Chambers of Astinus

Wizards of High Sorcery

The Wizards of High Sorcery are an organisation that is one of the most dangerous and venerable upon Krynn. It was formed under the guidance of Solinari, Lunitari and Nuitari. The three gods each found an apprentice amongst the mortals, and led them to the Lost Citadel, where they taught them the arts of High Sorcery. The gods then taught the mages three rules by which they must always adhere and live their lives.

1. All wizards are brothers in their order. All orders are brothers in the power.
2. The places of High Wizardry are held in common among all orders and no sorcery is to be used there in anger against fellow wizards.
3. The world beyond the walls of the towers may bring brother against brother and order against order, but such is the way of the universe.

The Orders were a loosely formed group in the early days, until the Age of Dreams when the masters of each order came together at the Lost Citadel. The master wizards proclaimed the unity of the orders and the first Conclave of Wizards was formed.

Over the years, many mages have proved instrumental in causing uproars, devastating lands and quelling chaos. Mages from each of the three orders have become renowned across Ansalon. The orders grew steadily in power over the centuries, until the Summer of Chaos. The first blow came from the newly formed Knights of Takhisis. The Thorn Knights (magical arm of the KoT) were renegade wizards, however they were vastly too powerful for the Tower mages to deal with. The second blow came with the departure of the gods and the loss of magic. The orders lasted for a few years after the gods influence was gone, but soon dwindled away into nothing.

Other magical orders came to take it's place, however the Wizards of High Sorcery were no more. With the return of the gods in the post-War of Souls period, the magical orders have arisen once more. From the ashes, Dalamar the Dark and Mistress Jenna have returned to rule the black & red robed orders respectively, whilst the young mage Coryn has claimed the seat of power amongst the white-robed mages. Mistress Jenna presides over the Conclave in this new age.

The Conclave of Wizards

The Conclave of Wizards is the governing body which rules the Orders. The Conclave is comprised of seven wizards from each order, and each order has a leading wizard. The leading wizard is considered the Master of that order. Of the three masters, a consensus is taken amongst the Conclave to determine who the Master of the Conclave is. The Master of the Conclave is, in essence, the true ruler of the Wizards of the High Sorcery. The Master can call the Conclave to gather at any time, normally only in times of crisis that affect all the orders.

Spheres & Moons

The three moons of Krynn are a determining factor in the power of a mage's spells. Each order receives it's powers from one of the moons. The Wizards of the White Robes receive their power from Solinari. Those of the Red Robes get their power from Lunitari and those of the Black Robes receive power from Nuitari. The alignment and phases of the moons in the sky determines how effective and accurate a spell is, as well as how many spells a wizard can retain.

The magic of Krynn operates within various spheres. Certain orders have access to certain spheres, which means that each order has access to a different range of spells. The Spheres of Magic are:

Abjuration: Magic which involves the prevention of magical and non-magical effects. (ie. protection spells, dispel magic) Abjuration is used by White-Robed wizards only.

Alteration: This sphere involves modifying one's surroundings, or an individual with magical energy. (ie. polymorph) Abjuration magic is accessible to Red-Robed Wizards only.

Conjuration/Summoning: These spells involve bringing matter in from elsewhere, as well as create portals between the mage and a greater power. (ie. wish spells or power words) These sphere is accessible by all orders.

Divination: This sphere is about the uncovering of information. (ie. detect magic and scrying spells) It is usable by all orders.

Enchantment/Charm:These spells place dweomers on a target and radiate magical auras. (ie. animal friendship, bind) It is accessible to wizards of either White or Black Robes.

Evocation/Invocation: This sphere is about the channelling of magical energy to create effects and alter matter. (ie. fireball and lightning bolt) It is usable by mages of either Red or White robes.

Illusion/Phantasm: The spells of this sphere allow one to create a false reality. (ie. fear & invisibility) It is accessible by mages of the Red or Black Robes.

Necromantic: The last sphere affects the functioning of living or unliving creatures. (ie. animate dead, reincarnate) This dark sphere is only usable by those of the Black Robes.

The Towers of High Sorcery

The Towers of High Sorcery were built during the Age of Dreams as centers for learning and teaching of magic. The five fully built towers were located in Palanthas, Wayreth, Istar, Daltigoth and Losarcum. There were also attempts to build two other towers. One attempted construction was in the area of Kal-Thax, however this attempt went awry after the local dwarves intervened and was never completed. There was another tower that was built in the Istarian region and known as the Lost Tower.

All the towers have a similar basic structure. Essentially there is a central complex that is surrounded by a field or garden. The field or garden has a protective magic that ensures that only those whom the wizards permit to enter their tower, actually succeed.

The Tower of Wayreth: This is one of the only two surviving towers. The Wayreth Tower is controlled completely by the Masters of High Sorcery. One can only locate the tower when they allow it. The tower is surrounded by a transdimensional field that allows it to appear anywhere within 500 miles of it's usual place within Wayreth Forest. The Tower of Wayreth is the residual home of the Master of the Conclave, and it is where the Conclave of Wizards is almost always convened.

The Tower of Palanthas: The Palanthas Tower is only other surviving tower and one of the most notorious. Before the Cataclysm it was one of the most beautiful towers and was also considered one of the most powerful. It was where the wizards of all orders came together to create the dragon orbs, and is protected by the fearsome Shoikan Grove. The Shoikan Grove is a garden which surrounds the tower is emanates an aura of fear. Almost no-one can even think about entering the grove without a talisman of protection bestowed upon them by the Master of the Tower. After the Cataclysm and the curse which was cast upon the Tower by a dying black-robed wizard, undead also rose up to stop anyone from entering the tower. The undead were called to protect the tower until the Master of Past and Present returned to claim it. Raistlin (considered the Master) returned to claim his tower in later years and then his apprentice Dalamar became the final Master. In the Fifth Age, the tower vanished and was thought to be destroyed, however later Dalamar returned and revealed that he had secreted the tower away.

The Tower of Losarcum: This mysterious tower was located near Kendermore and had a garden surrounding it. This garden drove any intruders into a fit of emotions. The intruders would find their passions overwhelming them and rendering them useless. The tower was destroyed by the tower wizards in order to stop the Kingpriest from accessing their magical treasures.

The Tower of Daltigoth: The Daltigoth tower was surrounded by a dense forest which caused all intruders to fall into an enchanted sleep. The Masters of the Tower would then either transport those affected inside the tower, or out of the forest, dependant on whether they wished to deal with them or not. This tower was also destroyed by the Wizards to stop the minions of the Kingpriest from getting their magical treasures.

The Tower of Istar: The Istarian tower was long considered a beautiful tower and favored by many of the great mages during the early times in Krynn's history. The Istarian tower was protected by a magical forest which caused intruders to forget everything in their short term memory. The effect would pass when the intruders finally left the forest. This tower was given over to the Kingpriest in order to appease him when he turned angry mobs against the wizards. The tower was later sent to the bottom of the Blood Sea when the Cataclysm destroyed Istar.

The Lost Tower: This fabled tower was home to many of Krynn's most powerful magical treasures. It was built on the fringes of the Istarian region and it's location was only known by a select few wizards. It was claimed by the foul black-robe Spyranus who was declared a renegade. The wizards combined their forces and banished Spyranus and the tower to a demi-plane. The tower was thought lost, until it was later discovered by Par-Salian and Ladonna in the post-War of the Lance period. The tower still dwells in it's own demi-plane far removed from the Prime Material Plane. It is now claimed by Kalthanan-Thanakan, whom guards it for all time.

The Orders of High Sorcery

There are three orders of High Sorcery. Those of the white robes, the red robes and the black.

The white-robed wizards progress more slowly than the other orders as they rise through the ranks, however ultimately they achieve the most power. White-robes must follow the path of good, any act contrary to this will result in them no longer receiving effects from the moon Solinari.

The red-robed wizards are the favored of Lunitari. They follow the neutral path and have access to the widest range of spells available.

The black-robed wizards have the ability to access higher-level spells than their counterparts in the other orders, however they also do not ultimately rise as high in levels.

At any given time there can only be one Master in each order. The Master of the White Robes is chosen by election amongst their number upon the Conclave. The Master of the Red Robes is chosen by lots amongst the red-robes on the Conclave. And the Master of the Black Robes is considered the most powerful of their number at the time. This has resulted in magical duels between powerful mages to determine the greater, in many cases these duels are to the death.

The Test

Anyone can harness basic magic spells with a little training, however to move beyond the rank of initiate, one must take the Test of High Sorcery. The Test is designed to ensure that magic is used responsibly, irregardless of one's alignment. Failure in a Test often means death. The Test is different for each individual, and tests one's skill in magical abilities, as well as how he/she will use those abilities in varying circumstances. It tests their character as well as their ability. Companions are allowed in a test, however no guarantee is made for their safety.

A standard test usually is comprised of several things: At least 3 tests of a mage's knowledge of magic, problems that demand the casting of all the spells that an initiate knows, 3 tests that cannot be solved by merely using magic, combat against someone that the initiate knows as an ally, and combat against someone or something considerably more powerful than the initiate.

Taking the Test is a very serious matter, since wielding magic is a powerful boon in the world of Krynn. To wield magic, is to concievably have in your hands, the possibility to change the face of the world.

Conclave Structure

Each of the three robed-orders has within it, further orders which denote how powerful a mage is within their inner circle. Beyond the orders, there is only one master for each of the three orders, and then one of the three Masters, is also the Master of the Conclave, head mage and ruler over the entire Conclave of Wizards.

Order of the White Robes

1. 9th Order (4th lvl)
2. 8th Order (5th lvl)
3. 7th Order (6th lvl)
4. 6th Order (7th lvl)
5. 5th Order (8th lvl)
6. 4th Order (9th lvl)
7. 3rd Order (10th lvl)
8. 2nd Order (11th lvl)
9. 1st Order (12th lvl)
10. Master (18th lvl) (only 1 at any time)

Order of the Red Robes

1. 9th Order (4th lvl)
2. 8th Order (5th lvl)
3. 7th Order (6th lvl)
4. 6th Order (7th lvl)
5. 5th Order (8th lvl)
6. 4th Order (9th lvl)
7. 3rd Order (10th lvl)
8. 2nd Order (11th lvl)
9. 1st Order (12th lvl)
10. Master (16th lvl) (only 1 at any time)

Order of the Black Robes

1. 9th Order (4th lvl)
2. 8th Order (5th lvl)
3. 7th Order (6th lvl)
4. 6th Order (7th lvl)
5. 5th Order (8th lvl)
6. 4th Order (9th lvl)
7. Trimorte (10th lvl)
8. Brother to Darkness (11th lvl)
9. Blackmage (12th lvl)
10. Master (13th lvl) (only 1 at any time)

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