Lero's Pupils
The Azerai of the Seventh Sanctum
The Azerai, or Pupil's of Lero as they are known throughout the realm, are a wizard cult centred around the worship of Lero and Niskus and their arcane knowledge. They are the utmost authority on all things concerning magic and spellcraft and supply the arch-mages that consult many of the kings, dukes and barons of Albion. They despise the authority of the Grand Imperial College, and take it as no small slight if a local Arch-Mage is appointed from the college's students rather than from their own school, the Ivory Tower. Their snobbish nature concerning magic stems from the fact that they are the guardians of the third pillar of magic and have kept it safe for millennia.
Structure
The Azerai are divided into a strict hierarchy that focuses on learning and teaching. Each rank is attained through study and the sitting of tough exams that change annually, put together by the Teachers.
I. Aspirant
In order to become part of the organisation, aspiring students have to prove their worth by performing menial tasks of labour and protection of higher rank members. They are paid minimally but are allowed to study in the Ivory Tower of the Seventh Sanctum on their free time. The usual Aspirant performs these duties for around a year, though some are promoted earlier if they show high arcane skill. There are some who never make it past this lowly rank, cruelly named Derelicts by their peers, who are deemed unworthy of the base teachings of magic and can sometimes retain this status for life.
II. Pupils
The Pupil is the base rank of a member of the Azerai and are sent out into the wider world to explore, study and return with a filled spellbook and the knowledge to back it up. They perform a year of study on campus before they leave on their trip, taught in the ways of survival and base magic needed to outlive a harsh world that has no respect for students or teachers. On their return they must sit a grueling exam, which determines if they may rise to the rank of teacher or repeat their journey.
III. Teachers
Educators, guardians and protectors of the Seventh Sanctum, the Teachers spend much of their time studying theories of the arcane. They also prepare the exams for returning Pupils and act as a last line of defence if needed. Most Teachers retain their rank for decades, and only the most distinguished move on to become an arch-mage.
IV. Arch-Mages
The Arch-Mages of the Azerai are perhaps the most well known among the common-folk of Albion. It is they who attend the Kings, Dukes and other nobles of the upper echelons on the continent, giving advice when needed and safeguarding the realm against other-worldly threats and spellplagues. An Arch-Mage usually spends the rest of his or her life at court, though some stay behind if no position is wanted or available and instead focus on writing the curriculum for the Teachers to use. They are powerful wizards and maintain many of the teleportation circles both on the Seventh Sanctum and Albion as a whole. Upon being chosen as an Arch-Mage, the former Teacher will choose a new name and leave their former life behind, usually the name of a former Arch-Mage.
V. The Erudite
Leading the entire school is the Erudite, the most well-learned and powerful of all mages at the school. The Erudite is a position for life, and he or she alone commands the future of the organisation as they see fit. They are well respected throughout the entirety of Albion, and though they leave their tower rarely, a visit by the Erudite is no small gesture. The current Erudite of the Azerai is Erudite Krazohr II.
Manu et Mente
Type
Guild, Mages
Alternative Names
The Azerai
Demonym
Azerai
Leader
Divines
Location
Comments