Elven High Mage

Elves study magic with a matchless passion. But even among the elves, the high mages are regarded as obsessed with the accumulation of arcane power.
Elven high mages are the masters of creating their own epic spells—mythals that can grow to engulf entire cities. Learning the secrets of epic magic is the culmination of any arcanist’s career, and the elves are very selective about who can learn such potent lore. Existing high mages often observe high mage candidates for a decade or more, probing for the faintest hint of unworthiness. So far, their extreme secrecy has worked. Less than a dozen elves even know where the lore of elven high magic is even kept, much less how to actually cast an epic spell.
All elven high mages are sun elves, moon elves, or wood elves, and all are powerful wizards or sorcerers. No one else can learn the elves’ greatest magical secrets.
NPC high mages spend their time developing new epic spells, organizing searches for lost elven lore, or taking steps to ensure that elven secrets stay secret. PC high mages will find that being a high mage is a full-time job, making adventuring a challenge. But due to their considerable personal power, elven high mages often wind up on the front lines of the defense of the elven people.