, descended from Anvar (M)
- Evarin, descended from Evari (F)
Industry & Trade
Torith has fast flowing trade to the Prismatic Republic usually routed through Carist, heading to both Harricolum and Amatar. They reach the north and east of the peninsula through Bahn Taig in dwarven lands, which is seen as something of a gateway for trade. While naval travel is risky, ships do sometimes sail from Torith to Brancion and Vissen, a point of some contention with dwarven toll collectors, as this bypasses their costs.
Guilds and Factions
Seredir Elder Faction
Those Magisters who support Lord Magister Galibron Seredir, the ancient leader of the Hall of Magisters. Their main oppositions are the Seredite Younger Faction and the Altumite Faction. Most of these are traditionalists and older Magisters.Seredir Younger Faction
Made up of Magisters who support Gaspard Seredir in his bid to usurp his father's seat as Magister, and to take over as Lord Magister. As the Seredir family hold a reserved seat, the only way for him to inherit the seat is for the resignation or death of his father - or for a majority vote approval in the Hall of Magisters for them to take part in a Magisterial Duel.Altumir Faction
Comprised of those Magisters who support Magister Dauphine Altumir in her bid for the role of Lord Magister. Dauphine is a powerful young Mage, coming from outside of the founding families, and many of the rebellious young Magisters back her cause.The Luminos
A clandestine group of magic users, ostensibly devoted to the recovery and care of ancient artifacts, knowledge, and magic. Their exact practices are kept secret, as well as the identity of their members. The Luminos purportedly hold heavy influence in the Hall of Magisters, though given their secretive nature this is impossible to verify, especially that their supposed goals align with almost every Magister. There are more outlandish theories which suggest that the Luminos practice forbidden arts and communicate with otherworldly forces, and even that they sacrifice people to enhance their magical powers. Meanwhile, there are some that doubt the Luminos even exist, or that if they do, they are the same as any other group of colleagues with similar interests. When questioned, Magisters usually refuse to comment on anything regarding the Luminos, or state their doubt of the group's existence.The Torithian Librarian's Association
With membership libraries all over the peninsula, from the Republic, to Brawic, to Daer Lain and so on, the Association has its highest density of membership in Torith, with Carist being a close second. They devote themselves to the sharing and preservation of knowledge, as well as the discovery of new things, and so many researchers find employment at this guild. Many Magisters and prospective Magisters are also members of the Association.Mistwraiths
A criminal organisation with a strong presence in Torith. While powerful in the Underworld of Torith, they take little overt action to avoid upsetting any Magister who might be powerful enough to cause problems for them. It is claimed by many Magisters that the Mistwraiths are attempting to undermine the Magisterium's authority. They also have an uneasy peace with the Fraternity and the Northern Thieves, as the other two major criminal organisations.Xander's House of Performance
A theatrical school based in Torith, from which hail many travelling musicians and bards. Owned and led by Xander Croix, the famed 'Cellist of Carist', it teaches any with the coin and the skill the arts of music, acting, and dance. Some say that the House of Performance also teaches more illicit skills to its students, though this is unconfirmed.Primord Guard
The most prestigious, and rare, of the guards of the Hall of Magisters. Numbering a grand total of eight at any one time - one for each school of magic - the Primord Guard is made up entirely of Genasi warriors, who are gathered from across the peninsula to be trained in preparation for this position. As rare as they are, this means the Guard are helped by a second, more numerous organisation. The Primord employ unarmed and unarmoured combat, allowing them to make the most of their natural abilities, as well as the techniques they have derived from ancient manuscripts found in the Citadel. At any one time, a member of the Primord Guard always accompanies the Lord Magister, while the entire Primord Guard will attend to watch over the Hall of Magisters when it is in session.Moine Guard
The less prestigious cousins of the Primord Guard comprised mostly of relatives of Magisters, or those who excel in the skills of the Primord Guard but are not of Genasi lineage. Among their number can also be found failed candidates for the Primord Guard itself. The Moine Guard are tasked with watching over Magisters every day, while also guarding thee Hall of Magisters when they are in session, though they are not permitted to enter the Hall itself. The Moine also practice unarmed and unarmoured combat.The Horn Association
Standing for the protection of Tieflings in the peninsula, the Horn Association has a presence in Torith. Their branch in the city is matched only by those in Amatar and Harricolum, given the magical inclinations of many Tieflings. The Horn Association is known to work closely with the Magisterium.History
Once upon a time, humans from the lands that are now ruled by the Kingdom of Gathion travelled south, into Dwarven lands. They were mostly ignored by the dwarves at the time, until it became clear they were making use of arcane magics in their day to day life. The Dwarves rose from underground, to drive away the humans that they saw as blaspheming against the strictures of their faith. Many of these humans found their way south, into the moors and plains of the south west, which were sparsely populated at the time, with small populations of halflings, gnomes, and the occasional clan of Dragonborn from the east.
The humans were, according to legend, led by the witch Torina, and it was her powerful magics which led them to the coast, and the Citadel, protecting them from harm by the creatures which infested the surrounding lands. The refugees took shelter within the Citadel, and from within the safety of its solid walls, a civilisation began to spring. The Witch Torina and her closest companions set the foundation of the future Magisterium, her followers putting their faith in the mages that had brought them to the Citadel safely, and had begun to unlock its secrets. After a time, the stream that fed their new settlement began to dry out, and Torina travelled away from her home, to its source. Exactly what Torina did, high in the mountains, was either forgotten, or never known. What is known, is that Torina never returned, but the stream began to flow faster and thicker than ever before, becoming a true river. Her people named it the River Tor in her memory, and their settlement became known as Torith.
As Torith grew, it became known as not only a haven, but a place where the magically inclined could thrive. While not an ideal meritocratic society, the fact that any man or woman could become a Magister if they had the magical skill made Torith highly popular among dwarves especially, and to this day the Magisterium has a high population of Dwarves who hail from the Harmonised caste. At some point, the city of Carist was founded by dissidents from Torith, who believed the meritocratic nature of the Magisterium was a mistake. Believing in the supremacy of born mages above all else, these rebels founded the Magedom of Carist in the image of the petty kings of the north, where rank would be inherited among select bloodlines.
When the Empire invaded, landing in the north at Brawic, they sent an emissary south, to Torith. The specifics of the deal made are forgotten to time, but it is known that the Magisters bowed to the Empire, retaining their positions and power, and welcoming the Legions and Imperial Chevaliers to their lands - and waging war against Carist. The smaller city was overwhelmed, and soon bowed in surrender, its lands being absorbed into the Magisterium.
The Imperial occupation is seen as something of a golden age for the Magisterium, spurred on by the magic and knowledge of the Empire. This was obviously short lived due to the collapse, though Torith was not shaken to its core like its northern neighbour, owing to its more autonomous position.
Architecture
The Old Citadel itself is constructed almost entirely from stone, with great vaulted arches and flying buttresses, a style reminiscient of the Colosseum and the Lighthouse in Haldersport, which led to theories that all three structures were built by the same ancient civilisation. Since its occupation, the Citadel has been expanded upon in a number of ways. The expanded parts of the Citadel have been constructed using a mix of styles, from Imperial, to an imitation of the original style of the Citadel, to styles reminiscient of both dwarven and elven architecture. The rest of the older parts of the city also favour stone construction, with most Magisters living in tower-ridden mansions. Spires, therefore, are a common sight in the richer areas of Torith, as they tend to belong to current, ex, or aspiring Magisters.
Geography
The City of Torith is located on the south western coast, about the river Tor. The landed side of the city extends in rolling plains for miles, most of which are occupied by farmlands, though there are also scattered estates of important families. The Citadel itself stands to the northern edge of the city atop a cliffy outcrop, which provides a view of the entire lower city, as well as the endless ocean. It is split from most of the rest of the city by the river Tor, which winds through the lower ground. The southern side of the river is generally considered to be the poorer part of Torith, while the northern side is home to many more Magisters and other important citizens.
Type
City
Inhabitant Demonym
Torian
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Owning Organization
Related Tradition (Primary)
Characters in Location
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