The Guild Arcane

Contrary to other lands, the mages' guilds almost totally rule and regulate the wizards of Calimshan. Given the high instance of mercenary mages at the courts of various pashas and other heads of state, a need for standard hiring fees, enchantment costs, and the like arose quickly during the Sixth Age, and the Shoon qysars enacted the Wizards' Consortiums, which eventually became the five Guilds Arcane.

The Guilds Arcane are the primary groups from which the Calishite wizards learn magic. They were established in stages during the Shoon Era, and ranked by their seniority in order of establishment are: Almraiven, Calimport, Volothamp, Keltar, and Memnon. The benefits of Guild Arcane membership are simple: In a land where a secret is always worth coin, Guild members share materials (spell components, minor magical items) and secrets (spells and lore) for far cheaper fees with fellow guild members and those of the other Guilds Arcane than they would part with such information to outsiders. When one is in need of magical assistance, the guilds charge standard fees of 25 gp per day plus meals, plus escalating fees for spells cast during a mage's employment. While a "detect magic" spell might cost an employer 10 gp per casting, "identify" spells cost far more, since their effects provide more than just the immediate result in information and tax the health of the caster, and combat spells cost more than that. In general, spells that provide information coast 2d6 gp per spell level, illusions and various enchantments cost 2d8 per level, combat spells cost 2d12 per level, and any enchantments, permanent spells, or spells above 4th level cost 20 to 100 times the previously noted fees.

While independent mages do operate in Calimshan, they are frowned upon in Calimport and thus are socially less than welcome. Secretly, the syl-pasha dislikes independents, who cannot be easily accounted for or manipulated through a hierarchy like the unified and controlled Guilds Arcane. Also, through certain concessions and long-established connections (via the Twisted Rune's agents), the syl-pasha has an unwritten alliance with the Guilds Arcane and their implicit support against any and all other employers should their aid become necessary (through calling in this favor would seriously drain even the syl-pasha's influence reserves). Each of the five cities has a caleph arcane who rules its Guild Arcane, and who is thus the most influential and powerful wizard in the area (politically, if not in magical skill). The silver-bricked Minargents (from the argent minarets that are their trademarks) are the headquarters of the Guilds in their respective cities.

While there are more private libraries in Calimport than any other city across Faerun, only one-the High One's Library within the Guild Arcane's gold-topped silver spire-known as the Auret (rather than the normal Minargent of other Guilds Arcane)--exclusively contains books of magical knowledge. Only senior guild members have access to the library and the library is enspelled such that only knowledge, not copies or the books themselves, can leave its chambers. While there are many notable mages among Calimport's splendor and squalor, the most important and most curious are:

• The caleph arcane of Calimport is the bald and tattooed Eli yn Adnan el Beza (N hm M19), the younger brother of Nur el Beza of Almraiven. His travels through Thay gave him a fascination for magical tattoos and the drive to claim the high seat in this Guild.
• The Sable Sorcerers are a trio of mysterious black-cloaked and black-masked mages, all relatively recent members of the Guild Arcane. They are assassins for hire who each specialize in illusions, charms, and invocations to get their jobs done.
• A much-hunted and much-feared woman known only as Sayednara the Fiery Lady has appeared several times. Sayednara's independent status is not nearly as distressing as her alleged parmership with an unbound djinni (a capital offense in Calimshan) or her habit of stealing slaves from their rightful owners. (Her suspected statistics are CG hf ElelO Air; her true ones are unknown.)
• Pasha Daud el Vehmet (LE hem EnclO) has a spice trade that is not nearly as profitable as his trade in magical components and potions. His oily fingers seem to be able to acquire even the most exotic ingredients and elixirs

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  for a great many coins.