Beinost and the College Arcana

[The International]

Don't do a write up of Alchemy, Caden. I'm working on that right now, but I'd love to talk with you if you have any ideas.

[Caden Law]

Went looking. Found an old write-up. But it's kinda dreary and from a time where the writing was more aimed at balancing with the Death Lords than anything else. So...screw it.

The Wanderers in Starlight
The Wanderers in Starlight are the oldest, most fundamental worshippers of the Elven pantheon, dating back so far that they actually consider Drow to be Elves and include them in their ranks without prejudice. Partial Elves may become members as well, but only through great difficulty to prove their worth. Those without Elven blood need not apply. They have a low opinion of Humanity, Dwarves, and pretty much anything else that is not at least partially Elven in nature. To an outside observer, they resemble a combination of a militia movement, a radical cult, and an order of magi. While they indeed worship the same pantheon that mainstream Raiaerans pay homage to, their particular version is older, harsher, more expansive, and considerably better suited to a people who've seen their homeland decimated by plagues and armies of undeath.

Central to the Wanderers are the concept of the Path of Six Ways, the Zero Step, a doctrine of Elven supremacy, and reverence of the Star-Gods. Theirs is a complete social, military, and religious framework, not just a system of magic. Wanderers are easily distinguished from other Elven magi or military forces by the heavily stylized armor they wear, which includes grim, sometimes horrifying masks, light yet sturdy plate armor, and intricately designed cloth garments that bear the heraldry of gods, families, Paths, and groups. Their goal in war is never just to protect and preserve Elvenkind -- they actively aim to exterminate any attackers down to the last man, woman, and child, and they are utterly unapologetic about it.

In conflicts between Raiaera and Alerar, the Wanderers are often painfully split. On the one hand, they consider Drow to be brethren, and many Wanderers are from Alerar. On the other hand, the Wanderers have an obligation to protect both nations. On another still, there is a small fringe group of Wanderers who place Raiaera above Alerar, even if only by a hair's breadth. The Wanderers as a whole are generally neutral, acting in the moment and praying to their gods for guidance in the meantime.

The Path of Six Ways
The core of Starlit philosophy in action. The Sixfold Path effectively covers every single aspect of an Elf's life, breaking it down into the following categories. Note that to walk a Path is to dedicate yourself to it utterly, mastering it to such an extent that there is no further room for growth. Wanderers believe that to walk all Six Paths allows one to obtain both enlightenment and, if judged worthy by the Pantheon, godhood.

Seer: A cross between a conjuror, prophet, psychic, and warrior. Seers effectively commune with both the Dead, the Star-Gods, and other spellcasters across incredible distances. Seers are capable of pulling a strange matter out of nothing, shaping it to contain spells, to act as a conduit for prophecy or communication, and even as weapons or armor. This matter loosely resembles a more solid form of ectoplasma, but has much more versatility. Seers earned their Path's name by being able to See someone's entire life story, or just segments of it, by gazing into their eyes and casting a minor spell. Unless done with certain rituals, this goes both ways and acts as a short-term mind meld. Seers are expected to be competent with at least one kind of melee weapon, generally a spear or sword. Their magic often carries a tune and a certain musical sound to it, but lyrics are rare. The fiercest of all Seering powers, one which they share with the Faithful, is the ability to act as an avatar for the lesser Star-Gods.

Warrior: The absolute zenith of Elven martial perfection. The Path of the Warrior is utterly and completely dedicated to every possible aspect of combat, up to and including psychological warfare, negation of magic, rhetoric and propaganda, and actual battle. Warriors are expected to master at least ten weapons on this Path, and at least as many styles of fighting. While they do not actively cast spells or call upon the power of gods, Warriors are able to attain a level of enlightenment in the heat of battle, one that grants them absolute clarity and even limited ability to see seconds into the future. A skilled Warrior can read body language like an open book. Many styles of fighting also resemble dances, and to see a Warrior in action is to see some of the finest, most lethal choreography in Althanas. Although they cannot act as avatars, many a Warrior has earned the favor of the gods through valor alone, causing them to manifest random surges in physical power and mental awareness alike.

Rangers: The ancestral basis for Raiaera's modern Ranger organizations, although their Wandering forefathers would seem to be more versatile. This is the Path for communing with nature, but it is also the Path of the spymaster, the assassin, the scout, and more. Rangers may even learn to manipulate plant and animal life, although most prefer to serve as scout-snipers or spies. Almost all Rangers are expected to become expert trackers at some point, regardless of their environment. While outright magic is a rarity along this Path, use of magic items is incredibly common, as evidenced by the presence of pistol-grip wands and rifle-like staves. These weapons are murderous works of art, the equal of any mere bow or rifle. Rangers are also known for their ability to go unnoticed regardless of the environment, to mask their thoughts, and to acquire extra senses through any number of means. They are often leery of melee combat, but it is not unheard of for a Ranger to master a blade as a weapon of last resort. There are many odd stories of Rangers eating the hearts of certain predatory beasts in order to gain their strength or power, but whether these are true or not...

Bard: The ancestral tradition of most of Raiaera's artistic traditions, musical or otherwise. The Path of the Bard is often considered the most diverse, both the easiest and the most difficult. Bards are primarily musical, and in this aspect they resemble many other Elven forms of song and spellcraft. But they are also sculptors, painters, authors, poets, dancers, speakers, linguists, and more. A properly trained Bard can effectively enthrall a lesser mind with his song, or write a letter so moving as to drive a reader to suicide. While many Bards learn to fight with blade and dance, their true power lies in indirect forms of combat. Among all the more magically inclined Paths, Bards are the best at curses, at causing natural disasters, or disrupting an enemy's will to fight. They are also supreme cyphers, able to make and break codes so intricate and subtle that others don't even realize they exist. Bards are also the most likely to serve as mediators, legal representatives, ambassadors, so on and so forth. That said, those walking the Path of the Bard are the most likely to resemble traditional Bladesingers when called to battle, although any magic they wield is still considerably more geared at destruction.

Faithful: The clerics, priests, healers, summoners, and capital-P Prophets of the Wanderers in Starlight. The Faithful draw their powers directly from their connection to the Pantheon, allowing them to manifest 'fragments' of gods in battle. The vast majority of the Faithful operate in passive support roles, focusing on the morale, spiritual and physical wellbeing of their comrades. Those who enter into combat directly are the equals of Seers and Bards in destructive potential. They can directly strike the spirits of their foes, summon the servants of the Pantheon, banish demons and the undead, and unleash plagues of every kind. The Faithful are ground zero for miraculous events, and their prayers and invocations can actually alter probability. Many Faithful resemble both paladins and clerical magi in battle: they carry holy scriptures to read from, they wield relics as both weapons and focuses for eldritch power, and many are trained in at least rudimentary martial combat. The Faithful also produce some of the fiercest hand-to-hand combatants off the Path of the Warrior. At their zenith, the Faithful are also able to serve as direct avatars for the lesser gods of the Pantheon.

Forger: The Path of the worker, the engineer, the alchemist, and so much more. Forgers are tasked with production of all kinds, from farming to mining to refinement and enchantment. Many have some talent for conjuration, similar to but less arcane than Seers, and virtually all of them are gifted enchanters and alchemists. The Forger is the least likely to enter combat directly, but one of the most likely to affect its outcome from the sidelines. Forgers arm and armor all other Paths. Many also adapt their talents to serve as combat engineers, warding the defenses of their allies while sapping the fortresses of enemies. They are among the most technologically inclined of the Elves in Raiaera, constantly striving to blend technological achievements and pragmatism with magical knowledge and versatility. Forgers are also the most likely Path to be seen outside of Raiaera, as many such Wanderers venture to Alerar to learn. Their most formidable ability, however, probably lay in their ability to quickly understand how something works, all the way down to recognizing its base elements. A skilled Forger can perfectly duplicate the formula for an enchantment just by examining the original for an hour or two. A truly dangerous one can replicate such enchantments in the heat of battle.

A Note on Avatars: The supreme ability of both the Seer and the Faithful is to act as a host to one of the lesser Star-Gods of the Elven Pantheon. In all events, this is the minor physical manifestation of a being too powerful to set foot in the material world on its own. Such manifestations often form from raw magical power, with ectoplasm and spellstone coalescing into an enormous body around the prospective Wanderer. In these cases, the body is often twenty or thirty feet tall, with a form that may or may not be too horrifying or alien for a lesser mind to bear. Past manifestations were actually one of the reasons the Wanderers fell out of the mainstream of Raiaeran religion: would-be worshippers were as traumatized and disillusioned at the sight as their enemies. This is also one of the reasons why the current mainstream version of the Pantheon is so...'frilly' and 'nice.' Some truths are too horrific even for the Elves to handle. This is not always the case though, as some Star-Gods prefer to manifest in forms that are more practical or impressive than anything else.

Beyond that, the Star-God in question is usually the personal patron of the Wanderer summoning them. While both Seers and Faithful face extreme personal risk in becoming avatars, the Faithful are ever so slightly more likely to survive thanks to their connection to the divine. Whenever an avatar burns out, death is quite literally instant as the soul of the Wanderer flickers out and is either annihilated or absorbed by the departing Star-God. It takes undescribable fortitude to avoid such a fate.

Additionally, it is possible to become an avatar without generating an external body to rampage around in. Such manifestations are often easier to endure, if only because the Star-God itself puts less power and effort into appearing in the mortal plane. Such 'partial avatars' are more common among the Faithful.

Lastly: All manifestations are brief events. No mere body of flesh and blood, not even an Elven body, can contain the full might of a reckless god for long. In the history of the Wanderers, the single longest manifestation was for three days during a War of the Tap. The strongest avatar in history was also during a War of the Tap, although the identity and rank of the God and its host have been lost.

The Zero Step also known as Caesai Maer
Both the beginning and ending to all Paths. Zero Step is a complex magic ritual that effectively blocks out all the skills and most of the knowledge of any Path a Wanderer has completed, virtually erasing them from the Elf's mind while suppressing physical reflexes and muscle memory. What remains is a blank slate, able to start another Path from the beginning, unhindered by old skills. It is the freshest possible start short of a total mind wipe.

That said, Zero Step does not truly delete these things from the Elf's life. They can be recovered later on with another Zero Step, and many a Wanderer retains enough memory to teach the basics of their past Paths in an emergency. Zero Step only barely affects the mind of the recipient, opening up their ability to learn while shoving them past any prior psychological traumas. In this way, the ritual is actually therapeutic and has been used more than once to help a Wanderer overcome personal tragedy. They don't forget. It just adds enough distance to help them move on.

It should be noted that Zero Step requires around six to eight Wanderers to perform, and at least four of them should be magically-inclined to some extent. They kneel around the recipient, each one separated by chalk, ink, painted or etched lines and candles, while carrying out an incantation that sounds like both a prayer and a song. The incantations are often, but not always, tailored to the individual Wanderer.

Both philosophically and religiously, Wanderers believe that to walk all Six Paths is to prepare one for membership in the Pantheon. Although all Wanderers are expected to walk at least two or three Paths in their lifetime, it is an extremely rare talent that manages all Six. Such Elves then undergo a final Zero Step, with their fates becoming the stuff of myth and legend afterward. More than one has simply blinked out of existence. A handful have stayed around as Sojourners, an enlightened few who lead and inspire others. Currently, there are no known Sojourners -- it isn't unheard of for the Wanderers to announce their existence to outsiders only after they've died.

Known Star-Gods
The Pantheon is quite literally without number. It's the expanded Old Testament version of the Pantheon found in the works of Sighter Tnailog. The core seven are less friendly versions of the Star-Gods he lists, known among the Wanderers less by name and more by epithet. The Wanderers consider themselves unworthy to bestow names onto their Gods, let alone to speak or write them. That particular deviation between Wanderer and Mainstream religion can be chalked up to Elven arrogance and historical revision -- both of which are established to some extent in the canon.

Unfortunately, the transition to Althanas 3.0 seems to have killed off the Easy Reference List that Sighter had written up, so the list here is incomplete in terms of information about the core seven. I'm also refraining from mentioning which Wanderer-version god corresponds to which Findelfin-version god. Note that Sighter and I do not actively collaborate, and we've indirectly butted heads more often than not, but we've also both been Region Writer for Raiaera and I'd rather not stomp on his toes too much. As I had never explicitly named the core seven in my own works, I've used epithets inspired by Yéni En Gilambion I, one of Sighter's psalm projects. If they're inaccurate, consider it flavor. :P

Incidentally, examples here are just for ideas. If you can come up with better epithets, go for it.

The Core Seven
The Mother Maiden Before the Path
The Dreamer on High
The Fecund Tide of the First Day
The Star Unbirthed in Jade Clad
The Eternal Walker Between Stars
The Dancer Who Is
The Symphony of Storm and Sight

Others
It bears mention that aside from the Core Seven, the entire Starlit Pantheon consists of heroes (and villains) from Elven mythology, for better or worse. While most are said to have obtained their standing among the gods by completing the Six Paths, some ascended to godhood through ritual power or sheer individual merit and favoritism. Such events are recorded for posterity's sake, but there are so many of them that the true membership of the Pantheon is impossible to keep track of for even the most devoted Faithful. Compounding matters, many a Wandering family can make the legitimate claim that they descend from a god...or gods.

Upon ascension to godhood, the vast majority of these beings throw away their mortal names and adopt epithets that describe them in some way, shape or form. And to complicate matters further: the Wanderers claim that every single star, including our own, is a god in their Pantheon. Somewhat worryingly, none among the Faithful have ever claimed to know the name or epithet of our own sun, let alone what god it might represent.

What follows is obviously an incomplete list. Feel free to add to it in your own threads.

He Who Dances in His Name
His Divine Right Hand
Song of Wild Nights
The Burning Warden Tasked at Dawn
The Writhing Hunter
The Cannibal God
White Thorn Twisted
Seventh Day Dragon
The Primordial Engine of the East
The Traveller in the Dark
Saint Slayersong
Way of the Whistling Arrow
The Maiden of Seven Strides Unspoiled
The Hanging Spearman
Golas Thauren

Notes on Wanderer Gear and Magic

Wanderer Magic: The magic of the Wanderers is no more restrictive than any other system. In many ways, it could even be construed as being more powerful in the long run. Yes, the Paths force you to specialize. But they also force you to innovate, to do things with a given power set that you normally wouldn't think of doing. A Bard can kill with a strongly worded poem. A Warrior can read body language well enough to mimic mindreading or empathy. The same Ranger that holds conversations with potted plants could counterfeit the signature of a noble in his own bedroom, or a tree into doing his dirty work for him. The Faithful can manifest a literal Hand of God to strike their enemies, and Seers can conjure up artillery rounds from thin air. A skilled Forger could animate an army of golems or engineer a bona fide skyship. In the end, it's all up to how creative you are when confined to one of the Paths.

Starlit magic generally follows one of three themes:

Conjuration: Most commonly associated with Seers. A spell manifests first as a pebble or rock, usually brightly colored and glassy in texture. This spellstone can linger for a very, very long time if left unused. Such items are mostly one-shot wonders, but many a Seer can manifest longterm spellstones for indirect casting, such as scrying or long-distance communication.

Esoteric: Magic sans special effects. This is almost always a part of indirect spellcasting, such as that used by many Faithful and Bards. There are no great flashy bits involved; the spell is cast and its effect happens, either instantly or at a later time and date.

Enchantment: The magic used primarily by Forgers. This includes many forms of alchemic transmutation, as well as the creation of sentient or empowered weapons and armor. It can also be wielded by Bards as part of their ability to influence people.

Wanderer Gear: There is no true standard for the gear used by Wanderers in Starlight, especially not when you take into account the Sixfold Path. The closest there are to truly standard items are masks and materials.

Materials: Most Wanderer-specific materials are conjured up from nothingness by Forgers, Seers, or the Faithful. These materials often resemble brightly colored, highly polished stone with ancient Elven runes inscribed on the surface. The most common is spellstone, while the rarest is something called a Shard of Resonance. Shards are basically the spellstone equivalent of rare jewels in terms of value. Whenever a Shard changes hands, it resonates with the new owner's soul, becoming a weapon or focus ideally suited to that person. This resonance event happens only once in a lifetime, and requires the approval of the Star-Gods themselves. In the history of the Wanderers, only four non-Elves have ever had a Shard-based weapon.

Shard-based weapons, it should be noted, are equivalent to Masterwork Prevalida in most respects. Obtaining them is not easy, but it is worth the effort.

One thing that most Wanderer weapons have in common, especially blades, is the presence of a 'business end' that looks like it's been fashioned from semi-transparent molten glass. Color varies wildly, but few things are more disheartening than the sight of a Starlit blade plunging through body armor in the dead of night.

Masks: The one truly uniform feature of the Wanderers is that all of them seem to wear a mask into combat, assuming they have enough time to put one on. What makes this noteworthy is the utter lack of artwork or individuality present in these masks. Most of them bear a sour, hateful expression. Most have colored lenses over the eyes, enchanted to some minor effect or another, and grates over the mouth. The vast majority are old-fashioned steel plate. They are, more than anything else, meant to be intimidating and practical.

Miscellaneous Notes
The Wanderers in Starlight currently lack a 'face' character like the prospective faculty of the College Arcana, or the various regional NPCs. Feel free to make one up!

Wanderers typically organize into groups called enclaves. Each enclave is named and renamed for every single one of their missions, but membership rarely changes except to replace casualties or members who have Stepped away.

Most Wanderers favor a master-apprentice system, although this is not a hard rule and there are plenty of exceptions, especially during a crisis where masters are in short supply. The average time it takes for a Wanderer to completely master a Path if 300 years -- thus why so few of them make it through more than two or three Paths in a lifetime. PCs being PCs, it ain't like you've gotta stick to this.

Wanderers and Bladesingers are not buddies. They were allies of convenience during the Corpse War, but they've never really gotten along and they likely never will. The exchanges between them are rarely violent, but duels of honor and pride and plain old stupidity aren't unheard of. Wanderers get along better with Rangers, civilians, and Alerians. They tolerate other races and generally don't feel the need to belittle or insult them, but they're not exactly fond of them and many members are at least segregationist in some ways. Their attitude is a bit condescending most of the time, and they do place a higher value on Elven life than anything else. There are exceptions. During times of war or hardship, such as the Second Siege of Anebrilith, an enclave might temporarily recruit a non-Elf into its ranks. It's up to you to determine how thorough such a membership would be.

Wanderers have no true 'home city.' They can be found all over Raiaera, with the largest concentration in Beinost. There are persistent rumors of a hidden base somewhere in one of the remaining forests, but these are unsubstantiated. For the most part, Wanderers live up to their name and rarely settle down. It isn't uncommon for Wanderers to at least try and go to Alerar, if only to see the sights and study them accordingly.

And it's 1:45 AM and goddamn I'm tired.
If I missed anything or you want more about a specific Tidbit, feel free to ask and I'll either edit this post or write another. Again, this is basically public domain to Althanas; I only wrote up what I know and/or originally intended and/or have already canonized in-thread for these guys.

[Caden Law]

And since Amen asked, the Warlock write-up. Bear in mind that this is rougher due to the fact that I've only had Warlocks crop up in a handful of threads. Bear in mind that what you're getting here is nothing more than a starter set, and not even a very comprehensive one. I'm going to just stick with the format from Post #1.

A Little Bit About Warlocks
Warlocks are, in effect, the dark side to every major spellcasting tradition. Their very name derives from how the first Warlocks supposedly broke their past oaths of allegiance in order to pursue personal power and gain at all costs. More than mere spellcasters, Warlocks are conduits for powers greater than themselves; many are summoners of demons and channelers of the darkly divine, or just plain thieves of knowledge and magic. The trappings and traditions handed down from Warlock to Warlock are impossibly diverse, and no two covens or lineages will be completely alike. What follows are the Big Things that most Warlocks have in common. Consider them optional.

Paranoia: More than anything else, this is the defining trait of the Warlock. Wizards are rightfully paranoid but a seasoned Warlock is someone who sleeps with both eyes open, a knife under the pillow, wards on the bed sheets, and a contingency plan for the day after someone kills him. And they have good reason for it: Warlocks don't have friends. They might have family, they might have lovers, they might have servants, allies, whatever. In the end though, all of these are just tools at best. More often than not, a Warlock sees another person as an enemy who isn't dead yet.

Self-Preservation: As an outgrowth of the paranoia, many Warlocks develop any number of self-defense spells and enchantments aimed at keeping them alive against all odds. This even carries on into the next life: an apalling number of Warlocks not only learn how to cheat death, but how to turn it into a revolving door. If you ever run into a Lich or a vengeful spirit jumping from body to body, odds are they cut their teeth as a Warlock.

Sorcerous Name: A common feature to many spellcasting traditions, but Warlocks refine their Sorcerous Names to be much more significant than those of your average Wizard or the like. Warlocks build their protections up around a Sorcerous Name, investing power into it and making it into a thing of value as tangible as platinum or diamond. The importance of a Warlock's Name is such that they will not give it to anyone if they can help it, and many a master has effectively enslaved (or at least guaranteed protection from) his apprentices by learning their Names before they know of its importance. To know a Warlock's Name is to have the key to bypass almost all of his magic-based defenses. It should be noted that this is sometimes reversed or subverted outright: Some Warlocks lock away their birth names and choose to be known by their Sorcerous Names instead. Others throw away their first names entirely and come up with fake names instead.

Warlock's Voice: As a byproduct of using so much magic, Warlocks often gain secondary voices similar to those of other spellcasters. They can't quite perform the same auditory acrobatics as a Wizard, but a Warlock's Voice is considerably deeper, more unnatural, and much more intimidating.

Arcane Senses: Another byproduct of using so much magic is that Warlocks often gain extra senses or refinements to the ones that already exist. Most Warlocks actively seek these out one way or another, acquiring them through everything from ritually eating slain demons to grafting bits and pieces of other creatures right onto their soul. The most common choices are a 'danger sense,' allowing them to detect incoming threats, and the ability to see auras. Other examples include the power to smell souls or feel the lingering imprints of old magic. Relatively few Warlocks go for the ability to see Sideways writing or symbols, but the ones who do tend to be among the most formidable.

Robe or Tunic: Warlocks differ from many spellcasting traditions in that there is no 'standard uniform.' Many covens adopt certain trinkets or items of clothing as standard, particularly stylized robes or tunics, but the vast majority of Warlocks only wear such outfits during ceremonies or when they know they're going into a fight. Otherwise, they try to blend in and go unnoticed.

Dagger, Knife, or Shortsword: Like their Wizarding brethren, Warlocks favor the use of daggers, knives, and shortswords for many things. They key difference is that Warlocks actively use these weapons in rituals and spellcasting, where Wizards prefer wands or rods for such things. Virtually all Warlocks also know how to actually use these things in a fight, and they're not at all shy about bloody murder.

Tattoos: Many Warlocks wear the Names of the entities they enslave or sign contracts with as tattoos. These markings are almost always done in a code or language that only the Warlock is aware of. In a lifetime, most Warlocks will only bear seven of these, and thirteen is considered the limit by many. It's not unheard of for a Warlock to have more though, and there are stories of Warlocks covered from head-to-toe in the names of the things they own or have contracts with. Such magi often go the extra mile of learning how to conceal these markings.

The Little Things: Warlocks often wear rings, chains, piercings, and so on with specific spells or wards inscribed into them. The most common is the shield ring, but there are examples of Warlocks wearing braclets that turn into full body armor or slinging chains that unleash waves of fire and lightning. This extends all the way to everyday objects like coins or paper notes. Many a Warlock has dealt with a rival or an invasive watchman by bribing him with a few exploding coins.

What separates a Warlock from the rest?
Plenty. Warlocks literally come from all magical walks of life. A Warlock could be an ex-Wizard, an ex-Witch, an ex-priest, cleric, shaman, whatever; they almost always used to be something and that carries over into their new life. While there are plenty of Warlocks who have only ever been Warlocks, even they take most of their learning and influence from outside traditions. What follows are the most common traits of Warlocks as a whole, and bear in mind that there are exceptions to everything.

Covens: Whenever Warlocks gather in a group of three or to thirteen, it becomes a Coven. Covens always strive to have uneven numbers in their membership, if only so that there's always an odd man out. More often than not, Covens are strictly hierarchical: there's a charismatic (or just plain ruthless) leader who has the most experience, the most contracts, the most power, and possibly the Names of everyone else. It isn't uncommon for such Covens to resemble darkly fanatical cults, though the Warlocks involved will rarely have any devotion to their leader. Covens might never exceed thirteen members, but a single Warlock can be a part of multiple Covens.

That said, Covens rarely work together -- they view each other as rivals more often than not. The exception is when one Coven's members have enough power to organize individual Covens of their own -- each Warlock leads twelve lesser Warlocks. These are known as Grand Covens, and function more like social networks than cohesive groups. There are no known examples of a grand-Grand Coven -- each Warlock leading twelve Warlocks who each lead twelve other Warlocks -- but it isn't unlikely or impossible.

Put another way:

Coven = 3 to 13 Warlocks
Grand Coven = 13 full Covens = 169 Warlocks
???? = 13 Grand Covens = 2197 Warlocks (hypothetical)

This does not include any subordinate organizations that a Coven might have (mercenary companies, cultists, slaves, spy networks, so on and so forth).

Ranking: Warlocks do not have a uniform system of rank. What follows is the most generalized system possible, and would only really apply to a Warlock tradition derived from Wizardry.

Mage: Also known as an Initiate. You're a raw talent. Odds are, you're young and stupid enough to think you know what you're getting into. You're probably at the bottom of a Coven's totem pole or you might be the sole apprentice to a master. Either way, you're probably going to be stealing most of what you learn so get good at it. You're probably either on the road all the time or working out of a secret chamber or a basement of some kind. You might have any of the things that make a Warlock, but probably not all of them. Yet.

Warlock: You've come into your power, and you might be anything from a back alley thug with some spells to the head of a vast network of spies and assassins. You could even be walking on the edge of immortality, juggling life and death like a cheap trick. Whatever you are, you've got your Voice, your Name, at least one or two extra Senses, and probably a weapon of choice. If you have a home base, it could be anything from a safehouse to your real house to a private fortress or a grand spire, stabbing into the sky like a knife. Odds are, you've got at least a few contracts down and you can summon up some nasty things -- or even just parts of nasty things -- to put the hurt on your enemies. And you do have enemies.

Grand Warlock: A largely hypothetical rank that's only been seen in action a few times -- usually after some lesser Warlock blew his Grand master's cover. You are, frankly speaking, better than everyone around you. You're at the head of a Grand Coven, or maybe even a bigger organization than that. You know things that normally break mortal minds like cheap glass, and you've got a library full of Names. Even if your minions all turned on you, you'd still have an army's worth of demons or worse to crush them like ants. And if that doesn't work, you might just roll up your sleeves and do it your damned self. Literally.

Manifestations of Power: Warlocks can throw down with direct spells and blast someone with a fireball just like their Wizarding brethren. But most of them prefer to summon servants to do their dirty work for them. Most Warlocks who do fight directly will still draw power from an outside source, such as a demon or even a god, allowing them to bypass many countermeasures designed to shut down or hinder spellcasting. Warlocks rarely use their own power for casting a spell, and it's almost always for defensive purposes. Their ability to act as direct conduits for divine power often unnerves any religious opposition they might run into -- nothing will break a man's faith faster than being burned by his own god's flames. Many Warlocks also learn how to transform themselves into manifestations of whatever entity theyd raw power from, not unlike the Avatars of Starlight. Where Avatars tend to burn up, any Warlock willing to risk such a manifestation has probably done a thorough job of ensuring their own survival.

Contracts, Deals, Bargains, Binding Words: Warlocks may have broken whatever oaths they were originally bound to, but the skilled ones don't make a habit of doing so in their new lives. A Warlock can bind and ensnare others with contracts, but it goes both ways.

Physical Prowess: Pound for pound, Warlocks are some of the most dangerous spellcasters in any given magical weight class. Even if you were to strip a Warlock of every single spell or contract at his command, he could still stab you to death in a heartbeat -- and most of them learn the finer points of streetfighting with knives at an absolute minimum.

Criminality: Warlocks almost universally tend towards the Bad Side of things. There are a handful of 'good' Warlocks, but even these tend to be good in the sense of the ends-justifying-the-means. At best, most Warlocks are just plain amoral with an eye towards circumventing anything that might get in the way of their gaining power -- including laws, other people, and fundamental concepts of right and wrong. Part of this criminality stems from the origin of the Warlocks as a whole, but plenty of it is well-deserved considering the atrocious things they'll do for power. As of this writing, the only people that are outright fond of Warlocks are the Wyrmfolk, a scattered gypsy-like draconic people originating in Dheathain but now found all over the world. The Wyrmfolk regard any Warlock as a holy person worthy of respect and at least passive servitude.

Warlocked Areas: A Warlocked area, such as a town, building, or even just a room, is the domain of one or more Warlocks.

[Cydnar]

You know I'm going to hunt you down, kill you, and eat your entrails for giving me more character ideas...you know that, don't you?

.

[Caden Law]

You know I'm going to hunt you down, kill you, and eat your entrails for giving me more character ideas...you know that, don't you?

.

...bring it.

[Cydnar]

Oh it's on pointy hat!

[SandStorm]

Uh oh, thanks for giving me more work to do in the lonely old RoG. Palm-to-face

[Alchemist]

My my my, this is all very exciting.

Then again, I can hardly help myself- I tend to prefer to play magic users.

Just though I would give a show of support on both a college of mages, and a great interest if there is to be a magic users club as it were.

In any case, all very awesome, and hopefully I can get my guy over there to come visit real soon.

[Slayer of the Rot]

I appreciate you re-posting the Wanderers in Starlight info; I wasn't sure where I could find it again, aside from small bits in the old defender info/rewards thread you made for the MQ. I'm intending on Dan to be fighting at least one, maybe two or three in the quest I just started, and I could not in the slightest remember all the important little details you put into them. Thanks.

Also, all the warlock stuff almost makes me want to shove some of it into Dan...certainly not make a new character, that would be stupid since my activity is already on the low side...but all of this is excellent. Awesome work.

[Wanderer]

I couldn't resist.