Collegium of Mages

The Collegium of Mages is the official association of the mathemagi, a group of mages whose highly structured approach to working magic is based on strict logical rules, mathematical formulae, and the use of magical syllables according to a set grammar. Although they draw upon the accumulated arcane knowledge of countless generations, mathemagi see themselves as a new and modern kind of magic practitioner, one that has rejected the superstitions and ceremonial mumbojumbo of the past and replaced them with a precise and orderly practice based upon science and reason. They disdain nearly all other forms of magic, which they view as backwards and inefficient if not entirely ineffectual. Some mathemagi are more tolerant than others, however, and are interested in studying the lesser schools of magic in order to refine their more primitive practices into modern forms.

The Collegium of Mages has its headquarters in Omrazir, the capital city of Raziya, where it has found greater acceptance within that city's contentious but open-minded intellectual climate than elsewhere. It has had a presence in Omrazir for the past hundred and fifty years, but has only recently begun to gain significant reputation and prestige. These experienced a great lift during the long tenure of Sarmoud bin Risugh, the bey of Omrazir from 749 to 765 N.D., but the Collegium has seen some reverses since that time and has failed to gain the esteem of the present bey. Nevertheless the mathemagi remain irrepressibly optimistic that their way is the way of the future and their day will soon come.

Terminology

Members of the Collegium of Mages call themselves either mathemagi (sing. mathemagus) or mathematici (sing. mathematicus). The latter has historically been the preferred title, meaning simply one with a love of learning, and is the term almost exclusively used in Ruvera where magic outside the tradition of the Kalentic Church is generally condemned. However "mathemagus" is the more common usage in the Sirdabi Caliphate, where the mages' practices and knowledge were considered at least superficially similar to that of the Elestaarian magi of Irzal. (Mathemagi privately scorn this association with an ignorant backwards religion, but publicly often find it useful for the prestige it gives them.) A mathemagus of high rank is known as a mathemagister.

Location

The headquarters of the Collegium of Mages is located in the Palace Precinct of Omrazir, where it is housed within a small complex of towers called the Magisterium. The complex includes workshops, alchemical laboratories, classrooms, student dorms, and numerous apartments for resident mages. Most mathemagi live at the Magisterium rather than elsewhere in the precinct, as they prefer to have easy access to its well-stocked and professional workspaces at any hour of the day or night.

Public Perception

The Collegium's reputation is a mixed one, both in Omrazir and elsewhere. There are many people who respect it, admiring its rejection of backwards superstition and its modern emphasis on reason and experimentation. Many others dislike its members' arrogant attitude and feel that the power the mathemagi claim to have is greatly exaggerated. A few truly do hold the mathemagi in great awe -- typically at opposite ends of the educational spectrum, with the most ignorant and superstitious sharing their credulous awe with the cleverest of scholars who long to attain similar levels of power themselves. Most typically it is believed that the mathemagi are skilled in both magic and logic and are generally onto something, but can't really be the wielders of such improbably potent spells. The more pragmatic families of the caliphate would likely be dismayed and a little embarrassed to have any child of theirs join the Collegium, but some scholars and forward-thinking tradesmen encourage their own offspring to apply in hopes of their gaining a practical education in logic and the natural sciences.

Although the mathemagi were a notable presence in the Raziyan provincial court a few decades ago, they have found no such favor with the current bey, who is inclined to regard them warily and keep them at a distance. But overall there is still a growing interest in the mathemagi at court and in local government, and the influence of the Collegium is expanding. This is a source of extreme irritation to the Poets' & Calligraphers' Guild, which has long been the caliphate's most prestigious cultural institution. The friction between Poets and mathemagi is further exacerbated by the Collegium's extremely vocal and public disdain for any other school of magic, and particularly for "frivolous" magic such as that supposedly practiced by the Poets' Guild.