Volanthia

Volanthia, also known as the City of Mages, is a semi-autonomous city-state located within the human kingdom of Tolgatha. Founded over two centuries ago, it is ruled by the nine Archmages of the Grand Council and only permits permanent residence within its walls to practitioners of the spiritual arts. Volanthia and its adjacent holdings remain a vassal state, owing fealty to the Patriarch-King of Tolgatha yet still in charge of its own destiny.

Current Governance: The Grand Council of Volanthia (made up of the Seven Archmages)

• Archmage of Fire Magic, Amara Sendigo (human female)
• Archmage of Water Magic, Valleerion Waycrest (human male)
• Archmage of Air Magic
• Archmage of Earth Magic
• Archmage of Common Magic
• Archmage of Light Magic
• Archmage of Dark magic
• Archmage of Wild Magic
• Archmage of High Magic

Overview

Following the events of the Mage Rebellion, all practitioners of the spiritual arts were forced into exile from the southern kingdom of Leonen. With nowhere else to go, the surviving mages of Leonen led these practitioners north to Tolgatha where the human wizards of the Magi Caste still held significant power. With the help of the Magi, they negotiated for a piece of land that the Tolgathans viewed as barren and worthless. In return, Volanthia would provide additional resources to the Magi Caste to assist in the defense of Tolgatha.  It was agreed that so long as resources and taxes flowed uninterrupted into the Tolgathan treasury, the City of Mages would largely be left to govern itself.

On this land, the mages and other displaced practitioners of the spiritual arts created a city of wonders beyond imagining. Here, the spiritual arts were encouraged, nurtured, and celebrated in all of their forms. Mages, battlemages, wizards, and even assassins stood side by side to build Volanthian society and citizenship. They continue to stand united even to this day, fiercely ready to defend their city and way of life from any outside threat.

Throughout Tolgatha and beyond, any child that exhibits gifting in the spiritual arts is sent to Volanthia to develop their skills. If their families lack the gift and yet wish to accompany their child, they are permitted to settle in one of two areas outside of the City of Mages alongside the other “mundies,” or non-magic users; rarely allowed within the walls of the city itself. 

The first of these areas is known as the Outer City; a shantytown of rough and tumble merchants, peddlers, and miscreants, which has slowly grown up around the main gates of Volanthia. However, with the Outer City being utterly unsafe except along the main road into Volanthia, most mundie families choose to settle in the villages which provide agriculture support to the City of Mages. While this becomes a form of self-imposed serfdom, to have a son or daughter included in Volanthian society is worth more than the price they pay. To some outsiders, this system seems flawed and unjust. It has, however, served Volanthia well for over two hundred years as the city continues to flourish under the rule of the Grand Council of Archmages.

As Volanthia grew in prestige, many flocked to the safety of its enchanted walls. Not just from Leonen, where magic had been outlawed, but all throughout Norlanin. Volanthia was seen as a beacon of safety and acceptance to those who were often misunderstood and ill-treated. Even less conventional spirit users found a home in Volanthia; shamans and runeweavers wandered out of the wilder places of the world to join Volanthian society. Only druids continue to remain at odds with Volanthia, for their views of the spiritual arts are vastly different. Though technically welcome in Volanthia, they are not permitted to live or study within the City of Mages and are refused permanent citizenship.

Factions within Volanthia

Colleges of Magic

In Volanthia there are ten Colleges of Magic: one for each of the nine schools of Spirit Powers, in addition to the Volanthian Academy of the Spiritual Arts (VASA) which acts as a secondary school for young spirit users.

The ten Colleges of Volanthia are as follows:

Lamplighters Union

The Lamplighters are a highly organized union representing the humble folk who’s job it is to keep the magical street lamps throughout Volanthia lit. This is more than just a cosmetic function, for the network of magical street lamps, (often referred to as the Arcanet) is what powers the city by distributing the spirit collected by each citizens amulet. The lamplighters are as close to mundies as any citizen gets, as they are deemed unworthy to join one of the great colleges of Volanthia. As such they are a marginalized segment of Volanthian society. Though they possess a basic knowledge of magic and can even use rudimentary spells they rely far more logistics and strength of numbers to protect their interests. While individually they are weak and vulnerable, as a union they have found strength and even some measure of influence. If the lamplighters go on strike, Volanthian society takes notice. The less privileged of Volanthia see the Lamp Lighters as a force for good within the city, ensuring that the powerful noble houses and Mage Colleges cannot subvert the will of the “common” folk.

Class Templates: Soldier, Barbarian, Warrior, Battlemage, Shaman, Mage

Possible Modified CoC Entries: Human Infantry, Militia (with T1 powers)

Hooded Sisters

The hooded Sisters are a secretive criminal organization controlling a significant portion of black market trade in Volanthia. They do not operate as a typical criminal organization, though nothing in Volanthia could be described as typical, and their motives often seem esoteric in nature. Regardless of motive, their power is well respected in the criminal underground within Volanthia and they are a potentially violent force not to be taken lightly.

The Hooded Sisters get their name from the enchanted hoods worn by their female only members. These hoods entirely shroud their identities and alter the sound of their to make all Hooded Sisters sound the same, speaking with one voice of the “sisterhood”. Were you to look under their hood, you would see only swirling darkness.

Class Templates: Assassin, Vigilante

Cult of the Wyrm

Among the criminal underground their exists an ancient cult, that predates the founding of Volanthia and perhaps the Mage Rebellion in Leonen. On the surface, the Cult of the Wyrm appears to be an elitist social club that worships dragons, deifying them in all their forms, as a pantheon of Draconic gods.

They defy conventional concepts of the creation mythos and instead preach a singular tenant, “In the beginning… was the dragon!”

However, the truth of the matter is that those in the inner circle see Dragons as the preeminent power in Norlanin and seek to control them. Adult Dragons would never willingly submit to mortal mages, so the cult has taken a different approach capturing Dragons when they are very young and attempting to mold them into willing servants while they are only Wyrms, so that as Drakes and full Grown dragons they can be wielded as powerful weapons. As Dragons life cycles are long even for elves, its unknown if the Cult of the Wyrm as even gained control over a full grown Dragon. If they have this would surely be their most closely guarded secret.

Class Template: Druids, Wizards

CoC Entries: Cult of the Wyrm, Cultists

Volanthian City Guard

The City Guard, or VCG as they are sometimes called, has a mandate to maintain law and order throughout the city, as well as deal with a variety of magical threats that crop up on a fairly regular basis in a city that runs on magic. Volanthia has no standing army, so they also serve as soldiers to man the ramparts if the city is ever attacked or threatened. In over a century of the city’s history, the City Guard has only been called upon to so a handful of times, and only ever as a precaution as no one has been foolish enough to directly attack the City of Mages.

The bulk of the VCG is made up of low ranking battlemages, Spellswords who instead go by the title of Constable. Higher ranking officers sometimes being fully fledged Mage Wardens. Most of the colleges also have liaisons tied to the VCG, mostly mages.

Class Template: Battlemages, Mages