The Calling of the Mage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Practitioners of the use of magic are known to themselves as mages but known to the rest of us as magicians. Mages are different from others and they know it. It takes a life of dedication to obscure and arcane arts in order to tap into magical phenomena and as a result mages are rare and tend to live a life apart. Mages tend to look on non-mages with pity or dismissiveness while non-mages tend to look on mages as worthy of respectful reserve (at best) or naked suspicion (at worse). In rural areas a mage that has the sponsorship of the local nobility is respected but is otherwise shunned by many. Some mages like to revel in how different they are and wear the trapping of mage-hood like robes and staves. Others however like to blend into the background by using ordinary clothes and items like daggers.
Generalists and Specialists
For most of history mages have drawn on all manner of magic. However there have always been those who had particular preferences for one brand of spell over another. These preferences have been formalised by recent generations of Narmantic mages particularly in the Sea Cities. Now there are specialist mages whose names are taken from the particular ‘schools’ of magic to which they are dedicated. Those seven schools of magic can be defined as manipulating and harnessing particular aspects of the Universe as follows...
* Illusion: Senses and Sensations
* Enchantment: Emotions and Sentiments
* Transmutation: The Four Elements
* Evocation: Forces and Energy
* Conjuration: Dimensions
* Necromancy: Animus and Spirit
* Divination: Information or Lore
As a result the term ‘mage’ now refers to generalist mages specifically. The most accomplished generalist is thus an ‘arch-mage’ while the most accomplished of specialists is known as a master or mistress. Advocates of specialisation refer to the additional power one can get within a given school of magic. Critics however note that specialists loose talent in all other areas of magic to some extent.
Wizards and Sorcerers
Both ‘wizards’ and ‘sorcerers’ are mages (whether specialist or generalist). These terms in the Lands refer to the distinction between those mages who prefer to work in conjunction with other mages (wizards) and those mages who prefer to work alone or in the company of non-mages (sorcerers). Thus one talks of ‘wizard guilds’ but ‘maverick sorcerers’. In practice a mage can be both at one time or another in life and many see the distinction as a spurious one. Others however see these distinctions as important ways of life.
The Doctrine of Rules and the Doctrine of Will
Mages have been having a long-running debate over the nature of magic-using. All agree that magic is derived from the natural forces of the universe. But there is division over how mages relate to these forces. Some argue that shaping forces into coherent spells involves profound understanding of the rules by which those forces operate – these mages adhere to the Doctrine of Rules. Others however argue that shaping forces into coherent spells depends on exercising ones will over them – these mages adhere to the Doctrine of Will. There is a tendency for wizards to prefer the Doctrine of Rules while sorcerers prefer the Doctrine of Will. Some mages however dismiss the entire debate by saying that one can only cast spells if one both understands and controls magical forces. And many mages give the whole issue scant attention – for them all that matters is that the magic works.
Relations with Warriors
In some ways mages and warriors are as different as can be. As a result many mages are utterly dismissive of the totally non-magical warriors. However other mages recognise that the skills of a warrior compliment those of the mage. Some wizards hire small groups of warriors to accompany them, while wandering sorcerers deliberately partner with adventuring warriors.
Relations with Clergy
Mages and clergy tend to be wary of one another. This wariness arises in part from confusion on the part of both classes as to what the other class is. Mages are aware that spell-casting talent is drawn from the universe directly yet the clergy insist that the spell-like powers they possess come directly from the Divine. Many mages are atheists (the only class among whom this position is at all common) and they think that clergy are therefore either deceivers or self-deluded.
Most mages however have the sense to say nothing of these arguments in the presence of the devout. Furthermore many mages do think there are gods and goddesses and even follow them - they may worship all or none as personal preference and circumstances dictate. Some have an interest in Olorin or Urala. Many more however worship Elchemar or Linesa. Those who follow Elchemar tend to favour the Doctrine of Rules while those who follow Linesa tend to favour the Doctrine of Will.
Relations with Rogues
Mages and rogues have in common the use of skill and secret information to further whatever objectives they work towards. As such there is a rarely-spoken affinity between many mages and rogues. This is reinforced by the fact that rogues can haphazardly use magical scrolls and some (the Bards) can even cast magical spells from memory. However there is another side to the relationship that arises from the fact that rogues are seen by mages as wanting to possess what the mage owns (whether it be spell books or magical devises). As a result mages are suitably wary of rogues.
Races of Mages
Only some races seem to come to the calling of the Mages. Humans can become mages including all specialists. Pretty much all specialists are humans as it was among humans that specialisation was developed.
Elves can and do become mages but in Elvish society it seems that the distinction between mages and clergy is blurred by the Elvish apprehension that “all the Universe is magical and we both participate in and venerate the Universe” and the most accomplished of Elvish mages also develop some clerical talents. Elvish culture has a preference for Divination, Illusion and Enchantment but only those Elves who live among humans ever become specialists of any kind. Half Elves can be both generalists and specialists.
Half-Orcs can become mages (always generalists) if they have lived in human society.
Dwarves of pure-blood cannot cast magic spells but those of mixed human parentage can become what are known as Spellsmiths who combine magical with mechanical skills. These Spellsmiths cannot produce spell effects themselves but can imbue objects with magic.
Halfings have immense difficulty in developing magic talents - whether due to cultural or natural factors - which (ironically) makes them attractive apprentices for some of the more miserly and selfish of human mages.
Important Groups of Mages
The distinction between different schools is a technical one but there are also some groups of mages defined by cultural or political distinctions.
The Nartellfar Guild of Magic
It is normal for a city to have its own wizards guild but most such guilds are only as powerful as the most powerful member of the guild. The Nartellfar Guild of Magic is different. As the whole basis of popular rule in Nartellfar is manifested as guild rule (the Assembly comprises the masters and mistresses of every recognised guild in the city) this instantly grants some power to the Nartellfar Guild of Magic. In particular it is given unto the Guild to police magical crime in Nartellfar and thus the guild has direct power over all mages within the City whether resident or visiting. This power is rarely abused. Nonetheless there are those among non-guild mages who resent this authority.
The Ancient Fellowship of Wizards of Farport
The thing that sets the Ancient Fellowship of Wizards of Farport apart from all other wizards guilds is the fact that its membership is open to non-mages! For a very significant fee non-mages may become associate members of the Fellowship. Many rich and powerful personages in exotic Farport have made such membership one of the things that marks one as rich and powerful. It is possibly this meeting of mages with rich and powerful non-mages that has made Farport the key workshop for the makers of magical items for the use of non-mages.
The Arcane Coterie
The ‘Coterie’ had been likened to a mercenary company but staffed by mages rather than warriors. Its only loyalty is to itself and to the temporary allegiances it undertakes. Its members allegedly reside in all nations. Membership is only open to mages who are sponsored by existing members. Everything from its membership and office-holders to its property and customs are guarded secrets of the Coterie. Anyone known to be a Coterie member is instantly the subject of much suspicion. Rarely if ever is anyone ever confirmed to be a Coterie member.
The Magøsha
The Magøsha are the sorceresses of Rovnara. In Rovnaran culture only women may be mages and these mages (always generalists) must as a matter of course develop brewing skills so as to make the Red Rum which inflames the warlike passions of the Cavar. If she wishes to be the matron of a clan she must both be a Magøsha and take a Cavar as her spouse. This is all because the original queen of Rovnara was of such a kind.
Practitioners of the use of magic are known to themselves as mages but known to the rest of us as magicians. Mages are different from others and they know it. It takes a life of dedication to obscure and arcane arts in order to tap into magical phenomena and as a result mages are rare and tend to live a life apart. Mages tend to look on non-mages with pity or dismissiveness while non-mages tend to look on mages as worthy of respectful reserve (at best) or naked suspicion (at worse). In rural areas a mage that has the sponsorship of the local nobility is respected but is otherwise shunned by many. Some mages like to revel in how different they are and wear the trapping of mage-hood like robes and staves. Others however like to blend into the background by using ordinary clothes and items like daggers.
Generalists and Specialists
For most of history mages have drawn on all manner of magic. However there have always been those who had particular preferences for one brand of spell over another. These preferences have been formalised by recent generations of Narmantic mages particularly in the Sea Cities. Now there are specialist mages whose names are taken from the particular ‘schools’ of magic to which they are dedicated. Those seven schools of magic can be defined as manipulating and harnessing particular aspects of the Universe as follows...
* Illusion: Senses and Sensations
* Enchantment: Emotions and Sentiments
* Transmutation: The Four Elements
* Evocation: Forces and Energy
* Conjuration: Dimensions
* Necromancy: Animus and Spirit
* Divination: Information or Lore
As a result the term ‘mage’ now refers to generalist mages specifically. The most accomplished generalist is thus an ‘arch-mage’ while the most accomplished of specialists is known as a master or mistress. Advocates of specialisation refer to the additional power one can get within a given school of magic. Critics however note that specialists loose talent in all other areas of magic to some extent.
Wizards and Sorcerers
Both ‘wizards’ and ‘sorcerers’ are mages (whether specialist or generalist). These terms in the Lands refer to the distinction between those mages who prefer to work in conjunction with other mages (wizards) and those mages who prefer to work alone or in the company of non-mages (sorcerers). Thus one talks of ‘wizard guilds’ but ‘maverick sorcerers’. In practice a mage can be both at one time or another in life and many see the distinction as a spurious one. Others however see these distinctions as important ways of life.
The Doctrine of Rules and the Doctrine of Will
Mages have been having a long-running debate over the nature of magic-using. All agree that magic is derived from the natural forces of the universe. But there is division over how mages relate to these forces. Some argue that shaping forces into coherent spells involves profound understanding of the rules by which those forces operate – these mages adhere to the Doctrine of Rules. Others however argue that shaping forces into coherent spells depends on exercising ones will over them – these mages adhere to the Doctrine of Will. There is a tendency for wizards to prefer the Doctrine of Rules while sorcerers prefer the Doctrine of Will. Some mages however dismiss the entire debate by saying that one can only cast spells if one both understands and controls magical forces. And many mages give the whole issue scant attention – for them all that matters is that the magic works.
Relations with Warriors
In some ways mages and warriors are as different as can be. As a result many mages are utterly dismissive of the totally non-magical warriors. However other mages recognise that the skills of a warrior compliment those of the mage. Some wizards hire small groups of warriors to accompany them, while wandering sorcerers deliberately partner with adventuring warriors.
Relations with Clergy
Mages and clergy tend to be wary of one another. This wariness arises in part from confusion on the part of both classes as to what the other class is. Mages are aware that spell-casting talent is drawn from the universe directly yet the clergy insist that the spell-like powers they possess come directly from the Divine. Many mages are atheists (the only class among whom this position is at all common) and they think that clergy are therefore either deceivers or self-deluded.
Most mages however have the sense to say nothing of these arguments in the presence of the devout. Furthermore many mages do think there are gods and goddesses and even follow them - they may worship all or none as personal preference and circumstances dictate. Some have an interest in Olorin or Urala. Many more however worship Elchemar or Linesa. Those who follow Elchemar tend to favour the Doctrine of Rules while those who follow Linesa tend to favour the Doctrine of Will.
Relations with Rogues
Mages and rogues have in common the use of skill and secret information to further whatever objectives they work towards. As such there is a rarely-spoken affinity between many mages and rogues. This is reinforced by the fact that rogues can haphazardly use magical scrolls and some (the Bards) can even cast magical spells from memory. However there is another side to the relationship that arises from the fact that rogues are seen by mages as wanting to possess what the mage owns (whether it be spell books or magical devises). As a result mages are suitably wary of rogues.
Races of Mages
Only some races seem to come to the calling of the Mages. Humans can become mages including all specialists. Pretty much all specialists are humans as it was among humans that specialisation was developed.
Elves can and do become mages but in Elvish society it seems that the distinction between mages and clergy is blurred by the Elvish apprehension that “all the Universe is magical and we both participate in and venerate the Universe” and the most accomplished of Elvish mages also develop some clerical talents. Elvish culture has a preference for Divination, Illusion and Enchantment but only those Elves who live among humans ever become specialists of any kind. Half Elves can be both generalists and specialists.
Half-Orcs can become mages (always generalists) if they have lived in human society.
Dwarves of pure-blood cannot cast magic spells but those of mixed human parentage can become what are known as Spellsmiths who combine magical with mechanical skills. These Spellsmiths cannot produce spell effects themselves but can imbue objects with magic.
Halfings have immense difficulty in developing magic talents - whether due to cultural or natural factors - which (ironically) makes them attractive apprentices for some of the more miserly and selfish of human mages.
Important Groups of Mages
The distinction between different schools is a technical one but there are also some groups of mages defined by cultural or political distinctions.
The Nartellfar Guild of Magic
It is normal for a city to have its own wizards guild but most such guilds are only as powerful as the most powerful member of the guild. The Nartellfar Guild of Magic is different. As the whole basis of popular rule in Nartellfar is manifested as guild rule (the Assembly comprises the masters and mistresses of every recognised guild in the city) this instantly grants some power to the Nartellfar Guild of Magic. In particular it is given unto the Guild to police magical crime in Nartellfar and thus the guild has direct power over all mages within the City whether resident or visiting. This power is rarely abused. Nonetheless there are those among non-guild mages who resent this authority.
The Ancient Fellowship of Wizards of Farport
The thing that sets the Ancient Fellowship of Wizards of Farport apart from all other wizards guilds is the fact that its membership is open to non-mages! For a very significant fee non-mages may become associate members of the Fellowship. Many rich and powerful personages in exotic Farport have made such membership one of the things that marks one as rich and powerful. It is possibly this meeting of mages with rich and powerful non-mages that has made Farport the key workshop for the makers of magical items for the use of non-mages.
The Arcane Coterie
The ‘Coterie’ had been likened to a mercenary company but staffed by mages rather than warriors. Its only loyalty is to itself and to the temporary allegiances it undertakes. Its members allegedly reside in all nations. Membership is only open to mages who are sponsored by existing members. Everything from its membership and office-holders to its property and customs are guarded secrets of the Coterie. Anyone known to be a Coterie member is instantly the subject of much suspicion. Rarely if ever is anyone ever confirmed to be a Coterie member.
The Magøsha
The Magøsha are the sorceresses of Rovnara. In Rovnaran culture only women may be mages and these mages (always generalists) must as a matter of course develop brewing skills so as to make the Red Rum which inflames the warlike passions of the Cavar. If she wishes to be the matron of a clan she must both be a Magøsha and take a Cavar as her spouse. This is all because the original queen of Rovnara was of such a kind.
posted by Daniel | 8.5.06
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