Geras

Myeloch Latare:

Age: 121
Race: Wizard
Sex: Male

Appearance: "Dressed in a simple robe. His long, gray hair was silky smooth and made in a braid that draped over his shoulder, reaching down to his waist. His face was narrow, his features soft, and his expression was comforting. Together with his calm voice he gave off a motherly aura, that voice being the only thing that made it clear he was born a man."

Magic: Greatest accomplishments are in healing magic, having cured supposedly incurable diseases and restored missing body parts, and in barrier magic, supposedly being capable of encasing an entire city with an unbreakable barrier. He has also been seen casting a large variety of other magic.

Personality: Kind and gentle, but always busy. Even so, there always seems to be something going on in his mind behind his words and comforting expression. He is rather shrewd and very protective of his guild despite seeming too busy for his role as master.

History: He is credited with the discovery of the four pillars, and has helped much in advancing magitech. While he has refused to take part in Atria's wars against Valbestia, he has saved many lives in other disasters throughout the nation. He was a former wizard saint, but his title was revoked after he allegedly performed forbidden magic, after which he disappeared.

Beyond the common knowledge found in history books or told through legends, virtually nothing is known of his personal life.

Lina Latare:

Age: 16
Race: Wizard
Sex: Female

Appearance: "She was a petite girl with surprisingly bright eyes, considering their dull grey color. Her olive-colored skin was smooth, and her wavy red hair was cut just below the chin, the top tucked under a newsboy cap. She wore a button-up blouse, a skirt, and a tall pair of combat boots."

Magic: Requip magic used to switch between two swords: A greatsword named Trial of Conviction with a lacrima that makes it lighter, and a straight-backed curved sword named Rage of the heavens imbued with a lightning lacrima.

Personality: Energetic and hard-working. Every moment is spent either training, talking, working on the guild, or helping the people of Shessalie. Honest and open, for the most part at least. She is a big fan of swords, and admires strong wizards. Dreams of making Phoenix Nest the strongest guild in Atria.

History: Daughter of Myeloch Latare. Little is known about her life before Shessalie. She is well-liked in town, and played a large part in the actual building of the guild hall.

Boriel Pelara:

Age: 33
Race: Wizard
Sex: Male

Appearance: "He was easily taller than everyone in that group, packed with lean muscle and his tanned skin covered in scars. His long, messy black hair and stubble gave off a slovenly vibe for which his golden eyes seemed far too pretty. His outfit consisted of a plain shirt and pants, an open longcoat, and lots of seemingly random belts, all in black."

Magic: Darkness-make magic

Personality: Gruff and serious, but still willing to help the younger wizards improve their magic and combat skills. He can actually be quite nice, though he tries not to show it. Some find his sense of aesthetics questionable and generally being considered "edgy". Sarah often makes fun of him for this. And yet, it is more than just a quirk. When he talks about his "blades blacker than night, forged from the darkness deep within my broken soul," it makes a potent vision for powerful magic.

History: Seems to have a connection to the Hoskel boys.

Sarah Burgess:

Age: 29
Race: Wizard
Sex: Female

Appearance: "Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail, with a fringe covering one of her light-brown eyes. Her skin was pale, her dress was drab, and the rest of her was remarkably average."

Magic: Plant manipulation magic

Personality: She generally wears a bored expression, but has a healthy sense of humor and appreciates anything to break up monotony. She fills a lot of roles at the guild, but can also be rather lazy, leaving a lot of the physical work to the various plant minions she summons. They can often be seen around the guild doing things like cleaning or serving as waiters.

History: Eldest daughter of Calvin Burgess of the Burgess and Sons Mining Company. She serves as the Phoenix Nest's receptionist, chef, bartender, and essentially anything else that keeps the guild running smoothly.

Magic Council Law Enforcement:

When it comes to peacekeeping in the magical world, the empire's massive size and the council's limited resources, they highly prioritize keeping the major cities safe over any of the small villages. They have a very strong presence in the largest places like the capital and Gildas, with surveillance lacrima and rune knight patrols on just about every corner. Any who break the council's laws here are swiftly dealt with. While some see this as stifling, the vast majority say it makes them feel safe.

Smaller places that still provide a lot to the empire might not have as much council presence, but still see a lot of council support. Local law enforcement is given access to a network of surveillance lacrima to use, and a direct line to the council in case it ever needs to get involved directly.

Small towns like Shessalie only see the occasional council representative sent to conduct an investigation. If anything is found, a larger force will be sent, but ultimately that relies on the representative to consider it worth reporting.

The smallest villages far away from the capital like those on Atria's Northern border are practically ignored by the council, and until a large number of reports by citizens reach council ears they might as well not even exist.

The Atrian-Valbestian wars:

The last push by Atria to conquer Valbestia was 15 years ago, at which point the current emperor took to the throne and established the treaty. Before then it was more or less a constant war. There were brief ceasefires every now and then, but the fighting always started again. All adult Valbestians and Atrians had the war be a part of their lives in some way at some point, which is why the tensions are so high, but with how long its been there are many who are trying to deescalate things.

Valbestian Customs:

When it comes to those who've lost their beasts, customs vary by tribe, but it generally depends on how they lost their beast. Killing one's own beast is the ultimate betrayal, but losing one's beast in battle is treated far more respectfully. In situations where people can't know how someone lost their beast, they usually just assume the latter considering the war-ridden life of Valbestians, unless they're given reason to believe otherwise. A day is taken each year to honor the fallen, and for Valbestians to fight each other on that day is shameful.