Order of the Shattered Throne
Conclave of the Spheres
Legion of the Fallen
Primal Blood
Conclave of the Spheres
Profit or perish
It is difficult not to notice the markings of those who wield Liastrum. With the orbs and gauntlet as their tools, the blue taint of Liastrum upon their skin signals both their corruption and great power. However, those who fail to notice these signs, be warned: the Conclave of the Spheres never fails to capitalize on acts of ignorance.
About the Faction
History
People of the Faction
Magic
Off the eastern shores of Selejia, the Isles of Quinvala are home to the Conclave of the Spheres, a conglomerate of magic schools, each maintaining a monopoly over the study and monetization of a different field of magic. The Conclave was conceived by Molech, the Architect of Secrets and Serpent of Logic, an Everlasting dedicated to the pursuit of magical power. Molech’s foresight extended farther into the future than any of his brethren, and he had set a myriad of plans in motion hundreds of years before they would come to bear fruit. In fact, some claim his first scheme resulted in the Great Wounding.
To further his plans, Molech created the Oracle, an immensely powerful artifact, capable of producing a magical power unlike all others, Liastrum, which would set him free from the Echo of Ymiris—and the monopoly the Triumvirate held over it. To aid in his research, he created the erisyr people, gifted with ingenuity and resistance to Liastrum corruption. The Serpent would fall during the Everlasting War, his body broken and tossed into the Churning Sea. Yet, he had foreseen his own demise and prepared for it. At the moment of his death, his soul became one with the Molech Oracle, his life’s work, making it into an Everlasting Vestige.
Bound to the Oracle, he chose to hide his presence, only influencing the Conclave from the shadows. Without the protection of their Everlasting patron, the Conclave survived the remainder of the war by becoming a neutral party. By selling war constructs and Liastrum-powered weapons, the Conclave became too valuable an asset to be targeted by any Everlasting, as inviting their wrath would mean not the retaliation of an army, but rather, the insidious cutting of invaluable assets. Alongside each apparatus sold, the Conclave made sure to send a master of the craft to operate and maintain it, instead of teaching the ways of their craft, creating a well-calculated monopoly of knowledge. This, however, would also be their downfall.
Far from the Isles of Quinvala, many of the masters sent by the Conclave would meet their doom at the Fall, as most would never return home, either caught by the cataclysm or by the chaos that ensued. In the Fall, the Conclave would lose an insurmountable amount of knowledge, stored in the minds of their masters. Worse still, the Molech Oracle, an unfinished prototype, began to silently falter, disrupted by the massive, chaotic energies liberated by the cataclysm.
Over time, the erisyr felt the stagnation that came from their limited numbers and began to search for apprentices from amongst the other ancestries. Humans, for example, proved to be quick learners, even if impulsive. This influx of new apprentices turned the Conclave into a massively powerful organization, with many adversaries but few enemies. Unlike other factions, the Conclave isn’t concerned with conquering new territory or subjugating through force. They know that true power belongs to those who pull the hidden strings of the universe, manipulating others like puppets, and believe the strongest strings are made of Liastrum.
The Spheres and their Masters
The Conclave is organized in Spheres, at once colleges, dedicated to the study of magic, and mercantile conglomerates, focused on leveraging their magical knowledge for resources and influence. The masters of the Conclave may seem to be consumed by greed, but profit is merely a means to an end. The mages have come to understand that they don’t need to beat the continent into submission, only to make it dependent upon them and their magic.
All Conclave mages have the capability of learning any of the spells in the Faction’s vast libraries, but different Spheres have a specialty, or even a monopoly over a particular field of study. Sphere Amblis specializes in teleportation and is the only Sphere capable of safely operating Myrkos’ Towers of Transposition, spread around the continent. They charge a hefty price for the use of this service. Sphere Akhenza holds dominion over defensive spells and wards, but is also responsible for inspecting the various laboratories within the Conclave, enforcing the law of the Council. Each of these Spheres is led by a Nexi, but not all Nexi are as powerful as each other, nor are all Spheres equally as influential.
Only the five most prominent Spheres in the Conclave are granted a seat on the Council of Nexi. This Council sits in judgment, resolving disputes and enshrining trade law among the Spheres. In their hands lies the destiny of Quinvala and of the many who depend on their magic. This affords them great influence, but this power is not absolute. Spheres may grow in prominence due to a new discovery, or fade away due to a political or mercantile blunder. The development of a new type of magic, or the unearthing of Relics and Legacies, could elevate a Sphere into the Council, or at least make it very rich.
The mages see opportunity where most would see only madness, and believe their logic can overcome any chaos, even that of the Malediction itself. Nothing is beyond their keen minds and greedy hands. Spheres sponsor expeditions into the Malediction in search of any advantage over their rivals, knowing that their position of power is never secure. As the saying goes: “Profit or perish.”
The Servants of the Spheres
An apprentice of the Conclave may dream of one day being accepted as a Master, but until they are, they must serve. Each mage keeps various pupils they are supposed to be teaching, but who are often used as sacrificial pawns. These aspirants submit themselves to such treatment because only those who have survived the Gaze of Molech, the final step of their training, may draw Liastrum from the Oracle and allocate it to their research or to their own students as they see fit. Without Liastrum, most apprentices would be capable of only paltry magic, and so they acquiesce. Below them are those who have not yet been selected to become apprentices and are eager to prove themselves. These people remain in the coastal city of Gateway, risking life and limb for a taste of Liastrum. Lower still are the constructs, be they of metal and stone or the Spellbound creations of Sphere Chimer. Disturbingly, there are reports of some of these creations beginning to show a degree of autonomy. The Council of Nexi denies such absurdity.
The Power of Liastrum
Long before the Everlasting War began, Molech was already unsatisfied with the dominion the Triumvirate held over the Thorn of Olem. He wanted his own source of power, one freed from attachments to the other Everlasting. For this purpose, he built the Oracle, a great cosmic orrery, constructed using the same principles as the Thorn. But while the other Everlasting looked to Ymiris for her life’s blood, Molech looked to the skies, transfixed by the mysteries of the cosmos. Molech wanted to go beyond what he had accomplished with his brethren. He questioned where Ymiris herself had originated and what power might be achieved by breaching that realm. Molech turned his Oracle to the skies and pierced the veil between this world and another. The result was Liastrum, an amorphous blue substance, believed to be the blood of the universe itself. Although Molech succeeded in finding his new, independent source of power, not even he uncovered all of the secrets of Liastrum before his demise. The people he created to aid in his research, the erisyr, continued the work of their master to the best of their ability, but many things about Liastrum remain a mystery to this day.
Liastrum works as both a source of energy and a magical catalyst. It can empower spells and give the necessary energy for constructs to function, but it also allows even an inexperienced mage to cast more advanced spells. It does this by destabilizing reality itself, priming it to change to the tune of a mage’s will. Once the erisyr of old realized its potential, they created ways to carry this volatile substance with them, for it is consumed with each use and only the Oracle is an endless source of it. Liastrum is stored in vessels, typically spherical, and then manipulated by the use of specially constructed arcane gauntlets. Every apprentice accepted among the Conclave’s ranks is granted a set of these tools, but to become a master, they must build their own.
Liastrum magic is the most versatile of all magical traditions used by the great nations, being able to produce nearly any effect. It can even affect the casting and functioning of spells from any other tradition, proving there is a fundamental truth to magic. It is also one of the most dangerous to the user, as Liastrum poisoning may cause irreversible damage to one’s mind and body. The mages have tried to use magic to heal this corruption, but the results were catastrophic, and the test subjects experienced slow agonizing deaths. Those who wish to be recognized as masters must face the Gaze of Molech, standing before the Oracle and controlling a torrent of Liastrum. Those who emerge victorious become full citizens of the Conclave. Those who don’t are consumed by the blue flames, never to be seen again.
The Seekers
The Malediction holds secrets untold, and only a Seeker may uncover them. Join the ranks of the brave few who dare face death.
Polinore, The Prime Archivist
Once one of the greatest Nexi to have ever lived, Polinore has been ousted from the higher circles of the Conclave, but his ascent to power is not yet over. To the surprise of his bitter rivals, the Archivist seems almost eager to risk his life as a Seeker, helming expeditions into the Malediction. All watch him from afar, wondering: what could he be scheming next?
Liena, Who Dreams
Flesh and primordial clay, despair and pain. Of all these things was Kar-Mamok made, but it was dreams that gave it life. Liena’s body slumbers, trapped within the monstrous form of the bloodcrafted golem, but her dreams are free to reshape the world—and so are her nightmares.
Morrida
No one would deny the honor of being the Amatrix’s chosen and assume the role as the Queen of the Dead… Except for Morrida Umberland, the Blue Witch. She is known for enjoying the company of the dead more than the living, and some say she consorts with ancient, dangerous spirits.
