The Arcanum Order #

The Arcanum Order’s great mission is to examine the course of history, and its stories, relics, artifacts, myths, and legends, and to use them to establish a truthful, complete, and uncorrupted historical record. At it’s core, the order is one of knowledge seekers and those attempting to guide the world of Elyra towards progress.

The central belief of the order is that knowledge is the key to survival and prosperity, and that the best way to get it is through the lessons of history and the tools that it provides. This belief is shared by most cultures and as a result, the order derives a moral and cultural mandate to conduct its work without impediment in many regions of the world.

The direct result of the order’s efforts is that they are positioned as the foremost authority on historical Elyra. They maintain an unmatched expertise in the study of artifacts, myths, and legends. They also maintain several branches of the order dedicated to matters such as the logistics of facilitating archeological digs, the security of powerful artifacts, the dispensation of knowledge gained in their studies, and other things. Additionally, while it is not a part of their direct mission, they do participate in the diplomatic and political affairs of some nations where they have a presence, insofar as it serves to advance their primary mission. They also on occasion, and only upon invitation, act as neutral intermediaries in the resolution of disputes and negotiation of treaties, or act as charitable patrons to the people of a nation where they have connections. In all cases, whether their actions are directly in line with their stated purpose or not, they act with the goal of driving progress for the world’s civilized races, spreading knowledge of the past, and advocating good council and rational decision making regarding the affairs of the present and future.

Structure And Membership #

The Arcanum Order implements a linear ranking system for its membership. Members join as petitioners, and are promoted through the order’s ranks on merit and based on their contributions to its goal.

The ranks of the order are (from lowest):

1. Petitioner
2. Initiate
3. Scribe
4. Apprentice
5. Mystagog
6. Mysteriarch
7. Paragon
8. Master
9. Grand Master

Petitioner #

Outsiders wishing to join the order must make a formal petition to the Mysteriarch or Paragon of their local or regional chapter, respectively. In many cases, a family will make a petition on behalf of a son or daughter, representing their hopes for the child’s future. During this process, they must demonstrate a desire and ability to adhere to the values of the order, a strong work ethic, and a thirst for knowledge and truth. For this reason, upon acceptance into the order new members are called Petitioners.

The duties of a petitioner are largely clerical in nature and include, along with Initiates, manual labor and chores to maintain the cleanliness and function of the order hall, messenger duties, and other menial tasks. The purpose of a member’s time at the rank of petitioner is to establish the habits of the work they will be engaged in, as well as to begin introducing the nature of the order’s business to the petitioner. Most members do not remain petitioners for very long - after a few months they are either promoted to initiate, or expelled from the order if they fail in their duties.

Initiate #

Upon advancement to the rank of initiate, members receive their basic order attire and benefits, including lodging at the order hall, and the sash of the order, though their daily tasks and duties remain largely unchanged. The purpose of advancement to the rank of initiate is to acknowledge the effort made by the initiate during their time as petitioner, and to display a willingness and intent to accept them into the order’s rank and file should they continue to work to advance its interests.

Scribe #

When a member reaches the level of scribe, they are formally accepted as one having the potential to make meaningful, if not substantial contributions to the work of the order based on their work ethic. At this rank, members are granted a small weekly stipend, allowing them to leave other jobs which might distract them and focus more of their time on the order’s work. Additionally, scribes spend less time on chores and labor - though they do not stop entirely - and more time on tasks such as transcribing letters, conveying messages of importance, and copying tomes. Most of the work done by scribes is that which has some importance to the orders interests or that of its patrons, but not enough to warrant the attention of a more senior member.

Most members spend between two to five years as a scribe. In order to advance further, they must earn an apprenticeship that can only be granted by a Mysteriarch or higher. No formal process exists by which these apprenticeships are apportioned; rather, the scribe must do something extraordinary in their work to warrant the attention of a member who may then grant them an apprenticeship. In some cases, members never manage to stand out enough and may spend their entire lives as a scribe. This is not an undesirable outcome - scribes of the order live in comfort and have their needs met by the provision of food, lodging, and pay. After gaining some experience in the role, they are given more important work which challenges and engages them. Additionally, they gain more freedom in choosing how to spend their time, and may take on outside work using their knowledge and skills, if their time permits, and so long as it does not conflict with the order’s interests.

Apprentice #

An apprenticeship with The Arcanum Order represents the acknowledgement of years of work and sacrifice on the part of the apprentice, as well as their unusual talent. For a family to have a son or daughter - or in rare cases, a husband or wife - accepted as an apprentice in the order means a notable increase in status and quality of life. Families of apprentices are often elevated from the working class of society to the middle class. While they are below the nobility, their proximity to one who has access - even minor - to the order’s knowledge and influence means that they may find more opportunities opening up to them.

An apprenticeship also has an impact on the life of the apprentice themselves. The duties of an apprentice include some of the same general secretarial duties of scribes, but are often more focused in service to their particular master. Additionally, the apprentice takes on a great deal of study. In many cases, this is done in an effort to advance an apprentices mastery of a certain skill or topic, however they also conduct research into matters of importance to their masters, often to aid in the investigation of some mystery or historical topic.

Apprenticeships in the order are voluntary and non-binding for both sides. There is no contract of indentured servitude to guarantee that an apprentice fulfils their duties, but neither is there any long-term guarantee of support for the apprentice if they fail to do so. The agreement operates on the principle that both parties receive some benefit for the apprentices service. At the time an apprenticeship is proposed, a length of time, curriculum, and set of requirements and expectation are proposed along with it. Apprentices who fail to meet their obligations under the agreement may be returned to their status as scribe or, in rare cases, expelled from the order entirely.

Mystagog #

Advancement to the level of Mystagog within the order represents a significant change in status and duties, and an acknowledgement of the Mystagog as a major contributor to the work of the order. Mystagogs are still considered apprentices, but are generally regarded as capable and qualified members. As such, the level of Mystagog brings with it the first entitlement to conduct work towards an individuals interests. Additionally, Mystagogs may travel and audience with nobility on behalf of, and in service to the order without significant oversight, however significant diplomacy and audiences with royalty still generally require participation from a higher authority within the order, usually a regional Patron or Master.

At the rank of Mystagog, a member’s weekly stipend is increased to such levels that they may live in relative comfort, and may take private dwellings outside of the order hall if they choose. For those who desire to stay within it’s walls, private apartments reserved for the order’s elite become available to them, although smaller cities and towns may not have such options available.

Generally, those who gain apprenticeships and rise to Mystagogs will spend a number of years as one before advancing to Mysteriarch.

Mysteriarch #

The rank of Mysteriarch is the highest rank most members may hope to attain. It is the rank of the order’s lower nobility, and is granted upon successful completion of an apprenticeship. Mysteriarchs are able to operate with relative independence; the order funds their research and archives the resulting knowledge, however the Mysteriarch can pick and choose research topics that interest them, such as historical events, archaeological excavations, examining artifacts of power, astronomical or cosmic pursuits, trans-planar studies, and more. Should their work warrant it, the Mysteriarch may take an apprentice to help with their efforts.

Upon obtaining the rank of Mysteriarch, the member’s stipend increases significantly once again, allowing the Mysteriarch to take better lodgings and hire staff, if desired. Many do so as it allows them to expand the time and space dedicated to their research. The Mysteriarch also gains the right to use their rank as a formal title, should they desire, and gains the right to access the constructs of organized society generally reserved for nobility, including the finest shops and markets, forums, and more.

Advancement beyond the rank of Mysteriarch is difficult, as higher ranks within the order are for positions of leadership and administration, and have limited openings and high competition. For the vast majority of those who reach the rank of Mysteriarch, attainment of this level is considered the final step in a successful career.

Paragon #

Paragons of the order are so named because advancement to this rank requires mastery of one of the orders domains of knowledge. Expertise alone is not enough; Paragons must be skilled in dispersing this knowledge effectively. This often takes the form of large-scale lectures to interested crowds, but it may also mean deal-making to open museums or libraries. It can also mean political maneuvering to gain the interest of those with the power to implement reforms favorable to the mission of advancing intellectual thought. Paragons are expected to be thought leaders within the order, and to have the skill and acumen to further the order’s interests.

Paragons are compensated well; their stipend is increases significantly. Additionally, Paragons are regarded as qualified nobility of the order. They receive diplomatic courtesies when traveling in kingdoms that recognize the order’s prominence, receive access to knowledge, artifacts, digsites, and other primary sources of research, and are eligible to hold unsupervised visits with royalty, where required.

Advancement to the rank of Paragon is not guaranteed for members, nor is further advancement to the rank of Master.

Master #

The rank of Master of The Arcanum Order represents the penultimate goal for those who join. Advancement to Master is done by personal selection of the Grand Mistress Adora Larasyr. Those with the rank of Master are recognized as the order’s lower royalty, and are treated as such when they travel and conduct their business. They have full access to the order’s resources, and are answerable in their usage of them only to the Grand Mistress herself.

Masters of the order are considered the primary leader for the order’s members within their region, and are tasked with administration of the order’s business in that region. This includes approval of research projects, advancement of qualified members, allocation of resources, diplomatic affairs, and more. Additionally, Masters of the order serve the Grand Mistress as councilors, advising on matters of order-wide diplomacy and politics, as well as on her administration of the order, resolution of any disputes or conflicts it may be a party to, or which arise within it, and other important matters.

Grand Master #

The Grand Master or Mistress of The Arcanum Order is the order’s supreme leader. The current Grand Mistress of the order is Adora Larasyr.

The Grand Master is chosen by a combination of two factors. The first, primary factor is the recommendation of a sitting Grand Master or Mistress on who should be their successor. This is generally one of the order’s Masters, though notable exceptions to this have occurred in the past. The second factor in selection is the Master’s Appointment, the process by which Masters of the order confirm or overrule the Grand Master’s choice in successor. To date, the Grand Master’s chosen successor has never been refused by the Master’s Appointment; while no rule exists requiring confirmation, a general code of honor dictates that the Masters should grant the Grand Master’s final wish before the end of their tenure.

The benefits allowed to a Grand Master or Mistress are enormous, and many of them are unknown. Upon confirmation to the post, a new Grand Master undertakes a secretive meditation in which the secrets of the order are conveyed to them by the consciousness of the prior Grand Master. It is widely believed that part of the ritual binds them to secrecy, though whether by spell-work or honor alone is not known, and no Grand Master has ever revealed the details of the process.

Some of the known benefits are consideration as the supreme royalty of The Arcanum Order, with the diplomatic treatment entailed, as well as access to a private sanctum with extraordinary amounts of knowledge. Additionally, the full resources of the order remain available to the Grand Master or Mistress, and they are answerable to none, save the consequences of their actions by the outside world. Additionally, the Grand Master or Mistress gains access to powerful magic for personal use. One such example of these magics is the ability to slow the effects of aging; this results in Grand Masters or Mistresses living greatly extended lives, sometimes up to two hundred and fifty years, though the effectiveness of this spell varies for each person.

Likewise, the responsibilities of the Grand Master or Mistress are extreme, including guidance and leadership of a global order that dates back thousands of years, curation of priceless artifacts, security of untold power and knowledge that is desired by many who may use it for ill purposes, as well as many more burdens known only to them.

Grand Masters and Mistresses of the Arcanum Order serve for life.

Iconography #

During formal functions and audiences with the political elite, members of the order wear the dress uniforms of their function. Scholars and magic users for example often wear formal robes, while archeologists, explorers, and others with more labor-intensive roles may wear tailcoats and trousers with polished boots. Regardless of the specific attire, when representing the order formally, its members dress in the colors of ethereal blue and silver to signify their membership. Accessories and flourishes are added based on the wearer’s rank and tenure within the order.

One of the most important additions is the sash. Given to all members upon their advancement to initiate, the manner in which it is worn and its presentation and appearance are the most immediate identifiers of a member’s seniority. Initiates and Scribes wear the sash around their waist and often under other, relatively dull blue or gray-white outerwear. Upon acceptance into an apprenticeship by a Mysteriarch or higher level member of the order, the wearer gains the right to begin presenting the sash worn over one shoulder diagonally across their torso, and to display it over or instead of outerwear, depending on appropriateness. As the wearer climbs in rank and seniority, the sash is imbued with magic that causes it to become more silvery in appearance and gain an elemental shimmer. Paragon-level members and above gain additional flourishes. The Grand Master or Mistress of The Arcanum Order wears a sash of gold, interwoven with silver thread infused with the essence of knowledge. They are the only member of the order to wear a sash of a color other than silver.