Titles of the Conclave

While the magic of the Order is Oathbound to their values, and that of the Legion seems to run in the veins of the descendants of Ptan-Ravalum, the magic of the Conclave is available to all. That is, all who can afford the steep cost of Liastrum or of surrendering one’s morality. Unsurprisingly, those are prices that many are eager to pay, for the legends of the Masters of Conclave have awakened the ambition of many who wish to share in their power and influence.

The dream the Conclave sells is that, through boundless dedication, even a pauper may become a prince. That said, the journey from a lowly Aspirant to the heights of the Council of the Nexi is long and fraught with dangers.

Below is the hierarchy of the Conclave of the Spheres, from lowest to highest title.

The Aspirants: These people are still formally uninitiated, but they have begun studies into Liastrum magic. They often perform menial tasks for Conclave Masters in the hopes of securing an apprenticeship. Part of their payment is given in Liastrum and initial instruction on how to harness its powers. The connection to the Masters they serve is unofficial, and often kept off any records, so that if they are caught performing services of an illegal nature, they can be easily discarded. Some Aspirants perform mercenary work for the Masters, going into the Malediction in exchange for an apprenticeship. Among these, some are trained as Thaumites by sphere Virtahn. They are trained in the use of magical weapons or other artefacts created by the Conclave and sent into the battlefields of Selejia. The items they are given to wield are often prototypes that need to be tested on the battlefield before wide adoption by Sphere Virtahn. As many Thaumites have been killed by an unstable Liastrum creation as by the enemy. Those who survive become some of the most hardened warriors in all of Selejia, often being accepted into the ranks of Virtahn.

The Apprentices: Aspirants who have demonstrated particular acumen for magic or who have been deemed worthwhile for other qualities are taken in by Masters, becoming their apprentices. The relationship between a Master and an Apprentice is one the Conclave holds as almost sacred. As imbalanced as this relationship may be, the Conclave cannot survive into the future without fresh blood continuously joining its ranks, so apprentices enjoy a number of rights and protections, but they also agree to a number of responsibilities. All of these are outlined in the oldest records of Conclave Trade Law.

The Masters: All Apprentices must eventually face the Gaze of Molech, and all those who do and survive gain the title of Master. There is much speculation about the nature of the test, but what is known is that at least one part of it involves standing in the chamber of the Molech Oracle and drawing Liastrum from it, without the aid of another. Since most recently confirmed Masters are indebted to those who instructed them, many journey into the Malediction, in the hopes of finding something valuable enough to erase their debt. Masters become full citizens of Quinvala, and are allowed to engage in a number of exclusive activities, such as taking on apprentices or creating new Spheres.

The Nexi: These are the leaders of the Spheres. No matter how small a Sphere may be, it will be led by a Nexi. The creation of a Sphere requires the gathering of five or more Masters, from which a Nexi must be elected. It also requires the purchase of a charter from the Council of the Nexi. The intended structure is that of various like-minded mages pooling their resources together to be able to afford the charter, choosing the most capable among them to be their leader. In reality, since many Masters will take decades to get out of debt, the only thing they could pool together is their misery. The most common way for a new Sphere to be formed is for a wealthy Master of an existing Sphere to break away and pay for the whole process himself. The other founding members of these Spheres are nothing but hired hands. The Nexi of the five Greater Spheres hold chairs on the Council of the Nexi, and one among them is chosen to be Keeper of the Molech Oracle.

Non-hierarchical titles:

The Unenlightened: The Council of the Nexi uses this designation for all who have not been initiated in Liastrum magic and therefore hold no citizenship rights in Quinvala. Although any person on the continent may be given such a title, it is most commonly used to refer to the inhabitants of the Wystral, who live and work in cities owned by members of the Conclave, but who are not knowledgeable in the magical traditions. Merchants, smiths, woodworkers, farmers, fishermen, and any other laborers fall into this category. Technically, they owe no allegiance to the Council of the Nexi, but they do owe much more than that. Rent, taxes, and loans bind the Wystral to service. On the other hand, the Conclave offers them no protection beyond what is necessary to safeguard their investments.

The Mysteriarchs: Mysteriarch is a title given to individuals who, at one point or another, were deemed by the Council of the Nexi to hold strategic importance for the Conclave as a whole. All five Nexi of the Greater Spheres must sign off on this title being granted, and all five of them must agree if the title is to be revoked. Mysteriarchs are granted several protections by the Council itself. All members of the Conclave are made aware that these individuals must not be harmed, for to do so is to defy the authority of the Council and invoke their wrath. Unless all members of the Council agree, Mysteriarchs cannot be executed, expelled from the Conclave, or denied access to the Molech Oracle, no matter their crimes. All that being said, such protections do not extend into the boundaries of the Malediction. The members of the Council themselves are Mysteriarchs, but the title is also given to notable individuals. 

Polinore was given the title before he was a member of the Council, due to Sphere Avolan’s discoveries regarding Relics and Legacies. Londriel was made a Mysteriarch even before she became a Master, for her nature as a pre-Fall Erisyr and her unique relationship to her Legacy greatly interested many members of the Conclave. Morrida was named a Mysteriarch for being considered a strategic contact with the Legion of the Fallen, having found a whole new market for Liastrum. To be a Seeker is not a requirement nor does it guarantee one will become a Mysteriarch, but it certainly improves one’s odds.

The Primes: Those who perform services for the Conclave, under the authority of the Council, are sometimes given the title of Prime. This title denotes that they are the preferred tool of the Council when a particular service is required. The Primes are often entrusted with the smooth unfolding of multi-Sphere efforts related to the Malediction, protecting the broader interests of the Conclave. Since they serve the Council directly, they enjoy some recognition, but unlike the Mysteriarchs, they do not have the same protections, and some have been assassinated to make their role vacant.