The Cabal

Tosgiv knows many organizations with questionable ethics or morality, but none are as enigmatic as the Cabal, the Tosgiv Empire’s primary institution on all matters that are supernatural in nature. Their official goal is to simply study the supernatural and unlock its secrets to aid the Empire against its foes. However, the motives of the Cabal are far more heinous in reality. Since its inception in the early days of the Empire, the organization has always seemed keen on achieving absolute control over every aspect of magic within the Empire’s borders. Some even speculate they actively keep secrets and artifacts from the Imperial Court. Whether true or not, rumors like these keep the eyes of the Imperial Court firmly locked on the organization, especially given their reluctance to share information with any Master of Supernatural Affairs on the Council that is not one of their own.

Methods
While the Cabal itself is a secretive organization people typically only hear whispers about, magic itself is more well-known in the eyes of the populace despite the organization’s efforts to limit knowledge of its existence. However, a prospective mage will be hard-pressed to find a magical college that is not controlled by the Cabal. If a mage dares speak out against the degree of influence the Cabal has over magic and how it should be practiced, they are quickly silenced by the Empire. That is, if the Cabal does not get them first.

The same holds true for those who show an interest in other aspects of the supernatural, such as strange afflictions, enigmatic creatures, or ghosts. Such knowledge is typically locked away in the archives of the Cabal, and inaccessible to any who have not gained their trust. Imperial citizens who find themselves with an affliction regular healers attribute to the supernatural are sent to seek out the Cabal for help. In most cases, they are never heard from again following their visit. Rumor has it that the organization locks up these unfortunate souls to further their own understanding.

It is not uncommon for mages unaffiliated with the Cabal to vanish from one day to the next, have their home ransacked, and their research or artifacts stolen from them. Books on the supernatural also tend to mysteriously disappear from bookshelves of individual people or libraries. Playing by the rules of the Cabal is by far the safest option for any practitioner of magic, and as such is what most Tosgivite mages reluctantly do. While aligning oneself to the interests of the Cabal provides a measure of safety from its greed, the organization offers no protection at all against bitter personal rivals or institutions such as the Imperial Inquisition.

Magical artifacts
Over the years, the Cabal has amassed a vast array of magical artifacts and literature on supernatural matters unrivaled by any other organization in its world. Much of their collection is stored in a vault below their citadel in the capital, but the Cabal has laboratories in all major cities of the Empire. Upon seeing the Cabal’s vault, one Emperor once remarked how it seemed small and empty compared to the organization’s long existence and efficiency. This caused some upheaval in the Imperial Court, where it was theorized that the Cabal may have a secret storage facility somewhere out in the Border Zone or Feroz where there is only a limited Imperial presence. The Master of Supernatural Affairs naturally denied these allegations, though curiously the entire Imperial Court was poisoned not long after. Evidence linking the Cabal to this deadly crime was inconclusive, especially in light of the Master of Supernatural Affairs also being among the casualties despite being a member of the Cabal himself.

Internal structure and appearance
While the Cabal counts a substantial amount of mages among its ranks, it has more members who do not practice magic than those who do. Controlling the volatile magical forces of the world takes a very long time to master, and many within the Cabal are more interested in the application of existing magical artifacts or learning about the supernatural in general. On top of that, the Cabal has always been a political organization bent on controlling the supernatural more than it has promoted itself as an institute of learning.

The organization is led by the High Cabalist, mirroring the position of Inquisitor General within the Imperial Inquisition. This individual controls the organization, and is based out of the Ciudadela de la Cábala located within the capital. Unlike the Inquisition, the Cabal has a much more decentralized leadership structure. Below the High Cabalist are the Headmasters of the various Cabal institutions and colleges located within the Empire’s borders. Most of these institutions then have a Head Magus and a Head Archivist, responsible for magical and literature-related activities respectively. Other members are simply referred to as Cabalists, while aspiring members and those studying at a college are both addressed as students. Finally, the position of  Master of Supernatural Affairs on the Imperial Court is usually picked from the pool of Headmasters.

Cabal attire typically consists of dyed robes predominantly featuring the colors green and gold. Green usually represents luck in Tosgivite culture, but the Cabal has given its own spin to it. Luck is seen a supernatural force, so to them the color green is also representative of the supernatural and the unknown. Gold passes for the color yellow, which represents skill to the Cabal. Students are given plain green robes, but the higher ranks get their robes switched out for ones with more and more elaborate trims of gold to signify they have attained greater skill.

In list order:
 * High Cabalist
 * Master of Supernatural Affairs (Imperial Council)
 * Headmasters
 * Head Magi and Head Archivists
 * Cabalists
 * Students