Cowled Wizards

The Cowled Wizards are a fictional secret organization in the Forgotten Realms universe of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

The Cowled Wizards are based in the city of Athkatla. Their main job is to find and destroy "deviant" wizards and sorcerers, and are completely separate from the ruling Council of Six in Athkatla. Nobody is aware of their numbers, or power, though they keep an asylum (called Spellhold) in the island of Brynnlaw, where they house their offenders. Although they are feared in Amn, they are tolerated because the general populace fears rogue wizards and sorcerers more.

The Cowled Wizards were created by Alisar of Esmeltaran in the 13th century. Alisar and the mages wanted to preserve magical lore, seeing themselves as saviors of magic and agents of Azuth and Deneir. They moved underground and became librarians of lore and teachers to those with potential. The Cowled Wizards also kept an eye on foreign wizards passing through Amn, keeping rogue wizards in line to protect their secrecy.

Each Cowled Wizards cell is isolated in a town or city and ruled by the most powerful mage in that area. As long as politics do not pit one cell leader against the first and still largest Athkatlan cell and its leader, local Cowled Wizards can meet others in Athkatla in secret rooms beneath Jann Lane. There they can organize and contact distant Cowled Wizard cells, and join or communicate with them. By day, members work as merchants, booksellers, herbalists, apothecaries, or the like. During their meetings they wear cowled hoods and robes, a style of wear based on graduates of the long-destroyed School of Wonder. Any Cowled Wizard can share his identity with family, local wizards, or correspondents, but the Cowls allow anonymity if desired. Most members know only two or three other members by their true names.

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