[Location] Hall of Reconciliation

[Paragon]

The Hall of Reconciliation

The imposing aged stones of the Hall of Reconciliation offer either comfort or terror to those who look upon it depending on one’s lot in life. The powerful order of knights and inquisitors is without question, one of the most influential guilds across the entirety of the Northlands of Karnor. A fact that becomes evident given the Hall’s proximity to the Palace of the Grand Marshal. It stands as an edifice to mortal perseverance directly within sight of the palace’s main thoroughfare. A sprawling complex that once served as the estate to a powerful Duke before the collapse of the old kingdom before the Sundering, the Hall of Reconciliation has since been converted into a military and scientific institution. The architecture is reminiscent of an older time that has been augmented with some of the scientific innovations of the current era to make living in the compound more convenient. Only a few sections are open to the public.

The Hall of Judgement

A place spoken of with either zealous reverence or abject terror, this is where the highest ranking members of the Order sit in judgement over those who have transgressed against the edicts of the Reconciliators. These judgements hold the full force of Zaichaeri law. Presided over by both the Provost-Marshal and High Sentinel of the Order, the court that plays out within this audience chamber is one that few ever wish to take part in. Every trial is open to the public and those put on trial are most commonly mages who have been found to be in violation of Zaichaeri law and Order ethos. Others brought before the court are those found to be in gross violation of the precepts of New Atheism. For mages, a guilty verdict most often means death by burning at the stake or some other form of public execution. For heretical offenders defying the precepts of New Atheism, other forms of punishment are found. These include, consignment to labor camps, public lashings, imprisonment and in the most merciful circumstances, merely a fine and a trip to the Hall of Enlightenment.

Supernatural entities that have been found to be causing a nuisance or problems in Zaichaer can also be brought into the Hall of Judgement. The fate of these entities is most often to have their forms and essence compressed into the form of an aether gem where they remain imprisoned. These gems are then put to use in the interest of the Order’s directives until their usefulness has run its course. In the case of more powerful entities that can shrug off such methods, they are most often bound and delivered to the Hall of Enlightenment for reeducation and rehabilitation.

Hall of Enlightenment

Any citizen of the Free Cities of Karnor is welcome in the Hall of Enlightenment. It is here where the doctrines of the Order are taught to the willing and sometimes unwilling. Volunteers who enter the Hall of Enlightenment are welcomed with open arms but are cautioned that upon surrendering themselves to the Hall, they cannot leave until their education has been completed to the satisfaction of the Order. Those sentenced to the Hall of Enlightenment after being rendered a verdict in the Hall of Judgement are put through a far more rigorous education and rehabilitation routine than those who volunteer themselves.

The purpose of this branch of the Order is clear to any who hear of it. It is the arm of the Order that proliferates, educates and indoctrinates any and all they encounter into the ways of the Reconciliators. They are those tasked with finding heretics, quelling disunity, and reeducating those who are a clear and present danger to the teachings of the Order. In public, they would never condone the use of the term “inquisition” as the stated goal of the Hall of Enlightenment is to merely teach others the benefits and truth of New Atheism.

Hall of Servitors

The Hall of Servitors is one of the largest complexes in the compound. It is the home of both the garrison of the Watchers of Purity and the Convocation of Minds. It is a section meant to serve as dormitories, training grounds, meeting halls, dining halls and a place of rest for members of the Order who live and work in Zaichaer proper. It is by far one of the largest concentrations of Reconciliators in all of the Northlands.

[Paragon]

The Order of Reconciliators is a paramilitary and political organization with the backing of the High City of Zaichaer, the city-state that claims hegemony over all other city-states in the Northlands of Karnor. Anti-magic sentiments have always existed. From the early days of the first settlements, there have been those who have looked upon the otherworldly forces of the cosmos with fear and trepidation. The Order of Reconciliation in Zaichaer is no different, however their existence has become integral to the function and direction of the city-state and its policies as they affect everyday life. The Order commands vast resources across not just Zaichaer, but throughout the region of Karnor as a whole. Situated in the seat of their power, the Hall of Reconciliation remains the finest example of their might for any and all to see. It is a temple of progress devoted to the eradication of all things the Order, and by extension, Zaichaer views as antithetical to its existence.

The Order maintains chapterhouses across the Free Cities of the North where Zaichaer’s influence is most powerful. Reconciliators are permitted to operate freely in the following cities:

Zaichaer, Headquarters
Satestoria
Haqs
Kathiid

In the above cities the Reconciliators are considered an extension of the city police forces, if they exist. As such, they have the full authority to act in support of the law with impunity. The Order has very limited jurisdiction in Kalzasi as part of a treaty between the two city-states. Its operative have no jurisdiction in the following city-states:

Zeraphesh
Shemashk
Antiris

The goals of the Order of Reconciliation are simple.

First, to bring under control all rampant magical energies assessed by the Reconciliators, to be a threat to the survival and prosperity of the Free Cities of Karnor.

Second, to defend the common populace against the abuse of power often employed by magical practitioners and to bring to justice any who inflict malicious harm to the community at large through the abuse of their powers.

Third, to foster an environment of non-reliance upon aberrant forces and encourage the elimination of errant powers that are deemed harmful to the common good.

As a result of these goals, the Order encourages pursuit of rational thought. They are strong advocates for mortal sciences and engineering that create an environment where reliance upon magic and magical devices is only necessary where no other means exist to supply a solution. The Reconciliators openly encourage mortals to abandon the worship of gods as figures that direct society. Rather, they teach that the laws, morals, and direction of a mortal civilization should be independent of divine intervention or guidance. The Order of Reconciliation does not actively destroy places of worship but they heavily discourage veneration of supernatural powers. In such instances as temples, shrines or other religious places fall into a state of disrepair in an area that falls within their purview of authority, the Order steps in and carefully archives all relevant religious paraphernalia. The location is then converted into a chapterhouse for the Order.

Teachings

The Order of Reconciliation, headquartered in the High City of Zaichaer, teaches its members to prescribe primarily to the beliefs found in New Atheism. Reconciliators are taught not to fear magic, but to see it as something that must be tightly controlled, monitored and regulated based on a core philosophy of service.

Service. Magic is a tool that is meant to serve, not a method by which tyrants can hold on to power. It is the belief of Reconciliators that anyone and anything displaying magical properties is meant to live a life devoted to serving the common good. This mentality extends not just to mages but to magical spirits, beasts, flora, and even to the gods themselves. It is the belief of Reconciliators that the divine powers have long abused their might and in so doing, have lead mortals astray.

Independence. Magic is a tool. Not a way of life. It should be viewed as a last resort as a means of achieving a controlled outcome and not something allowed to proliferate all levels of society. Science. Logic. Reason. Technology. Those are the true tools of mortals and are what should be used to overcome life’s trials, not the unwieldy powers of the aberrant forces of the cosmos.

Purity. To expunge the world of an aberrant force is to cleanse it of something foul. Aberrant forces are anything and everything actively touched by the powers of magic, this includes races that display magic-like traits and abilities. It is the duty and responsibility of those touched by magic to be ever vigilant against falling to the sway of corruption caused by the convenience of such powers. Those people and those things that do fall sway to this unfortunate corruption must be put down both for their safety and for the safety and prosperity of the common good. It is a grim task but it is a mission that must be done and in so doing, those purified in this manner are reconciled as martyrs sacrificed for the benefit of all.

Control. It is the responsibility of anyone and anything touched by aberrant powers to ensure that they use those powers to help society and never to hinder it. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the Reconciliators to act as firm wardens and guides to aberrant forces in helping them remain on this noble path.

Ultimately the Reconciliators see themselves as a vital and necessary presence in the everyday life of the average citizen surrounded by errant powers. The Order of Reconciliators sees itself as an advocate for those who have neither access to or the ability to protect themselves against the unregulated presence of magic.

Hierarchy and Joining

The Order of Reconciliation is divided into two primary sects, the College of Minders and the Watchers of Purity.

The College of Minders is chiefly, a scholarly institution within the Reconciliators. Their primary mission is the glorification and expansion of worldly sciences, mathematics, engineering and the suppression of arcane advancement. It is the responsibility of the College to inquire, investigate and to devise methods of containing, subduing and ultimately eradicating the presence and proliferation of aberrant forces in the world. To that end, they are researchers, inquisitors, teachers, and philosophers all devoted to the spreading of Reconciliator teachings as well as the beliefs of New Atheism. The College is lead by the Provost-Marshal who is seated at the headquarters of the Reconciliators in the city-state of Zaichaer and who heads the College’s governing body known as the Convocation of Minds.

Provost-Marshal- Leader of the College of Minders, Head of the Convocation of Minds.
Provost- Leader of the independent chapters of a subordinate division of the College.
Professant- High ranking member of the College of Minders.
Orator- Mid-ranking member of the College of Minders.
Study- General ranked member of the College of Minders.
Understudy- Initiate of the College of Minders.

The Watchers of Purity are the militant arm of the Order of Reconciliation. They are comprised of soldiers, hunters, knights and other militants specially trained in anti-magic techniques, investigation and enforcement in order to expand the Order’s overall will and agenda. The Watchers of Purity are by far the most commonly seen members of the Reconciliators and in fact, often employ specific forms of magic or magical materials designed to counteract other magic in their field operations. It is extremely common for members of the Watchers of Purity to be practitioners of Negation, specifically educated in techniques to combat and cancel out other forms of magic. Common among their arsenal are abjinurium tools. The Watchers of Purity are lead by the High Sentinel who is seated at the headquarters of the Reconciliators in the City-State of Zaichaer.

High Sentinel- Leader of the Watchers of Purity.
Sentinel- Leader of the independent chapters of subordinate divisions of the Watchers of Purity.
Vigilant- High ranking member of the Watchers of Purity.
Seeker- Mid-ranking member of the Watchers of Purity.
Watcher- General ranked member of the Watcher of Purity.
Aspirant- Initiate of the Watchers of Purity.

The Reconciliators will make use of any who profess to believe in their ways but they are selective in who they actually let join their ranks. Individuals must possess a keen mind and a passion for the earthly sciences in order to be inducted into the College of Minders. They are an organization wholly devoted to devising technological and mechanical means of making the forces of the arcane obsolete. They endeavor to provide a scientific explanation for all happenings in the universe thus rendering the awe inspiring and mystifying to something codified and mundane.

The Watchers of Purity are no less selective in their choosing of those who actually don the cloak of a Watchman. They foster a zealous belief in their cause, going out of their way to advocate for the very rigid and strong regulation of anything remotely resembling magical. If it is not under the control of the Reconciliators then it is dangerous. If it is dangerous then it should be subdued and controlled or if it cannot be subdued and controlled, then it should be destroyed. Watchmen are trained in martial combat, tracking skills, and are versed in a variety of anti-magic tactics to help control and regulate the impact of aberrant forces.