Wizard
Scholars of the Anon
When most hear the term 'wizard' images of adventurers come to mind, or of wise old men in towers Casting lighting for the sky or lifting mountains off the world. Though there is some truth to this, mostly this view of wizards comes from fanciful cradle-tales and stories rather than reality. Primarily, wizards are scholars who study the Magic of the world, the force known as the Anon. They work to unravel the mysteries of magic through ages of study, theories, and test. Scholastic endeavors and research, however, does not necessarily mean practical use, and many so-called wizards understand the theory of magic without every using it.
It was the Elf that first harnessed the Anon into useable magic. Their bodies and blood, their very being, was created to channel the power within. It is through the elves that Human gained the ability to use magic as Sorcerer. Ages of intermingling, descendant after descendant of elf and human, has passed this genetic code onto the human race. It is these humans, with elven blood in their ancient ancestry that can use magic in the modern day, to varying degrees. Some with strong lineages become sorcerers, many join a wizard college to harness that power within. This is especially true among the Normon cultures, whose ancestors were closely intertwined with the elves of their region. This shared heritage is so pervasive in Novyum that nearly every Normon has some elven blood in their lineage. Which is why nearly every wizarding college of Ethae can be found in, or around, the Heartlands. It is also why the most famous wizards of legend are from Novya cultures, and why it is common to find Normon's with some casting ability, albeit simple cantrips like creating temperary lights or starting cooking fires.
That said, however, wizardry is the study, and attempt, in use of magic without the need of ancient elven bloodlines. It is also why years of study and colleges are dedicated to the art. The nature of the Anon must be understood. How it is possible for the elves, natural creatures of the world, and even the fauna of Aldern itself can manipulate magic to some extent. Years of education, practice, and application are needed but it is possible for humans with no elven heritage to cast and even learn to do so on par with natural talent. The sad truth of this however is that it is usually the common folk, ones with no bloodlines, that need this education, but it is the nobles that can afford the schooling. This is often why, while so many have the ability to use magic and cast, few every learn how.
There are exceptions to this, of course. There are those with the intelligence to learn the Way of Anon quicker than others. These savants can pick things up so quickly that they never need to attend a college to learn the use of magic. Sometimes these gifted individuals can find a sponsor to pay their college to advance their natural ability, others travel the world as adventurers picking up knowledge where they can, or find the rare independent wizard that will take them on as an apprentice.
Wizards are becoming something of a dying breed in the Novyum Age. The replacing of Diviner in noble courts by Trijan Bishop, nations establishing laws forbidding more advanced 'combat' based evocation and abjuration magic, and the growing number of banned magic text by the Church has discouraged the young generations for pursuing the ancient art. The use of magic is becoming more and more a niche of the natural talents of sorceress than of the learned. More often than not in the modern day, wizards are old men and women huddled away in their libraries and laboratories, studying and sharing in their every shrinking community.
Schools of Wizardry
Abjurer: the study of protection
Diviner: the study of understanding
Evoker: the study of creating
Illusionist: the study of illusion
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