Mystic Compendium
The Mystic Compendium is the foremost alliance of magic users within the Salynas Archipelago. It has its main base on the High Cluster island of Pentun, though there are many other outposts across the archipelago.
Structure
The leader of the Mystic Compendium is the First Mage Olia Lucien. Technically the role belongs to who holds the title of First Mage, but there has been no other First Mage other than Olia Lucien, the original founder. Due to Olia Lucien discovering the secret to immortality many years ago, there has never been any need to replace them.
However, much of the day to day running of the Mystic Compendium is done by their eight headmasters. Each one carries the responsibility of a different school of magic. Each school has its own classrooms, facilities, dormitories, research groups, and their own tower in the main location on Pentun. Each headmaster has sole authority over their own school, though wider administrative decisions will be taken by the group as a whole.
The organisational structure beneath a headmaster is their respective decision, and varies wildly across the Compendium. For example, the Evocation branch has a basic hierarchical structure with the headmaster at the top, and a variety of other positions that are all ranked by authority. By contrast, the Transmutation branch uses a flatter structure in which all ideas are considered equally important, and debates are encouraged.
However, much of the day to day running of the Mystic Compendium is done by their eight headmasters. Each one carries the responsibility of a different school of magic. Each school has its own classrooms, facilities, dormitories, research groups, and their own tower in the main location on Pentun. Each headmaster has sole authority over their own school, though wider administrative decisions will be taken by the group as a whole.
The organisational structure beneath a headmaster is their respective decision, and varies wildly across the Compendium. For example, the Evocation branch has a basic hierarchical structure with the headmaster at the top, and a variety of other positions that are all ranked by authority. By contrast, the Transmutation branch uses a flatter structure in which all ideas are considered equally important, and debates are encouraged.
Culture
The Mystic Compendium is first and foremost a place of education, as it exists as a place for all of its members to gain knowledge. This does not mean that the members are all bookworms, for the Compendium recognises that all aspects of life can be teachers that give a greater understanding of the world, and so members with all sorts of personalities may flourish as long as they carry a drive to discover.
Another key aspect of the culture amongst the Mystic Compendium is the encouragement of competition. This includes competition between different schools of magic, between different classes, different dormitories, and even rivalries between individuals. These rivalries are not inherently antagonistic, though they can certainly become so if not treated properly. Rather, the point of the competition is to drive advancement. Especially as there is no prize, so the rewards gained along the path are the prizes themselves.
Another key aspect of the culture amongst the Mystic Compendium is the encouragement of competition. This includes competition between different schools of magic, between different classes, different dormitories, and even rivalries between individuals. These rivalries are not inherently antagonistic, though they can certainly become so if not treated properly. Rather, the point of the competition is to drive advancement. Especially as there is no prize, so the rewards gained along the path are the prizes themselves.
Public Agenda
The Mystic Compendium has two major goals. The first is to gain knowledge. This is done both by travelling to the various libraries around the world, and through travelling the rest of the world to learn things that are not in any book, and to record them so that the mages of the future might learn these things themselves.
The second agenda is to work alongside the Congregation in whatever way is necessary. In some cases, this leads to mages acting as bodyguards for important arbiters or visiting dignitaries. In other cases, the Mystic Compendium will work to create magical tools for the navy and the Congregation proper that make doing their jobs easier. This agreement is what gives the Mystic Compendium license to hold a base in the capital, and for its members to essentially act as free agents across the archipelago.
The second agenda is to work alongside the Congregation in whatever way is necessary. In some cases, this leads to mages acting as bodyguards for important arbiters or visiting dignitaries. In other cases, the Mystic Compendium will work to create magical tools for the navy and the Congregation proper that make doing their jobs easier. This agreement is what gives the Mystic Compendium license to hold a base in the capital, and for its members to essentially act as free agents across the archipelago.
Assets
As well as a considerable amount of money, the Mystic Compendium also has over a thousand highly trained mages with a wide breadth of knowledge. Most have also been trained in diplomacy, and are as such able to be hired by the Congregation to handle difficult situations across the archipelago.
Furthermore, aside from the main academy on Pentun, the Mystic Compendium has five other schools across the Salynas Archipelago, though the others are significantly smaller. Each one has a large library, and between them one can with enough time find information on just about any subject. Each school also has a teleportation circle, allowing easy transportation between them for research purposes.
Furthermore, aside from the main academy on Pentun, the Mystic Compendium has five other schools across the Salynas Archipelago, though the others are significantly smaller. Each one has a large library, and between them one can with enough time find information on just about any subject. Each school also has a teleportation circle, allowing easy transportation between them for research purposes.
History
The Mystic Compendium was first founded in 564 by a mage called Olia Lucien. Unfortunately, not much information from the time has been retained, but there are a few key points that were maintained in the Compendium's own histories.
The Compendium appears to have been formed in order to combat some sort of evil that existed over a thousand years ago. It is only referred in texts as something ancient and terrible called the Rising, and it seems that it required the combined strength of Olia Lucien, as well as eight other powerful mages, to be defeated. Of these other eight mages, historians only have an idea as to the name of one of the mages, one Dayun Ogress. He is not confirmed to be one of the number, but he was known to be a powerful mage who lived at the time, and local legend from his home of Empezan suggests his involvement.
After the Rising was defeated, Olia Lucien decided that they and the other eight mages should pass on their knowledge, so that if the Rising should ever come again at a time after their deaths there would be a group sufficiently powerful to defeat it. Though the original purpose of the Mystic Compendium is still remembered, the existence of the Rising is now thought to be more legend than anything, and the purpose of the Mystic Compendium has gone from preparing to fight it to accumulating knowledge for its own sake.
It was some time during the 800s when the Mystic Compendium first officially partnered with the Congregation, and were allowed to build their base of operations on Pentun. The exact date is not known, as the only records for the time are building manifests from the construction of the academy, which do not indicate the date of the agreement. There are other treaties that ratify the agreement, but the earliest preserved one is from 1132.
The Compendium appears to have been formed in order to combat some sort of evil that existed over a thousand years ago. It is only referred in texts as something ancient and terrible called the Rising, and it seems that it required the combined strength of Olia Lucien, as well as eight other powerful mages, to be defeated. Of these other eight mages, historians only have an idea as to the name of one of the mages, one Dayun Ogress. He is not confirmed to be one of the number, but he was known to be a powerful mage who lived at the time, and local legend from his home of Empezan suggests his involvement.
After the Rising was defeated, Olia Lucien decided that they and the other eight mages should pass on their knowledge, so that if the Rising should ever come again at a time after their deaths there would be a group sufficiently powerful to defeat it. Though the original purpose of the Mystic Compendium is still remembered, the existence of the Rising is now thought to be more legend than anything, and the purpose of the Mystic Compendium has gone from preparing to fight it to accumulating knowledge for its own sake.
It was some time during the 800s when the Mystic Compendium first officially partnered with the Congregation, and were allowed to build their base of operations on Pentun. The exact date is not known, as the only records for the time are building manifests from the construction of the academy, which do not indicate the date of the agreement. There are other treaties that ratify the agreement, but the earliest preserved one is from 1132.
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