Sapiarchs

Order of the Sapiarchs
Symbol	A black estoile outlined in pale blue on top of a blue crystal outline on a black field
Seat	College of Sapiarchs, Lillandril
Region	Summerset Archipelago
Founded	Merethic Era

The sapiarchs, also called the Order of the Sapiarchs, are an Altmeri order of scholars, healers, sorcerers, messengers, and scientists. They educate new students at the College of Sapiarchs, which is located in Lillandril, a city of the Norlands on the Summerset Archipelago. House Andorin was integral to the College's foundation, and continues to patronise the order. As advisers to Altmeri nobility, the sapiarchs have largely supplanted other organisations that used to fulfil the same function.

Organisation

Novices and Acolytes

Students who start their education at the College are known as novices. Once they have earned rise in station, they become acolytes. Most acolytes treat novices as if they are slow-witted. Acolytes train at letters, and can be hired by Lillandrilers to read their letters or write their wills. When an acolyte is prepared to take their vows and become a sapiarch, they are placed before an audience of esteemed sapiarchs, even archsapiarchs. They must withstand dozens, if not hundreds, of questions from the assembled sapiarchs to prove they are knowledgable in their field, as well as in others.

Students who violate the rules of the College can be ordered confined to their rooms by the sapiarchs. They can also receive more physical punishments. For example, for stealing from the kitchens, rectors might place them in stocks in the College's courtyard where acolytes may throw rotten vegetables at them.

Sapiarchs

Sapiarchs are scholars and healers who have completed their training at the College. They can be sent by the College to serve at the holding of a lord throughout Alinor. Sapiarchs are only found in castles; if a lord does not have a sapiarch in his service, he is seen as unimportant. A lord has to pay the College for a sapiarch's service, and commoners believe that sapiarchs are unwilling to help them.

When they complete their education and take their vows, a sapiarch puts aside their House name. Although they are supposed to be loyal to the seat to which they are assigned, regardless of the changes in control of that holding, old allegiances or loyalties might continue to linger.

Archsapiarchs

Archsapiarchs are sapiarchs who have demonstrated mastery of a particular subject. They receive a ring which signifies their expertise on the topic. Archsapiarchs teach the students at the College in their subject of expertise, and they judge whether a novice or an acolyte has shown enough knowledge on their subject to become a sapiarch.

Archsapiarchs have the right to sit on the Conclave, a council which elects the Grandsapiarch and determines the running of the Order. The meetings of the Conclave are conducted behind closed doors at the College.

There are typically two hundred and twenty-three archsapiarchs at any given time, though rarely do even half regularly attend meetings of the Conclave.

Grandsapiarchs

The office of Grandsapiarch was created in 1E 368 by Aerel I Arana, who asked for an archsapiarch to advise him on governing his Five Kingdoms. Sworn to serve the whole realm, the Grandsapiarch sits on the high council and acts as one of the royal advisers. As the College's representative at the royal court of the king on the Marble Throne, the Grandsapiarch is elected by the Conclave, and only the Conclave can unmake him again, although several Grandsapiarchs have died violently.

Although the Conclave puts effort into demonstrating their consideration of ability before birth, this is only a pretense as is not usually the case in its final choice for Grandsapiarch.

Grandsapiarchs are generally older Mer. 

Despite spending their days exclusively in Eldarhall, Grandsapiarchs are granted an honourary seat on the Conclave, as they are believed to be expert enough to warrant such a position. Despite this, no Grandsapiarch in the archipelago's history has ever attended a meeting of the Conclave due to their required service in Eldarhall.

More than X Mer have served the Marble Throne as Grandsapiarch.

Practices

Education

Scholar's tools - by Yoann Boissonnet; ©Fantasy Flight Games

Young men and women from all over the Summerset Archipelago come to study and learn at the College. There is no age requirement, and despite the prejudice of the archsapiarchs to status of birth, those of every social status are allowed to join the Order. As such, baseborns, bastards, younger children of lords, and even royalty can study together at the College.

Novices and acolytes are educated together. Archsapiarchs give open lectures, which the students can attend at will. Once a student believes they have sufficient knowledge on a particular subject, they can go before an assembled audience of sworn sapiarchs and archsapiarchs to demonstrate their knowledge. If the archsapiarchs judge the student’s knowledge to be proficient, the student is permitted to be sworn as a sapiarch.

Not all who start their studies will complete them and become sapiarchs. Lillandril is full of aging novices and acolytes who have never finished their studies. Others leave the College before completing their studies on purpose. Some students learn only something about healing, and may become barbers, serving commoners with basic healing, setting broken bones, and shaving and cutting their hair.

It is not known how long a student generally takes to complete their studies. The speed at which a student finishes their studies differs between each student. While some might take a year per subject, exceptional students might take as many as three subjects in a single year, possibly even more.

College

Students are educated at the College, a complex of buildings found on an island off the coast of Lillandril. The College is financed by the lords who pay for having a sapiarch in their service, and from certain taxes that the College collects at Lillandril.

Sapiarch's Vows

When an acolyte has completed their studies, they can swear a sapiarch's vows. The night before, the acolytes must withstand dozens, if not hundreds, of questions from an assembled audience of sworn sapiarchs and even archsapiarchs to test their knowledge.

When an acolyte of noble birth takes their vows and dons their robes, they put aside their House name. They swear sacred vows, promising to hold no lands or lordships, and to be celibate.

Subjects of Knowledge and Tasks

The Order of the Sapiarchs are sometimes called the knights of the mind. Numerous subjects are taught at the College. They include history, healing, herblore, magic, the tending of ravens, the building of castles, navigating by the stars, and the measurement of days. Sapiarchs have performed autopsies for centuries to better understand the workings of the mortal body. They have observed that that very young mothers tend to have a significantly higher rate of death in childbirth. They make star maps, monitor temperature variations and the march of the seasons, so they can advise on what to plant and when to expect a harvest, and measure the length of the days.

Sapiarchs advise their lords on the operation of their households and lands. Some lords trust their sapiarchs to open and read letters, and to convey their contents to them. Others prefer to do so for themselves. Sapiarchs can be tasked with writing letters for their lords as well, and might be trusted to read and write the letters of those lords who are illiterate. They are in charge of the ravens used as messengers. Although most ravens can only be trained to fly to one castle, a few can be trained to distinguish between two, and rarely even more. Sapiarchs assist in childbirth, treat illnesses, and teach children arithmetic, language, and history.

Some subjects are forbidden in the College, including cutting open living people, or practicing open necromancy. Limited forms of necromancy are permitted, though they are only performed by archsapiarchs and are always supervised by peers.

Historical Members

Grandsapiarchs

Aerel I Arana (1E 368–437)

• Grandsapiarch Arlen

Daethen I Arana (1E 437–442)

• Grandsapiarch Arlen
• Grandsapiarch X

Ayrenn I Arana (2E 580–599)

• Grandsapiarch Merion

Quotes

The Sapiarchs teach us and guide us, bringing their knowledge to every part of Altmer society.

—Alwinarwe Neiaron about the Sapiarchs