The Council of the Nexi

“In the Order, I was taught that every Rite was an important piece of the faith, and that the harmony between the powerful would be the salvation of the powerless. In the Conclave, I was shown that nothing was too sacred not to sacrifice, and that no path towards power should be ignored. People I once called friends showed their true colors as soon as they had a taste of power. Worse still, I saw this machine working, its cogs fueled by blood, achieving progress. But at what cost?”

Londriel, Spellwarden of Sphere Akhenza.

It is the nature of the cosmos that the lesser celestial bodies should orbit the greater ones, the weak revolving in accordance with the whims of the mighty. Within the Conclave of the Spheres, it could be no different.

Each Sphere of the Conclave, equal parts mercantile conglomerate and college of magical research, is classified as either a Lesser or a Greater Sphere. The leaders of the five Greater Spheres form the Council of the Nexi, the de facto rulers of the Conclave. The Council, through magical power and political influence, oversees, regulates, resolves disputes, and ensures that trade law is upheld by the Lesser Spheres. Beyond that, one of the five Nexi who sits on the Council is selected to become the Keeper of the Molech Oracle, the most prestigious position one may hold within the Conclave. This Vestige of Molech is the heart of all Quinvalan society, for it is the source of nearly all Liastrum, and it is the Keeper’s role to manage the allocation of the substance to each Sphere. 

All those who’ve achieved the rank of Master have a right to draw Liastrum from the Molech Oracle, as long as it is a reasonable amount for personal use. Each Sphere receives a monthly quota of Liastrum, which is to be distributed to its members and projects as their Nexi sees fit. Should a Sphere require more than its monthly quota, the Keeper must be consulted, and the Council compensated. The Lesser Spheres, too numerous to count, thrive or die under the gaze of their betters, but they are far from toothless. In fact, the Greater Spheres are able to maintain their position only through influence or direct alliances with Lesser Spheres. Quid pro quo.

The power of each Sphere is directly related to the products and services they offer, to the Conclave itself, but also to Selejia as a whole. Spellbound, warding spells, and efficient mercenary work make it so that few may question the influence some of the Greater Spheres have over Quinvala. While the rest of Selejia deals in gold or silver coins, within the Conclave, the payments are made in quotas of Liastrum, represented by tokens of brass, copper, or bronze.  Such tokens can be exchanged directly for the prima materia of the Conclave through any assistant of the Keeper. Still, Spheres aren’t beyond accepting payment in contractually bound favors or direct access to the goods of other Spheres. 

In a society that fosters ambition and competition, the most dangerous place one may occupy is the top. The Greater Spheres and their members themselves are constant targets of their lesser brethren, who vie for a seat at the table. Many Spheres have waxed and waned over the centuries, the most recent and dramatic example being Sphere Avolan. Polinore, once Nexi of Sphere Avolan and prime candidate to become the next Keeper of the Oracle, was accused of a myriad of crimes against the Conclave, leading to his downfall and the banishment of his once-apprentice and protégé. The once prestigious Sphere Avolan couldn’t protect itself from such a disgraceful fall, and waned so greatly that Polinore disbanded it entirely. Sphere Sybil, who accurately predicted the events, seized the opportunity and waxed to the status of Greater Sphere. 

Currently, the following five Spheres occupy a seat on the Council of the Nexi:

Sphere Chimer is the oldest and, according to some scholars, the most powerful of the five Greater Spheres. Not only does Chimer create and maintain the Spellbound that keep the Conclave running, but they also hold a monopoly over the art of Liastrum fleshcrafting, charging hefty prices for their services. Sphere Chimer is internally divided into many different groups, each studying and developing new techniques of applying Liastrum to organic matter. More recently, the Sphere has begun studying the enhancement of crops, in hopes of competing in the continental markets as a provider of foodstuffs. Holding its position of prestige since before the Fall, all members of the Conclave depend on the services provided by Chimer in one way or another.

Sphere Akhenza provides the means to defend the Conclave, not only from external threats, but also from the folly of its own reckless mages. It rose as a Greater Sphere after the sudden disappearance of Kalin Island, prompting calls for security measures in the Conclave. While the Sphere does make considerable gains by creating magical wards, selling enchanted armor, and providing consultancy on dangerous experiments, a good part of Akhenza’s profits come from services provided in the name of the Council of the Nexi. An agreement between the Spheres grants members of Akhenza the title of Spellwarden, ensuring that they have a right to inspect any laboratory and stop any experiment should its dangers threaten the Conclave as a whole, as long as they don’t reveal any trade secret discovered this way. Liastrum is an inherently dangerous material, fraying flesh and reality in equal measure, and few mages are capable of undoing this harm. Akhenza strives to prevent it from ever happening and remedy the harm done—when possible.

Sphere Amblis is dedicated to the study and application of transposition magic. It rose as a Greater Sphere when, in 859 AL, its mages managed to reactivate one of Myrkos’s Towers of Transposition, making it possible to transport matter between great distances instantaneously. Transposition magic is unable to transport Liastrum itself, and moving large quantities of matter requires spending a considerable amount of the fuel. Without the help of a Tower of Transposition, the magic is considerably less effective. For the right price, Amblis can transport entire armies to the enemy’s doorstep, or even behind their lines. Some Sovereign Cities, and even some Great Powers, pay them simply to stay out of a conflict. On the battlefield, Amblis mages are able to quickly rescue stranded soldiers, relocate invaluable personnel, and outmaneuver even the most dangerous of ambushes. Access to this power has given Amblis great control over the flow of information on the continent, for no message arrives faster than one sent by Amblis.

Sphere Virtahn, complementing Sphere Akhenza, aims to further develop the art of war. Mages of Sphere Virtahn weaponize not only their combat spellcraft, which is widely used by every Sphere of the Conclave, but the very substance that fuels said spells: Liastrum. In their hands, Liastrum, once amorphous and chaotic, is given form and purpose, becoming weapons that can temporarily surpass even the work of the Vulkir forgemasters of Ironkeep. Virtahn also produces the greatest strategists, military leaders, and trailblazers of the Conclave, and they are the ones who most readily offer themselves as mercenaries to whoever pays the most. They hold such renown for their abilities that, for every five Conclave mages venturing into the Malediction, on average, two of them are from Sphere Virtahn. 

Sphere Sybil is the newest addition to the Greater Spheres. A collective of mages specialized in the research of the forces behind chance and destiny, their magic is rarely felt in the Conclave, but all fear that they are the ones pulling invisible strings. For Sybil mages, luck, destiny, and the future itself are as much materials of study and manipulation as any other physical, traditional mediums. In a mirror’s reflection, the future refracts in a myriad of possibilities, and through their magic, they force a probability to become a certainty. In their hands, a path towards a possible future is set, and dangers are foretold long before they may pose a threat. Sybil mages are often employed to analyse the future of the Conclave’s many mercantile endeavors, so that the outcome of investments can be predicted and profits maximized. Their greatest prediction, the downfall of Polinore, was enough to empower many who had listened to their advice, who eagerly elevated them to the position of a Greater Sphere. Ever since, they have used their knowledge to manipulate the strands of fate to the whims of their best-paying clients.