Institute of Magical Phenomena

The Institute of Magical Phenomena (or IMP for short) is one of Tyldamin's greatest prides and a great source of export for them. Originally founded to research the mechanisms and applications of magic, the institute has since expanded to include a great number of fields, such as physics, geography and biology. These topics are each pursued within their own Society. The central administration of IMP is situated in Medloth, the Tyldamin capital.

Societies

Each of IMP's research fields are pursued within their own Society. Indeed, IMP as central organisation barely exists - the core of the institution is its collection of Societies. As most Societies have settled themselves in and around Medloth, they often have close contact with other. Most of these contacts are of a cooperative nature but there are some intense rivalries amongst them, some of which are more serious than others. The fields of study amongst the Societies vary from the highly theoretical study of abstract magical techniques by the Thaumaturgical Society to the study of soil composition and the magic tethered to it by the Earthen Society. Some of the more exclusively magically oriented Socities look down upon the more practical ones as "less core IMP" but as those Societies and especially the Natural Society are the moneymakers of IMP, these opinions have little sway beyond Society culture.

Facilities

The majority of Societies have their own grand set of facilities, typically including a library (some of which are available to the public through library memberships), laboratories and workshops with specialised arcane equipment. Most of these are located in Medloth and the surrounding area although the faciliets of the Natural Society located in the town of Chaem, which allows for easier access to several different ecosystems. The Earthen society also has several smaller sets of facilities dotted around Tyldamin for similar reasons.
IMP's central administrative building is also located in Medloth in a surprisingly small and modest building, when compared to many Society facilities, although situated in an excellent locale. There half a dozen or so people (known as the IMP Council) keep track of IMP funds, handle intersocietal requests and keep up any correspondence that cannot be handled by Society members directly.

Tyldamin and surroundings

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Members of IMP

The Path of Fellowship

IMP Societies have several types of members, a large proportion of which are Fellows. Fellows each receive an income and use of the Society facilities in return for their research efforts. There are three ranks of fellowship: Junior Fellows, Full Fellows, and Senior Fellows. Most fellows are Juniors or Fulls as not many wish to take on the heavy responsibilities of Senior Fellowship, even if it grants one the possibility of gaining the post of Professor. Junior Fellows are those just starting out in a Society. They participate in research as part of focus groups, are generally expected to find a specialisation as a starting point for their education, and are mentored by a Full or Senior Fellow until they graduate to Full or are capable of taking a position as Independent Researcher.

Professorship

Each Society is headed by a Professor, who is chosen from that Society's Senior Fellows and generally retains this post until they choose to retire. Most of their time is taken up with assisting and directing Senior Fellows, communicating with the IMP Council, Patrons, other Socities, and outside parties, as well as organising opportunities for orations and (alas for them) balancing the various budgets. In return, Professors traditionally participate in only a single focus group of their favourite subject for research. Of late, even this has been difficult to squeeze in for many Professors amongst the many other pressing duties and people find themselves either less willing to take on the post or they pass the tasks onto the Senior Fellows of their Society.

Independent Researchers

Those who are wealthy enough to both manage without the income received through a Fellowship and fund their own research are known as Independent Researchers. These individuals therefore also have the freedom to pursue whichever topic they wish, but are still welcome to make use of Society facilities and participate in research publications and orations. Occasionally this route has also been suggested those Junior Fellows of wealthy means whom a Society does not consider quite respectable enough to wish to engage them as a Full Fellow. Independent researchers usually do not take part in focus groups as their topic of study often diverges but they may engage Junior Fellows as assistants - often an opportunity highly encouraged by a Junior's mentor since it provides chances to study interesting and highly specialised topics as well as potentially stumble upon new research methods.

Patrons

Not all those with wealth and an interest in magical and scientific research have the desire to perform research themselves. Some of these people choose to become Patrons of one or more Societies, donating money or materials in order to help IMP perform their research. In return, they are allowed to specify what they would like the funds to be used for, whether that is something like a research topic or expanding a facility or a special program. They are also invited to attend orations and sometimes the more ceremonial functions, such as an opening speech or note to a publication.

Changing Times

IMP's history is rooted in a set of clubs where enthusiasts of magic and surrounding topics would congregate to share ideas, hold discussions and encourage each other in their research endeavours. This ambiance of spirited, mostly-friendly, and rigorous but ambling curiosity into the fundamental workings of the world pervaded the Institute and its Societies for most of their history. In the last few generations this has been experiencing clear change, especially within the Societies that earn Tyldamin, and through that IMP, a good deal of money. It's not a purely monetary incentive for interested parties to put increasing pressure on IMP Societies either. As some of the magical innovations in the realm of agriculture have allowed for much greater production, some of Tyldamin's neighbours and Byrfenna in particular, have become reliant upon the innovations produced by IMP.
These pressures have resulted in far more restraints being placed upon the topics that IMP members can research, with priority being almost exclusively given to those topics that seem to promise a short-term application of the research. Fundamental research is being increasingly neglected, as it is becoming almost exclusively the realm of the independent researchers. Some patrons enable more fundamental research or pet projects, but patrons are few in number, and others are far more interested in seeing a "fruit" of the research in their lifetime or have some kind of business concern tied up in the outcome.

"To strive for a greater understanding of the world in all its magical benificience and animosity, that we may live in bounty and harmony with nature and magic."

— IMP motto

Type

Educational, Scientific Institute

Alternative Names

IMP, IMPstitute

Demonym

Imps

Subsidiary Organizations

• Natural Society

Related Ranks & Titles

• Senior Fellow of IMP

History

• 794 - A group of friends gathers. They have a strong interest in discovering more about magic and its origins as a natural part of the world.
• 798 - As their private research progresses, the idea of founding some sort of official club that could share its findings with other people is born.
• 799 - The Society of Magical Research is founded and gives its first oratory event. Several members present their research and further discussion evenings are held.
• 806 - Another club, called The Enthusiasts of Natural and Magical Phenomena increasingly attend events of the Society and extend reciprocal invitations. Several members from either club get along extremely well.
• 810 - The Institute of Magical Phenomena is officially founded as the two clubs band together (and lose two or three members in the process).
• 832 - As the Institute grows, interests start to diverge. The Institute is split into three Societies: the Thaumaturgical Society, The Society of Natural Magic and The Society of Arcane Applications.
• 876 - The Society of Arcane Applications decides to split into several smaller societies as their numbers grow.
• 977 - The Society of Natural Magic, after much discussion, starts to include the study of all natural phenomena and organisms and is renamed The Natural Society.
• 980 - The foundations are laid for the first Branch building in Chaem.
• 1125 - The Earthern Society splits off from the Natural Society.