Mage

A bright orange Paradisian's feathers stand on end as they channel and shape raw Arcane energy. Blue Spirit arcs and leaps in the air making the area reek of ozone. With a final push of effort, she succeeds in her goal. The ground tremors and quakes as Arcane energy rocks the mountainside. Bit by bit, a creature composed of undulating Arcane magic coalesces into existence. The twenty-foot tall behemoth turns to face those foolish enough to attack its summoner.
Holding a bloodied arm close to her body, an Orc stands tall despite her injury. Motes of blue light drift around her as she imbues her weapons and the weapons of her allies with arcane energy. Their swords and arrows glow brightly as they rush forward, hacking into their enemies with ease as magic empowers their strikes. Squealing and shrieking, the demons are no match for their combined fury.
The whistle of a sword sounds ineffectively as a black-furred Courser teleports away, leaving only a snippet of fur to drift to the ground. Flippant in the face of his close brush with death, he reappears to stand beside his ally. His fur ripples and his eyes shine with Arcane energy as mighty gusts of howling wind whip forth, forcing their enemies back. The Orc at his feet stands with a nod of thanks as their foes rail futilely against the force of the magical vortex.

Unquenchable Thirst

Life as a Mage is an endlessly busy cycle of excitement, frustration, and growth. They are constantly working to discover new spells and can often be found reading, or writing, a book on the subject of Spirit or the Arcane every day. Their thirst for knowledge is what drove many to have an interest in the Arcane studies. They maintain the curiosity and focus of a child their entire lives, and delight in learning and discovering new things about the world around them whether those things are mundane or magical. When a Mage finds something that strikes their interest, you can bet that it will be the topic of conversation for at least the next week as they actively strive to absorb and implement as much information as possible on the "subject of the week," as they often joke.
The Mage will always ask, “Why?” when no one else will. The very same Mage is likely to ask, "Why not?" moments before an experiment ends in an explosion of failure or a whirlwind of success.
Mages are enthusiastic individuals that use their learning to master or create spells that can do anything from conjure a drink or change the color of a fire to manipulating and harming an enemy's Spirit or generating explosive and devastating Arcane winds. Their focus on the Arcane tends to cause one of two extremes, though there are more than a few that fall in the middle. On one side, there are the Mages that eat, breathe, and sleep the Arcane to the point that they often need to enchant objects to remind them to do "less interesting tasks" such as eating and bathing. On the other, there are the Mages with deep interests in how to apply magic to their everyday lives. These are the Mages prone to open bakeries or shops where all of the items sold are crafted, decorated, or enhanced by magic. Just how would a Tuskaar be able to use the same chair as an Orc without people like them?

Scholar and Student

A Mage is always fluctuating between the role of student and teacher, scholar and inventor, initiate and master. All Mages are registered and watched over by the Mage Guild. The Guild serves as a repository of individual research and innovations to allow others to study and enhance their craft. Within the Mage Guild, all members are referred to as Scholar, and over time they work together to learn more and more about the control of magic and the spells already practiced. Mages are afforded access to a vast wealth of knowledge and study and can freely utilize the materials and resources of any Guild center they encounter, provided they spend some time tutoring eager trainees in what they have learned.
This membership does not come without responsibility. When a Mage is considered ready to travel, they take on a code of ethics they must uphold and promote in their travels. Mages that live by this code consider the dissemination of knowledge to be a top priority. They vow to harness and use their gifts and teachings to protect and better the people of Adia, and swear to punish those that use the arcane arts for evil or unethical practices such as ritual sacrifice.
As a general rule, Mages keep others of their Art at a bit of a distance out of respect and suspicion that any other Mage could fall victim to the temptation of greater or unstable power. Nearly every Mage College and Guild Outpost has at least one example of a forbidden practice of a past guild member. Rumors abound of a collection of dark magics compiled by the Abyss itself. It is said that it is bound in the flesh of demons and can corrupt any who dare touch it.

Rumdorfel and the Institute of Magical Conflux

The two Mage colleges are located in Rokdom’nar and Galinford and serve as twin pillars of education and experimentation in the continent of Mavayaden. Where Rumdorfel encourages careful study and cautious advancements in controlled environments, the Institute of Magical Conflux prioritizes wild experimentation that, while significantly more dangerous, yields more innovation. Though the colleges are often at odds in their philosophy and practice, they are each respected in their own way in the communities that they rest within. Though there was that time that Galinford was overrun for a week by the normally reclusive magics running rampant making wild claims about the merits of "Chickenmancy." Nevertheless, Mages from across Adia flock to these two schools to report their findings and take time to study in their ever-growing libraries.