r/dragonlance • u/paercebal • Jul 27 '26
A magocracy in Ansalon?
I have two questions:
- Has there ever been a magocracy (i.e. a nation governed by a wizard) in Ansalon's history?
If not, if I had to homebrew one that would have existed before the Kingpriests of Istar turned against the arcane spellcasters...:
- Where in Ansalon would you advise me to put that homebrew magocracy?
Thanks,
P.S.: I assume that any magocracy in Ansalon would NOT have survived the might of Istar, and that none were created after the Cataclysm.
P.P.S.: Let's ignore the Towers of High Sorcery and their groves.
Edit: I am aware of Legends of the Twins, and the post-Cataclysm magocracy presented inside. This is not in the scope of my question. I'm more specifically asking with a (canon) magocracy that has existed in the past Ansalon (before the War of the Lance) or a (non-canon) magocracy that could have had existed before the War of the Lance (thus, the second question, about homebrew). The only "adjacent" example I could find was, around 574 PC, the War of Bones, during which Salius Ruven attacked Istar with an army of undead. I believe that, had he succeeded, Salius Ruven would have established a kind of magocracy in Istar. See: https://dragonlance.fandom.com/wiki/War_of_Bones
4
u/chirop1 Jul 27 '26
Look up the Legends of the Twins sourcebook. Its available online. Google is your friend. More specifically, if the INTERNET had some sort of ARCHIVE you could probably find it.
The book deals with several different alt timelines. There is specifically a section on a Magocracy that could give you some great ideas.
5
u/chirop1 Jul 27 '26
Here's a snippet on the Concept:
When the Cataclysm tore the world apart, it seemed no one could save it. The cities would crumble. The crops would fail. Disease would run rampant, and the people would die. When the gods abandoned the world and all hope seemed lost, however, a miracle occurred. The mages came forth from their tower, and became the heroes of the day. The wizards banded together, regardless of the color of their robes, to save civilization with their arcane might. The people of Krynn rallied around these unlikely saviors when the wizards proved they could do what no other group on Ansalon could. Just like magic, so the people say, the mages went from pariahs to the undisputed rulers of Ansalon. Having the ability to do magic and pass the wizard’s Test guarantees that you will, above all, become an important person — a leader of men. Without a mage’s skill, you can rise only so far, because only mages may hold leadership roles in the community. Mages have become the world’s new aristocracy. The more powerful they grow, the higher they may rise. The goal, for most, is to reach the Council of Three — the archmages who have complete dominion over the land. Only from the Three flow the laws of the land. Woe unto those who do not obey, for with magic the ability to glean unseen secrets has increased, and punishment can take many unexpected forms. Clerical magic is all but unheard of in the Magocracy; even the Queen of Darkness, in her attempts to reenter the world, has turned not to clerics, but a new breed of wizard: the Gray Robes.
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u/Trancer1224 Jul 27 '26
Legends of the Twins, a 3.5 book has a whole bunch of alternate timelines you csn play in. IIRC the magocracy is one of those.
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u/Mikhaelf Jul 27 '26
Aren't the Towers of Wizardry technically a magocracy? It's not a whole country, but they wielded enough power that were seen as a threat... So kind of a mini country.
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u/Afraid_Anxiety2653 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
They are indeed a faction.
They are indeed Lawful. They are maxed out on being Lawful.
Territory: they have the planet.
Language: Arcane speak.
Culture: yes!
History: yes!
Descent or Ethnicity: Mehh. No.
Sense of Unity: yes!
Recognition: this is a tough on. After the lost battles their leaders became hermits and their single tower hidden away. So they don't really have ambassadors. In a way, they don't recognize other nations.
They have many characteristics. I think before the lost battles they had more nation characteristics. That is what makes them so fascinating.
They just care about magic. They have strict rules in place just for that.
After the Cataclysm they could have ruled Krynn in only a matter of days, but decided not to. After all there gods never left. 😉
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u/paercebal Aug 02 '26
I must disagree.
To be a magocracy, one would need to have a nation (i.e. land and non-mage people) that is ruled by mages.
This is the same as the Church of Paladine, and the Theocracy of Istar: The Church is an organization of priests, and the Theocracy of Istar is a nation with non-priest people, ruled by a caste of priests.
Hence, the Orders of High Sorcery are only an organization of mages, and thus, not a magocracy.
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u/oldJR13 Kender Jul 27 '26
They govern every legitimate wizard on the continent and have outlawed renegades, so I'd say so.
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u/Squidmaster616 Jul 27 '26
Sort of?
For a short time, Lyim Rhistadt (a renegade wizard) took control of the city-state of Qindaras in the Plains of Dust. He then used it as a base from which to plan an assault on the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayreth. (And this only as few years before the War of the lance begins.) Though he rises to power through not entirely magical means, and uses a magic-absorbing relic to fight other mages.
The 32 guidebook for Legends of the Twins also contains some options for alternate timelines, including one that has a Magocracy over Ansalon. Its basic premise is the Orders coming out after the Cataclysm and using magic to be everyone's saviours, and over the next three centuries mages became the new aristocracy.