Wizard

A wizard is a human being who has learned to use Magic.

## Common Qualities

All wizards are able to break the laws of physics in some fashion. There are no universal qualities to a wizard beyond this single attribute. However, there are a number of attributes that are not universal, but are extremely common.

The Rites of Fortification are not universal, but are the most commonly cited attribute that separates wizards from mundane humans. Once the Rites have been performed, a wizard becomes noticeably more difficult to kill, whether from natural or unnatural causes. The Rites are not uniform, but common protections include those against physical aging or harm. The importance of the Rites as a distinction between the perception of a person as a wizard or mundane human is the sole difference between the Circle of Solace's Power Rankings of Bronze and Silver.

Most wizards are capable of healing themselves of injuries that would kill a normal human. The wizard must first go through a lengthy ritual to create a "body map." This map is a snapshot of their body, including details such as cardiovascular and digestive systems, at a time of health. They can then use transmutation or conjuration magic to regrow any damaged or lost portions of their body to the specifications of the map. Wizards that have not created a body map can still survive injuries that should be lethal (There is a popular theory that Paragon of the Shattered Anvil has almost no original body mass below his forehead, including one of his eyes), but cannot regrow it due to the complexity of the human body. In extreme cases, wizards can recover from injuries as severe as being burned into a pile of ash.

## Weaknesses

*"Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a wizard to catch a wizard." -*The Witch's Hammer, *Circle of Solace wizard hunting manual*

Wizards, via the Rites of Fortification, have few weaknesses. The Rites can be overcome by using a sufficiently potent method that overcomes the wizard's toughness Rites but is not specifically protected against by the wizard's protection Rites (the most common method being cannon shot, though this becomes less effective as more wizards grant themselves specific protection from it).

Wizards cannot protect themselves from Orichalcum using their magic. However, they can heal themselves from a wound inflicted by orichalcum once the metal is removed, providing the wound was not already fatal. As a result, shots to the head with orichalcum bullets are the preferred method for a mundane human to dispatch a wizard.

The most storied weakness of wizards is the invocation of their True Name. When called upon, a wizard's powers are permanently and immediately severed. As a result, wizards guard their True Name with their lives. This has led to the practice of wizards choosing a phrase as their name. These unusual names both hide the wizard's true name and makes it obvious to those who hear it that the person it refers to is a wizard. The need to protect their True Name leads to many wizards either killing those who would know it or waiting for their early friends and family to die.

Chronophilia is a side effect of wizards' supernatural lifespan, particularly those who wait out their families. The condition affects all humans, but wizards are the only ones who live long enough for it to become acute. The most obvious effect of the disorder is that it causes wizards to lapse on their Rites of Fortification, taking too long to update against new anti-wizard measures due to their misperception of time. There is no known cure for Chronophilia and its effects only become worse with time.

Lastly, a wizard's defenses can be overcome by another wizard. This typically requires the attacking wizard to be more powerful than the defending wizard. There is a small cadre of "mage-breakers," employed by the Circle of Solace who are specialists in dismantling the Rites of Fortification, allowing them to make wizards more powerful than themselves vulnerable.