Athmaz’are

The Athmaz'are is the institution of the mazei of the Ethuveraz. They are maza (magic) users. Their current leader is Sehalis Athmaza, the Adremaza.

Details
The Mazan'theileian is the hall of the Athmaz'are in the Untheileneise Court.

There is a Witness for the Athmaz'are who serves on the Corazhas in the Untheileneise Court.

The emperor's nohecharei pairs each have one maza. Only dachenmaza - a high rank in the Athmaz'are - are allowed to be nohecharis for the emperor, and near the start of Edrehasivar VII's reign, there were few dachenmaza in the whole of the Athmaz'are. It is policy that no dachenmaza be forced to take up the role of nohecharis, and most of them do not wish to give up their studies for the role. There is some sexism in the choosing of nohecharis, with a preference for male mazei, at least in Varenechibel IV's time. Sehalis Athmaza was seemingly flustered at the idea of allowing a female nohecharis, but given the lack of options, suggested Kiru Athmaza to Maia as a replacement for Dazhis Athmaza, and although Maia was also off-put initially by the idea, he accepted it, and allowed Kiru to become his new Second Nohecharis. A noblewoman in the Untheileneise Court “had started an unofficial school for girls with mazeise talents."

Dachenmaza appear to also be referred to as "an athmaza" individually. A single mazei can seemingly be referred to as a maza, while a group of maza can be called mazei. "Athmaza" appears to be a title/name granted at some point after mazei move past the novice rank.

For certain crimes, mazei may be commanded to commit revethvoran, as was the case when Dazhis joined in an attempted coup against Edrehasivar VII, breaking his oath as a nehecharis.

Mazei tend to wear their hair in a queue. Their robes of office are blue. A keb is “a long, white, sleeveless and shapeless garment. . ., an archaic piece of clothing used now only for initiations among the mazei”.

Mazei swear oaths of poverty. Mazei can also be canons and prelates. Canons of Ulis who are also mazei wear a single black stripe on their robe to betoken their position as canons of Ulis.

It is rare for non-mazei to be invited into any of the mazei's precincts in the Untheileneise Court. Even “emperors had been denied before, and at least one of them had had an army at his back”.

There is no apparent rule that magic users join the Athmaz'are. Orava the Usurprer is known as “the only magic-user ever to attempt to take the throne”, but it's unclear if they were a maza. It's possible that Evet Polchina could also use maza, but he did not seem to be part of the Athmaz'are.

A revethmaz is the word for a death-spell. “Among the arcana of the mazei, the specialty of name-magic was particularly arcane.”

Members

 * Cala Athmaza (dachenmaza; First Nohecharis to Edrehasivar VII)
 * Cora Drazhar (novice)
 * Dazhis Athmaza (former dachenmaza and Second Nohecharis to Edrehasivar VII) (deceased)
 * Hanevis Athmaza (former Nohecharis of Beltanthiar III) (deceased)
 * Kiru Athmaza (dachenmaza; Second Nohecharis to Edrehasivar VII)
 * Leilis Athmaza (tutor of Idra Drazhar)
 * Lenet Athmaza
 * Ozhis (novice)
 * Sehalis Athmaza (Adremaza)
 * Sonevet Athmaza (Witness for the Athmaz'are)
 * Usharsu Athmaza (former Adremaza) (deceased)

Trivia

 * Othalo Rasaltezhen is a specialist in injuries of the spirit, and works mostly with injured mazei.