Sidebar: University of Marburg

The High Craftsmasons of the Alemanii can trace their tradition back to the heyday of the Skythian Empire. Their mastery of craft and engineering can be witnessed both in the ruins of the old empire, all across Eria, and in the architecture of Maravia.

Maravia is a rich region between the foothills of the Elfswall and the river Garandal, south in present day's Enlightened Skythian Empire. It is an area of fertile river-valleys and ore-rich mountains. The abundance of resources have made its inhabitants influential as long as Man has lived in Eria.

In the Fifth Century of Enlightenment the Masons supported King Thedrich Blacksleeves in his bid for the Iron Throne, as well as in the following war with the Corinthians. Maravia was given to the order in perpetuity by the Emperor as reward for the support, and in  YE 410, the university was founded in the capital, Marburg.

By the death of Emperor Thedrich I in the Battle of Cortona, the Masons had become powerful enough to maintain their position in the turbulent centuries that followed. In YE 743 the Craftsmasons again helped put an emperor on the throne, making Helmand Alfgarde the first emperor of the Enlightened Skythian Empire.

Maravian steel is reckoned to be among the best in Eria, and weapons forged by the Craftsmasons are sought after in far away realms. Still, one of the most influential machines to be introduced to the world by the Masons isn't designed to hurt or kill -- the printing press.

After its introduction the world has changed. Knowledge and ideas can be distributed effectively and quickly, leading to the toppling of old theorems and the upsurge of new ones. The Pendrellian Reformation is one such example, the book-pyres in towns all across Eria is another.

The High Craftsmasons joined the Cabal of Pure Thought in YE 477, and up until the Pendrellian schizm the Masons and the University remained an influential member of the Cabal. In latter years Maravia has become known as a haven for heretics and Enlightened, and texts attacking the Lex Arcanum, the Temple of Man Supreme as well as the Presbyterian doctrine have been circulated from the university presses. The Council of Correspondents is believed to have originated in Marburg.

The war between Maravia and the Enlightened Skythian Empire is not one over land or taxes, but over ideology and control. When Emperor Constantinius Ada was named Protector of the Temple of Man, he demanded that the University of Marburg should cease printing subversive texts, as well as destroy any texts banned by the Arch Primarch. War broke out when the university refused and the emperor ordered troops to move in and enforce the decree.

Facts and/or rumors:

• The most known High Mason was Maravius the younger who constructed the Fortress of Cora.
• The Masons are the Keepers of the Crimson Stone.
• The Masons are in alliance with the Ordo Hermetica.
• The Masons are controlled by a cabal of magicians.
• The University is controlled by a group of Outsiders.