The Hexarchy

The Hexarchy

The Hexarchy is the magical organization that governs the lives of the citizens of Tralhalion. Their Covenant-holds, Enclosures, and Chapter Houses are the equivalent of religious temples and arcane guilds combined. All the spell casting classes have their own Orders and maintain a widely varying presence across Tralhalion. Enclosures are typically large urban meeting places, Covenant-Holds are more secluded and usually rural while Chapter Houses are typically a small local office for one various far flung holdings of the various Orders.
The most common orders are the Sacred Enclosures of Hexarchy which acts as a central hub and communal meeting hall for the various orders and are were multiple orders often cooperate and meet with the other classes of society. These are the places a non-mystic is likely to encounter or meet with them. The Second most common order is that of the Order of Healing Waters, a divine order dedicated to Healing, Water and Protection. Their mystics are renown for their vows of poverty, charity and good works. They heal without thought of repayment of personal interest.
Other well known orders include the judicial Blue Stone Witchery. Who are known for the impartial and compelling legal decisions and the Enclosure of the Violet Flame, an order that specializes in magical cures, dealings with spirits and ghost and countering magical effects.
Local Orders such as the Order of the Veiled Mists that is popular along the eastern coast and is fairly involved in Enadarian politics and life are more typical of a localized order that is well known is a certain area but otherwise limited. Other examples include the Order of the Mind Mages, whose small but numerous Chapter Houses dot any and all cities to the newly organized People’s Arcanology and Divinology Orders in Naxos.
Each order is independent and reports to the Hexarch privately. The Convulcation is the name for the gathered orders.

Hexarchy Orders

So what is the Hexarchy? Is it a church? Sort of. Is it a magical research guild? Yes. Is a service organization? Yes. Is it a civil bureaucracy? Yes. Essentially the Hexarchy is the glue that holds all this disparate parts of the Tralhalion culture together. Whether you are in the remotest parts of northern Enadar or the most congested street in Tral’dek you can find a Chapter House, Enclosure or Covenant Hold nearby.
If the Hexarchy is a church then what is its religion? The key tenet of the Hexarchy is from their divine studies that the ancestors go to dwell in the lands of the dead for a time before venturing to the Upper or Lower Worlds. Neither is considered evil, but rather places of repose until the great turning of the wheel allows for reincarnation, if appropriate, and desired. They call this the Myst and say “As we come from the Myst so we all return to the Myst.” When you die you take with you the sum of your life experiences with you and merge with the Myst from whence you came, all you have done and been adding to its glory and power, there is no escape from this, your Fate or Doom. All will be known, all we be found. Since it is your obligation to do the best you can to add to the Myst there is a powerful incentive for proper action, civil responsibility and work in this life.
According to this belief, gods or spirits may have many names and many different cults or beliefs are accepted. The yearly ceremony of the Spirits and the various divine spells apparently proving the correctness of this view, the average citizens are satisfied and are generally kind, courteous and hard working. Saving for the future and thrifty behavior is common so as to prepare for the next generation. Ancestral shrines are commonplace and divinations to commune with ancestors are popular. Temple services are well attended and since Blesses and Healings are made freely available, faith is high and virtually no one doubts the sincerity, validity and worth of the Hexarchy.
Leadership of the Hexarchy

The Hexarchy is lead by a man called the High Hexarch. He has two additional leaders who report to him, the Decji, or elected political Leader of the Council of Seven Spire Cities, and the Overlord of the Duchy Court. Each order also reports directly to the High Hexarch as well. Currently, and unconventionally, Lord Ablelard is both the High Hexarch and Decji, a man of vast popularity and ability, albeit also one of great age and wisdom. Lord Rinehard of Rhuane leads the Duchy Court.
In terms of behavior the belief is best described as a ethical philosophy of education, one must seek the answers by bettering oneself and preparing for the Myst. Ask questions, seek answers, behave properly and be respectfully at all times, that is the proper way of life. Since the Hexarchy is glad to provide what spells it can the people are relatively well cared for and consider themselves lucky especially considering the nature of life in many other realms, about which horror stories of how life is lived have begun to circulate, especially in Zadak and Let-Abyssan.
Each of the Hexarchy Orders is essentially independent and report to the Decji. The leaders of the various orders are known as Mystic or Mage while individual members are known as Brother and Sister and then their Hexarchy name, which is assigned when they are fully accepted into the order at around level 4.

A list of various Hexarchy Orders

Name Interests
Sacred Enclosures of Hexarchy All Arcane, Divine, Psionic Arts
Healing Waters Light, Healing, Water, Divination
Blue Stone Witchery Enchant, Abjuration, Divination
Enclosure of the Violet Flame Cures,Abjuration, Spirits
Mind Mages Psionics, Crystal lore
People’s Arcanology&DivinologyAll magics
Starseers Astrology, Divination
Types of Magic

The Hexarchy is known as that for a reason, for when it was founded six different types of mages came together to create the organization. From the cerebral Mind Mages to the powerful casters of Wizardy and Arcane might to the Divine orders and the primitive but acknowledged masters of Njosk Magics the Hexarchy was born.

Type Called
Wizardry Wizardry, Arcani, Arcane Wielders
Sorcery & Bards Bloodline Magic, Sorcerers, Warlocks
Psionics Mind Magic (Yes, it counts as Magic)
Divine Divine, Inspirational Magic, Light/Dark
Druidry Druidry, Witchcraft
Shaman & Rune Njorsk Magic

Today, the pleasant appearance and glorious facades of the Sacred Enclosures hide their true nature, for while the Hexarchy may seem a monolith entity to outsiders only those who know its halls and ways come to understand that there is far more going on behind their veils and masks than anyone could dream.
On the one hand the Hexarchy fulfills two very distinct social roles. First, as the only international organization on Tralhalion, it serves to keep the peace, establish a benign rule of law and provided order and stability and a social covenant by which people can lead their lives. The other goal is that of education in the various arcane arts. Talented youngsters from across the lands are taken in, trained and educated to use their powers. While virtually all casters have thus been, and technically still are, members of the Hexarchy, many go on to become Lay Brothers and Sisters and generally return to their previous lives. Thus you can find spell casters in virtually any walk of life, although they all have access to the Hexarchy’s Halls they are not forced to walk the same path.

Hexarchy Politics

While the Hexarchy may appear monolithic to outsiders in fact it is quite diverse when one becomes aware of the distinction. First are foremost are the divisions between the different orders and groups. While they may cooperate each order is essentially independent and generally report individually to the High Hexarch and then the Decji.
As a result a large number of orders are essentially independent and stay that way. Still there are some broad treads within these groups. The current situation sees the Hexarchy divided along two lines and these divisions have been mirrored in the politics of the Spindles. That is to say the divisions are the Holders and the Advancers. Holders wish to keep things as they are while Advancers seek change. Currently the Holder retain power but with the success of the Sunsward holdings and the benefits garnered from Realm traffic the pendulum is slowly swinging the other way. In fact common everyday politics has swung ahead of the Courts in this regard and even large numbers of usually conservative Northerners are flocking to the Advancer cause.
Among the Holders there are three groups, the Traditionalists who seek to keep things as they believe they always have been. The Landers who seek to benefit the common people and nobles as well as the arcane, and the Isolations who seek to end contact with the other Realms, pull back from the dangerous push to the south and forcibly isolated themselves against any and all external threats. They even advocate ending the Njorsk Alliance and taking their lands by force as well as subjugating the peasants and enforcing old feudal laws and rights.
Advancers also have three groups. The Manifestors wish to push the boundaries of arcane lore while the Liberators wish to expand the Realm forcibly and take over other fragments and gift them with enlightened Hexarchy ways. The Voiders seek to explore the Void and find addition realms for the sake of knowledge.