The Goldfeather Faculties

The students and teachers of the gold feathers are broadly split into three faculties, each of these faculties specialising in one of the Axioms Magocratic. Each faculty is headed by a senior Magister. These heads of faculty, known as “Sages”, are expected to be exemplars of their Axiom whose responsibility is to ensure that Magisters are imparting their Axiom upon students and that students are upholding the principle of their Axiom. They report directly to the overall head of the Goldfeather Institute, the Head Magister, and the Head Magister’s successor is generally (though not always) selected from one of their number. The three faculties of the Goldfeather Institute are “The Staves” which focus on magical power and lore, “The Blades” who focus on martial skill and military scholarship and “The Quills” who focus on diplomacy, scholarship and mastery of lore and law.

Any student at any given time will fall under the remit of one of these faculties, and their progression or discipline will ultimately be at the discretion of the Sage in charge of them. Franconia is a land of movement however, and each student will be expected to move from faculty to faculty over time to gain a well-rounded education as a Magocrat. These movements are entirely at the discretion of the student. In order to be fully recognised as a Magocrat by the Goldfeather Institute, a student must have confirmation from all three Sages that they have attained at least the basics in their Axiom (known as “in Principium”), and at least one Sage must agree that the student has a mastery of their Axiom (“in Universalis”).

The Staves

Head: The SpellSage

In Principium Skills: Mage 1, Shaman 1, Corporeal 1, Ritual (<6 points)

In Universalis Skills: Mage 2, Shaman 2, Corporeal 2, Invocation, Ritual (>6 points)

This Faculty concerns itself with magical prowess. Its most important task is of course to teach the sphere of Magery to each student - without which one cannot hope to become a Magocrat - but teachers and students of all other forms of magic find their home within the faculty of the Staves.

The Blades

Head: The SwordSage

In Principium Skills: Any Weapon Skill, Ranger 1, Light Armour, Surgery, Shield

In Universalis Skills: 2+ Weapons Skills, Medium Armour, Ranger 2, Ambidexterity, Body Development

This faculty focuses on martial skill, the learning of tactics, and leadership in battle. Its students and Magisters focus on the art of the duel, learning mixed unit tactics, and field medicine.

The Quills

Head: The QuillSage

In Principium Skills: Literacy, Numeracy, Read Maps, Evaluate, Any level 1 Lore

In Universalis Skills: Surgeon, Recognise Forgery, Any level 2 Lore, Alchemy, Craft

This faculty chiefly concerns itself with scholarship, political acumen, and knowledge of lore and law. Its interests are the most diverse and it is home to both bookish scholars and charismatic lawmakers. In particular, the quills train and take part in the great impassioned debates for which Keydessan Magocrats are famed. Many of Keydessa’s greatest debaters and orators have grown within the faculty of The Quills.

The Making of a Magocrat

Progression and ranks within the Goldfeather Institute

Progression from humble origins to honoured Magocrat graduate within the Goldfeather Institute is only obtained by proving merits and mastery of the Axioms Magocratic. Below is a list of each rank within the Goldfeather Institute, and how the rank is obtained.

Apprentice

This is the initial rank a student of the Institute will hold, an Apprentice is a new student in the Goldfeather Institute. While progression is based on merit rather than age, the vast majority of Apprentices are under the age of majority. To become an Apprentice at the Goldfeather Institute, the applicant must be sponsored by an existing Magocrat or Alumni of the Institute. A sponsored individual is then reviewed by incumbent Sages, as well as the Head Magister before being allowed to enter. While this naturally leads to many applicants being the family and friends of existing members of the Magocracy, the Institute holds yearly open applications where anybody can attend and seek to impress the Magisters of the school enough to earn a fully paid scholarship. This, combined with a tradition of magistrates of the Institute offering scholarships to impressive individuals (often spontaneously), allows for a fully meritocratic system of selection to be maintained.

Upon joining, an Apprentice usually has their first faculty chosen for them based upon their aptitudes. Apprentices in particular have a lot of emphasis placed on learning the expectations of a Magocrat and having the Axioms impressed upon them. Apprentices are generally forgiven more easily but also supervised more closely as they are not expected to understand their role as Magocrats in training fully at this point.

Adept

Adepts make up the bulk of the student body within the Goldfeather Institute. An Adept is any student who has successfully proven themselves competent in their first Axiom in Principium. They have proved to the Sage of their first faculty that they meet the minimum requirements of their Axiom, and in doing so have earned the rank of Adept as well as the right to freely migrate between faculties.

Earning this rank involves proving to your faculty Sage that you meet the requirements of their Axiom. Most often this is done by proving a mastery of a skill or skills associated with said Axiom, but in other cases can be proved by performing deeds that the Sage decides are indicative of passing muster. If they do not already have the ability, an Adept will learn at least the lesser sphere of Magery as a priority, as without it they cannot hope to progress into becoming a senior student, or Prefectus.

Adepts are given much more freedom in learning, they are allowed to migrate between each faculty at their will, with the eventual goal of repeating the goal of proving their adherence to each Axiom to its corresponding Sage in turn. With this increased freedom comes increased responsibility, however. Adepts are expected to uphold the honour and dignity of the Institute, as well as the Magocracy and Franconia as a whole, and are held much more accountable for their actions. Most Goldfeather students within the warhost will be Adepts who are of the age of majority.

Prefectus

The final echelon of the student ranks, a Prefectus is a senior student who has obtained accredited adherence to all three Axioms in Principium. These students will now be looking to focus on one of the Axioms they feel they best exemplify and to prove themselves a master of it to the Faculty head that represents it, and showing that they exemplify the Axiom in Universalis. Only by doing this can they graduate as a student and earn themselves the Rank of Magocrat. The Prefectus will master more advanced skills to do with their Axiom but must also demonstrate that they truly uphold the ideals of a true Magocrat. A Prefectus is expected to be an exemplar of what it means to be a Magocrat and serve as an inspiration and source of aid to less senior students, while they have more freedom than even an Adept, the standards to which they are held are higher still, and they are strictly judged. Every Prefectus is expected to have at least mastered the lesser sphere of Magery, and many will also have mastered the second sphere by the time of their graduation. Alumnus The final goal of most students within the Goldfeather Institute. Once a Prefectus has finally succeeded in obtaining the agreement from one of the Sages that they represent an Axiom in Universalis, the time has come to graduate. A ceremony is held where the graduate is presented to the Head Magister by the three Sages. The Prefectus will kneel before the Head Magister, whilst each Sage announces that they find the Prefectus in adherence with their Axiom in Principium or in Universalis. Once sufficiently endorsed by all three Sages, the Head Magister will announce to all present that they find the Prefectus worthy, and that they exemplify what it means to be a Magocrat of Franconia.

The Prefectus will be commanded to take oaths of loyalty to Franconia and to uphold the Axioms Magocratic. They swear to serve the land of Franconia and to always act in the best interests for the land and its people. Once the oaths are complete the Head Magister will generally say the traditional graduation command, “And here I give you your final command as a student: rise and embrace us as equals, Magocrat of Franconia.” The kneeling Prefectus rises as an Alumni of the Goldfeather Institute, and by honoured tradition, a Keydessan Magocrat of Franconia.

Magister

A Magister is a teacher within the Institute. All Magisters are Magocrats and most are also Alumni of the Goldfeather Institute themselves. Magisters help to guide students in the ways of being Magocrats, and support them learning the skills and mindset required to become a proper member of the Magocracy. A Magocrat wishing to become a Magister of the Goldfeather Institute presents themselves to the Sage of the faculty they wish to join. It is for the Sage to decide whether they are appointed to teach as a Magister.

The motivations for becoming a Magister are often a wish to teach the next generation of Magocrats, and a desire to mould the minds of Franconia’s future political leaders. Others become Magisters to retire from active duties in Franconian leadership, and still others decide to become a Magister with their eye on eventually fulfilling the role of one of the Sages - perhaps even with the long term goal of becoming Head Magister themself.

Sage

A Sage is the head of one of the Goldfeather Institute faculties. The three Sage positions are QuillSage (Head of the Quills), SwordSage (Head of the Blades) and SpellSage (Head of the Staves). The Sage is the exemplar of their given Axiom and it is they who decide whether students are worthy of representing their Axiom. The title of Sage comes with a great deal of respect and responsibility, as they are the authority within the faculty and its Axiom and thus mould the mindsets of many Keydessan Magocrats. As such there is a great deal of factionalism and politics involved in the appointment of a Sage.

A Sage keeps their position until the end of their tenure, either by retirement or by death. The Sage is selected by the incumbent Head Magister and is often highly contested as a new Sage can mean a distinct change in what is considered adherent to the Axiom that the Sage represents. Head Magister The Head Magister is the overall leader of the Goldfeather Institute. They are expected to lead and guide the Institute in its mission to train worthy Magocrats for Franconia. The Head Magister is tasked with choosing new Sages whenever the position opens up, and as such has a great deal of sway in the mindset of future Franconian Magocrats. Additionally, the Head Magister represents the Institute politically, ensuring that the Institute receives the support it needs to flourish, as well as ensuring the safety of the Institute and its students.

As with Sages, the position of Head Magister lasts until retirement or death. When a new Head Magister is to be chosen, it is done so by unanimous vote by the current Sages. The new Head Magister is almost inevitably chosen from one of their number, but theoretically any person all three Sages agree upon could be selected as Head Magister.

Additional Roles within The Goldfeather Institute

Rector

The Rector is the religious authority within the Goldfeather Institute; they serve to see to the spiritual needs of both staff and students, provide religious education to those who ask it, and to advise on religious matters. It is one of the few non-student positions that does not require the holder to be a Magocrat nor for them to have any skill as a Mage. The rector is appointed by the Head Magister and often serves as a spiritual advisor to them. While the Rector can - and often does - teach religious matters, they are not a Magister unless they also meet the requirements to be one.

Chirurgeon

The Chirurgeon is the head healer within the Goldfeather Institute. Naturally, as a school where students are taught both martial skills and the combat-focused school of Magery, accidents and injuries are inevitable. The Chirurgeon is responsible for the health and wellbeing of students and staff and will be found leading efforts to heal those that are wounded or ill. The Chirurgeon is often also a Magister and specialises in teaching their healing arts to students, but much like the Rector, this role does not require one to be a Magocrat.

Magocrat Concoctione

This is a special honourary title given to alchemists. The Goldfeather Institute recognises the arts of alchemy as arts of change, much like the school of Magery. As such, the only way to graduate from being a student to an Alumni within the Goldfeather Institute without any skill in the sphere of Magery is to have mastered instead the subtle art of alchemy. While one must still prove that they hold to the Axioms to each Sage in turn, a mastery of Alchemy is often enough to earn “in Universalis” from the Staves or Quills, possibly both.

Such alchemists who graduate are known as “Magocrat Concoctione” and have the same standing and responsibility as all other Magocrats who graduate from the Goldfeather Institute, even if they do not possess any skill as a Mage.