Mages in Genesis
Genesis has no official systems in place for regulating or recording the ranks of magic-users, and considering the scattered nature of the Shards doing so would likely prove impossible to implement. However, there are some broad generalizations which are universally recognized as a way to describe a mage's level of training and finesse.
For more information on the specific traditions of magical training, see Magical Education.
Many who live in small villages and don’t have the means or inclination for further training may never advance beyond a few rudimentary spells that they develop themselves, a natural expression of their inherent ability. Their spells are usually magic-inefficient; unshaped bursts of raw power, or relatively weak when approaching more delicate work if it can be managed at all. Untrained mages usually have a ‘trick’ or two that they’ve figured out, like lighting a lamp or unlocking a door, but their repertoire is very limited and they don’t have much staying power. They’re unlikely to play any meaningful role as a village’s mage, but rather live an everyday life with an extra trick up their sleeve.
Hedge mages receive a practical training, apprenticing with a local mage in their home shard who's willing to take on a student. Oftentimes this means learning from the village mage, a relative, or a friend or acquaintance of the family; it's the sort of education meant to help bring an individual's magical skills in line to help their community, more than setting them up for an extensive magical career. In the smaller shards, this sort of apprenticeship is far more common
Hedge mages don’t typically have a lot of choice in magical specialization; they take advantage of what options are available to them, most commonly the ‘practical’ schools like Casting, Shaping, Healing, etc. They will generally know a limited variety of spells that are useful in day-to-day life and span several schools, serving as a magical jack-of-all-trades for the communities that they’re a part of. While Hedge Mages don’t have nearly as much of a range of spells as a formally trained mage, they’re generally extremely well-practiced at the spells they know and can usually use them with a fairly high level of efficiency. Many may practice a mundane profession as well as being the local mage, and tend to have a certain mutual disdain for Circle Mages who hesitate to get their hands dirty with an honest day’s work.
The best education a mage can receive comes from the formal Circles in Ys, Lyonesse, and Starfall prior to its destruction. Families with the means and willingness to send a child far afield will typically send a gifted son or daughter to one of the great cities in their early adolescence, where they’ll train in a generalist school before apprenticing with a Circle for several more years. Following a successful apprenticeship, a recognized mage has several options. Some will be offered a permanent position in the Circle, some return to their home communities, and some turn to making their living as ‘professional mages’ who work for hire in various roles.
Circle-trained mages typically are trained in one or two schools of magic that they choose as their focus, decided at the time of their apprenticeship. They benefit from formal education, gaining access to the cumulative knowledge of their peers and learning spells that are far more refined than those that Hedge Mages have access to. Similarly, Circle Mages are trained to maximize their efficiency, discipline, and resourcefulness. They tend to be more powerful and more able to intellectually rework their magic on the fly.
Though it’s not true across the board, Circle Mages embody the stereotype of the bookish, academic, and out-of-touch spellcaster. Their training means that they spend a portion of their formative years mostly in the company of other mages and cloistered from the rest of the world, which means that freshly minted Circle Mages can take some time to remember that their ivory towers don’t necessarily reflect the reality of everyday life.
Though there’s no formal ranking system, the term ‘gilded’ refers to the most significantly powerful mages of Genesis. Though their power stems from different sources–natural ability, experience, a particularly innovative mind for spellcraft–they’re the height of their craft, and most Circle mages will know the Gilded in their particular specialization by name; all mages aspire to this level, and apprenticing under a Gilded mage is an incredible honor and opportunity. . They’re often found in service to the rulers of the various shards, leading Circles, or otherwise living as they please.
Like Circle mages, Gilded mages typically specialize in one or two schools of magic, which they know the length and breadth of. They often develop entirely new spells or find ways to repurpose existing spells in new and innovative way, and operate at a level of power and efficiency that few others can match. Overcoming a Gilded mage in combat via either magical or mundane means is a significant feat, and most know better than to try and meet them head-on.
Major shards will typically recognize a single Gilded mage as their Archmage. Archmages can be of any school, but are the undisputed most powerful caster in their shard of residence. They are considered on par with major nobility or minor royalty in social standing, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.
Untrained Mages
~20% of mages stay at a very basic level, completely untrained in the use of their magic.Many who live in small villages and don’t have the means or inclination for further training may never advance beyond a few rudimentary spells that they develop themselves, a natural expression of their inherent ability. Their spells are usually magic-inefficient; unshaped bursts of raw power, or relatively weak when approaching more delicate work if it can be managed at all. Untrained mages usually have a ‘trick’ or two that they’ve figured out, like lighting a lamp or unlocking a door, but their repertoire is very limited and they don’t have much staying power. They’re unlikely to play any meaningful role as a village’s mage, but rather live an everyday life with an extra trick up their sleeve.
Hedge Mage
~40% of mages will apprentice directly under another mage, receiving some basic training.Hedge mages receive a practical training, apprenticing with a local mage in their home shard who's willing to take on a student. Oftentimes this means learning from the village mage, a relative, or a friend or acquaintance of the family; it's the sort of education meant to help bring an individual's magical skills in line to help their community, more than setting them up for an extensive magical career. In the smaller shards, this sort of apprenticeship is far more common
Hedge mages don’t typically have a lot of choice in magical specialization; they take advantage of what options are available to them, most commonly the ‘practical’ schools like Casting, Shaping, Healing, etc. They will generally know a limited variety of spells that are useful in day-to-day life and span several schools, serving as a magical jack-of-all-trades for the communities that they’re a part of. While Hedge Mages don’t have nearly as much of a range of spells as a formally trained mage, they’re generally extremely well-practiced at the spells they know and can usually use them with a fairly high level of efficiency. Many may practice a mundane profession as well as being the local mage, and tend to have a certain mutual disdain for Circle Mages who hesitate to get their hands dirty with an honest day’s work.
Professional Mages / Circle Mages
~30% of mages will formally train in one of the great mage cities.The best education a mage can receive comes from the formal Circles in Ys, Lyonesse, and Starfall prior to its destruction. Families with the means and willingness to send a child far afield will typically send a gifted son or daughter to one of the great cities in their early adolescence, where they’ll train in a generalist school before apprenticing with a Circle for several more years. Following a successful apprenticeship, a recognized mage has several options. Some will be offered a permanent position in the Circle, some return to their home communities, and some turn to making their living as ‘professional mages’ who work for hire in various roles.
Circle-trained mages typically are trained in one or two schools of magic that they choose as their focus, decided at the time of their apprenticeship. They benefit from formal education, gaining access to the cumulative knowledge of their peers and learning spells that are far more refined than those that Hedge Mages have access to. Similarly, Circle Mages are trained to maximize their efficiency, discipline, and resourcefulness. They tend to be more powerful and more able to intellectually rework their magic on the fly.
Though it’s not true across the board, Circle Mages embody the stereotype of the bookish, academic, and out-of-touch spellcaster. Their training means that they spend a portion of their formative years mostly in the company of other mages and cloistered from the rest of the world, which means that freshly minted Circle Mages can take some time to remember that their ivory towers don’t necessarily reflect the reality of everyday life.
Gilded Mages
~10% of mages reach an advanced level, with maybe 1-2% reaching ‘archmage’ status.Though there’s no formal ranking system, the term ‘gilded’ refers to the most significantly powerful mages of Genesis. Though their power stems from different sources–natural ability, experience, a particularly innovative mind for spellcraft–they’re the height of their craft, and most Circle mages will know the Gilded in their particular specialization by name; all mages aspire to this level, and apprenticing under a Gilded mage is an incredible honor and opportunity. . They’re often found in service to the rulers of the various shards, leading Circles, or otherwise living as they please.
Like Circle mages, Gilded mages typically specialize in one or two schools of magic, which they know the length and breadth of. They often develop entirely new spells or find ways to repurpose existing spells in new and innovative way, and operate at a level of power and efficiency that few others can match. Overcoming a Gilded mage in combat via either magical or mundane means is a significant feat, and most know better than to try and meet them head-on.
Major shards will typically recognize a single Gilded mage as their Archmage. Archmages can be of any school, but are the undisputed most powerful caster in their shard of residence. They are considered on par with major nobility or minor royalty in social standing, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.
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