Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Aug 11, 2004 11:22:02	Think about it: Rajaat taught the earliest wizards from the Pristine Tower (presumably because life energy was so strong there that wizardry was exceptionally easy to perform). All the best students of Rajaat (i.e., the 15 Champions) receieved their tutaledge there. Thus, it's logical to assume the vast majority of the wizards of the Time of Magic trained at the Pristine Tower, at least if they wanted to be taken seriously as practitioners of the wizardly Arts. Thus, did the Athasian Time of Magic have a set-up similar to what Krynn, the world of Dragonlance, has now? I.e., a conclave of wizards headed by Rajaat and based out of the Pristine Tower? One would imagine the benefit to the early Cleansing Warriors if their armies knew the strengths and weaknesses of all non-human wizards, since such an organization would be able to innocuously keep records like that... --of course, such an organization would not exist today NB
#2 Sysane Aug 11, 2004 11:30:21	My take on it would be that Rajaat hand picked students and monitored the most adept which became his Champions. The wizards who didn't make the cut were lets loose to do what they wanted. Rajaat's focus would have been on his 15 prized pupils at this point. The remaining would have more than likely started their own schools or what not. The ruins of Magehome were no doubt one of these other schools. I highly doubt the Warbringer had anything with its coception. Thats just my speculation though.
#3 dawnstealer Aug 11, 2004 12:51:54	My take's similar. Basically, Rajaat went out and taught preserving magic, looking for those who were seeking more power and might be twisted or pushed into a war of annihilation. Once he had them, he trained a few lesser members in the defiling arts and then unleashed them on the world (or had others unleash them). Suddenly, magic was a danger to the world and all those that had learned magic that were not under Rajaat's control (ie. Champions) were in trouble. A war of annihilation was fought against the preservers (and probably any other magic user that wasn't protected by Rajaat). With the only competition out of the way, Rajaat was free to start the Cleansing Wars.
#4 zombiegleemax Aug 11, 2004 14:04:05	I'd like to tack a question onto this thread if I may. I ask this because my players love history and back story, not so much because it effects my game: How active were Rajaat's students during the Green Age/Time of Magic? Did they simply study at their master's knee or did "Sacha of Arala", "Uyness of Waverly", "Wyan of Bodach", etc. teacher others the arcane arts? Did they participate in the governments of their cities as Lawgivers and such? Did they lead armies against other nations/threats? Cheers, Stephen p.s. I like your idea Nero. The "legend" of Raajat's cabal could provide fodder for a good magic-based campaign. Perhaps you could create a "race against time" scenario as a group of intrepid heroes led by a preserver or two begins seeking forbidden lore and more powerful magic only to draw the attention of a group of defilers, attached to a city-state or not, seeking the same thing. Maybe the preservers are looking to follow Raajat's paper trail because legend has it the ancient mages once held the secret to opposing the Dragon--the Avangion. You could run this sort of scenario before the Free Era or several hundred years in the future, following the Paizo Publishing timeline, when the Veiled Alliance is weaker and seeking a way to strengthen itself.
#5 zombiegleemax Aug 11, 2004 15:36:31	I played the history that Rajaat did not inf act teach directly from the Pristine Tower's location. He traveled about to the various city-states, starting small scale and informal schools. In this way, he could actively search for those who met the qualifications to become his Champions, rather than hope that over time, the proposed Champions would come to him. This also spread his personal influence amongst the population in preparation for the clensing Wars much later on. It wasn't until he actual had his top 15 students that he sent away any other followers that he took them to the Pristine tower and began teaching them defiling. So, in my backstory, the Pristine Tower was a never a localized 'school', and even if it were, I don't think it would have followed the same type of formalization that the Conclave of Wizards does.
#6 dawnstealer Aug 11, 2004 16:48:12	I did it the same way. Since a lot of this is wrapped up in my Cleansing Wars project, I'll just leave you all in a fascinating realm of mystery. OOoooooOOOOOOOo!!!!!