The Collegial Endeavour

The Collegial Endeavour is a faction of practicioners and scholars of magic who mainly operate on the western Great Continent. It's considered the largest, oldest and most widespread organization of mages to exist. It was founded in the Second Age soon after Iellan's ascension to divinity and has operated consistently ever since. Even though Iellan's ascension is the Collegial Endeavour's greatest inspiration, the faction's members to not seek to ascend themselves. Instead they maintain the availability of arcane services and education in major cities and seek to promote the use of magic.

Structure
The Collegial Endeavour has established operation in all the major cities in the western Great Continent. Its unofficial headquarters and recruitment are located in Guildsmeet, where the Collegial Endeavour has its own compound. The Collegial Endeavour has formerly operated in Chalice, but due to the Zelthynese ban on magic have been limited to Freehold.

The organization is divided hierarchically into four subfactions: the Rose Magi, the Cloak Magi, the Crown Magi and the Dust Magi. While these subfactions follow a loose progression of ranks, they do not commonly meddle with one another's business and it is not unheard of for members to skip one of these subfactions before advancing the next one.

The Rose Magi is responsible for maintaining arcane 'everyday' services in various settlements. Recruitment and training of new members is also their field. They offer enchantment and spellcasting services as well as buy and sell enchanted items, and often their operation resembles a monopoly as rivals cannot hope to achieve the same quality and reliability in their services. All facilities owned by the Collegial Endeavour are governed by the Rose Magi. Although they are hierarchically considered the lowest subfaction, they form the majority of Collegial Endeavour and are its most visible - as well as profitable - part.

The Cloak Magi is sometimes considered more of a path and less of a subfaction. All members of the Collegial Endeavour become part of the Cloak Magi when they have mastered the basics of magic, typically by training under a more proficient mage in the Rose Magi and helping them maintain their services. The Cloak Magi are called such because when aspiring mages have learned enough, they are fit to learn more by themselves and 'don the cloak', leaving the Rose Magi and taking up a life of independent research, often travelling around the world for a few years while learning magic. The Cloak Magi often end up becoming adventurers and solving problems with magic for a reasonable payment.

The Crown Magi is the newest subfaction and despite having the greatest influence per individual member, has the lowest number of members. When a member of the Cloak Magi feels they have learned enough, they may petition through the Collegial Endeavour to work as an advisor in noble courts. Nobility of various nations may confer with the Collegial Endeavour, and if they wish, they may request an advisor in arcane matters. The mages who are accepted become known as the Crown Magi whether they live in the royal courts or those of an insignificant baron. The Crown Magi are based on voluntary willingness of mages and are regarded with great suspicion by some who would see them as spies and manipulators. The Collegial Endeavour offers the Crown Magi no reward and they depend on their host lord's generosity, with some Crown Magi in royal courts having been known to amass great wealth.

The Dust Magi is the final subfaction on the Collegial Endeavour. Its members are all known for their impressive if not legendary knowledge and skill in magic. They consist of those members who, after mastering the arcane, fully dedicate their lives to the study of magic. It is uncommon to see any members in the street as they are few in number and prefer to live as hermits in secluded, lawless parts of the world. There they can conduct their experiments in peace, and according to rumours disregard all kinds of rules of decency and humanity while doing so.