"Small mercies," he murmurs, though it's a relief when they move on to other conversational ground. He nods, picking up his mug again. "I am, and we do. Our stated purpose is to serve as an oversight body, monitoring the rites practiced by those eight and making sure nothing they do leads to anyone in or out of the societies coming to harm. It makes the magic we do a little more patchwork, grounded in spells and artifacts, but it all has its purpose."