Many wizards study in the secret halls of The Unseen Library out in the Painted Wastes, but none are more enigmatic than the High Council!
The Council convene in the library’s upper sanctum to discuss how to fill their halls with magical knowledge under the watchful eye of the dragon Frara, who conceals them from the outside world. Each wizard of the Council represents a different discipline of magic, so they can deliberate with its full spectrum in mind!
Illusion – Master Zell, the Visionary
Master Zell may look like a feeble old dwarf, but her soft steps conceal a devilish prankster! She delights in playing tricks on the younger wizards with her illusions, but she is nonetheless an excellent teacher. Before he joined our campaign’s main party, Olly studied under Master Zell’s wing… though the constant pranks may have contributed to his tendency to break out in nervous sweat!
Abjuration – Archibald, the Astute
Abjuration is the study of negating magic, and tends to be the least popular among wizards. Its champion on the Council, Archibald, is no more popular. Stuffy and strict, he has a well-earned reputation of putting an end to others’ fun. And yet, he is extremely accomplished in his discipline. He can often be found in the company of his only friend, Mesmir.
Divination – Mesmir, the Magnificent
Mesmir, the Magnificent is the de facto leader of the High Council. His divination magic allows him to glimpse potential futures, which means he almost always gets the final word on big decisions. However, he grew enamored with fellow Councilmember Adelaide, and developed an unrequited crush. After she disappeared, Mesmir began to tunnel-vision on some prophetic glimpses over others… He would do anything to find the future that would reunite them, even if it meant turning against the rest of the Library!
Enchantment – Adelaide, the Wanderer (ABSENT)
One chair among the High Council has sat empty for over a hundred years. Adelaide was the greatest practitioner of enchantment magic to ever grace the Library’s halls, until one day she vanished without warning. Unbeknownst to the rest of the Council, she gave up wizardry entirely, and spent many years as a pirate captain, before turning her attention toward music and becoming the most inspiring bard in all of Lyrea. As it turns out, the endless lifespan of a true elf means plenty of time to change hobbies.
Conjuration – Silas, the Scatterbrained
Our heroes know Silas, the Scatterbrained as the kindly shopkeeper who runs The Crooked Cap and seems to always beat them to whatever new town they find. He has a tendency to stammer and lose his train of thought for seconds at a time, but he sells (and crafts) the finest assortments of magic items. Years later, they would learn his secret: the true Silas stays in the Unseen Library, and he projects copies of himself all across Lyrea, using the Crooked Caps to keep tabs on locals! Focusing on any one Silas demands his full attention, leaving the others to space out in the meantime.
Transmutation – Harlowe, the Sublime
Harlowe is a wizard who embodies the ideals of transmutation magic. They exist in a constant state of flux, changing their physical form from day to day. They had a tendency to terrify wizards wandering the dark halls of the Library at night, so as a compromise, they agreed to wear a large bell at all times for easier identification. Harlowe was suspicious of the Council’s blanket ban on dark magic… How could they claim to represent all types of magic while refusing to acknowledge an entire discipline, no matter how unsavory? When Garp Garp arrived at the Library, Harlowe saw a kindred spirit in him, and they became fast friends. They locked themselves into the tallest tower for weeks, performing strange experiments away from judging eyes… What they learned would fundamentally reshape their understanding of magic.
Evocation – Sprout, the Intertwined
Finally, the High Council’s master of evocation takes an unlikely form. Sprout is a sentient tree, stolen by Frara as a branch of Memnos, the Giantwood. Frara believed the Giantwood held powerful, primordial secrets, but the forest itself seemed to reflexively prevent dragons from entering. She retreated, and brought that branch back to the Painted Wastes. She planted it into the barren ground, and built an entire library to shelter and nurture it. She would hide this, her most precious treasure, in the hopes that it would one day grow enough to spill its ancestral secrets. Sprout eventually grew to take up the Library’s central glass atrium, and is in many ways indistinguishable from the Unseen Library itself! Magic seems to pour from their branches, and many wizards experience grand epiphanies in the welcome shade of Sprout’s boughs.