The Horologists of Padua

The Horologists of Padua are a group of philosophers, researchers and mages that study time, and its relationship to the universe.  They are fascinated with the rhythmes of the world, from the seasons to the movements of the planets.  Their mages are second to none in regard to chronomancy and building clockworks.
Founded long ago as a secret society not long after the The Great Darkening, they chose to reveal themselves about 400 years ago with the "invention" of the mechanical clock.  In truth, they only released the secret to the world, having invented it long ago.  The mechanical clock itself is important to ship navigation today, with another "invention" of the hairspring clock.  This allows ships to measure where they are in relation to a fixed point and the time of day, always fixing the longitude of the ship precisely, if they can see the sun at noon. Clocks that come from the Horologists of Padua are highly sought after by ship captains for their quality and precision.
The astronomers and astrologers of the society are also renowned.  Predicting eclipses with great precision, and using the location of the planets to publish journals of precision for mages worldwide.  These precise journals are only published a couple of years ahead of time in order to ensure a consistent income for the society.  They are released at the same time and closely guarded in order to ensure that any copies made don't compete with their own.
When the existence of Cerealia was revealed in Casinium, the society was highly embarrassed that an amateur could find something that they themselves did not see.  Many senior researchers and mages lost both prestige and title.  It was found out that several times junior researchers had found Cerealia and the information had been suppressed, and the juniors lambasted for their temerity.  This has shaken the society to its core, as it has always prided itself on factual information and not politics.  It has even been suggested that a junior researcher gave the information away as a way of seeking vengeance.  In truth, this is not so.  The monks of Casinium are quite skilled and capable, and there was no hiding the planet from the optical telescopes.
The society is restructuring itself quietly in order to keep its embarrassment to a minimum.  In so doing, it is quietly reviewing its papers, how those papers are reviewed, and removing or demoting those who put their own self-promotion ahead of the society's knowledge.

"I wanted to be one of them all my life. I was crushed when my paper was rejected and my acceptance into the inner circle of the Masters was denied. I don't think I hated anyone more than my mentor for several years. It tore me up inside. Then I found out that I was just one of several over the centuries that had written a similar paper only to have it rejected by someone that would have been embarassed that the pupil exceded the master. When they wrote me a letter inviting me back I sent them a response. I traced the outline of my hand with my middle finger extended.
I have a good life at Howth University now."
~Professor Piero Raggio, Head of Astronomy and Horology, Howth University