History of the Guild Pre-Split:
Sia founded the Order using the pull of her reputation and her uncanny grasp on Magical Talent. With the aid of Queen Mercy, she was able to excavate the remains of what had once been a Church Tower and stronghold within Nuege and turn it into a 'college', as she referred to it, a place for all with the Talent to come and study, to learn magik under her. Several years after the founding, many of the Nuege Castle staff who had the talent were trained, and those with natural inclinations such as Elves and Azuha quickly began to outnumber the humans in the school.
It was at this time that she began to select the most skilled and proficient of her students and give them the rank of Wizard, to serve under her as the self proclaimed First Wizard. By this time her second child was born and both Catmew children showed an inclination towards magik, and it was through their development that she was able to discover an expected time in any child's growing maturity when they would begin to show signs of magical talent. Developing a test and teaching it to her teachers, she was able to send them out, into Nuege's changing lands, Navarro, and overseas to other nations to begin to search for other students of talent, and teach children and adults who had been denied proper education such things as reading and writing.
This approach, one of free education, opened many doors, though in some nations the travelling mages were turned out. As the years went by and the central campus of the Guild was finished, Sia began to map out these favors and disfavors, establishing guilds in other nations, and as many cities as she could. Those that were the most receptive, she trained stronger mages with good heads on their shoulders to seek positions in royal courts as advisors. When Sia finally retired during the ending of the Era of Change's first half, she handed on leadership by appointing someone she trusted and allowed the Guild's High Wizards to vote on whether or not to accept the child. Setting two precidents, the High Wizard would be selected young, and the Council would vote on them.
When the virus that attacked humanity began to wreck havoc all over Tareh, the Mages worked hard to attempt to counter it, allowing Neer to survive much of the torment it caused by strengthening the humans there against infection, though several notable healers who were humans ended up dying with the rest as time went by. The shift in the Guild's population was not, unlike many other areas, one of note, as the Guild encouranged a species blindness amongst it's people. They rose to the defense of the nations the Guild had campuses on in the ensuing Demon attacks. However, it is possible the reason the guild did not decline in strength at this time is due to their actions, attracting new recruits for their efforts.
When the UNF struck out against humans, the Guild aided Gelus initially with healing, going so far as to use suppression magik techniques to defend them as well. While committing non-lethal acts, the mages were also trained and dedicated to lay down their lives for innoncet people, and some of those that were brave did. When the civil war broke out, the Guild offered a release of vows to any elf in the Guild who wished to go into the conflict, provided they also relinquish the right to use their spells for any other act then healing. Those that went against this agreement were summarily punished over the ensuing years, the crime for breaking such a vow in the Guild is being cut off from magik itself.
When the Coalition left Neer in 2635 AJ, the Guild sent Azuha members of the guild to join them and help them, in the full knowledge that they could choose to join the coalition and never return, however, it's biggest hope was for a Campus to be set up in the Coalitions lands and a new branch of the Guild to started there, even if it wound up an exclusive campus to Azuha.
The Guild moved to establish a presence in the Empire when it came into power in 2645 AJ, which would later become something else, however, it continued it's usual stance of healing the injured and sick and protecting the weak at the time, aiding in the war effort by having it's members acting as War Medics. In 2789 AJ, things drastically changed for the Guild, when a virus began to spread among it's male spellcasters driving them insane. Arali Mason, the head of the guild at the time, decreed that the male spellcasters infected would be quarantined and female spellcasters, who did not seem to be catching the virus, would investigate treatment. This ended in disaster however, as they found out too late that the virus could be carried by females even if not effecting them. As such, quarantine was broken, discovered disasterously when High Wizard Alexander Drogov, went mad in the middle of a lecture in the eastern wing of the Main Campus in Neer. Claiming 10 lives.
Debates began to rise heavily, but the guild had only one definate agreement, that was to quell any more outbursts before they could occur. And while they were still deciding what it was they were to do to counter the virus, males began to find themselves persecuted and eventually, imprisoned. One measure seemed to prevent at least any harm coming to others while preserving life, and those close to madness began to be severed, a special magical process which would "cut" the male wizard off from magik, whether permenant or not, it would at least assure the wizard could not harm others.
As measures became more and more extreme, the Split became more and more inevitable.
The Split:
In 2789 AJ, during the era that the Empire of Alrhyl kept the Demon Realm at bay while the other races were recovering from various things, the Guild of Wizards stationed there, as well as other Guilds, aided them in this endeavor. However, the Demons unleashed something that poisoned male Wizards, targetting the genome that hit males across all races. It spread through touch, so one male touching another could corrupt them. The sickness affected their magik so that it would go out of control - the stages would begin with the magik getting stronger and more powerful, then it would it grow out of control and begin to destroy everything around them, and then finally the wizard would become insane and destroy himself, leveling the area and taking out anyone near him.
The Male Wizards began to feel prosecuted as it was debated what to do; demons were targetting them specifically to touch them and poison them, and other male wizards could pass it on by touch. Some females could also sometimes be carriers without going insane. Since more and more were in danger, one group of the Guild felt that male wizards needed to be rounded up and isolated and no longer taught magik period, so that the danger was brought down, while others felt the needed to be treated and kept in the Guild, lest you had wild Male Wizards running around as ticking time bombs.
The Guild split, with the Mason Guild, based on Sia's original ideas, having their HQ in Neer still, and the HQ of the other Guild being formed in the Empire, with their goal to hunt the Male Wizards who kept practicing magik and could be threats. Kingdoms around the world now had the problem of deciding which Guild to accept, or accepting both.
History of the Mason Guild Post-Split:
After the split, the Guild did it's best to handle the sudden vacuum in power as their numbers were reduced. Having secured quite a few locations already, the newly appointed First Wizard deemed that they had to preserve the precepts and rules of the Guild. In order to do this, the Guild reached out to secure new campus locations and gain influence in other Kingdoms as a preventative measure of losing such influence to the New Guild. This expansion led to an influx of new initiates and new ideas from differing regions, helping better the Order as a whole.
Striving to preserve as many lives as possible over the male mage madness, the Guild included in it's recruitment process the testing of male casters in order to identify them early and attempt to keep their madness at bay. While it agreed with the concept of taking power from casters before they could go mad, it also did not agree with the profane manner of taking, instead, the Guild created a technique they called the Sever, literally cutting off the mages from their power by performing an act which cut them off from Mana. Whether or not this was a permenant solution, it did not require Blood Magic or other such arts, merely a congressional use of various elements.
The Guild maintained a policy of passive dealings however, never openly engaging their "sister" guild in any form of combat. This made dealings with the New Age Guild problematic when the NAG began to deal with them roughly in times of conflict, however, no loss of life to date, even with a close call in 2810 AJ. Since that time, most incidents have been brought to a quick halt due to the Guild adopting a peaceful policy of backing off when agression became immenent. Though the Guild has at times been able to outsmart or trick the NAG into allowing them to have their way, the NAG often gets their way.
When the original First Wizard who started these policies during the split finally retired after nearly 40 years in her position in 2830 AJ, choosing to do so once the demon attacks and the prevailing influence of the Empire dying down as a perfect time for a new candidate, Maria Mason to begin her rule.
With the virus a seemingly permenant root in the Magik community and the NAG taking on a zero tolerance reaction to male mages, Maria set forth the Guild's new mission, to find a permenant solution to the Virus which did not involve the slaughter of innocent men. Since then the Guild has redoubled it's efforts in learning the arts of Healing and Curing, going so far as to begin establishing a second guild service, Magik Clinics in every city they can gain access to, a business completely devoted to the care and treatment of the ill, working off charity donations and support from governments to provide such care for all that they could reach.
This also allowed the Guild to begin quietly screening Men for signs of Magik, allowing them to Sever or at least take care of those with the "Curse" before any trouble could arise, with the Caster or the NAG. When the 5 Year War began with the Badelf Kingdom, the Guild aided the Kingdoms by healing the wounded and even stepping into combat. While the Guild would not perform lethal Magik like the NAG, they happily shielded troops and performed battle surgery and magik healing to preserve as many lives as they could. While they did not gain the same glory as the NAG, they preserved their reputation as trustworthy healers who could be admired for their devotion to preserving life. This also made it harder for any opposing factions to openly harm or bully members of the Guild, as doing so only reflected poorly on their characters.
With the Forced Check Era in play, the Guild stands reknowned as a force dedicated to helping everyone. It is almost taboo to refuse the Guild's help or advice, for who would refuse healing and education?
Structure of the Mason Guild:
The Mages operate on a set of ranks which help organize them. Situated in Neer Campus is the Headmaster / Headmistress, who oversees all of the Guild's affairs and is a sort of ruler. This person is called the First Wizard, and those who serve directly under him/her are the High Wizards. These High Wizards are often placed in Royal Courts or manage other campuses, reporting to the First Wizard.
Under them in each campus are Masters, these Masters are specialized Mages who have embraced their Elemental Affinity. The schools exist with a house system that follows these elements, there are Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Storm, Ice, Darkness and Light schools.
Students rise in the Guild of Initiate, Student Mage, Mage, Assistant Master, and finally Master. Master is a rank of Teaching. It is possible for a Non-Mage to earn Mastery, but only in specific fields such as Ruins Mastery and Science Mastery. These Masters, however, are not part of the council which makes decisions.
Students who show physical prowess but no mage abilities are often trained between a small Guild of specialized guardians known as Aegis and some stationed Rose Knights in the art of martial combat. These then raised Aegis are often recruited by Mages or higher ranked as bodyguards. Aegis are of equal rank to Mages, but never higher, with the sole exception of the Aegis General, who leads them. Their time among the Mages makes them specially equipped to handle spellcasters, especially useful in taking down Male Spellcasters. Relations with the female Mages are common, and often produce exemplary young Mages and Aegis. Aegis may be male or female.
Rank Structure (Lowest to Highest)
Initiate
Student Mage
Mage - Aegis
Assistant Master
Master
High Wizard - Aegis General
First Wizard
The Current First Wizard is Tanya Mason.
Goals of the Mason Guild:
The Guild was founded by First Wizard Sia Mason, who chartered the rules and regulations still followed to this day. The Guild exists on a number of precepts:
1. Demon Magik and Blood Magik are forbidden, leading only to decay. Those who practice such arts are to be redeemed, if they cannot be redeemed, only one fate lays before them.
2. Magik is an ever evolving, ever living power, no one person can ever fully Master it, therefore, all Guild Mages will continue to learn and practice even long after their principle education.
3. Knowledge for the sake of Knowledge, everyone is welcome to knowledge. If someone does not show a talent for Magik, they must be offered a chance at education in the basics of life and Science.
4. No element is in itself evil, the elements are elements, it is the caster who does right and wrong.
5. Anything, even the taint, can be healed. Male casters are to be taken into the Guild and kept from growing their magic potential. They may be taught other arts such as learning and science. Volunteer males will be treated, the Holy Masters and Darkness Masters alike charged with attempting to find a cure for the taint.
6. When and if a Male Caster goes mad, they are to be nullified and put to rest.
Locations of the Mason Guild:
HQ - Kingdom of Neer's Capital Mercy (Wizard Tower, Campus, Clinic and Advisors)
- Zealous - Clinic and School
- Nephilius - Clinic
- Kael - Clinic and School
- Ruun - School
- Other Towns: Schools and Clinics as needed.
Kingdom of Gelus's
- Tri'hill - School
- Undercity - Small Contingent of "Excavators"
Kingdom of Blantress
- Capital: Na'vi - Recruitment via single representative advisor, and a Clinic.
- Oshan - Clinic
- Yuan - Clinic
- Fam'fri - Recruitment Post
The Kingdom of Ama'dorei
- Capital: Kerthal - School (Major Campus) and Clinic
- Port Cities: Scattered Clinic and Schools where needed / wanted. Except in Cyredarnith.
- Forest: Clinic
Coalition of Amatsune
- Capital: Gemet - School (Major Campus) and Clinic
- Port Cities: Scattered Clinic and Schools where needed / wanted.
- Other Cities: Clinics and Schools as needed.