Though the upper orders of the once mighty Conclave of Archmagi are thought to have perished in the War of Tears and the Turning, some branches of that esoteric college still survive in the Age of Strife. The most famous of these branches is the College of Heralds, an organization few even associate with the Conclave, but whose work has never ended.

The Loremasters and Magi of the Conclave, used to spending decades in the pursuit of obscure knowledge and unexplored dangerous arcane powers, often found themselves ill-suited to the demands of politics and the affairs of the outside world, which intruded on their studies all too often. All Magi know that knowledge is power, and so the Secret Chiefs of the Conclave deemed it important to know the forces and influences at work among the Nations of the world. What good is power, they reasoned, if there is no knowledge of how it can be used effectively ... or on whom?

To correct their ignorance of worldly affairs, a new branch of the Conclave was founded early in the Age of Kings: The College of Heralds, who swore allegiance to the great Library of Aerynth. The Heralds' task was to record the events of the day, keeping their masters informed as history was made around them, alerting the Conclave to possible dangers and emerging opportunities. Over time the college grew, and whereas the first Heralds compiled their chronicles through magical divination, later Heralds emerged from seclusion, interacting with the various races, governments, and societies of Aerynth. The Heralds educated by the College could read and write, and were well-versed in the histories and cultures of many kingdoms. They attached themselves to courts the world over as messengers, scribes, and chroniclers, and in time came to serve as trusted advisors to their patrons.

As Ethyria disintegrated into the Ten Kingdoms, the Heralds made the cataloging of genealogies and royal lines one of their primary tasks, and to this day - each Herald keeps a roster of every state, faction, and guild in Aerynth. Heralds were well-paid for their efforts, and over the centuries the Herald Loremasters came to see the Conclave that formed them as just another client who paid handsomely for their services.

For more than a thousand years, the College of Heralds has devoted itself to recording the events of the day, charting the rise and fall of factions and kingdoms. They pride themselves on their neutrality: it is not their purpose to shape the flow of events, merely to observe, preserve, and remember them. How much knowledge was lost when the Dragon rose, when Ardan crumbled, or when the Hordes of Chaos scourged the world? These thoughts give great pain to the Heralds, who could often be heard pondering what was lost. The College of Heralds exists to ensure that these tragedies will never happen again. Indeed, the survival of lore and learning following the cataclysm of the Turning is a sure sign of their skill and success and saving knowledge. The Library of Aerynth has fallen, the Conclave itself is no more (or so many believe), but the Heralds still endure. From the Palaces of the great Elven Houses in exile, to the migrating bands of the Minotaur, the Heralds still bear witness, and each day brings a new entry in the chronicle of life.

It is said that when two armies take the field in this Age of Strife, the arrival of a Herald is both the greatest hope and darkest fear of any General or War Lord. For whenever there is a Herald on the scene, there can be no doubt that history is about to be made. For the College motto has been and always will be...

What is seen shall never be forgotten.

By: The Heralds

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