Mage

A Mage is a specialist in the wielding of magic. Although some species, such as Elves, have a natural affinity to the usage of magic, they are not considered Mages.

Mages include various subclasses, as well as the primary classes of the Wizard and Sorceror.

Mages in most of the world are educated in the Mage's Guild, and in the Commonwealth are brought into the military for training under the Mage Conscription Act.

## Magical Grimoires

A "Grimoire" is the name used for a book that is used to teach a particular spell to mages. Inside a grimoire is a great detail of knowledge about the ingredients and methods of casting a certain spell. By studying a Grimoire, and using the correct materials, a Wizard can learn the spell contained within it.

A Grimoire takes an incredibly long time to create, and cannot be destroyed by conventional means. It can take multiple highly powerful archmages to truly destroy, or "banish" a Grimoire, to the point where it is unretrievable. The more powerful the spell a Grimoire holds, the stranger the materials it's pages may be- Some have pages written on the scales of an ancient dragon, or even the dried skin of sacrificial creatures. Normal paper or parchment cannot be used to create a Grimoire.

Grimoires are considered highly dangerous until they have been checked over by a Guild Archmagister. Once it has been checked, Grimoires are given a rating, which changes how it is perceived.

### Safe

A Safe Grimoire is one that teaches a safe, well-understood magical spell. These are commonly used to teach spells to students, and can even be purchased or rented out by mages. In some places, they are still illegal to privately own.

### Shadow

A Shadow Grimoire teaches a spell that is considered illegal under international law. Learning a spell from a Shadow Grimoire will corrupt a Mage's Guildmark. These spells are incredibly dangerous, and some Shadow Grimoires have a reputation for being as volatile as a dangerous living being, and capable of parasitizing a mage.

Experienced Mages may be sent to track down Shadow Girmoires and return them to sealed vaults in the Mage's Guild.

## Magical Education

Every society treats Mages differently, just as magic is more common in some places than in others. The general attitudes of a Mage are often shaped by the belief, bias, and prejudice that surround them as they learn magic. Most non-magical people treat mages as constantly armed ticking timebombs with loose morals.

### Elven Domain

In the Domain, the majority of people have some level of magic, and so it is not looked upon with fear, but just as another facet of life. Mages of particular power are taught in Magical Academies under the watchful eye of the international Guild of Mages.

Learning too much magic without being a member of the Guild is looked on unfavourably, as in most places the Guild regulates and oversees the policing of it's own members with regards to illegal fields of study.

### Draconic Empire

In the Draconic Empire, magic is looked upon with suspicion and Mages are seen as a lower-level social position than others. Many believe that due to magic being an inherent gift, it is no more worthy of respect than someone being born with softer hair or shinier scales. People as a whole believe that magic is a very self-obsessed thing to study, and therefore look upon the act of acquiring much of it as vanity. Children of noble families with magical talent are encouraged to pursue other endeavours.

Studying magic in the Draconic Empire is therefore a difficult process. Generally, older mages will take on a number of apprentices in their workshop, and so to learn magic one must seek them out and prove their worth.

### Democracy of Terra

Within Terra, the Dwarves view magic with innate suspicion, it is considered un-dwarfish to wish to study. While within all cities of the Dwarves there is usually a Mage's Guildhall set up that will take in those who wish to learn more, by choosing to study at one of these a Dwarf must renounce their heritage and their cast, as you cannot be a Noble Dwarf who knows magic.

Rare are the Dwarves willing to take on this burden to study magic, and they are treated with bewilderment from their relatives for this decision, so most Dwarf Mages are born from Casteless.

### Royaume

Within the Royaume, magical learning is kept strictly within the Mage's Guild. Books written to teach about magic are kept closely guarded in vaults, and only those with the correct ranking in the Guild may access some of them. Being found in possession of a Grimoire outside of the guildhall is seen as a serious offence, unless you are delivering it to the Guildhall.

Those who cannot afford the fees to study at a Guild are often forced to learn magic unconventionally- and often, illegally.

### Midland

Midland has a very relaxed attitude towards learning magic. Most towns and villages have an elder who uses magic to aid the village, and takes on apprentices from those within their home who wish to know. They, like others, are suspicious of Shadow Grimoires, but do not hold the ability to learn magic against other people- it's something they're born with, and it's how you use your abilities that matter.

Some choose to travel to a Guild Academy to learn magic, there are a few in Midland but they are incredibly expensive to attend.

### Nations of Galletia

Magic is treated with suspicion in Galletia. It is believed that those who wrong a mage before a voyage are destined for poor luck, and because of this many avoid them altogether. Most Galletian mages learn magic in small dribbles, from the occasional Grimoire that turns up for sale.

Some Galletian Mages with enough power spend years saving up the funds to travel to a Mage's Guild Academy, where they can learn in peace. They change in climate from the relaxed and warm islands of their home to the cold confines of an ornate academy is often hard to cope with.

### Republica

Magic is reviled in Republica. Most people fear mages and avoid them when they can, even those bearing the Guildmark. Once identified, Republic Mages are taken into the Divine Church and educated, turned into soldiers of the church. The Divinicia magical studyhalls are grim, dark, and often use barbaric methods to punish and control magisters. Some mages attempt to run away, or hide their abilities to avoid being forced into Divinicia's hands.

Divinician Magisters are kept under watch and control by Priests of the religion, and will only cast spells when ordered to. They are treated as tools, and what spells each knows are strictly monitored.

A Republica Mage is noted for wearing long, dark robes, and a hood that covers their face when in public. They will not speak to outsiders. It is rumoured that under the robes, they are physically mutilated to stop them from bearing children or being able to run from their captors.

### Commonwealth

Magic is rare in the Commonwealth, and it is seen in entirely utilitarian terms- most Mages are in the military or government service, enchanting weapons and using magic to defend their homes against the forces of the orcs.

The main way Commonwealth Mages are trained is to volunteer, or be conscripted, into the Military via the Mage Conscription Act. Those with magical potential who wish to explore it further than the military uses must either pay a mage as a private tutor, or travel to another country to learn. The Mage's Guild has no real presence in the Commonwealth, despite years of negotiations.