The Order of Maesters, also known as the Maesters of the Citadel, the Knights of the Mind, and most often simply as the Maesters, are an order of scholars, healers, and learned men in the Seven Kingdoms.
Focusing on scientific knowledge and disdaining magic, in the present day, the Order of Maesters has largely eclipsed the older Alchemists' Guild, which claims to possess arcane magical knowledge, but whose number, power, and abilities have waned over the centuries.
The maesters are a secular organization, not a religious order, though they do swear sacred oaths to follow the duties and restrictions of their office. Unlike certain other organizations such as the Faith of the Seven, which has male and female priests, women are not allowed to join the maesters.
The sigil of the Order is a circular golden chain, made up of twelve links.
Because noble houses must pay the Citadel to earn a Maester assignment, the house is required to have the Rich Wealth Level to have their own assigned Maester.
Maester Titles and Duties
Seneschal
The governance of the Citadel is held by the Seneschal, chosen from among the Archmaesters. A new Seneschal is appointed annually. Because the Archmaesters tend to see the office as a thankless task, as it takes them away from their true work, the Seneschal is selected by lot, with the one who draws the black stone taking on the office. When the Archmaester who draws the black stone is not capable of fulfilling his duties as Seneschal, another Archmaester might volunteer to serve his term instead.
The duties of a Seneschal is to keep all of the Archmaesters and their individual agendas and curriculums organized and up to Citadel Standards. There is also the administrative responsibilities of the admission of novices, the funding of the citadel and the accounting and wage collection from the Houses who have Maesters assigned to them. The day to day goings-on of the Citadel is also within the Seneschal's purview. Making sure there is enough food to keep everyone in the citadel fed, along with quartermaster duties in making sure everyone has appropriate amenities and chambers. They are also in charge of organizing and planning of the annual convention.
Grand Maester
The Grand Maester is a maester who serves as the Citadel's representative at the royal court of the king on the Iron Throne, the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. The Grand Maester is elected by the Conclave, and only the Conclave can unmake him again. Although the Conclave puts effort into demonstrating their consideration of ability before birth, this is only a pretense which is not usually the case in its final choice for Grand Maester. Sworn to serve the whole realm, the Grand Maester sits on the king's small council and acts as one of his advisers. Grand Maesters are generally older men. A Grand Maester at 60 is considered a spry young thing.
Recently the youngest of all Grand Maesters was elected to become the advisor to King Bran the Broken as he had a report and history with the king. Formerly Samwell Tarly, the Grand Maester might only have 2 links, but a world of experience. As he likes to boast, he is Sam The Slayer, the first man alive to kill a White Walker. Samwell was also very instrumental in the destruction of the Night King and the overthrow of Cersei. For these reasons, among others, the Conclave elected him to the position.
Archmaester
Requirements:
- Maester
- Mind @@@ (4)
- 15 Chain Links in the skill listed below that they will preside over as Archmaester.
- Staff's Permission.
Further leading the Citadel are the Archmaesters. These maesters have demonstrated that they have mastered a particular subject. They receive a mask, ring, and rod in the metal corresponding to the link of the maester's chain which signifies their expertise on the topic. Archmaesters teach the students at the Citadel in their subject of expertise and judge whether a novice or an acolyte has shown enough knowledge on their subject to receive a link for their chain.
Archmaesters have the right to sit on the Conclave, a council that elects the Grand Maester and determines when the seasons change. The meetings of the Conclave are conducted behind closed doors at the Citadel.
Each Archmaester is said to carry a heavy, black iron key that will open most of the doors in the Citadel. They keep them close on their person, or hide them well.
- Archmaester Castos (b. ) (Age in 305: ) Steel: Engineering & Construction
- Archmaester Garizon (b. ) (Age in 305: ) Nickel: Geology
- Archmaester Mollos (b. ) (Age in 305: ) Titanium: Physics
Maester
Requirements:
- Be an Acolyte for at least 2 years
- Mind @@ (3)
- 8 dots (@@@@@@@@) in a Chain Link Skill that is listed in the table below.
- Have 8 links in their chain: Each link requires 5 consecutive successes of linked skill that is witnessed by staff to craft the first link.
The maesters are scholars and healers who have completed their training at the Citadel. They can be sent to serve at the holding of a lord by the Citadel. Maesters are only found in castles, not in villages. Every great lord has a maester, and every lesser lord aspires to have one, as not having a maester in your service is taken to mean that you are of little consequence. However, a lord has to pay the Citadel for a maester’s service, and as a result, only those lordlings with sufficient funds can afford a maester.
Maesters wear a collar, which is supposed to remind him of the realm he serves. When he completes his education and takes his vows, a maester puts aside his House name. Although he is supposed to be loyal to the seat to which he is assigned, regardless of the changes in (lawful and unlawful) control of that holding, old allegiances or loyalties might continue to linger.
It is generally believed that not many maesters are willing to "dirty their hands" by helping smallfolk.
- Maester Creylen
Maesters Assigned to Holdings
Maesters are often assigned to serve a particular castle or holding. Even if the master of that holding should change — whether by inheritence, appointment, or conquest — the maester is obliged to continue in service to the current lord.
Maesters Assigned to Holdings of Great Houses
Holding | House | Maester | Born | Age in 305 A.C. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Casterly Rock | Lannister | Volarik | 220 | 85 |
Driftmark | Velaryon | Medwick (Tyrell) | 263 | 42 |
Eyrie, The | Arryn | Colemon | ||
Highgarden | Bronn | Lomys | ||
Pyke | Greyjoy | Turquin (Cordwayner) | 231 | 75 |
Riverrun | Tully | Vyman | 231 | 75 |
Storm's End | Baratheon | Omer | 37 | |
Sunspear | Martell | Myles | 236 | 69 |
Winterfell | Stark | Wolkan | 247 | 58 |
Maesters Assigned to Other Holdings
Holding | House | Maester | Born | Age in 305 A.C. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arbor, The | Redwyne | Ballabar | 250 | 55 |
Blackcrown | Bulwer | Normund | 255 | 50 |
Castle Black | Night's Watch | Leo "the Lazy" (Tyrell) | 245 | 60 |
Crownlands, The | Rosby | Melwys (Rivers[Frey]) | 245 | 60 |
Greenguard | Night's Watch | Harmune | ||
Longbow Hall | Hunter | Willamen (Frey) | 245 | 60 |
Runestone | Royce | Helliweg | 279 | 26 |
Shadow Tower | Night's Watch | Mullin | ||
White Harbor | Manderly | Theomore |
Acolyte
Requirements:
- Being a Novice for 1 year.
- Mind @@@ (3).
- 4 Dots (@@@@) in a Chain Link skill that is listed on the table below.
- 1 link of their chain crafted: 5 consecutive successes of linked skill that is witnessed by staff to craft the first link.
Students who start their education at the Citadel are known as novices. Once they have earned a link, they become acolytes. Most acolytes treat novices as if they are slow-witted. Acolytes train at letters at the Scribe's Hearth and can be hired by Oldtowners to read their letters or write their wills. When an acolyte is prepared to take his vows and become a maester, he is placed in a completely dark room with one of the Citadel's glass candles, made of razor-sharp obsidian. He must stay in that room for the entire night in darkness unless he is able to light the candle. The tradition serves as a lesson about truth and learning.
Novice
Requirements:
- Mind @@ (2)
Students who start their education at the Citadel are known as Novices. Students who violate the rules of the Citadel can be ordered confined to their rooms by the Maesters. They can also receive more physical punishments. For example, stealing from the kitchens can land them in stocks at the Seneschal's Court, where acolytes may throw rotten vegetables at them. A Novice is taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and some basics of the healing arts. This rank in the Citadel is the lowest and any male whatever their social station can try to become a maester.
Only when a Novice creates their first link do they become an Acolyte.
- Novice Hoster (Blackwood)
Crafting a Chain
Every Mind Dot (@) per Real Time Year, a Maester can create a link of a selected specialization (listed on the table below) to add to their chain. Example: Pate has a Mind of 4. This means that he can try to create 4 links of whatever material he has enough skill for every year.
Having a certain level of skill in something does not instantly mean you have a chain link of that material.
The process of creating a link is rather simple. The hopeful maester contacts a staff member by:
Step 1) On Questions Channel politely ask if a staff member can witness rolls for a Maester Chain Link.
Step 2) Use the +Request System including which chain link you're trying for, all RP log links surrounding the process and please patiently wait for a staffer to get back to you to do the rolling.
Once a staff member has agreed to witness, the maester begins to roll the linked skill connected to the link they are after. The staff witness can and probably will also make sure that any penalties and special conditions and modifiers are taken into account. Such as the story/logs/rp done to acquire materials. Especially things such as Valyrian Steel for example. If they fail a roll at any point, the rolling stops and the attempt has failed and they need to wait for at least another month before trying again. If they roll 5 successes in a row, the link is considered made over a month timeframe. Starting from the date of the +request.
Chain Links
Chain | Representation | Linked Skill | Archmaester |
---|---|---|---|
Antimony: Zoology | Zoology | Ocley | |
Black Iron: Ravencraft | Ravencraft | Gormon | |
Brass: Archeology | Archeology | Willifer | |
Bronze: Astronomy & Astrology | Astronomy | Vaellyn | |
Cobalt: Meteorology | Meteorology | Guyne | |
Copper: History | History | Perestan | |
Electrum: Agriculture | Agriculture | Norren | |
Iron: Warcraft | Warcraft | Benedict | |
Lead: Herbalism & Botany | Botany | Theobald | |
Nickel: Geology | Geology | Garizon | |
Pale Steel: Smithing | Smithing | Agrivane | |
Palladium: Politics and Heraldry | Heraldry | Harodon | |
Pewter: Linguistics | Linguistics | Cetheres | |
Platinum: Mathematics | Mathematics | Nymos | |
Red Gold: Diplomacy | Politics | Sandhu | |
Rhodium: Foreign Cultures | <Foreign Land> Culture | Gallard | |
Silver: Medicine & Healing | Healing | Ebrose | |
Steel: Engineering & Construction | Engineering | Castos | |
Tin: Law | Law | Zarabelo | |
Titanium: Physics | Physics | Mollos | |
Valyrian Steel: Higher Mysteries | Occult | Marwyn | |
White Gold: Theology | Theology | Erreck | |
Yellow Gold: Economics & Accounting | Commerce | Ryam |