Celestial Arch
Motto
Knowledge and power in union.
The Manifesto
The Order of the Celestial Arch holds the following to be true:
- Both politics and magic are the art of the judicious application of power
- Magicians, by nature of their knowledge, discipline, perception and power are prepared for leadership
- Negotiation with eternals and diplomacy with foreign powers are comparable skills, and of comparable importance to the Empire
The Order of the Celestial Arch therefore exists to:
- Ensure that major political decisions receive the benefit and insight of Conclave mages
- Encourage those in positions of leadership and authority to hone their skill through study of magic
- Ensure unity of purpose between the Conclave and the Senate
Symbol
A symbol that has been associated with this Order in the past has been a dark blue archway surmounting a six-pointed star
Membership of the Order
The Celestial Arch often works closely with Senators seeking a voice in the Conclave, and prepared to return the favour in the Imperial Senate. They lobby constantly for more magicians to take up political life, and make no secret of the fact that many of them support magical training as a prerequisite of candidacy for the Senate. The order often tries to recruit magicians who are also Senators, or at the very least to maintain good relations with them.
They tend to make an effort to maintain good relations between the Empire and friendly eternals, while being quick to identify eternals who are enemies of the Empire and proscribe interaction with them. As with the Sevenfold Path they have a no-nonsense approach to magicians who fall back on curses and other actions likely to damage the standing of magicians as a whole in the Empire - a surprising number of threshers who are also magicians belong to this order.
The grandmasters of the Celestial Arch try to wield magic and politics with equal aplomb. This order tends to attract a number of Urizen mages, which can often give them easy access to crystal mana.
As magicians interested in political, as well as magical, power the Celestial Arch often see the advantage of strategies that will garner political favours, either within the Conclave or with other Imperial bodies. While their main interest usually lies with the Senate, they see the value of encouraging the Military Council, Synod or Bourse to feel indebted to the Conclave - which means they may find themselves ready allies in the Rod and Shield, Sevenfold Path or Golden Pyramid as a consequence.
Conclave vault
Each summit, the Conclave vault of the Celestial Arch garners a pro rata share of the Font based on the precedence of the orders at the previous summit; a portion of ilium based on their position among the orders as determined by precedence; and additional materials due to outstanding bequests.
- Two ingots of tempest jade from the Guild of the Golden Signets in Sarvos in recognition for the order's assistance in removing a declaration of sorcery from the serving senator of the territory during the reign of Empress Teleri.
- Three measures of dragonbone come from the steading of Rhys' Seat in Miaren. The original reason of the bequest was lost during the reign of Emperor Nicovar, but the bequest has been steady since 27YE and is apparently connected to the order's role in helping destroy the vallorn that once dominated the territory.
- Three measures of iridescent gloaming come from Brokenfountain Citadel and the Spire of the Frozen Watcher in Redoubt dating back to 330YE when Enchantress Geraint de Blorhbeau, as grandmaster, negotiated an end to the feud between the two rival spires.
- 3 wains of mithril each season from Faraden merchants and wizards grateful for the Conclave's role in ending the iridescent gloaming blight in their country. The mithril was endowed on the order in Summer 383YE.
- Following an offer made by Prospero at the Summer Solstice 385YE, the order owes a significant favour to the eternal.
| Summit | Nation | Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Solstice 385YE | Urizen | Xanthippe of the Lighthouse at Nikephoros |
| Winter Solstice 384YE | Imperial Orcs | Ashborn Trosk |
| Winter Solstice 383YE | The League | Raficci Vicente Barossa |
| Winter Solstice 382YE | Urizen | Laelius of the Waxing Sun |
| Winter Solstice 381YE | The League | Reichard Callan Remidos von Holmaur |
| Winter Solstice 380YE | Dawn | Catalina Novarion |
| Winter Solstice 379YE | Dawn | Catalina i Erigo of House de Rondell |
| Winter Solstice 378YE | Urizen | Marius Auricspire |
| Winter Solstice 377YE | Urizen | Sejanus |
| Winter Solstice 376YE | Urizen | Sejanus |
Grandmaster
Each Conclave order is led by a grandmaster who is elected by their members. This title is currently held by Xanthippe of the Lighthouse at Nikephoros; it will be reelected at the next summit. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected as grandmaster of the order in the years since Empress Britta died.