matyio
The original mute
Just thought I'd share this for fun
Mage background
To be a magic user is a great honour, or a gracious sin, depending upon who you talk to. They are rarely seen outside their schools unless on official business, and their opinion of the none magic users reflects as such. They often come across as snooty arrogant individuals who believe themselves better, when in actual fact many of them believe the greatest magic is to not be able to use magic, of course, these are some of the oldest mages, and they have often not wandered out to talk to the common folk for decades.
Each school of magic is built around a particular place of significance to its founder. The four oldest ones, who teach the most common scriptures of how to use earth, fire, water, and air to aid you. Are based around some of the greatest magical mysterys. The fire mages have studied for centuries the Turin volcano, a volcano that erupts regularly, but never spills lava down it's sides, almost as if there is a shield on it. The water mages have been mystified as to how the alarc lake remains floating above it's bottom. The earth mages have studied a rent in the earth that continually shifts but is independent to the land around it, and the air mages have yet to fathom what creates the strange gas on the plains of ronin.
While mages are studious. Because of the drain casting even the most basic of spells puts on them they have a strict bodily health regime. You will find no Mage who cannot lift at least his own weight. For if they cannot do that, how could they cast their spells?
They also cannot cast complex or advanced magics alone, requiring a group that grows in size far more rapidly than is practical. Fr example a to light a medium sized bonfire, more than 20 fire mages are required. Whereas to light just a campfire only one is. This being said magic is far from useless due to this drawback.
Many a ruler has had his life saved by a group of mages who focus their efforts on stoping the wounds from worsening, or purging a poison from their system. And many a siege has been halted by a council of fire or earth mages burning the equipment or shaking the foundations till the castle falls. While the numbers of mages and the time required are huge. The job is done, and oft with minimal bloodshed. However, mages assisting in a war or battle is extraordinarily rare as the schools try to stay out of regional politics if at all possible.
There are more interestingly a small few number of so called "battle mages" who are able to cast minor magics with minimal ill effects whilst in combat. These people are incredibly fit and have a nigh unbreakable concentration. This is the reason the schools of magic are loathe to let them loose. Several going so far as to demand a huge fee for the school in return for letting the Mage free.
Another rare sight are the exiled or outcast mages. These few individuals are actively hunted by their school because of their use of magic to further their own agenda without considering the full consequences. Examples would be fire mages who have started a fire that burns down a village, or an earth Mage who flexes the earth which causes a landslide that damages land. These mages are considered demons by the schools that they once resided within. And are among some if the most cautious individuals in the world.
Arch-mages
Arch-mages are not the most powerful mage, as their name suggests, but rather the mage elected as the head of the counsel of mages. A well respected individual this man heads all meetings held by the counsel, and makes final decisions on topics that are not agreed upon quickly. The arch-mage of a school does not demand any more respect than that of an ordinary mage within the college. However, outside having an arch-mage as a friend to your cause is seen as a very powerful bargaining chip.
In times gone by only three arch-mages have ever been forced to make their school take up arms. There is good reason for this, for when one school is under threat the whole network set up by the mages of the wind becomes alive with the news. It has not been unknown for entire armies to be sent from the college and other schools to assist. Thus a force of mages, when commanded by an arch-mage becomes a very dangerous foe.
In recent times, many an arch-mage has been put under much pressure to swear loyalty to one cause or another, and all have stalwartly refused these offers, for they know that learning all there is to know about magic is far better than defending the school for allying themselves to a cause.
The most famous arch-mage was the water mage Arania, who’s skills at diplomacy made all sides in a long forgotten war think they were attacking one another, when it was found out that they had been tricked into attacking themselves and that they were too weak to fight they realised what had happened. The lesson taught by old Arania was that the reason they had gone to war, suspected to be over a woman of whom they both loved, need not involve hundreds of deaths. Later that year one of the men was found dead in a field and the suspected woman married the other.
Founding of the college
The first school of mages, now known simply as the college, was founded several years ago during the time when the dwarven king lokk was in power. To be a mage at that time was frowned upon, this was largely due to the fact that most races viewed magic as either unholy or the power of the devil. There were of course a few exceptions, including the rebel leader named Hakira. This man was to prove a valuable ally to the mages.
The actual college building was built by king aromgina. A man well known for his extravagant requests. He demanded to have the largest castle built in all the realm. The castle built is the college of mages today. It was a centre of Aromgina’s rule and a prime target for the rebels. However, while Aromgina was alive nothing could touch the castle. Yet the moment he died it was as if a spell had been lifted. Guards failed to turn up for duty, cleaners missed entire rooms and everything was in general in disarray. This was happening all across the now crumbling kingdom. When the rebels fought the dead kings armies, they knew they would need support. And so it was that the mages offered their help. While it took many of them to have an effect have an effect they did. Of course, the mages demanded a high price for the service. Nothing less than the capitol castle itself. The rebels, knowing they had not the numbers to keep the castle agreed, thinking that the mages would not have the numbers either. The war was swift but bloody. The official death count was at over 400’000 men on both sides. Leaving the human population of bridgendale (pending world name) far lower than what could be expected of other regions. The mages came into possession of the castle and immediately were inundated with requests from mages still in hiding. Their ranks swelled, and in just 5 years they had more than enough people to accommodate the castle twice over. This was when people were told to found specialist schools. It has been many years since that happened. The mages of the college do not just research, they copy books sent from all their schools to make sure that the knowledge is never lost.
While not the most practical with their use of magic, mages from the college tend to have enough of an understanding to be able to use any of the four basic elements, wind, earth, fire and water. However their knowledge rarely extends further.
Mage background
To be a magic user is a great honour, or a gracious sin, depending upon who you talk to. They are rarely seen outside their schools unless on official business, and their opinion of the none magic users reflects as such. They often come across as snooty arrogant individuals who believe themselves better, when in actual fact many of them believe the greatest magic is to not be able to use magic, of course, these are some of the oldest mages, and they have often not wandered out to talk to the common folk for decades.
Each school of magic is built around a particular place of significance to its founder. The four oldest ones, who teach the most common scriptures of how to use earth, fire, water, and air to aid you. Are based around some of the greatest magical mysterys. The fire mages have studied for centuries the Turin volcano, a volcano that erupts regularly, but never spills lava down it's sides, almost as if there is a shield on it. The water mages have been mystified as to how the alarc lake remains floating above it's bottom. The earth mages have studied a rent in the earth that continually shifts but is independent to the land around it, and the air mages have yet to fathom what creates the strange gas on the plains of ronin.
While mages are studious. Because of the drain casting even the most basic of spells puts on them they have a strict bodily health regime. You will find no Mage who cannot lift at least his own weight. For if they cannot do that, how could they cast their spells?
They also cannot cast complex or advanced magics alone, requiring a group that grows in size far more rapidly than is practical. Fr example a to light a medium sized bonfire, more than 20 fire mages are required. Whereas to light just a campfire only one is. This being said magic is far from useless due to this drawback.
Many a ruler has had his life saved by a group of mages who focus their efforts on stoping the wounds from worsening, or purging a poison from their system. And many a siege has been halted by a council of fire or earth mages burning the equipment or shaking the foundations till the castle falls. While the numbers of mages and the time required are huge. The job is done, and oft with minimal bloodshed. However, mages assisting in a war or battle is extraordinarily rare as the schools try to stay out of regional politics if at all possible.
There are more interestingly a small few number of so called "battle mages" who are able to cast minor magics with minimal ill effects whilst in combat. These people are incredibly fit and have a nigh unbreakable concentration. This is the reason the schools of magic are loathe to let them loose. Several going so far as to demand a huge fee for the school in return for letting the Mage free.
Another rare sight are the exiled or outcast mages. These few individuals are actively hunted by their school because of their use of magic to further their own agenda without considering the full consequences. Examples would be fire mages who have started a fire that burns down a village, or an earth Mage who flexes the earth which causes a landslide that damages land. These mages are considered demons by the schools that they once resided within. And are among some if the most cautious individuals in the world.
Arch-mages
Arch-mages are not the most powerful mage, as their name suggests, but rather the mage elected as the head of the counsel of mages. A well respected individual this man heads all meetings held by the counsel, and makes final decisions on topics that are not agreed upon quickly. The arch-mage of a school does not demand any more respect than that of an ordinary mage within the college. However, outside having an arch-mage as a friend to your cause is seen as a very powerful bargaining chip.
In times gone by only three arch-mages have ever been forced to make their school take up arms. There is good reason for this, for when one school is under threat the whole network set up by the mages of the wind becomes alive with the news. It has not been unknown for entire armies to be sent from the college and other schools to assist. Thus a force of mages, when commanded by an arch-mage becomes a very dangerous foe.
In recent times, many an arch-mage has been put under much pressure to swear loyalty to one cause or another, and all have stalwartly refused these offers, for they know that learning all there is to know about magic is far better than defending the school for allying themselves to a cause.
The most famous arch-mage was the water mage Arania, who’s skills at diplomacy made all sides in a long forgotten war think they were attacking one another, when it was found out that they had been tricked into attacking themselves and that they were too weak to fight they realised what had happened. The lesson taught by old Arania was that the reason they had gone to war, suspected to be over a woman of whom they both loved, need not involve hundreds of deaths. Later that year one of the men was found dead in a field and the suspected woman married the other.
Founding of the college
The first school of mages, now known simply as the college, was founded several years ago during the time when the dwarven king lokk was in power. To be a mage at that time was frowned upon, this was largely due to the fact that most races viewed magic as either unholy or the power of the devil. There were of course a few exceptions, including the rebel leader named Hakira. This man was to prove a valuable ally to the mages.
The actual college building was built by king aromgina. A man well known for his extravagant requests. He demanded to have the largest castle built in all the realm. The castle built is the college of mages today. It was a centre of Aromgina’s rule and a prime target for the rebels. However, while Aromgina was alive nothing could touch the castle. Yet the moment he died it was as if a spell had been lifted. Guards failed to turn up for duty, cleaners missed entire rooms and everything was in general in disarray. This was happening all across the now crumbling kingdom. When the rebels fought the dead kings armies, they knew they would need support. And so it was that the mages offered their help. While it took many of them to have an effect have an effect they did. Of course, the mages demanded a high price for the service. Nothing less than the capitol castle itself. The rebels, knowing they had not the numbers to keep the castle agreed, thinking that the mages would not have the numbers either. The war was swift but bloody. The official death count was at over 400’000 men on both sides. Leaving the human population of bridgendale (pending world name) far lower than what could be expected of other regions. The mages came into possession of the castle and immediately were inundated with requests from mages still in hiding. Their ranks swelled, and in just 5 years they had more than enough people to accommodate the castle twice over. This was when people were told to found specialist schools. It has been many years since that happened. The mages of the college do not just research, they copy books sent from all their schools to make sure that the knowledge is never lost.
While not the most practical with their use of magic, mages from the college tend to have enough of an understanding to be able to use any of the four basic elements, wind, earth, fire and water. However their knowledge rarely extends further.