OVERVIEW
The Brotherhood was the oldest organisation of mages in the Northern Kingdoms. They regulated and oversaw the use of magic in the north, prohibiting certain practices including Artefact compression, demonology and necromancy.
The Brotherhood had two academies where they would train each generation of mages, Aretuza and Ban Ard, where they educated women and men respectively.
HISTORY
The Novigradian Union, consisting of the mages Jan Bekker, Giambattista and Geoffrey Monck, established the Brotherhood in the late 8th century. The original headquaters was based in Mirthe, where they trained sources including Agnes of Glanville; the first female mage and member of the Brotherhood. They later moved to Thanedd Island after Mirthe was raised to the ground during Falka's rebellion.
In the latter half of the 9th century, the Chapter of the Gift and the Art (commonly referred to as simply the Chater) was installed and the Brotherhood's laws became mandatory for all mages residing in the Northern Kingdoms. Those who refused to acknowledge the Chapter and submit to their laws, were killed in a bloody war of mages.
Geoffrey Monck spent much of the Brotherhood's early years establishing good relations with the elves, such that during the 10th and 11th century they would send source children to Loc Muinne to study under the Aen Saevherne. Because of this peace treaty, no mage would participate in the first elven-human war, despite petitions from human rulers.
In 1263, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, led by Vilgefortz, fought alongside the armies of the Northern Kingdoms in a massive battle against the Nilfgaardian Empire in Upper Sodden, famously known as the Battle of Sodden Hill. The location of the battle is now known as the "Hill of the Fourteen", because fourteen of the twenty two northern mages that participated in the battle died during the fighting.
Thanedd Coup
On the 30th of June 1267, during a conclave held on Thanedd Island, several northern supporting mages led by Philippa Eilhart arrested those suspected to be allied with Nilfgaard. During the trial Philippa and Tissaia de Vries got into an argument about the motives behind the arrests, with the latter removing the magical barrier around the island after things turned sour. This led to a slaughter between mages, with Scoia'tael and Redanian soldiers joining the fight as well on opposing sides, and the unofficial end of the Brotherhood.
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