The summits are hosted by Clocktower in London, underneath the Palace of Westminster. This has granted great influence to the attendees who, working together, have been capable of feats of Magecraft which would be impossible to any family working alone. This has disturbed some of the Lords of Clocktower, who wish to exert greater control over the proceedings. To this purpose some of them are emerging from the confines of their councils and are willing to offer patronage to distinguished members of Clocktower. The Lords listed below are willing to work with any Magus who meets their requirements. Naturally, they are also willing to expel and disgrace any who then fall short.
Lords of Clocktower
Aristocrats
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This Lord of the Clocktower holds the position of Vice-Director - to all intents and purposes the head of Clocktower and, by extension, the Mage’s Association. This family only ever sends one member to the outside world at a time. There are rumours that their internal training is extraordinary but these have never been substantiated by any of their subordinate families betraying any confidences. The current Lord has been ruling for over a decade and, as the Director never appears in person, is the closest that Clocktower has to a visible leader. Few are trusted with such authority and the Barthomeloi places absolute faith in the purity of their bloodline. Lesser Magus may be permitted to serve. At a discreet distance.
To go against the Barthomeloi is to incur the displeasure of Clocktower itself. The contrary is also true, and requests which are honoured will result in benefits - at least in London. Any who wish to be admitted into the inner circle will need to have impeccable standing with Clocktower - no other loyalties can be permitted. An unusually high level of Wealth and Power is considered a minimum for families looking to be considered as well as a personal mastery of Magic Crest and Circuits. Other Lords may consider the self-made but Lord Barthomeloi requires at least three generations of respectability.
The reputational benefits for those so exalted are significant. Other families in Fealty to Barthomeloi include the Lady Primrose and Lord El-Melloi. The Masks of Clocktower provide conversational assistance to his followers without payment as well as more material resources each summit. From the heights, however, the fall may be far indeed. The Barthomeloi faction controls a great deal of Clocktower together and to be expelled is to be untouchable.
Lady Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery:
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Lady Primrose is one of the more active of the Lords of Clocktower. Her area of expertise and Magic Crest are unknown but she is known for acting as a voice for many of the other Lords. Her magical interests are wide-ranging and international with strong links to the Indian Raj and throughout the Empire. Her current project is her station as Head of Faculties in the School where she is seeking to shape the next generation of Magus and promote the development of magic in general.
She is also well-known and powerful in mundane society, having inherited the largest fortune of any woman in Britain. Despite her jewish heritage she has managed to overcome this disadvantage through marrying respectably and is a well-known confidante of Empress Victoria. Her main reported activities are philanthropy, politics, education and economic development of the poor. Her unreported activities take her around the world as well as to the summits hosted by Clocktower.
Lady Primrose does not advertise her requirements for those looking to give Fealty to her and, in fact, is not known to have any public followers at all. She is often available at summits for those who wish to discuss it with her. What is known, is that any who betray her confidences are treated harshly, not only by Clocktower but by all other parts of the Mage’s Association and beyond.
Lord El-Melloi:
Lord El-Melloi is the third of the Barthomeloi faction currently active. His domain is the realm of politics - the Great Game of the factions around Europe and beyond. The magical talents of the family are significant, of course, but their ability to maneuver and manipulate kings and parliaments to do their bidding is what secured their position on the Council. Unknown in mundane society, they scorn the unsubtle tricks of the Mesmers in Estray and rely instead of networks of favours, bribes, blackmail and secrets to make others do their bidding, two or three removed from their own hands.
Lord El-Melloi will only accept followers who can be added to his network of influencers. Most notably, he scorns those who make enemies instead of allies - though he is willing to overlook some level of hatred from the Church considering the current war. It is not sufficient to be important yourself - you must demonstrate some level of control over others to be of worth to him. Nobody has ever successfully left his service. At least, their surviving family members inevitably agreed to repay any debts which were considered outstanding.
Neutral Lords
Lord Escardos:
Lord Escardos is an enigma, even amongst the Lords of Clocktower. Covered in veils, rarely attending even the meetings which he has called, he has spent many centuries in pursuit of knowledge. Nobody alive now, other than possibly the Director, has seen his face. His existence is the kind which is considered irreplaceable to Clocktower - there is no gathering of information in the world which exceeds his own. He still hungers for more, demanding documents and rare relics. He speaks firmly and with none of the weakness of age that makes many suspect that the doddering shuffle he moves with is mere affectation. Nobody dares check for fear he would collapse and blow away like dust.
Lord Escardos does not have followers in the conventional sense - he will never ask anything material and his protection does not extend far. Still, he has a select group which visit his estates. Anyone who bestows an artefact or text which contains secrets he desires may earn visiting rights to his libraries - not to read the books, they are forbidden to any other than himself. Each object instead gives you the right to have a single question answered. He is not infallible but Magus rarely complain that his answers are lacking.
Lady Eulyphis:
Lady Eulyphis is recently ascended to the ranks of the Lords due to necessity - the war with the Church placed her skills in desperate need. Her position is simultaneously the most and least secure of the Lords. While the war rages, she will be indispensable. Once it ends, there are many who would gladly depose her, not least the Barthomeloi faction whose membership she scorned when ascending to the Council. Robed in black the same as those she fights, she always carries with her many tokens of the Church and Sacraments taken from battles.
The Lady Eulyphis demands that her followers fight with her against the Church - she has stated that she views the current Pope to be an abomination. Still, her family has deep roots in the Church’s beliefs and and she will not tolerate any hint of heresy amongst her followers. She is the most strident voice on the Council opposing any treaty with the Church in Avignon, stating that they are ‘a nest of filthy demons’. Diplomatically this is considered gauche. Still, her techniques for adopting and using the Sacraments of the Church are becoming very popular as more and more of them are captured in battle. Anyone who she discovers turning those powers to heretical aims had best be capable of defending themselves alone - her sway in the armies of Clocktower guarantees that their Atelier will not be protected in the future.
Lady Valueleta:
Lady Valueleta was appointed to the Lords Council by the maneuverings of other Lords who wished to use her family’s distinct abilities in manipulating Ley Lines. To their surprise, she used her temporary influence to push through several alterations to the way that Clocktower works. The summits, geas and the lack of interference from the Lords Council were her means of creating a new locus of power in the Mage’s Association to oppose the overwhelming might of the Barthomeloi faction. To a certain degree that has succeeded. To the great consternation of the other Lords.
Conditions were imposed upon her in exchange for the request she made. She is forbidden from interacting with her little experiment and is therefore unable to communicate with or take any followers from the Magus attending.
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