Mage

A mage, also sometimes called wizard, sorcerer, or sorceress, is a person skilled and educated in the use of magic. Only rare individuals have the potential to become mages and many of those with this potential are doomed to madness. Unless the individual in question - known as a source - learns to control their power quickly, he or she may end up a half-insane, slobbering oracle. That is why schools of sorcery were created, where talented children study for many years, acquiring knowledge and mastering magical skills.
Skilled mages can extract magical energy from the four elements, transport themselves long distances and heal, as well as kill, in the blink of an eye. Mages also age far slower than ordinary people and can live for centuries using spells and potions that slow or even halt the ageing process. Their power and long lives grant them extensive scientific and political knowledge; in the latter respect, many mages are the equals of rulers.
The word "mage" is used mostly to refer to people trained in magical academies like Aretuza or Ban Ard and is rarely used to refer to magic-wielding druids or priests (especially the latter, since they claim to be given their powers by the gods).
In the Witcher saga, mages are also heavily involved in politics and are well organized. In the beginning there was the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, which was later replaced by the Lodge of Sorceresses.
== Notable mages ==
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=== Glossary entry ===
:Mages
:Only rare individuals have the potential to become mages and many of those with this potential are doomed to madness. Unless the individual in question - known as a source - learns to control their power quickly, he or she may end up a half-insane, slobbering oracle. That is why schools of sorcery were created, where talented children study for many years, acquiring knowledge and mastering magical skills. Because of their powers, mages age more slowly than ordinary people. They can extract magical energy from the four elements, transport themselves long distances and heal, as well as kill, in the blink of an eye. They have extensive scientific and political knowledge; in the latter respect, many mages are the equals of rulers.
:The early days of the war with Nilfgaard saw the end of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, an organization which grouped mages and closely controlled the practice of magic. During the Brotherhood's last assembly, a rebellion broke out on Thanedd Island; some of the mages were accused of high treason, that is, working for Nilfgaard, and were either arrested or killed. The remaining sorcerers won independence and set up smaller associations.
:In the wake of the rebellion, the mages retained their influence. Many of them remained royal advisors, sometimes even ruling countries from behind the scenes. Philippa Eilhart strengthened her position as eminence grise of Redania, whereas the elf Francesca Findabair, the queen of Dol Blathanna, took greater interest in the affairs of humans and became ruler of elven lands in general. Triss Merigold, one of the youngest sorceresses and a representative of King Foltest, also joined in creating the new order.
:Simple folk fail to differentiate between witches, sorcerers and witchers. Anyone who wields magic is regarded as suspicious and godless. But the better educated, and those who dwell in large cities, know to treat mages with due respect.
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=== Journal entry ===
: 'Sorcerer' is the name customarily applied to male persons capable of commanding the Power, though it is but one of the many terms or phrases, most of them highly unflattering, to have been used over the ages. These terms have ranged from the rather respectful title of "Wise One" to the somewhat less specific "bloody son of a bitch – the plague take'im." As for women of this persuasion – that is, sorceresses – they have been called everything from "archmistress" to a colloquial expression I will not repeat out of regard for the language and respect for the female gender. The command of the Power these mages possess sets them above mere mortals – which can be good or bad. From the dawn of time, history remembers mages either as pure-intentioned and courageous heroes or as rogues bereft of reverence and faith. Human memory tends to remember the latter for longer, which may be why common folk mostly hold people of this profession in contempt.
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Although the dark clouds gathered over them, sorceresses are making appearance in in quite a big number however mages are fewer.
== Notes ==
* "Sorceress" is also the name of a character class in The Witcher: Versus.
* , an elven scout, Reim says that the only true mages are elven, but does not elaborate further.
* In Danusia Stok's translations, the preferred term for female mage is enchantress.
==Gallery==
Istredd serial.jpg|Istredd, a human mage in The Hexer TV series (played by Bronisław Wrocławski)
Gra Wyobrazni mage.png|Mage in 
cs:Mágové
de:Hexenmeister
de:Zauberer und Magier
el:Μάγους
es:Hechicero
fr:Magicien
it:Maghi
hu:Varázslók
pl:Czarodziej
pl:Czarodziejka
pt-br:Feiticeiro
ru:Маги
uk:Чародії
zh:術士
Category:Magic
Category:Occupations