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Kit: Imperial Wizard
Description: At the end of the First Empire, a number of extremely powerful wizards of the Nine Schools pledged their support directly to the emperor. They abandoned their respective Scholae (members of the Golden Path, the Occulted Order, and the Star and Hammer made up the majority of this new school) and founded the Schola Imperium which would grow to become the most powerful of the Schools and outlast every one of its contemporaries. The Imperial Schola still exists, upon Wizard's Hill, and still lodges in their ancient quarters, doing their utmost to serve the empire and emperor.
Imperial wizards, like all wizardly claves, are forbidden from teaching the spells unique to their school to anyone else. Unlike many elvish circles, they may sell their services as teachers of commonly known magic.
The school is refreshed by the magistri scholistici, who ride through the heartland and investigate the talents and wisdoms of young children, no older than eight. These masters pay a sum that is generally 200ƒ to the parents of such children, returning them to the schola. Those trained there begin with a foundation of philosophy, history, and religion.
At age twelve they become official apprentices, capable of comprehending (but not casting) basic spells. At age fourteen they are promoted to the rank of invocate and must perform a philosophical defense before two masters. At age sixteen they are granted the rank of invarch and expected to perform a spell of their own creation to add to the library.
Other ranks follow:
The Senior Schola
Exarch - granted upon achieving the power of lesser sorcereries, the wizard is granted his purple and golden robes.
Hierarch - granted upon achieving the power of greater sorcery, the wizard is permitted to take pupils of his own.
Magearch - granted at last upon achieving what we normally call "name rank." Magearchs form the governing body of the School.
Magister - Master. Ranking wizards of power. There are never more than five or six Masters at any given time.
Esteemed Master - the leader of the Imperial School. The Esteemed Master has never appeared in public within living memory and his name is unknown.
Preferred Schools: Imperial Wizards may specialize in any school, though many are drawn (through its sheer destructive force) to the school of invocation/evocation.
Barred Schools: No school is barred to wizards of the Imperial Schola.
Role: Imperial wizards have their names recorded in the Codex from the time they enter the school so the imperial administration can keep track of them, the same as any wizard who reaches level 5 within the borders of the empire. They serve as spies, the eyes and ears of the emperor, permanent figures on the imperial payroll, and even as clerks in some cases. They are given appointments and assignments, sent to lead imperial armies, and essentially used as a final resort by their emperor.
Secondary Skills: We don't use these~
Weapon Proficiencies: Imperial wizards must start with either the staff or dagger proficiency.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Wizards of the schola must purchase the reading/writing proficiency for High Varan. They must also purchase the Religion (imperial) proficiency. They learn to speak/read/write Archaic Varan for free, as well as receiving the Spellcraft proficiency for free. Their Language of Power is Maidic.
Equipment: Imperial wizards are provided with fancy robes, sandals, a cloak, a weapon, and an extra traveling spellbook from the vast treasury of the Schola.
Starting Spells: As a tower-trained wizard.
Special Benefits: The Imperial Wizards receive the following benefits:
1. Free room and board at the schola. They never need to pay for a place to stay or food to eat as long as they are in the imperial city. All other imperial wizards will generally go out of their way to assist a fellow (unless they have compelling reasons not to).
2. Free access to the imperial library, dating back to the foundation of the Second Empire. This library grants a +5% research bonus.
3. Free access to the masters of the school, for use of learning new spells (if they have time).
4. Access to the otherwise forbidden Imperial spell list.
Special Hinderances:
1. May not teach other wizards Imperial spells.
2. Must obey senior members of the Schola. May be sent on missions without recompense. Tool of the emperor.
3. Considered, until they reach the rank of Magearch, to be the personal property of their own master, the Magearch who trained them. This means they are required to support their master in all things.
Wealth Options: Normal starting wealth.
Races: No elf or gnome would willingly submit themselves to the rules of the Schola, leaving it comprised entirely of humans.
Spell List: Absorption, Acid Bolt, Alamanthar's Return, Alustriel's Mantle and Greater Mantle, Analyze Dweomer, Army, Arrow of Bone, Barrier, Battering Ram, Bewilder, Chastise, Chromatic Blade
SPELLS
Level One
Arcanin's Reply
(Abjuration)
Range: 0
Duration: 5 rds./level
Area of Effect: Caster
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1
Saving Throw: None
Arcanin's reply is a simple abjuration that serves one purpose: to reflect magic missiles. The spell protects the caster from magic missile spells, causing any cast at him during the duration to be reflected back onto whoever flung it originally.
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