The Elder Sage Council
The Elder Sage Council is a body of eight powerful magic users, each an expert in one of the eight schools of magic. They are the most respected magical authority on Voxana, operating from individual Sanctums spread across both continents. The Council maintains the great libraries, oversees the education of young wizards, provides counsel to ruling powers, and works to ensure that the arcane arts are used responsibly. Their influence is both subtle and immense—no major magical decision on either continent is made without consulting the Elder Sages, and their word carries weight that rivals kings.
The Council is not a governing body. It has no army, no territory, and no formal political authority. Its power is reputational: the Sages have earned their standing through centuries of service, and the institutions they maintain—libraries, academies, research archives—are too valuable for any government to antagonize. The Council convenes irregularly, meeting when events demand collective attention rather than on a fixed schedule. Between meetings, each Sage operates independently within their area of expertise.
| Name | Race | Age | School | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galmir Lothiren | Dwarf | 280 | Divination | Nin’Durahl, Osan |
| Affea Omara | Human | 45 | Transmutation | Runeswick, Volaxia |
| Oleus Valxido | Elf | 300 | Conjuration | Zumora, Osan |
| Ralik Noxx | Tiefling | 150 | Necromancy | Runewick, Osan |
| Gruumsh Stormfist | Orc | 75 | Enchantment | Kargruk, Volaxia |
| Daxxie Sparklegem | Gnome | 60 | Abjuration | Volaxia |
| Mirella D’Saphir | Dragonborn | 110 | Evocation | Voxana-wide |
| Faren Greycloak | Half-Elf | 100 | Illusion | Voxana-wide |
DM Truth: The Council’s Hidden Origin
The Elder Sage Council is the direct legacy of the Arcanum Divinorum—founded by Galmir Lothiren after the Divine War as a way to steward magical knowledge without revealing the secrets of the war itself. The Council’s members do not know this. They believe the Council is an ancient institution whose origins are lost to time. Galmir, who founded it, erased his own memories after establishing the framework. The irony is that the world’s foremost magical authority is built on a foundation of deliberate amnesia.
The Council’s racial diversity—dwarf, human, elf, tiefling, orc, gnome, dragonborn, half-elf—is not accidental. Galmir designed it to mirror the Arcanum Divinorum’s original composition, ensuring that no single race could dominate the institution. He did not remember why this felt important. It was.
The Arcanum Divinorum (Historical)
The Arcanum Divinorum—meaning ‘Divine Secrets’—was a secret order of eight mage-clerics chosen by the gods themselves during the Divine War. They were instrumental in forging the Arcane Stones, creating the five gates that imprisoned Erruuth, and sealing the breach in the Divine Veil. They operated from the Sunstone Temple, hidden in what is now the Grand Desert beneath the sands of Osan.
The Arcanum is extinct. Its members perished during the war or in its aftermath, with one exception: Galmir Lothiren, who survived, erased the world’s memory of the war, founded the Elder Sage Council, and then erased his own memories. The Arcanum’s existence is not known to anyone alive. Their names, their work, and their sacrifice are buried with the Sunstone Temple.
| Name | Race | School | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galmir Lothiren | Dwarf | Divination | Survived. Founded Elder Sage Council. Memory erased. |
| Perrin Quickwheel | Gnome | Transmutation | Deceased. |
| Elrondir Silverleaf | Elf | Conjuration | Deceased. |
| Thrumm Ironhide | Loxodon | Abjuration | Deceased. |
| Zara Shadowhorn | Tiefling | Illusion | Deceased. |
| Mara Shellwise | Tortle | Necromancy | Deceased. |
| Lysandra Nightbloom | Drow | Evocation | Deceased. |
| Aelar Galanodel | Half-Elf | Enchantment | Deceased. |