Sirhad (concept)
A lost relic from the time before the Halakdun, the Sirhad were a highly organized caste of Magi whose power and influence were entrenched throughout central and eastern Sarradon. Their origins were nearly mythical - lost in the depths of Sarradon's early history and likely predating Ritualism itself. Any Sarradonian who showed magical potential would be inducted into their ranks - sometimes against their will, as the Sirhad believed that unregulated Magi posed a threat to Sarradonian society and to the authority of the Sirhad as a whole. As marriages within the Sirhad were heavily encouraged, Sarradon became home to a large number of very potent magical bloodlines whose lineages went back millennia. Intricate records of these bloodlines were kept in the Sirhad's greatest stronghold, now known only as The Sunken House. This magical citadel was kept hidden somewhere in the depths of the Khibkhibirin, protected from outsiders by devilishly complex wards and illusions.
During the The War in Heaven the Sirhad remarkably remained neutral in the conflict. Although individual members were allowed to hold sympathies, the organization forbade any direct involvement or favoritism using the Sirhad's considerable resources. Any magi who participated in the war did so as an individual, and could count on no support from the senior leadership. Even more remarkably, this idealistic nonpartisanship seems to have actually worked quite effectively, and the Sirhad's services as middlemen and neutral negotiators became almost as invaluable as their services as magi.