10-02-2010, 05:50 PM
Arcanis Obscurum
"One's own strength and aptitude are convenient methods of identifying the weak and the inept." - Quintric A. Rotorwrist
"The Kirin Tor are fools," a robed man muttered into his mug to an acquaintance in the years before the Second War. They sat together in the Ledgermaine Lounge a Dalarani drinking spot mutually favoured by both, and they had both came to an agreement in the matter. Quintric was many years Arken's senior, but the two men were roughly equal in arcane prowess. Arken was a brash, youthful figure, born and raised into magic in the many families of Dalaran, while Quintric, a prominent Gnomish scientist and businessman, had bought his way into a scholarship.
They both were disenfranchised with the society, however, that all magic seemed to be rooted in. There was so much bureaucracy to push through in society, so many ethics to be considered when making any endeavour in the field of magic, and not nearly enough progress and advancement to compensate for it.
The two lost contact with one another after the Second War, in which Quintric joined a volunteer unit of Dalarani mages for the opportunity to study captive orcs. His part in the war landed many grave blows to the gnome's status and reputation, and he removed himself from Dalaran and returned to his southern home of Gnomeregan out of shame. However, he continued his studies in seclusion. He theorised, he experimented, he wrote and he published, and yet still there was a longing within him that perhaps something could be done about . . . well, the way things weredone.
Arken remained in Dalaran as an academic and a scholar, educating himself at one of its many prestigious arcane universities and living fairly well. But a growing feeling of resentment festered within him - a quietly contained frustration with the restrictions of Dalaran society, how clumsily they impeded the progressive future of magic as it should have came. Eventually he cut his ties in Dalaran and began to wander as he had before, searching for purpose - for knowledge - for power.
Who sent the first letter is an irrelevant matter. The fact remains that one way or another, the two disgruntled magi resumed contact with one another, despite the passage of time and the distance of land between them. They began to share notes and theories and ideas, and eventually, plans.
Their encounter in the Ledgermaine Lounge almost thirty years after their initial one was one entirely of chance. However, this did not stop them from getting down to business immediately. Time had warped and changed both the two men and Dalaran itself, but while they had grown more aloof, more arrogant and radical, Dalaran, while it floated now over the pines of Crystalsong, still constrained the great so the small could subsist.
The two of them, as they had many times before, came to an agreement. They would form a society, they concluded; an inclusive, secure organisation of like-minded intellectuals among whom concepts and education could be shared. With Arken's intense resentment for established organised magic and Quintric's visionary drive, a solid idea and means to put it into practice had formed quickly. Drawing from the outcasts, the extremists and the "heretics" against Dalarani doctrine to support their cause, they formed the Arcanis Obscurum - "hidden magic" in the old Arathi tongue - to operate away from the laws, the formalities, the morals of society to usher in a brighter, stronger future for magic on Azeroth.
What We Are
- An organisation of strong-willed, open-minded, educated intellectuals with an interest and ability in the arts of the arcane.
A group in which those marginalised for their ideas can find room to discuss, experiment and apply such things in the company of kindred spirits, without judgement based on race, gender, class or creed.
A place where so-called academic 'radicals' and 'subversives' can gather to learn and to better themselves with the support of colleagues.
A point for an ostracised few to consolidate their power and resources to better deal with the world, offering aid to their allies and harrowing their mutual enemies.
A secretive network of pragmatic scholars whose political machinations will ultimately have extensive influence on the world around them.
A selection of the best and brightest of Azeroth with visions of a progressive future.
What We Are Not
- A collection of madmen on a quest for world domination.
A cult involved in dark rites, worshipping dark creatures and living in dark caves.
A business group or corporation. Leave it to the goblins.
A criminal family or cartel. See above.
A political party or noble house.
Good, or evil. We strictly act on what is effective, rather than what is "wrong" or "right".
Mad. Really, we must emphasise our own rationality and sanity, for we are far more rational and much more sane than the imbeciles in charge of the Kirin Tor.
What We Do
- Discuss and debate the various fields of magic in an open-minded, learned environment, free of prejudice and ignorance.
Conduct lectures and seminars on subjects related to the arcane and other schools for the mutual betterment of all those involved.
Investigate every possible field or niche of magic to better our collective understanding of it.
Continue to train and hone our abilities.
Continue research and experiments to develop our theories in accordance with the above.
Invest in having said theories published and circulated in the appropriate circles to bring them to the public eye.
Seek out and bring like-minded individuals into our fold by examining the motives and the morals of those around us and initiating them into the Obscurum.
Expand our influence by way of alliance or agreement with those whose methods and morals may be in line with our own.
Ultimately aim to spearhead massive, progressive changes in society, within Dalaran and without.
What We Do Not
- Abide by any foolish pretensions of petty morality or obstructive ethics. We are unfettered, emancipated from such things. This is what distinguishes us from the flock and makes us shepherds among sheep.
Hold any undue bias against our colleagues based on their pasts rather than the now. You can scoff at someone because their theory is flawed, not because she is an elderly troll woman waving a stick at you and babbling.
Allow the reckless, the ignorant or the uncultured into our fold. An expansive mind is a prerequisite for joining the Obscurum.
Permit anything more than cursory knowledge of our nature and our deeds to escape to the outside world. Knowledge is what makes us powerful and secrecy is our shield.
Consort directly with demons, spirits or gods. Whenever it is we actually deal with these so-called “higher entitiesâ€Â, we will have elevated ourselves to be on equal terms with them.
Involve ourselves too deeply with fields of magic that have proven to be ultimately self-destructive. Practitioners of the fel and of necromancy are permitted if their mindset is appropriate, but we will not become a coven of dark magicians.
Conduct improper practice to the detriment of ourselves or our colleagues. While we are independent, the Obscurum is a single body, and we must co-operate and promote synergy among ourselves to achieve our goals.
Openly commit crimes which may bring undue attention our way. As tempting a test subject as the nubile elven maiden in tavern might be, she has friends and you have a guard watching you for any suspicious activity.
How We Work
- First and foremost, we operate in a manner which is almost entirely removed from the public eye. All meetings are to be conducted in secret in hidden or derelict locations with little risk of intrusion or compromise.
We have various holdings in various regions around the world which can be used in meeting halls as required. From Ironforge to Elwynn, Silvermoon to Tirisfal, Cartel cities, Shattrath, Dalaran and beyond, members of ours hold the deeds to properties throughout the known world.
We will convene in these suitably out-of-the-way regions once a week at the very least. Preferably, we will also hold at least one private seminar in the process.
Our seminars will deal with a variety of subjects related specifically to magic, though we may branch out further into general academia if required.
As implied above, our primary areas of concern lie in the arcane, but other schools of magic along with alchemy and science may be touched upon briefly, or discussed at length if needed. We are open to any form of enlightenment.
Members will be allowed and even encouraged to give their own seminars each week on a subject of their choice. The following week's seminar will be determined when the current agenda is concluded.
At this point, members may, at will, suggest a subject which they will cover in a seminar. A vote will be taken of those in favour of one subject for the following week's seminar over the others, and whomsoever receives the most support will be instructed to prepare a seminar which they will give the following week.
Debates may be arranged in a similar frame of time. Field expeditions may also be conducted.
Smaller lessons and lectures between smaller groups of interested parties will be conducted in the week.
Members of the Arcanum are encouraged to socialise amidst themselves and arrange their own meetings and experiments in the meantime.
Members of the Arcanum are advised to put forth personal notes and theories to their colleagues, who are in turn advised to be as critical as possible.
How We Are Organised
- The Lord Magister is the practical and theoretical head of the Obscurum. He is the headmaster, the president, the administrator and the mastermind. The Lord Magister will serve as an overarching authority within the Obscurum and is obligated to resolve internal disputes. The position of Lord Magister is currently held jointly by the organisation's two founders, Arken the Wanderer and Dr. Quintric Arcois Rotorwrist. Given that they both serve in the same role and neither are capable of overruling the other, a dispute of interest between the two could be interesting.
The Magisters are the direct subordinates of the Lord Magister, to whom certain levels of power and authority are delegated. They report directly to the Lord Magister and are expected to assist in micromanaging the Obscurum to ensure everything runs smoothly. They are the group's officers and if the Lord Magisters are both absence for whatever reason, they would assume the role. It is also the duty of the Magisters to keep a keen eye on members and enact disciplinary procedures if necessary, and similarly, may act as de facto military leaders if required.
The Scholars are those students who have honoured themselves to such an extent that they receive a formal commendation from the Obscurum's upper echelons. Generally speaking, the criteria for earning the title of Scholar are having hosted at least one seminar, attended and contributed to at least five as a Student and behaved in a manner appropriate to and exemplary of the Obscurum's code and principles.
The Students constitute the bulk of our organisation. Were we an army, they would be the rank and file. They attend and host seminars, research, read, write, experiment and practice. They are our lifeblood. An Initiate officially becomes a Student after attending his or her first seminar.
And the Initiates represent where every Obscurum member starts his journey. They are regarded with intense concern and watched carefully.
Who We Look For- Intellectuals, ladies and gentlemen alike.
Magicians, conjurers and arcanists of all kinds.
Brilliant thinkers and theorists from all backgrounds.
The best and brightest Azeroth has to offer.
How We Recruit- Due the secretive nature of the Obscurum, we do not have the liberty to launch a 'recruitment drive'. Each candidate is handled on an individual basis.
Instead, existing Obscurum members are to be encouraged to seek out any and all likely candidates in areas open to the public - for example, taverns, inns, and other such places of gathering.
The Obscurum member who noticed the candidate is to acquaint themselves with them as smoothly as possible and gauge as much information as they can. They will do this in a vague, friendly and approachable manner. The Obscurum is not to be mentioned in any way, shape or form, though indeterminate hints may be dropped if candidate seems receptive.
Candidates are to be evaluated on a variety of factors, including education, attitude, intelligence and drive. Gender, race and wealth are not to be factored into the equation. The candidate is also to be prompted to divulge any commitments that they might have that may be worth consideration.
If the candidate appears to be viable, the recruiter must discuss the prospect of the candidate's induction into the Obscurum at the next time the Obscurum convenes. They will relay all appropriate information and the assembled Obscurum will decide amongst itself whether the candidate is a potential recruit.
The recruiter is to then return to the candidate, lead them somewhere private and invite them to join. It is absolutely essential that the candidate's membership is more or less confirmed before any information concerning the Obscurum is shared in order to maintain our secrecy.
Should the candidate accept, they will be invited to a formal initiation ceremony where they will be introduced to their new colleagues. And if they decline? The member responsible for the recruitment will be severely reprimanded and we will act within our means to keep the former candidate quiet.
Removal of the member responsible from the Obscurum will be strongly considered if the would-be recruit goes on to cause an incident. Less subtle means of dealing with the former candidate will be employed depending on severity of said incident.
What We Intend- To advance ourselves free of institutional or academic prejudice or ignorance.
To lead Azeroth into a new golden age.
- Intellectuals, ladies and gentlemen alike.
No great call has been sounded. No word spreads throughout the taverns and streets nor the libraries and universities of Azeroth. But slowly and surely, the Arcanis Obscurum draws more into its fold to further their own ends.
![[Image: mascot_troll_flashing.gif]](http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/dastmo/mascot_troll_flashing.gif)
