The Cosmologists

Description: The Cosmologists are an organization of powerful magic users who use their considerable influence to further their own research. They are almost always involved in some of the most amazing magical breakthroughs in the world. Their dedication to advance and progress is fanatical, however, and they rarely consider the kind of impact their discoveries may have-and woe to those who stand between them and their research. They are based in the Ivory Tower, located on a small psychic island off the East coast of Ercus, one of the greatest centers for magical research in the world. The Ivory Tower itself is an impressive structure, accessible only by flying or teleportation. It is not really made out of ivory, but of marble, of which it would be difficult to find one brick that didn't have some defensive magic placed upon it. It was designed to be so difficult to reach so that a military assault on it would be extremely costly-the Cosmologists are often accused of making controversial and conflicting (to say the least) political alliances in order to gain funds for research. Within this heavily enchanted tower are numerous magical miracles, not to mention some of the most best education available to magically gifted children of nobles and politicians. Such education is nearly militaristic.

The Cosmologists have a reputation having a representative in every major government, political movement, or noble family. Not necessarily a member, but a Cosmologist who might be there to voice their interests.

It is common practice for Cosmologists to call one another ‘Brother’ or ‘Sister’.

Ideology: Unrestricted magical research

Symbols: A glass orb seemingly filled with the night sky, surrounded by six wings.

Leader: Craig Arthurian

History: Founded in 26 B.R. by the legendary mage Fah’Dell, the Cosmologists were a relatively small group of magic users, pushing the envelope in magical research. They originally dove into the secrets of the planes and the various other worlds. Their ranks swelled and funding increased in leaps and bounds, however, during the massive push for high-end magical weapons by the Elven Empire and Rein’s forces before the Great War, during which the Cosmologists expanded their research into anything magical. In 11 B.R., mere months before the Great War broke out, the Ivory Tower was built.

Fah’Dell, seeing Rein’s evil, declared that their organization should pull all their support from Rein’s forces, despite the hit their research fund would take. Belial Terrasin, a brilliant cosmologist, protested this, saying now that the Ivory Tower was built, they no longer had to worry about the political ramifications of their conflicting alliances. Fah’Dell insisted, however, that they exercise a bit of morality in this instance. Belial, furious over this, forced Fah’Dell out of his own organization, claiming leadership-to the approval of most Cosmologists. He renewed relations with Rein and worked with him throughout the war, though never personally. Rein, recognizing a mutually beneficial relationship when he saw one, never protested that the Cosmologists also sold technology to the Elves-instead, he simply consistently offered more money than they did. With these funds, Belial achieved a sort of eternal life without having to resort to becoming a Lich-the technique he used is still shrouded in mystery.

After the Great War, the episode of uneasy peace that settled over the world was not especially beneficial to the Cosmologists. There is no great desire for advanced magic during times of peace. They used shadowy political dealings and magical influence to fracture and cause war between many kingdoms, which then funded the Cosmologists for some of their magical research. Over the course of two centuries they wove their way into many political and noble circles. Wherever there was magic, there would be a Cosmologist.

Then the Seeker wars began, and they shattered everything.

Asmodean Nyruvial, self-styled Supreme Seeker and Emperor of Humanity, had himself been a Cosmologist earlier in his life, and many of the magical advancements of the Seeker Empire came from his knowledge and the Cosmologists who believed in his vision of a world of pure humans. The Ivory Tower was divided against itself-there was a small base within that thought they should vow loyalty to Asmodean, and the rest (including the non-human members) who thought this was idiocy. The biggest problem was that all the Cosmologists were far more concerned with the progress of magic than with other ideologies, so this issue was never really addressed.

Belial watched with amusement and then alarm as Asmodean Nyruvial tore across Deisach, then stretched his reach to the wingly kingdom of Sohar, and south to the continent of Ercus. More and more of his political contacts were being murdered by the Seekers, and the whispers of Cosmologist cooperation with this genocidal madman were beginning to take their toll. Belial's fatal mistake was to try and deal with Asmodean like any other politician. He decided to rein Asmodean in, make him reveal the source of his new magical discoveries, and force the Supreme Seeker to hand over the artifact known as the Heart of Fate.

Details are foggy, but in the winter of 256 A.R. Belial was found torn limb from limb, and it was revealed a secret council of Cosmologists had elected Asmodean Nyruvial as new Father Cosmologist. Asmodean Nyruvial ejected all non-human members and installed Clarice Yabel as his representative there. Under her rule, the Ivory tower served as a fort for the Seeker forces. It was even revealed that Asmodean had planned to make his final stand there, should the opportunity arise. As it was, the Red Empire retook the Ivory tower early in 257 A.R., and Craig Arthurian, a half-elvish Cosmologist with the strike force, declared himself Father Cosmologist and invited all non-human Cosmologists back into the tower.

Asmodean only held on to the Cosmologists for little over a year, but his rule there is one of the greatest instances of shame to the organization. As the Cosmologists largely keep their own history books, they merely erased his mention and pretended that it had never happened. Few history books in the world carry the fact that it did.

When the Cosmologists had recovered, booted the Seekers from their ranks, and turned back to the world, almost everything had changed. Asmodean Nyruvial had torn Deisach apart, leaving many of their donors there dead. While the Supreme Seeker himself was now dead, the Red Empire itself was now slowly coming apart. There were very few stable governments to deal with, and there are tales of one nation's leader visiting the Ivory Tower one week, only to lose his kingdom while he was away. The Cosmologists gathered in their members from around the world and huddled down in their tower while the world raged in war around them. Their rule: They would begin dealing with the first government that survived for more than twenty years without a civil war. (As it was, it was the dwarves.)

As the modern Empires of the world took shape and the world left the Age of Mortal Wars behind, the Cosmologists once again stepped forth into the (now stable) world of politics. Those who could remember found the new Cosmologist representatives much more polite and humble than they had been before. The reason was simple: The Brotherhood now lived in an age where there were many kingdoms who could send an army to destroy them, and they dealt along very fragile lines, selling weapons to both sides of a conflict, and raising the prices if one side wants them to stop dealing wth the other. No one kingdom has yet managed to completely buy their loyalty, though there have been mentions by some of the Imperial powers of merely absorbing the Ivory Tower.