Society of Mages

Tevinter is a nation of mages and therefore of mage orders. Dozens, if not hundreds of orders exist and existed since its founding and before - yet not all orders enjoy the same prestige as others.
Mage orders that bind themselves to certain rules and restrictions, that value and upkeep specific standards, and that are led by a Magister that oversees the upkeep of these values, can become officially registered orders of the Society of Mages. Not only do the strict requirements guarantee a certain quality of the orders that are members, the membership also grants a great variety of priviliges as well as ratifying an order's and an individual mage's high standards.

Structure

Local Society Chapters and their Orders

The Society of Mages has a chapter in most major Imperium cities, sometimes even several, and a few also in smaller cities and towns. The chapters work together closely with universities and specialized academies, and while the Enchanters of a Society Order offer private teaching to members of their own order, they usually mainly work at said schools and institutions.
Each chapter is sponsored by a specific order, yet not owned by it; it is publically accessible, yet order members enjoy certain priviliges such as cheap rooms to stay in, library usage, and of course also the option to become the assisstant or private student of one of the order's Enchanters. In cities with only one such chapter it is generally referred to as "The Society of Mages" or "The Local Chapter" (e.g. "You can find the Society of Mages in the Market District." or "You better ask one of the Enchanters at the Society's Local Chapter."). In cities with more than one chapter these are usually differentiated between by naming them according to where they are situatedand other specifics about them that differentiate them from each other. The name of a local chapter can never share the name with the order it is currently housing though. If "The Order of the Rising Sun" for example resides in the Green Chapter, one could refer to the building as "The Green Chapter", or "The Guildhall of the Order of the Rising Sun", yet not the "The Chapter of the Rising Sun".

The Magister and First Enchanter - Head and Heart of the Order

Within a chapter, the highest-ranking person is the Magister that leads the order - usually though they are rarely present, therefore the daily business of the order and chapter is usually overseen by the First Enchanter. The First Enchanter is chosen from the ranks of Senior Enchanters of the order, and generally regarded as the most knowledgable and powerful mage present. They are usually appointed by the previous First Enchanter before their death or resignation, otherwise they are elected by the Senior Enchanters or chosen by the order's Magister, depending on what leads to a quicker result. By accepting the position of First Enchanter though the respective mage gives up the opportunity of ever becoming a Magister themself.

The Senior Enchanters - Masters of Magic

The Senior Enchanters are usually masters in several of schools of magic or have immensely advanced skills in a particular field. Their numbers vary from order to order, yet the Society of Mages demands a minimum of three Senior Enchanters (excluding the Magister) per order.
The Magister of the order is technically a Senior Enchanter as well, the outside representative of the order and at the same time its head. They have a seat in the Magisterium and therefore a lot of power. Since the Magister title is inheritable, Magister Senior Enchanters are very much requested teachers, as their apprentices hope to become their protégés and potential successors one day. Only in the case of the Magister falling from grace and being removed from their position by the Archon or if they die without appointing an heir to their position, the order's Senior Enchanters need to choose one of their own as their new leader and representative in the Magisterium. This has led to the downfall of entire chapters before, because it is a rare opportunity and the position is literally fought over until the last man standing.

The Enchanters - Teachers, Scholars, Ambassadors

Below the Senior Enchanters in rank are the Enchanters, mages who finished their years as an Apprentice and are considered well-educated and in full control of their powers. The title "Enchanter", as all other titles mentioned above, are bound to the membership in the society of mages, yet not to the membership in a specific order. If an order is disbanded, its remaining members are usually offered to join different orders and chapters to stay members of the society of mages. Titles and priviliges can be stripped also if their holder commits crimes against other members of the society or repeatedly breaks the established rules.
Not all Enchanters become Senior Enchanters, but it is a necessary step on the road to take. To be an order's Enchanter it is not necessary to study or teach at the local chapter or associated institutions though, as long as the order and chapter in some way benefit from the Enchanter's work outside. Enchanters can work in administrative positions as assisstants to Senior Enchanters or the First Enchanter, as librarians or researchers, others become ambassadors with the Dwarven Kingdom, and a handful, of course, keeps studying to apply for the position of Senior Enchanter one day.

The Apprentices - At the start of the journey

All mages within the orders of the Society of Mages below the rank of Enchanter are Apprentices of varying degrees that aim to finish their studies. Depending on their talents and time they make take upon smaller additional tasks within their chosen order, usually guided by a (Senior) Enchanter, for example as a research assistant.

Public Agenda

The Society of Mages aims to provide quality teaching and magical training that is monitored and goal-driven. Orders and members that are part of the Society adhere to its standards and rules, with the end-goal of educating the mages and therefore leaders of tomorrow. A membership also means to differentiate Society Orders from Non-Society Orders.
Every mage can, in theory, found their own order with its own rules - but they don't have to follow any standards at all, must not follow any goals or guidelines, and there are no safety measures provided. While these small, privately run orders can be officially registered as orders with the Magisterium by far not all are, because even for the Magisterium certain requirements need to be met that are even below the standards of the Society of Mages. The registration fee in particular is an obstacle established to make it harder for orders led by Laetan mages to become officially recognized by the Magisterium. Officially registered orders are allowed to advertise for new members and hold public assemblies, while non-registered orders are confined to the privacy of their founder's or a member's home to meet.
Not only does the Society of Mages in comparison offer rooms and study, it also offers a vast network of contacts inbetween orders and schools from which the members can greatly profit.

Type

Guild, Mages