Mage

Career

Qualifications

According to what knowledge of Mages remain, anyone had the potential to be a Mage since magic can be wielded by everyone. The main requirement was a dedication to magic that stepped over the boundaries of reason and embodied obsession.

Payment & Reimbursement

While all Mages were essentially permitted to do whatever they wanted, lesser Mages tended to grovel in the shadows of the truly great Mages in the hopes of learning some new terrible secret about magic or in the hopes of being granted a higher rank in a great Mage's guild. Mages in general did not care for material wealth so much as resources or knowledge that could help them advance their studies and control over those around them, or so the stories go.

Other Benefits

Extremely talented Mages were said to have been treated better than kings due to their immense destructive power and propensity for short tempers.

Perception

Purpose

Mages took pride in overwhelming power. While some Mages used their vast knowledge of magic for good, those were very few, and every Mage was required to serve as an artillery piece in the armies of long forgotten kingdoms.

Social Status

When a person became recognized as a proper Mage, their previous status in life was considered irrelevant. According to what records remain of Mages, there wasn't much sense in trying to enforce caste rules on someone who could turn you into ash without batting an eye.

History

Not much is known about the Mages. Being a Mage was a profession that has been outlawed as long as anyone on Melra can remember, and what the general population do know about Mages is mostly from books and old campfire stories. It is said that being a Mage was only for the most selfish, power hungry and deplorable of individuals who desired to further themselves without any regard to those around them.

Operations

Provided Services

Because Mages were so well versed in magic, a talented Mage could often be employed as a hitman or bodyguard in their spare time or even in a relatively normal position like a gardener. Mages were also useful for local lords by offering their abilities in exchange for land or "subjects" on which they could further their studies of magic.

Dangers & Hazards

Mages were said to often spend their time alone pouring over their studies and meditating on the secrets of magic. It is said that in some cases a Mage's meditation would go awry and they would stumble upon some revelation that was too much to bear and they'd go insane, often incinerating or otherwise destroying themselves.

Type

Military

Legality

In current times, being a Mage is considered extremely illegal, and the Laws of Magical Use were written in an effort to combat their potential resurgence as a profession.