Mage Caste

What we thing as 'professions' usually fall in the system of castes on Planet Sharitarn.

Castes are more than professions, they establish specific models of morality that in some extent have the weight of laws. They provide all assistance most individuals will need in their lives, help the widows and the orphans in time of need, serve as defense attorneys for their members and keep the sector of city where their member live save most times. In most senses the castes are what connects a individual to his city, cities demand what they need from the castes and those pass the demands to their members. The Caste Codes tell you more about what you can expect from a civilized person than any other information, they say to you how to judge this people as well; a "Warrior who behaves as a good Merchant is a bad person" they say; and the expected answer for that is "A Merchant who behaves like a good Warrior is a bad person". That saying illustrate the importance of Castes Codes for civilized people.

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Mage Castes are the most important weapon of any city where they exist. Can be just wild sigraxes, when the city has no magic university, or civilized sigraxes and mages. In some cases the city recognizes the alchemists as part of the Mage Caste as well. In any case, they are the magical force of the Nation. And magic is the most powerful element in geopolitics.

Mages change everything, each of them can kill entire armies of warriors just waving a hand. Mages can protect troops from distance and even bring men back to life from small pieces of their bodies. They can create food and water, spears and swords, bridges and walls. Half dozen of mages have kept the populations of large cities health and strong with no food or water during long winters. Also, mages are connected to the only global institution on the planet.

An city where you can find a magic university you will also find a mage tower (the only case where it is not a literal tower is Micula, up there they have concentric rings separated by gardens as 'mage tower': but the function is the same ). Inside this tower the mages on the city have access to the Mage's Brotherhood, they can communicate with any other mage in the world who is in another Mage Tower, in real time. That's internet in a planet without electricity !

In theory the resources of the Mage's Brotherhood can not be used to serve the interest of any city. The mages may, and are supposed to, fight for their people with everything they have in hand except the power and information that comes from the Brotherhood. In theory, that's what they do. In fact any mage in the city will be allowed access to the Mage Tower once inside the city: even a enemy mage in times of War. On the other hand is also a fact that mages will stretch the logic and the facts as much as they can to justify share strategic information obtained from the Mage's Net.

Sigraxes are far less impressive than mages. However when you don't have mages they are the next best thing. A well prepared sigrax in a good position can easily kill thousands of Warriors. They are needed to detect magical traps and explain natural treats related with magic. Sharitarn is a planet full of magic beasts and unpredictable catastrophes magically related, without a sigrax a community faces this things as a blind person faces a tiger.

There is a strong distinction between Mages and sigraxes in therms of Caste Codes and habits. Mages have specific obligations to the entire World, they are also the guardians of the most important treasures of a city, and are living treasures themselves. So, mages are the less free among all free men on the planet. They can not leave the city without a permission from the High Caste Council and/or the King. And they almost never get that permissions. On the other hand no one can demand help from a mage, except his own caste. If he wants he can cross the arms and do nothing while his city burns, no enemy will bother him and no friend has right to complain. They almost never do that, of course. Mages are as much citizens of their nations as any other person, and fell like any other citizen when this nation is under treat. Sigraxes are free to come and go as much as any common man or Warrior Caste. In practical terms they adopt a mix between the Mage's morality and the Warrior Codes, a bit of common sense, and a fair degree of self interest. That talking about civilized sigraxes, remember that where you have civilized sigraxes you also have at least a few dozen of mages. Wild sigraxes carry far more responsibility, since they are the magic reference of their nations. Shamans, chiefs, a bit of each or sometimes all of both Mages do make strong distinctions between adopted, bastard and legitimate children, those are written in long contracts of free companionship which are secret and kept inside the city Mage Tower. Must be like that, because the most powerful objects on the city are the magical gems in power of their mages, just the information of what those treasures are, and where, in enough to change the balance of power between nations. Sigraxes in regard of children and inheritance act more or less like the Warriors do. They don't care much about who gets what. One point that must be considered is that most children of Mage Castes do not have magic potential, they will never be able to be Mage Caste or even alchemists. Most individuals are not born with magic potential; and the chances of sons and daughters of Mages, sigraxes and alchemist are a little better than normal but still far bellow 50% . Daughters of Mage Castes have a good chance to stay in the caste by free companionship, but the boys must look for another caste as soon as the tests show that they don't have the potential. Women are not supposed to became magic users, but most cities don't forbid them to enter the magical university, as long as they have the potential for magic. Unlike men however, women must pay for their costs as students: those are huge. The rare female sigraxes and mages are daughters of mages, Noble Castes, or well succeeded merchants; almost without exception. Concluded the formation they are included in the community and expected to follow the Caste Codes as any other mage or sigrax.

Career

Qualifications

Only those with magic potential can hope to ever became magic users. That is something you are born with, there is no other way On a Nation with a magic university all boys are tested, for magic potential. Having the potential you will invited to join the university. In theory one could refuse the invitation, but that idea makes no sense in the minds of Sharitarne natives. Is hard to even imagine what would happen The students will be prepared for the first test for as long as necessary, there is no rush and the test can no be repeated. Make the test changes the Xar inside the person, those who succeed continue in their way to became sigraxes, the foundation is ready to support the learning of spells. Those who fail the first test must leave, they will never advance in magic, but they are already changed. The magic potential is awaken in this people, what makes them alchemists: people incapable to make spells but able to use the spells in magical objects and weapons, and manipulate magic substances to prepare potions. Any sigrax or mage can do those things, but the alchemist are usually more numerous and can dedicate most their time to learn the skills related to deal with magic objects and potions The advance continues up to the second test. Those who leave, by choice or by suggestion of their professors, stay as sigraxes. Those who succeed the second test became mages, those who fail became piles of ashes that can't be resurrected

Career Progression

There is formal and informal levels of advancement for sigraxes. However, the more important element in the eyes of most people is personal reputation.
As for mages there is one last step. Few will reach it. When a mage depurate the Xar he deals with to a certain level of perfection he is given the chance to travel to Urshawa, the City of Mages, and study to became an archmage.

Payment & Reimbursement

"As rich as a Mage" is a well know expression on Sharitarn, and it is more often than not used as a hyperbole. Mages are rich people, because they can make a lot of money selling their services, because the city where they live pay well for the privilege of their presence, because merchants welcome mages as partners and give them quotas just to associate the name of a mage with their business. A mage would have to try very hard to not became obscenely rich very fast. Sigraxes are not as well paid as mages, obviously, but they are still very well paid. Despite that money goes easier than comes for most sigraxes, because they are always looking for armors, weapons or other objects with magic power to buy; and those things don't came cheap. You have rich sigraxes, and poor ones, but many of then get a lot of money in one night and loose twice more next morning, will be set for life in the end of week and looking for money to pay for the dinner three days after. Looking for money to pay dinner is just a expression here. Any sigrax can use the Xar to keep his own body indefinitely, without food or water, as long as he does not expends it making spells.

Other Benefits

Most people when think about mages only think about magic. Mages also have a lot of money, sure, but putting that aside for a moment there is another element. Few remember than on Sharitarn, but mages have a huge level of politic influence. No king will let a mage waiting, don't matter if the mage arrived without send a warning in the middle of night. Besides, the more serious crimes perpetrated by a mage are usually punished with a life teaching inside the magical university. That alone can be consider a significant benefit on a planet where sentences of death by torture are common place