Magical Professions and Traditions of the Sphere

Magic within the Sphere is a rare and structured discipline, passed down through guilds, noble bloodlines, and arcane orders. Most mages are not wandering spell-flingers, but specialists who study their craft through decades of apprenticeship, often under the strict supervision of a House or institution. These are the recognized arcane and divine callings throughout the realms of the Great and Lesser Houses.
The Astral Scribes
Role: Guardians of magical communication and ancient knowledge.
Affiliation: The Order of the Astral Scribes.
Abilities: Divination, ritual magic, communication via Astral Towers.
Cultural Status: Revered and feared; they are trusted arbiters and manipulators of knowledge. Rarely leave their Sanctum unless on sacred errand.
Runewrights
Role: Arcane smiths and engravers of magical bindings.
Affiliation: House guilds, artificer schools, or rogue workshops.
Abilities: Creation of enchanted arms, warded armor, and protective glyphs.
Cultural Status: Highly valued by nobles and elite military units. Expensive and rare.
Theurgists
Role: Divine channelers—clergy and prophets who work miracles on behalf of gods or celestial forces.
Affiliation: Temples, pilgrim orders, or secret divine traditions.
Abilities: Light, healing (still unstable post–Celestial Convergence), warding, resurrection lore (theoretical).
Cultural Status: Respected but often kept at arm’s length. Divine magic is viewed as volatile since the Veil cracked.
Alchemists
Role: Potion-makers, poisoners, and catalysts of magical reactions.
Affiliation: Independent guilds or state-licensed schools.
Abilities: Transmutation, concoction, enhancement. Alchemical healing is increasingly important.
Cultural Status: Considered practical and useful. The "working mage" in many cities.
Loremasters
Role: Scholars of history, magic theory, and forbidden knowledge.
Affiliation: Court archives, universities, or wandering truth-seekers.
Abilities: Know many rituals, forgotten words, lost relic locations—but may lack raw power.
Cultural Status: Often mocked in court, but courted in secret when arcane mysteries surface.
Veilbinders
Role: Practitioners of illusion and mind-magic.
Affiliation: Primarily House Liao or espionage-focused cells.
Abilities: Illusions, glamours, misdirection, memory fogging.
Cultural Status: Feared and distrusted. Often seen as spies or enchanters, rarely welcomed in plain sight.
Spellwrights
Role: Codifiers and inscribers of structured magic. The bureaucrats of the arcane.
Affiliation: Typically House Marik, the Order, or the League's remnants.
Abilities: Spell transcription, blueprinting enchanted constructs, managing magical contracts.
Cultural Status: Cold, methodical, and indispensable. Viewed more as engineers than casters.
Wildbloods / Hedge Mages
Role: Unlicensed, self-taught magic-users—sometimes sorcerers, sometimes charlatans.
Affiliation: None (and that's the problem).
Abilities: Variable. Often unpredictable or partially trained.
Cultural Status: Distrusted, feared, and sometimes hunted. Blamed for magical instability and corruption.

What This Means for Players:

Magical classes (like Wizards, Clerics, Sorcerers, Warlocks) will fit best when tied to a tradition above.
Learning magic is a commitment, not something casually picked up.
Spellcasters may face legal restrictions, political scrutiny, or even fear and envy from those around them.
Access to spells, scrolls, and rare components often requires patronage from Houses, guilds, or arcane orders.