The School of Vestus

Founded by Michelangelo Vestus, a former Inquisition Monk in the service of the Church, The School of Vestus was formed to study the power of Starlight, the Seraphs, and the arcane. The Vestus faction grew close with the Minerva dynasty, and for a long time they remained at the right hand of the Monarchy, until the first Reapers walked the earth.

The School decided to take a different route from the Church, which spent its time playing political games and experimenting with the darkness. The School believed that Starlight was the future, and that humanity could transcend and become like Seraphs themselves if they studied the power of the Cosmos and communicated with the higher beings.

The School has not always kept its hands clean - in fact, much of their history is just as bloody as the Church's, and many Scholars dabbled in arcane weapons manufacturing.

After the fall of the Monarchy, the School declared the Church to be traitors, making claims that the plague of Fallen beasts was brought on by their experimentation. The Church was quick to declare the School of Vestus traitors, unleashing their Reapers upon them.

No one doubted that the much stronger Church forces would defeat the Vestus faction, but the School had been nurturing a secret weapon of their own, and they would not be so easily eradicated. What members of the School remain still continue both their pursuit of knowledge, and their fight against the Church.

Hierarchy
The School of Vestus has a simple hierarchy:

Masters/Mistresses - The highest authority over the research of the School.

Magisters - The upper echelon of the School, in charge of overseeing massive research projects and controlling large areas, including studies and labs.

Lectors - A role equal in rank to the Scholars, the Lectors pass on the teaching and knowledge of the School. They are instructors, who help shape the minds of the youth. Once, a Lector commanded the respect of all people, but since the Church took control of Kaldor, many began to regard them as eccentric ramblers at best.

Scholars - The majority of the School's knowledge comes from it's Scholars. The Scholars are scientists and researchers, studying and learning all that they can, and broadening the knowledge of the School. Scholars often act independently, working with small teams of apprentices and aides. Some have even been known to engage in inhumane experimentation, the likes of which old Master Vestus may not have approved.

Aides - Once they have completed their lessons, the Apprentices become Aides, who's sole responsibility is to shadow a Scholar, Lector, Magister, or Master/Mistress and assist them in their research, until they are capable of branching out and becoming a Scholar or Lector themselves.

Apprentices - Once their classroom learning has been completed, the Students of Vestus are ready to see the true nature of the School's research, first hand. The Apprentices work under Scholars and Lectors to help them as their loyal assistants, learning more from hands on experience.

Students - The newest members of the School, the Students come to learn from the Lectors, becoming knowledgeable in the arcane and the celestial.

Military Branch
The School of Vestus is not a military organization, however as time went on, the need for a military force to protect the interest of the School grew more and more, and so many of the Scholars, Lectors, and Magisters banded together, applying the knowledge of the School to the creation of arcane weaponry. The wielders of this weaponized Starlight are known as the Rhetors and the Allumni.

A Rhetor is primarily a lone travelling warrior, the School's answer to the Reapers. The Rhetors hold immense celestial power, and are capable of holding their own against many of the Reapers. The Allumni on the other hand are the closest thing to a standing army the School has, carrying Starlight infused weapons and armour, and protecting the School and it's people.

Like the Scholars, the Rhetors and the Allumni act independently from the main body of the School.