Savant Helpfiles

[Gifnab]

Per the discussion on Discord, here are the three Savant helpfiles. Please take a few moments to read them over and, if you feel so inclined, to provide your version of a more beneficial helpfile. This is specifically with regard to the cabal helpfiles as a lore- and roleplay-driving framework for the cabal.

 

SAVANT
Aabahran was scarred and burnt when the final battles of the War of the
Legions had been won.  The broken forces of the darkness that would be NEXUS
and the rebellious ranks of KNIGHT had each taken refuge in the far corners
of the world.  But unbeknownst to them both, another force lay in waiting. 
Nearly a year to the day after the Great War, a tall featureless tower
appeared unexplainably upon the horizon.  It's walls were devoid of life,
but the multitude of rooms were filled with scores of ancient tomes,
moth-eaten and time-worn.
 
The massive doors of the tower remain closed for eons, turning away those
who sought entrance within.  But then, without explanation, they opened. 
Within the next few decades, magi from across the lands entered the tower
and partook of it's knowledge.  Armed with their new-found knowledge, they
emerged from the Tower on a quest to drive ignorance from the lands, and
educate the world in the ways of magic - eradicating all those who would
oppose their indoctrination. For their hermetic ways, vast pools of
knowledge, and lethal minds the populace of Aabahran dubbed these scholars
SAVANTS.  
 
Special traits: Savant armies are summoned or created.  Their armies 
cost extra to recruit and train, but are more powerful and always fly.  
Any mage or half-mage present in Savant owned area will receive their aid in 
regeneration of mental powers.
 
See Also:  MYSTERUM, TEMPORUM, ARMIES

[SAVANT] ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

You must be between 30 and 50 in your rank and of Good\Neutral\Evil alignment.
Following Lawful\Neutral\Chaotic races and classes will be considered:

Races: All
Class: Cle   Inv   Bmg   Nec   Psi   Hea   Sha   Lic   

Scribe an "application to Savant" if you wish to be considered for membership.

See also: HELP CABAL, CABALS

MYSTERUM
Beyond the limits of mortal vision, lay planes of energies that defy
explanation.  It is rumored that these are the planes of the Immortals, or
the borders of worlds other than our own, but only a select few know for
sure.  Steeped in long-forgotten knowledge, the ranks of MYSTERUM see
beyond, immersing their minds in these energies and learning from them.  
 
The contact with these powers take their toll, however, and often, these
sages show evidence of delving too deep.  Eccentric and unpredictable,
MYSTERUM are the eyes and ears of SAVANT, casting their gaze beyond, in
efforts to garner what will aid their quest to bring knowledge to the
masses.
 
See Also:  SAVANT, TEMPORUM

[MYSTERUM] ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

You must be between 30 and 50 in your rank and of Good\Neutral\Evil alignment.
Following Lawful\Neutral\Chaotic races and classes will be considered:

Races: All
Class: Cle   Inv   Bmg   Psi   Hea   Sha   Lic   

You must hold the rank of Magi of SAVANT before being able to join MYSTERUM.

See also: HELP CABAL, CABALS

TEMPORUM
The river of time runs swiftly, and it's course has brought magi from all
the corners of Aabahran to guard it's flow.  With the appearance of the Tower
those who studied within it's walls learned how to manipulate and even
change the course of time.  With time comes wisdom, and with wisdom, comes
power.  The members of TEMPORUM, rather then spend time towards aimless
divination and gazing into the beyond seek to unlock the secrets of time
itself through application of their knowledge.  
 
Their minds are like knives, and their whispers are words with power to 
cut open the curtains of universe and reveal the treasures beyond.  With
the flow of time at their beck and call few are those whom would dare to
oppose them. 
 
See Also:  SAVANT, MYSTERUM

[TEMPORUM] ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

You must be between 30 and 50 in your rank and of Good\Neutral\Evil alignment.
Following Lawful\Neutral\Chaotic races and classes will be considered:

Races: All
Class: Cle   Inv   Bmg   Nec   Psi   Lic   

You must hold the rank of Magi of SAVANT before being able to join TEMPORUM.

See also: HELP CABAL, CABALS

 

[mya]

 

Quote

SAVANT
Aabahran was scarred and burnt when the final battles of the War of the
Legions had been won.  The broken forces of the darkness that would be NEXUS
and the rebellious ranks of KNIGHT had each taken refuge in the far corners
of the world.  But unbeknownst to them both, another force lay in waiting. 
Nearly a year to the day after the Great War, a tall featureless tower
appeared unexplainably upon the horizon.  It's walls were devoid of life,
but the multitude of rooms were filled with scores of ancient tomes,
moth-eaten and time-worn.
 
The massive doors of the tower remain closed for eons, turning away those
who sought entrance within.  But then, without explanation, they opened. 
Within the next few decades, magi from across the lands entered the tower
and partook of it's knowledge.  Armed with their new-found knowledge, they
emerged from the Tower on a quest to drive ignorance from the lands, and
educate the world in the ways of magic - eradicating all those who would
oppose their indoctrination. For their hermetic ways, vast pools of
knowledge, and lethal minds the populace of Aabahran dubbed these scholars
SAVANTS.  

Modern savants all but have abandoned the goals of earlier savants, with some being content in using the tower as a stepstone for greater mystical power, hoarding all knowledge for themselves. While others engage their ego by preaching the superiority of the ways of magic over their lesser minds of the populace of Aabahran. While they have many dispair goals, they all seek the mystical knowledge locked away inside the Tower.
 
Special traits: Savant armies are summoned or created.  Their armies 
cost extra to recruit and train, but are more powerful and always fly.  
Any mage or half-mage present in Savant owned area will receive their aid in 
regeneration of mental powers.
 
See Also:  MYSTERUM, TEMPORUM, ARMIES

 

New part:

Modern savants all but have abandoned the goals of earlier savants, with some being content in using the tower as a stepstone for greater mystical power, hoarding all knowledge for themselves. While others engage their ego by preaching the superiority of the ways of magic over their lesser minds of the populace of Aabahran. While they have many dispair goals, they all seek the mystical knowledge locked away inside the Tower.

[Aidon]

On discord, the vast majority of the convo participants agreed the helpfile was fine. The disagreement seems to be that some players don't want savant to have this goal of "spreading magic" or "magical education" or whatever you want to call it.

My main point is that I do feel that cabal RP should be slightly constraining. It shouldn't be completely free form. I know some will disagree with that, and its the spice of life. What Mya proposed, in my mind, would be similar in my mind to saying "Tribunal defends the cities, but some people don't, and that's fine too" or "Knights combat evil and protect the realm, but some don't and that's fine too". In my opinion, cabals shouldn't just be another way players add skills/spells to their combo to achieve maximum power and expand their own, personal RP. It should be about core goals/iniatives that force us to to converge our RP into a social dynamic that creates interaction & dynamic character development. Having to mesh your personal RP with a not-entirely-flexible cabal RP makes characters more interesting. 

In my own opinion, having Savant as a generic cabal for wizards makes it less interesting than the other cabals, who have goals and ambitions my character folds into in various ways. I wouldn't want to see any other cabal do this to what I have always viewed as the "core drive" of savant going back to the early days of spreading educational knowledge and advocating for the advancement of magic. If your char wants to hoard knowledge, that's awesome, because now you have an RP conflict between your goals and your ambitions to settle out. RP it out and see where it takes you, and it should be very exciting.

I'm not saying this one thing is the only valid savant goal, but I do think they should have a real, dedicated goal, that every cabal member is expected to support. In the absence of that, you're not part of an ancient organization so much as a clubhouse for people who want extra skills/spells but have little else in common.