Animages, Etonia, and the Society

[Iskanderun]

[Iskanderun]

In the books, claims of being an Animage or mentioning the society is typically met with some variation of “What? Really?” and “does that still exist?” In the words of Sier Bavron, “Are you telling us the society is still around?” So you can imagine my surprise when I was reading the Cartography section and stumbled across the nation of Etonia, which is apparently governed by the Society of Workers and the Society of Learned Fellows, with the latter being composed of 120 master level Animages. It was my impression that the Society of learned fellows was, if not a [i]secret[/i] society, at least a subtle society. I would also ask that someone tell me to which section of the forum I should direct my questions regarding the Council of Wizardry, and wizardry in general. Last but not least, should wizard/animage/etc. be capitalized?

[Tizzy]

Well, from what I gather, after the fall of the Anilords, trade between northern Eton and Norelon broke down; there was a lot of backlash against animages so they sort of went into hiding on Norelon.

They are also not particularly welcome in New Etonia and the Holy Etonian Empire; and while there are animages in the Eastern Free Eton, it’s not a particularly safe place. That places is very disordered/anarchistic with very feudal lords and small citystates. What security there is on the road is provided by the Rod, who don’t like wizards, and animages even less.

So, yes they are still “in charge” of Etonia; however, the current Society there is officially composed of what people think of the Society of Workers (thing guilds and craft unions of the non-magical sort) and the Society of the Learned who are seen as magical scholars of various traditions.

Obviously, people in the “know” understand these are animages but they keep a low profile as such and refer to themselves by their primary disciplines:
Seers, Healers, Summoners, etc. Commoners see them as either exceptions/weird or just funky wizards.

Also, be aware that there is often a fine line between how some other professions can work: Druids/Shamans/etc. Some of them are more like priests, and others are more like animages, and some sort of like wizards. So in many parts of the worlds, people might confuse an animage as being a well groomed shaman, or possibly a witch.

Witches, btw, do exist, they are usually animages who have dabbled in wizardry. Generally self taught, or poorly taught. (and technically wizards can function as an animage, most just have no idea how–wizardry is the technology of animagic; spells make using animagic much easier to do)

Finally, advances in wizardry have sort of made wizards, particularly in Norelon rather contemptuous of animages. So, for example, while Jenn saying something like this represents ignorance. Lenamare or Jehenna saying this is indicative of dismissive contempt.

For example, Elrose clearly knew the Society existed, he contacted them. So, obviously, some wizards knew they existed; others were just too self-involved to notice. It is not a group they have to deal with very often, yes heard of, but “are they still doing stuff?”

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